A Hybrid Indoor Ambient Light and Vibration Energy Harvester for Wireless Sensor Nodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua Yu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available To take advantage of applications where both light and vibration energy are available, a hybrid indoor ambient light and vibration energy harvesting scheme is proposed in this paper. This scheme uses only one power conditioning circuit to condition the combined output power harvested from both energy sources so as to reduce the power dissipation. In order to more accurately predict the instantaneous power harvested from the solar panel, an improved five-parameter model for small-scale solar panel applying in low light illumination is presented. The output voltage is increased by using the MEMS piezoelectric cantilever arrays architecture. It overcomes the disadvantage of traditional MEMS vibration energy harvester with low voltage output. The implementation of the maximum power point tracking (MPPT for indoor ambient light is implemented using analog discrete components, which improves the whole harvester efficiency significantly compared to the digital signal processor. The output power of the vibration energy harvester is improved by using the impedance matching technique. An efficient mechanism of energy accumulation and bleed-off is also discussed. Experiment results obtained from an amorphous-silicon (a-Si solar panel of 4.8 × 2.0 cm2 and a fabricated piezoelectric MEMS generator of 11 × 12.4 mm2 show that the hybrid energy harvester achieves a maximum efficiency around 76.7%.

Maternal and ambient environmental effects of light on germination in Plantago lanceolata: correlated responses to selection on leaf length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinsberg, A. van

1998-01-01

1. Seeds from artificial selection lines were exposed to different maternal and ambient conditions, simulating sunlight and vegetation shade. 2. Lines selected for longer leaves also produced larger seeds, indicating a positive genetic correlation between leaf length and seed size. 3. Light conditions during maturation had no large effect on seed size. 4. Seed germination was reduced by a low ratio of red to far-red light (R/FR ratio) in the ambient environment. 5. Seeds maturated under simulated vegetation shade germinated less readily and were more inhibited by a low ambient R/FR ratio than seeds maturated under full sunlight or R/FR-neutral shade. Thus, low R/FR-ratios in the maternal and ambient environment operated synergistically. 6. Large genotypic variation in the germination responses to both maternal and ambient light conditions was found among and within selection lines, indicating that such responses might have the potential to evolve in response to natural selection. 7. Artificial selection for leaf length had affected seed germination characteristics but correlated responses and thus genetic correlations largely depended on light conditions in the selective environment. Selection for longer leaves under a low R/FR ratio increased seed dormancy and plasticity of germination in response to the R/FR ratio. However, in the opposite selective environment selection for longer leaves reduced seed dormancy and plasticity to the R/FR ratio. It is argued that leaf length and seed germination characteristics are somehow linked by shared physiological mechanisms, which may facilitate concerted changes in shade avoidance responses

A Novel Optical Morse Code-Based Electronic Lock Using the Ambient Light Sensor and Fuzzy Controller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chin-Tan Lee

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this work, a novel electronic lock that can encode and decode optical signals, modulated using Morse code conventions, was developed to build a smart home security system based on the Internet of Things (IoT. There are five topics of interest in this research: (1 optical Morse code encoder; (2 optical Morse code decoder; (3 ambient light sensor circuit; (4 fuzzy controller; (5 cloud monitoring system. We take advantage of the light-emitting components as the encoder, which are readily available in hand-held mobile devices (e.g., Smart phones and photoresistors and a microcontroller as the decoder. By Wi-Fi transferring, even without a personal computer, real-time information about this lock can be uploaded to the cloud service platform, and helps users to ensure home safety on the remote monitoring system. By using the ambient light sensor and fuzzy controller in this novel optical Morse code-based electronic lock, experimental results show that the reliability of this system is much improved from 65% to 100%. That means that it is highly resistant to different illumination conditions in the work environment, and therefore all functions, including coding, emitting, receiving, decoding, uploading and cloud monitoring, can work well. Furthermore, besides the convenience and cost reduction, by incorporating traditional keys into smart phones, as a consumer electronics, our proposed system is suitable for users of all ages because of a user-friendly operation interface.

Ambient Persuasive Technology Needs Little Cognitive Effort: The Differential Effects of Cognitive Load on Lighting Feedback versus Factual Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Ham, Jaap; Midden, Cees

Persuasive technology can influence behavior or attitudes by for example providing interactive factual feedback about energy conservation. However, people often lack motivation or cognitive capacity to consciously process such relative complex information (e.g., numerical consumption feedback). Extending recent research that indicates that ambient persuasive technology can persuade the user without receiving the user's conscious attention, we argue here that Ambient Persuasive Technology can be effective while needing only little cognitive resources, and in general can be more influential than more focal forms of persuasive technology. In an experimental study, some participants received energy consumption feedback by means of a light changing color (more green=lower energy consumption, vs. more red=higher energy consumption) and others by means of numbers indicating kWh consumption. Results indicated that ambient feedback led to more conservation than factual feedback. Also, as expected, only for participants processing factual feedback, additional cognitive load lead to slower processing of that feedback. This research sheds light on fundamental characteristics of Ambient Persuasive Technology and Persuasive Lighting, and suggests that it can have important advantages over more focal persuasive technologies without losing its persuasive potential.

Light-induced magnetoresistance in solution-processed planar hybrid devices measured under ambient conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Sreetama; Bülz, Daniel; Reuter, Danny; Hiller, Karla; Zahn, Dietrich R T; Salvan, Georgeta

2017-01-01

We report light-induced negative organic magnetoresistance (OMAR) measured in ambient atmosphere in solution-processed 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) planar hybrid devices with two different device architectures. Hybrid electronic devices with trench-isolated electrodes (HED-TIE) having a channel length of ca. 100 nm fabricated in this work and, for comparison, commercially available pre-structured organic field-effect transistor (OFET) substrates with a channel length of 20 µm were used. The magnitude of the photocurrent as well as the magnetoresistance was found to be higher for the HED-TIE devices because of the much smaller channel length of these devices compared to the OFETs. We attribute the observed light-induced negative magnetoresistance in TIPS-pentacene to the presence of electron-hole pairs under illumination as the magnetoresistive effect scales with the photocurrent. The magnetoresistance effect was found to diminish over time under ambient conditions compared to a freshly prepared sample. We propose that the much faster degradation of the magnetoresistance effect as compared to the photocurrent was due to the incorporation of water molecules in the TIPS-pentacene film.

Installation of the light tight cover for the SSD modules (the modules are behind the aluminium plate). The silicon sensors are sensitive to light tight, so ambient light will increase the noise and may even damage them.

CERN Multimedia

Nooren, G.

2004-01-01

Installation of the light tight cover for the SSD modules (the modules are behind the aluminium plate). The silicon sensors are sensitive to light tight , so ambient light will increase the noise and may even damage them.

Ambient fabrication of flexible and large-area organic light-emitting devices using slot-die coating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandstrom, Andreas; Dam, Henrik Friis; Krebs, Frederik C

2012-01-01

available in smartphones, but the promise of a continuous ambient fabrication has unfortunately not materialized yet, as organic light-emitting diodes invariably depend on the use of one or more time-and energy-consuming process steps under vacuum. Here we report an all-solution-based fabrication...... of an alternative emissive device, a light-emitting electrochemical cell, using a slot-die roll-coating apparatus. The fabricated flexible sheets exhibit bidirectional and uniform light emission, and feature a fault-tolerant >1-mu m-thick active material that is doped in situ during operation. It is notable...

Light-induced magnetoresistance in solution-processed planar hybrid devices measured under ambient conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sreetama Banerjee

2017-07-01

Full Text Available We report light-induced negative organic magnetoresistance (OMAR measured in ambient atmosphere in solution-processed 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynylpentacene (TIPS-pentacene planar hybrid devices with two different device architectures. Hybrid electronic devices with trench-isolated electrodes (HED-TIE having a channel length of ca. 100 nm fabricated in this work and, for comparison, commercially available pre-structured organic field-effect transistor (OFET substrates with a channel length of 20 µm were used. The magnitude of the photocurrent as well as the magnetoresistance was found to be higher for the HED-TIE devices because of the much smaller channel length of these devices compared to the OFETs. We attribute the observed light-induced negative magnetoresistance in TIPS-pentacene to the presence of electron–hole pairs under illumination as the magnetoresistive effect scales with the photocurrent. The magnetoresistance effect was found to diminish over time under ambient conditions compared to a freshly prepared sample. We propose that the much faster degradation of the magnetoresistance effect as compared to the photocurrent was due to the incorporation of water molecules in the TIPS-pentacene film.

Ambient UV-B radiation decreases photosynthesis in high arctic Vaccinium uliginosum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albert, K.R.; Ro-Poulsen, H. (Univ. of Copenhagen, Dept. of Terrestrial Ecology, Copenhagen (DK)); Mikkelsen, T.N. (Technical Univ. of Denmark, Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Biosystems Dept., Roskilde (DK))

2008-06-15

An UV-B-exclusion experiment was established in high arctic Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland, to investigate the possible effects of ambient UV-B on plant performance. During almost a whole growing season, canopy gas exchange and Chl fluorescence were measured on Vaccinium uliginosum (bog blueberry). Leaf area, biomass, carbon, nitrogen and UV-B-absorbing compounds were determined from a late season harvest. Compared with the reduced UV-B treatment, the plants in ambient UV-B were found to have a higher content of UV-B-absorbing compounds, and canopy net photosynthesis was as an average 23% lower during the season. By means of the JIP-test, it was found that the potential of processing light energy through the photosynthetic machinery was slightly reduced in ambient UV-B. This indicates that not only the UV-B effects on PSII may be responsible for some of the observed reduction of photosynthesis but also the effects on other parts of the photosynthetic machinery, e.g. the Calvin cycle, might be important. The 60% reduction of the UV-B irradiance used in this study implies a higher relative change in the UV-B load than many of the supplemental experiments do, but the substantial effect on photosynthesis clearly indicates that V. uliginosum is negatively affected by the current level of UV-B. (au)

Ambient UV-B radiation decreases photosynthesis in high arctic Vaccinium uliginosum.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Kristian R; Mikkelsen, Teis N; Ro-Poulsen, Helge

2008-06-01

An UV-B-exclusion experiment was established in high arctic Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland, to investigate the possible effects of ambient UV-B on plant performance. During almost a whole growing season, canopy gas exchange and Chl fluorescence were measured on Vaccinium uliginosum (bog blueberry). Leaf area, biomass, carbon, nitrogen and UV-B-absorbing compounds were determined from a late season harvest. Compared with the reduced UV-B treatment, the plants in ambient UV-B were found to have a higher content of UV-B-absorbing compounds, and canopy net photosynthesis was as an average 23% lower during the season. By means of the JIP-test, it was found that the potential of processing light energy through the photosynthetic machinery was slightly reduced in ambient UV-B. This indicates that not only the UV-B effects on PSII may be responsible for some of the observed reduction of photosynthesis but also the effects on other parts of the photosynthetic machinery, e.g. the Calvin cycle, might be important. The 60% reduction of the UV-B irradiance used in this study implies a higher relative change in the UV-B load than many of the supplemental experiments do, but the substantial effect on photosynthesis clearly indicates that V. uliginosum is negatively affected by the current level of UV-B.

Near-infrared light absorption by brown carbon in the ambient atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, C.; Hoffer, A.; Beres, N. D.; Moosmüller, H.; Liu, C.; Green, M.; Kim, S. W.; Engelbrecht, J. P.; Gelencser, A.

2017-12-01

Organic aerosols have been assumed to have little-to-no absorption in the red and near-infrared spectral regions of solar radiation, even though a class of organic aerosols were shown to absorb significantly in these spectral regions. Here, we show that ambient atmospheric data from commonly-used 7-wavelength aethalometers contain evidence of abundant near-infrared light absorption by organic aerosol. This evidence comes from the absorption Ångström exponent over 880 950 nm, which often exceeds values explainable by fresh or coated black carbon, or mineral dust. This evidence is not due to an artifact from the instrument random errors or biases, either. The best explanation for these large 880/950 nm absorption Ångström exponent values in the aethalometer data is near-infrared light absorption by tar balls. Tar balls are among common particles from forest fire.

Flash light sintered copper precursor/nanoparticle pattern with high electrical conductivity and low porosity for printed electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Wan-Ho; Hwang, Hyun-Jun; Kim, Hak-Sung

2015-01-01

In this work, the hybrid copper inks with precursor and nanoparticles were fabricated and sintered via flash light irradiation to achieve highly conductive electrode pattern with low porosity. The hybrid copper ink was made of copper nanoparticles and various copper precursors (e.g., copper(II) chloride, copper(II) nitrate trihydrate, copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate and copper(II) trifluoroacetylacetonate). The printed hybrid copper inks were sintered at room temperature and under ambient conditions using an in-house flash light sintering system. The effects of copper precursor weight fraction and the flash light irradiation conditions (light energy and pulse duration) were investigated. Surfaces of the sintered hybrid copper patterns were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. Also, spectroscopic characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the crystal phases of the flash light sintered copper precursors. High conductivity hybrid copper patterns (27.3 μΩ cm), which is comparable to the resistivity of bulk copper (1.68 μΩ cm) were obtained through flash light sintering at room temperature and under ambient conditions. - Highlights: • The hybrid copper inks with precursor and nanoparticles were fabricated. • The hybrid copper ink was sintered via flash light irradiation. • The resistivity of sintered hybrid copper ink was 27.3 μΩ cm. • Highly conductive copper film with low porosity could be achieved

Flash light sintered copper precursor/nanoparticle pattern with high electrical conductivity and low porosity for printed electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Wan-Ho; Hwang, Hyun-Jun [Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haendang-Dong, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hak-Sung, E-mail: kima@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haendang-Dong, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-04-01

In this work, the hybrid copper inks with precursor and nanoparticles were fabricated and sintered via flash light irradiation to achieve highly conductive electrode pattern with low porosity. The hybrid copper ink was made of copper nanoparticles and various copper precursors (e.g., copper(II) chloride, copper(II) nitrate trihydrate, copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate and copper(II) trifluoroacetylacetonate). The printed hybrid copper inks were sintered at room temperature and under ambient conditions using an in-house flash light sintering system. The effects of copper precursor weight fraction and the flash light irradiation conditions (light energy and pulse duration) were investigated. Surfaces of the sintered hybrid copper patterns were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. Also, spectroscopic characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the crystal phases of the flash light sintered copper precursors. High conductivity hybrid copper patterns (27.3 μΩ cm), which is comparable to the resistivity of bulk copper (1.68 μΩ cm) were obtained through flash light sintering at room temperature and under ambient conditions. - Highlights: • The hybrid copper inks with precursor and nanoparticles were fabricated. • The hybrid copper ink was sintered via flash light irradiation. • The resistivity of sintered hybrid copper ink was 27.3 μΩ cm. • Highly conductive copper film with low porosity could be achieved.

Combined effect of whole-body vibration and ambient lighting on human discomfort, heart rate, and reaction time.

Science.gov (United States)

Monazzam, Mohammad Reza; Shoja, Esmaeil; Zakerian, Seyed Abolfazl; Foroushani, Abbas Rahimi; Shoja, Mohsen; Gharaee, Masoumeh; Asgari, Amin

2018-03-12

This study aimed to investigate the effect of whole-body vibration and ambient lighting, as well as their combined effect on human discomfort, heart rate, and reaction time in laboratory conditions. 44 men were recruited with an average age of 25.4 ± 1.9 years. Each participant was subjected to 12 experimental steps, each step lasting five minutes for four different vibration accelerations in X, Y, and Z axes at a fixed frequency; three different lighting intensities of 50, 500, and 1000 lx were also considered. At each step, a visual computerized reaction test was taken from subjects and their heart rate recorded by pulse oximeter. In addition, the discomfort rate of subjects was measured using Borg scale. Increasing vibration acceleration significantly increased the discomfort rate and heart beat but not the reaction time. Lack of lighting caused more discomfort in the subjects, but there was no significant correlation between lighting intensity with heart rate and reaction time. The results also showed that the combined effect of vibration and lighting had no significant effect on any of the discomfort, heart rate, and reaction time variables. Whole-body vibration is an important factor in the development of human subjective and physiological reactions compared to lighting. Therefore, consideration of the level of vibration to which an individual is exposed in workplaces subject to vibration plays an important role in reducing the level of human discomfort, but its interaction with ambient lighting does not have a significant effect on human subjective and physiological responses.

Design and development of an improved traffic light control system using hybrid lighting system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Osigbemeh

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The deployment of light emitting diodes (LEDs based traffic system control created the problem of dim displays when ambient light is similar to traffic lights. It causes some drivers' disability of seeing and obeying traffic signs. This makes drivers violate traffic rules. In this paper, an attempt to use hybrid lighting technology to mitigate this problem was developed. Incandescent lightings with deployed halogen bulbs provided an instantaneous source of highly efficacious illumination which is brighter than the drivers' ambient lights (both daylight, electrical lights and their reflections, which can help drivers get access to enough warning and help them initiate traffic safety warning as necessary. The halogen lightings also offered the required high current draw needed in electrical circuitry to help brighten the LED displays. The problem of heat generated was eliminated by aerating the T-junction traffic light control unit designed for this technology. The result of hybrid lighting system design was found to be high luminosity and capability of gaining driver attention in real-time. It also allowed enhanced sign's image detection and processing for smart based technologies by providing the “light punch” needed for a wide range of visual concerns.

Bright versus dim ambient light affects subjective well-being but not serotonin-related biological factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Stemer, Bettina; Melmer, Andreas; Fuchs, Dietmar; Ebenbichler, Christoph; Kemmler, Georg; Deisenhammer, Eberhard A

2015-10-30

Light falling on the retina is converted into an electrical signal which stimulates serotonin synthesis. Previous studies described an increase of plasma and CNS serotonin levels after bright light exposure. Ghrelin and leptin are peptide hormones which are involved in the regulation of hunger/satiety and are related to serotonin. Neopterin and kynurenine are immunological markers which are also linked to serotonin biosynthesis. In this study, 29 healthy male volunteers were exposed to bright (5000lx) and dim (50lx) light conditions for 120min in a cross-over manner. Subjective well-being and hunger as well as various serotonin associated plasma factors were assessed before and after light exposure. Subjective well-being showed a small increase under bright light and a small decrease under dim light, resulting in a significant interaction between light condition and time. Ghrelin concentrations increased significantly under both light conditions, but there was no interaction between light and time. Correspondingly, leptin decreased significantly under both light conditions. Hunger increased significantly with no light-time interaction. We also found a significant decrease of neopterin, tryptophan and tyrosine levels, but no interaction between light and time. In conclusion, ambient light was affecting subjective well-being rather than serotonin associated biological factors. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Investigation of effective base transit time and current gain modulation of light-emitting transistors under different ambient temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Hao-Hsiang; Tu, Wen-Chung; Wang, Hsiao-Lun [Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Wu, Chao-Hsin, E-mail: chaohsinwu@ntu.edu.tw [Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Electronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei106, Taiwan (China)

2014-11-03

In this report, the modulation of current gain of InGaP/GaAs light-emitting transistors under different ambient temperatures are measured and analyzed using thermionic emission model of quantum well embedded in the transistor base region. Minority carriers captured by quantum wells gain more energy at high temperatures and escape from quantum wells resulting in an increase of current gain and lower optical output, resulting in different I-V characteristics from conventional heterojunction bipolar transistors. The effect of the smaller thermionic lifetime thus reduces the effective base transit time of transistors at high temperatures. The unique current gain enhancement of 27.61% is achieved when operation temperature increase from 28 to 85 °C.

Study of system dynamics model and control of a high-power LED lighting luminaire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, B.-J.; Hsu, P.-C.; Wu, M.-S.; Tang, C.-W.

2007-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to design a current control system which is robust to the system dynamics uncertainty and the disturbance of ambient temperature to assure a stable optical output property of LED. The system dynamics model of the LED lighting system was first derived. A 96 W high-power LED luminaire was designed and built in the present study. The linearly perturbed system dynamics model for the LED luminaire is derived experimentally. The dynamics model of LED lighting system is of a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system with two inputs (applied voltage and ambient temperature) and two outputs (forward current and heat conducting body temperature). A step response test method was employed to the 96 W LED luminaire to identify the system dynamics model. It is found that the current model is just a constant gain (resistance) and the disturbance model is of first order, both changing with operating conditions (voltage and ambient temperature). A feedback control system using PI algorithm was designed using the results of the system dynamics model. The control system was implemented on a PIC microprocessor. Experimental results show that the control system can stably and accurately control the LED current to a constant value at the variation of ambient temperature up to 40 o C. The control system is shown to have a robust property with respect to the plant uncertainty and the ambient temperature disturbance

Subjective quality of video sequences rendered on LCD with local backlight dimming at different lighting conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Mantel, Claire; Korhonen, Jari; Pedersen, Jesper M.; Bech, Søren; Andersen, Jakob Dahl; Forchhammer, Søren

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on the influence of ambient light on the perceived quality of videos displayed on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) with local backlight dimming. A subjective test assessing the quality of videos with two backlight dimming methods and three lighting conditions, i.e. no light, low light level (5 lux) and higher light level (60 lux) was organized to collect subjective data. Results show that participants prefer the method exploiting local dimming possibilities to the conventional full backlight but that this preference varies depending on the ambient light level. The clear preference for one method at the low light conditions decreases at the high ambient light, confirming that the ambient light significantly attenuates the perception of the leakage defect (light leaking through dark pixels). Results are also highly dependent on the content of the sequence, which can modulate the effect of the ambient light from having an important influence on the quality grades to no influence at all.

Measurement of Ambient Air Motion of D. I. Gasoline Spray by LIF-PIV

Science.gov (United States)

Yamakawa, Masahisa; Isshiki, Seiji; Yoshizaki, Takuo; Nishida, Keiya

Ambient air velocity distributions in and around a D. I. gasoline spray were measured using a combination of LIF and PIV techniques. A rhodamine and water solution was injected into ambient air to disperse the fine fluorescent liquid particles used as tracers. A fuel spray was injected into the fluorescent tracer cloud and was illuminated by an Nd: YAG laser light sheet (532nm). The scattered light from the spray droplets and tracers was cut off by a high-pass filter (>560nm). As the fluorescence (>600nm) was transmitted through the high-pass filter, the tracer images were captured using a CCD camera and the ambient air velocity distribution could be obtained by PIV based on the images. This technique was applied to a D. I. gasoline spray. The ambient air flowed up around the spray and entered into the tail of the spray. Furthermore, the relative velocity between the spray and ambient air was investigated.

A high-resolution ambient seismic noise model for Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Kraft, Toni

2014-05-01

In the past several years, geological energy technologies receive growing attention and have been initiated in or close to urban areas. Some of these technologies involve injecting fluids into the subsurface (e.g., oil and gas development, waste disposal, and geothermal energy development) and have been found or suspected to cause small to moderate sized earthquakes. These earthquakes, which may have gone unnoticed in the past when they occurred in remote sparsely populated areas, are now posing a considerable risk for the public acceptance of these technologies in urban areas. The permanent termination of the EGS project in Basel, Switzerland after a number of induced ML~3 (minor) earthquakes in 2006 is one prominent example. It is therefore essential to the future development and success of these geological energy technologies to develop strategies for managing induced seismicity and keeping the size of induced earthquake at a level that is acceptable to all stakeholders. Most guidelines and recommendations on induced seismicity published since the 1970ies conclude that an indispensable component of such a strategy is the establishment of seismic monitoring in an early stage of a project. This is because an appropriate seismic monitoring is the only way to detect and locate induced microearthquakes with sufficient certainty to develop an understanding of the seismic and geomechanical response of the reservoir to the geotechnical operation. In addition, seismic monitoring lays the foundation for the establishment of advanced traffic light systems and is therefore an important confidence building measure towards the local population and authorities. Due to this development an increasing number of seismic monitoring networks are being installed in densely populated areas with strongly heterogeneous, and unfavorable ambient noise conditions. This poses a major challenge on the network design process, which aims to find the sensor geometry that optimizes the

Joint measurements of PM2. 5 and light-absorptive PM in woodsmoke-dominated ambient and plume environments

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, K. Max; Allen, George; Yang, Bo; Chen, Geng; Gu, Jiajun; Schwab, James; Felton, Dirk; Rattigan, Oliver

2017-09-01

DC, also referred to as Delta-C, measures enhanced light absorption of particulate matter (PM) samples at the near-ultraviolet (UV) range relative to the near-infrared range, which has been proposed previously as a woodsmoke marker due to the presence of enhanced UV light-absorbing materials from wood combustion. In this paper, we further evaluated the applications and limitations of using DC as both a qualitative and semi-quantitative woodsmoke marker via joint continuous measurements of PM2. 5 (by nephelometer pDR-1500) and light-absorptive PM (by 2-wavelength and 7-wavelength Aethalometertext">®) in three northeastern US cities/towns including Rutland, VT; Saranac Lake, NY and Ithaca, NY. Residential wood combustion has shown to be the predominant source of wintertime primary PM2. 5 emissions in both Rutland and Saranac Lake, where we conducted ambient measurements. In Ithaca, we performed woodsmoke plume measurements. We compared the pDR-1500 against a FEM PM2. 5 sampler (BAM 1020), and identified a close agreement between the two instruments in a woodsmoke-dominated ambient environment. The analysis of seasonal and diurnal trends of DC, black carbon (BC, 880 nm) and PM2. 5 concentrations supports the use of DC as an adequate qualitative marker. The strong linear relationships between PM2. 5 and DC in both woodsmoke-dominated ambient and plume environments suggest that DC can reasonably serve as a semi-quantitative woodsmoke marker. We propose a DC-based indicator for woodsmoke emission, which has shown to exhibit a relatively strong linear relationship with heating demand. While we observed reproducible PM2. 5-DC relationships in similar woodsmoke-dominated ambient environments, those relationships differ significantly with different environments, and among individual woodsmoke sources. Our analysis also indicates the potential for PM2. 5-DC relationships to be utilized to distinguish different combustion and operating conditions of woodsmoke sources, and

Subjective quality of video sequences rendered on LCD with local backlight dimming at different lighting conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mantel, Claire; Korhonen, Jari; Pedersen, Jesper Mørkhøj

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on the influence of ambient light on the perceived quality of videos displayed on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) with local backlight dimming. A subjective test assessing the quality of videos with two backlight dimming methods and three lighting conditions, i.e. no light, low...... light level (5 lux) and higher light level (60 lux) was organized to collect subjective data. Results show that participants prefer the method exploiting local dimming possibilities to the conventional full backlight but that this preference varies depending on the ambient light level. The clear...... preference for one method at the low light conditions decreases at the high ambient light, confirming that the ambient light significantly attenuates the perception of the leakage defect (light leaking through dark pixels). Results are also highly dependent on the content of the sequence, which can modulate...

Differential signaling spread-spectrum modulation of the LED visible light wireless communications using a mobile-phone camera

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shih-Hao; Chow, Chi-Wai

2015-02-01

Visible light communication (VLC) using spread spectrum modulation (SSM) and differential signaling (DS), detected by a mobile-phone camera is proposed and demonstrated for the first time to provide high immunity to background ambient light interference. The SSM signal provides the coding gain while the DS scheme enhances the clock recovery particular under high background ambient light. Experiment results confirm the feasibility of the proposed scheme, showing that the proposed system has 6-dB gain comparing with the traditional on-off keying (OOK) modulation under background ambient light of 3000 lux. The direct incident ambient light to the mobile-phone camera is 520 lux.

Applications of ambient mass spectrometry in high-throughput screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li-Ping; Feng, Bao-Sheng; Yang, Jian-Wang; Chang, Cui-Lan; Bai, Yu; Liu, Hu-Wei

2013-06-07

The development of rapid screening and identification techniques is of great importance for drug discovery, doping control, forensic identification, food safety and quality control. Ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) allows rapid and direct analysis of various samples in open air with little sample preparation. Recently, its applications in high-throughput screening have been in rapid progress. During the past decade, various ambient ionization techniques have been developed and applied in high-throughput screening. This review discusses typical applications of AMS, including DESI (desorption electrospray ionization), DART (direct analysis in real time), EESI (extractive electrospray ionization), etc., in high-throughput screening (HTS).

Ambient UV-B radiation decreases photosynthesis in high arctic Vaccinium uliginosum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albert, Kristian Rost; Mikkelsen, Teis Nørgaard; Ro-Poulsen, H.

2008-01-01

). Leaf area, biomass, carbon, nitrogen and UV-B-absorbing compounds were determined from a late season harvest. Compared with the reduced UV-B treatment, the plants in ambient UV-B were found to have a higher content of UV-B-absorbing compounds, and canopy net photosynthesis was as an average 23% lower...... during the season. By means of the JIP-test, it was found that the potential of processing light energy through the photosynthetic machinery was slightly reduced in ambient UV-B. This indicates that not only the UV-B effects on PSII may be responsible for some of the observed reduction of photosynthesis...... on photosynthesis clearly indicates that V. uliginosum is negatively affected by the current level of UV-B....

GDI fuel sprays of light naphtha, PRF95 and gasoline using a piezoelectric injector under different ambient pressures

KAUST Repository

Wu, Zengyang; Wang, Libing; Badra, Jihad A.; Roberts, William L.; Fang, Tiegang

2018-01-01

This study investigates fuel sprays of light naphtha (LN), primary reference fuel (PRF) and gasoline under different ambient pressures with an outwardly opening piezo gasoline direct injection (GDI) fuel injector. The tested gasoline fuel (regular grade with up to 10% ethanol, E10) was obtained by mixing fuels with AKI (the average of the research octane number (RON) and the motor octane number (MON)) of 87 from three local gas stations. Primary reference fuel (PRF) is commonly used as gasoline surrogate fuel and is blended by iso-octane and n-heptane. PRF95 is the blend of 95% iso-octane and 5% n-heptane by volume. LN fuel was provided by Saudi Aramco Oil Company. Five different ambient pressure conditions varied from 1 bar to 10 bar were tested. The spray was visualized by applying a Mie-scattering technique and a high-speed camera was employed to capture the spray images. The spray structure, spray angle, spray penetration length and spray front fluctuation were analyzed and compared among three fuels. Spray images show that a clear filamentary hollow-cone spray structure is formed for all three fuels at atmospheric conditions, and toroidal recirculation vortexes are observed at the downstream spray edges. A higher ambient pressure leads to a stronger vortex located closer to the injector outlet. Generally speaking, larger spray angles are found under higher ambient pressure conditions for all three fuels. Gasoline fuel always has the largest spray angle for each ambient pressure, while PRF95 has the smallest at most time. For each fuel, the spray front penetration length and spray front penetration velocity decrease with increasing ambient pressure. LN, PRF95 and gasoline show similar penetration length and velocity under the tested conditions. A two-stage spray front fluctuation pattern is observed for all three fuels. Stage one begins from the start of the injection and ends at 450–500 μs after the start of the injection trigger (ASOIT) with a slow

GDI fuel sprays of light naphtha, PRF95 and gasoline using a piezoelectric injector under different ambient pressures

KAUST Repository

Wu, Zengyang

2018-03-20

This study investigates fuel sprays of light naphtha (LN), primary reference fuel (PRF) and gasoline under different ambient pressures with an outwardly opening piezo gasoline direct injection (GDI) fuel injector. The tested gasoline fuel (regular grade with up to 10% ethanol, E10) was obtained by mixing fuels with AKI (the average of the research octane number (RON) and the motor octane number (MON)) of 87 from three local gas stations. Primary reference fuel (PRF) is commonly used as gasoline surrogate fuel and is blended by iso-octane and n-heptane. PRF95 is the blend of 95% iso-octane and 5% n-heptane by volume. LN fuel was provided by Saudi Aramco Oil Company. Five different ambient pressure conditions varied from 1 bar to 10 bar were tested. The spray was visualized by applying a Mie-scattering technique and a high-speed camera was employed to capture the spray images. The spray structure, spray angle, spray penetration length and spray front fluctuation were analyzed and compared among three fuels. Spray images show that a clear filamentary hollow-cone spray structure is formed for all three fuels at atmospheric conditions, and toroidal recirculation vortexes are observed at the downstream spray edges. A higher ambient pressure leads to a stronger vortex located closer to the injector outlet. Generally speaking, larger spray angles are found under higher ambient pressure conditions for all three fuels. Gasoline fuel always has the largest spray angle for each ambient pressure, while PRF95 has the smallest at most time. For each fuel, the spray front penetration length and spray front penetration velocity decrease with increasing ambient pressure. LN, PRF95 and gasoline show similar penetration length and velocity under the tested conditions. A two-stage spray front fluctuation pattern is observed for all three fuels. Stage one begins from the start of the injection and ends at 450–500 μs after the start of the injection trigger (ASOIT) with a slow

Studies in ambient intelligent lighting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sekulovski, D.

2013-01-01

The revolution in lighting we are arguably experiencing is led by technical developments in the area of solid state lighting technology. The improved lifetime, efficiency and environmentally friendly raw materials make LEDs the main contender for the light source of the future. The core of the

New ambient pressure photoemission endstation at Advanced Light Source beamline 9.3.2

KAUST Repository

Grass, Michael E.; Karlsson, Patrik G.; Aksoy, Funda; Lundqvist, Måns; Wannberg, Björn; Mun, Bongjin S.; Hussain, Zahid; Liu, Zhi

2010-01-01

During the past decade, the application of ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy (APPES) has been recognized as an important in situ tool to study environmental and materials science, energy related science, and many other fields. Several APPES endstations are currently under planning or development at the USA and international light sources, which will lead to a rapid expansion of this technique. The present work describes the design and performance of a new APPES instrument at the Advanced Light Source beamline 9.3.2 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This new instrument, Scienta R4000 HiPP, is a result of collaboration between Advanced Light Source and its industrial partner VG-Scienta. The R4000 HiPP provides superior electron transmission as well as spectromicroscopy modes with 16 μm spatial resolution in one dimension and angle-resolved modes with simulated 0.5° angular resolution at 24° acceptance. Under maximum transmission mode, the electron detection efficiency is more than an order of magnitude better than the previous endstation at beamline 9.3.2. Herein we describe the design and performance of the system, which has been utilized to record spectra above 2 mbar. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Concentration of phenolic compounds is increased in lettuce grown under high light intensity and elevated CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-López, Usue; Sgherri, Cristina; Miranda-Apodaca, Jon; Micaelli, Francesco; Lacuesta, Maite; Mena-Petite, Amaia; Quartacci, Mike Frank; Muñoz-Rueda, Alberto

2018-02-01

The present study was focused on lettuce, a widely consumed leafy vegetable for the large number of healthy phenolic compounds. Two differently-pigmented lettuce cultivars, i.e. an acyanic-green leaf cv. and an anthocyanic-red one, were grown under high light intensity or elevated CO 2 or both in order to evaluate how environmental conditions may affect the production of secondary phenolic metabolites and, thus, lettuce quality. Mild light stress imposed for a short time under ambient or elevated CO 2 concentration increased phenolics compounds as well as antioxidant capacity in both lettuce cvs, indicating how the cultivation practice could enhance the health-promoting benefits of lettuce. The phenolic profile depended on pigmentation and the anthocyanic-red cv. always maintained a higher phenolic amount as well as antioxidant capacity than the acyanic-green one. In particular, quercetin, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, kaempferol, quercitrin and rutin accumulated under high light or high CO 2 in the anthocyanic-red cv., whereas cyanidin derivatives were responsive to mild light stress, both at ambient and elevated CO 2 . In both cvs total free and conjugated phenolic acids maintained higher values under all altered environmental conditions, whereas luteolin reached significant amounts when both stresses were administered together, indicating, in this last case, that the enzymatic regulation of the flavonoid synthesis could be differently affected, the synthesis of flavones being favored. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Highly reactive light-dependent monoterpenes in the Amazon

Science.gov (United States)

Jardine, A. B.; Jardine, K. J.; Fuentes, J. D.; Martin, S. T.; Martins, G.; Durgante, F.; Carneiro, V.; Higuchi, N.; Manzi, A. O.; Chambers, J. Q.

2015-03-01

Despite orders of magnitude difference in atmospheric reactivity and great diversity in biological functioning, little is known about monoterpene speciation in tropical forests. Here we report vertically resolved ambient air mixing ratios for 12 monoterpenes in a central Amazon rainforest including observations of the highly reactive cis-β-ocimene (160 ppt), trans-β-ocimene (79 ppt), and terpinolene (32 ppt) which accounted for an estimated 21% of total monoterpene composition yet 55% of the upper canopy monoterpene ozonolysis rate. All 12 monoterpenes showed a mixing ratio peak in the upper canopy, with three demonstrating subcanopy peaks in 7 of 11 profiles. Leaf level emissions of highly reactive monoterpenes accounted for up to 1.9% of photosynthesis confirming light-dependent emissions across several Amazon tree genera. These results suggest that highly reactive monoterpenes play important antioxidant roles during photosynthesis in plants and serve as near-canopy sources of secondary organic aerosol precursors through atmospheric photooxidation via ozonolysis.

Effects of high ambient temperature on urea-nitrogen recycling in lactating dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Obitsu, Taketo; Kamiya, Mitsuru; Kamiya, Yuko; Tanaka, Masahito; Sugino, Toshihisa; Taniguchi, Kohzo

2011-08-01

Effects of exposure to hot environment on urea metabolism were studied in lactating Holstein cows. Four cows were fed ad libitum a total mixed ration and housed in a temperature-controlled chamber at constant moderate (18°C) or high (28°C) ambient temperatures in a cross-over design. Urea nitrogen (N) kinetics was measured by determining urea isotopomer in urine after single injection of [(15) N(2) ]urea into the jugular vein. Both dry matter intake and milk yield were decreased under high ambient temperature. Intakes of total N and digestible N were decreased under high ambient temperature but urinary urea-N excretion was increased. The ratio of urea-N production to digestible N was increased, whereas the proportion of gut urea-N entry to urea-N production tended to be decreased under high ambient temperature. Neither return to the ornithine cycle, anabolic use nor fecal excretion of urea-N recycled to the gut was affected by ambient temperature. Under high ambient temperature, renal clearance of plasma urea was not affected but the gut clearance was decreased. Increase of urea-N production and reduction of gut urea-N entry, in relative terms, were associated with increased urinary urea-N excretion of lactating dairy cows in higher thermal environments. 2011 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2011 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

High mortality of Red Sea zooplankton under ambient solar radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Aidaroos, Ali M; El-Sherbiny, Mohsen M O; Satheesh, Sathianeson; Mantha, Gopikrishna; Agustī, Susana; Carreja, Beatriz; Duarte, Carlos M

2014-01-01

High solar radiation along with extreme transparency leads to high penetration of solar radiation in the Red Sea, potentially harmful to biota inhabiting the upper water column, including zooplankton. Here we show, based on experimental assessments of solar radiation dose-mortality curves on eight common taxa, the mortality of zooplankton in the oligotrophic waters of the Red Sea to increase steeply with ambient levels of solar radiation in the Red Sea. Responses curves linking solar radiation doses with zooplankton mortality were evaluated by exposing organisms, enclosed in quartz bottles, allowing all the wavelengths of solar radiation to penetrate, to five different levels of ambient solar radiation (100%, 21.6%, 7.2%, 3.2% and 0% of solar radiation). The maximum mortality rates under ambient solar radiation levels averaged (±standard error of the mean, SEM) 18.4±5.8% h(-1), five-fold greater than the average mortality in the dark for the eight taxa tested. The UV-B radiation required for mortality rates to reach ½ of maximum values averaged (±SEM) 12±5.6 h(-1)% of incident UVB radiation, equivalent to the UV-B dose at 19.2±2.7 m depth in open coastal Red Sea waters. These results confirm that Red Sea zooplankton are highly vulnerable to ambient solar radiation, as a consequence of the combination of high incident radiation and high water transparency allowing deep penetration of damaging UV-B radiation. These results provide evidence of the significance of ambient solar radiation levels as a stressor of marine zooplankton communities in tropical, oligotrophic waters. Because the oligotrophic ocean extends across 70% of the ocean surface, solar radiation can be a globally-significant stressor for the ocean ecosystem, by constraining zooplankton use of the upper levels of the water column and, therefore, the efficiency of food transfer up the food web in the oligotrophic ocean.

High mortality of Red Sea zooplankton under ambient solar radiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali M Al-Aidaroos

Full Text Available High solar radiation along with extreme transparency leads to high penetration of solar radiation in the Red Sea, potentially harmful to biota inhabiting the upper water column, including zooplankton. Here we show, based on experimental assessments of solar radiation dose-mortality curves on eight common taxa, the mortality of zooplankton in the oligotrophic waters of the Red Sea to increase steeply with ambient levels of solar radiation in the Red Sea. Responses curves linking solar radiation doses with zooplankton mortality were evaluated by exposing organisms, enclosed in quartz bottles, allowing all the wavelengths of solar radiation to penetrate, to five different levels of ambient solar radiation (100%, 21.6%, 7.2%, 3.2% and 0% of solar radiation. The maximum mortality rates under ambient solar radiation levels averaged (±standard error of the mean, SEM 18.4±5.8% h(-1, five-fold greater than the average mortality in the dark for the eight taxa tested. The UV-B radiation required for mortality rates to reach ½ of maximum values averaged (±SEM 12±5.6 h(-1% of incident UVB radiation, equivalent to the UV-B dose at 19.2±2.7 m depth in open coastal Red Sea waters. These results confirm that Red Sea zooplankton are highly vulnerable to ambient solar radiation, as a consequence of the combination of high incident radiation and high water transparency allowing deep penetration of damaging UV-B radiation. These results provide evidence of the significance of ambient solar radiation levels as a stressor of marine zooplankton communities in tropical, oligotrophic waters. Because the oligotrophic ocean extends across 70% of the ocean surface, solar radiation can be a globally-significant stressor for the ocean ecosystem, by constraining zooplankton use of the upper levels of the water column and, therefore, the efficiency of food transfer up the food web in the oligotrophic ocean.

Surgical instrument biocontaminant fluorescence detection in ambient lighting conditions for hospital reprocessing and sterilization department (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Baribeau, François; Bubel, Annie; Dumont, Guillaume; Vachon, Carl; Lépine, André; Rochefort, Stéphane; Massicotte, Martin; Buteau-Vaillancourt, Louis; Gallant, Pascal; Mermut, Ozzy

2017-03-01

Hospitals currently rely on simple human visual inspection for assessing cleanliness of surgical instruments. Studies showed that surgical site infections are in part attributed to inadequate cleaning of medical devices. Standards groups recognize the need to objectively quantify the amount of residues on surgical instruments and establish guidelines. We developed a portable technology for the detection of contaminants on surgical instruments through fluorescence following cleaning. Weak fluorescence signals are usually detected in the obscurity only with the lighting of the excitation source. The key element of this system is that it works in ambient lighting conditions, a requirement to not disturb the normal workflow of hospital reprocessing facilities. A biocompatible fluorescent dye is added to the detergent and labels the proteins of organic residues. It is resistant to the harsh environment in a washer-disinfector. Two inspection devices have been developed with a 488nm laser as the excitation source: a handheld scanner and a tabletop station using spectral-domain and time-domain ambient light cancellation schemes. The systems are eye safe and equipped with image processing and interfacing software to provide visual or audible warnings to the operator based on a set of adjustable signal thresholds. Micron-scale residues are detected by the system which can also evaluate soil size and mass. Unlike swabbing, it can inspect whole tools in real-time. The technology has been validated in an independent hospital decontamination research laboratory. It also has potential applications in the forensics, agro-food, and space fields. Technical aspects and results will be presented and discussed.

5 years of ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (APPES) at the Swiss Light Source (SLS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olivieri, Giorgia [Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich (Switzerland); Giorgi, Javier B. [Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, and Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 (Canada); Green, Richard G. [Measurement Science and Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Brown, Matthew A., E-mail: matthew.brown@mat.ethz.ch [Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich (Switzerland)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • A review of the ongoing research using the APPES endstation of the Swiss Light Source is presented. • Research interests include the liquid-vapor, liquid-nanoparticle and vapor-solid interfaces. • An outlook to the next five years of research at the Swiss Light Source is presented. - Abstract: In March of 2012 an endstation dedicated to ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (APPES) was installed at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron radiation facility on the campus of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The endstation is mobile and operated at the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), Surfaces/Interfaces: Microscopy (SIM) and Phoenix beamlines, which together afford a nearly continuous photon energy range from 5−8000 eV. This broad energy range is by far the widest available to a single currently operational APPES endstation. During its first five years of operation this endstation has been used to address challenging fundamental problems in the areas of soft-matter colloidal nanoscience, environmental science and energy storage—research that encompasses the liquid-nanoparticle, liquid-vapor (or vacuum) and solid-vapor interfaces. Here we present select highlights of these results and offer an outlook to the next five years of APPES research at the SLS.

A study on the macroscopic spray behavior and atomization characteristics of biodiesel and dimethyl ether sprays under increased ambient pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyung Jun; Park, Su Han [Graduate School of Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seoungdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea); Lee, Chang Sik [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea)

2010-03-15

The aim of this work is to investigate the spray behaviors of biodiesel and dimethyl ether (DME) fuels using image processing and atomization performance analysis of the two fuel sprays injected through a common-rail injection system under various ambient pressure conditions in a high pressure chamber. In order to observe the biodiesel and DME fuel spray behaviors under various ambient pressures, the spray images were analyzed at various times after the start of energization using a visualization system consisting of a high speed camera and two metal halide light sources. In addition, a high pressure chamber that can withstand a pressure of 4 MPa was used for adjusting the ambient pressure. From the spray images, spray characteristics such as the spray tip penetration, cone angle, area, and contour plot at various light intensity levels were analyzed using image conversion processing. Also, the local Sauter mean diameters (SMD) were measured at various axial/radial distances from the nozzle tip by a droplet measuring system to compare the atomization performances of the biodiesel and DME sprays. The results showed that the ambient pressure had a significant effect on the spray characteristics of the fuels at the various experimental conditions. The spray tip penetration and spray area decreased as the ambient pressure increased. The contour plot of the biodiesel and DME sprays showed a high light intensity level in the center regions of the sprays. In addition, it was revealed that the atomization performance of the biodiesel spray was inferior to that of the DME spray at the same injection and ambient conditions. (author)

A portable smart phone-based plasmonic nanosensor readout platform that measures transmitted light intensities of nanosubstrates using an ambient light sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Qiangqiang; Wu, Ze; Xu, Fangxiang; Li, Xiuqing; Yao, Cuize; Xu, Meng; Sheng, Liangrong; Yu, Shiting; Tang, Yong

2016-05-21

Plasmonic nanosensors may be used as tools for diagnostic testing in the field of medicine. However, quantification of plasmonic nanosensors often requires complex and bulky readout instruments. Here, we report the development of a portable smart phone-based plasmonic nanosensor readout platform (PNRP) for accurate quantification of plasmonic nanosensors. This device operates by transmitting excitation light from a LED through a nanosubstrate and measuring the intensity of the transmitted light using the ambient light sensor of a smart phone. The device is a cylinder with a diameter of 14 mm, a length of 38 mm, and a gross weight of 3.5 g. We demonstrated the utility of this smart phone-based PNRP by measuring two well-established plasmonic nanosensors with this system. In the first experiment, the device measured the morphology changes of triangular silver nanoprisms (AgNPRs) in an immunoassay for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). In the second experiment, the device measured the aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in an aptamer-based assay for the detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The results from the smart phone-based PNRP were consistent with those from commercial spectrophotometers, demonstrating that the smart phone-based PNRP enables accurate quantification of plasmonic nanosensors.

A design method to assess the accessibility of light on PV cells in an arbitraty geometry by means of ambient occlusion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinders, Angelina H.M.E.; Willeke, G.; Ossenbrink, H.

2007-01-01

A design method has been developed by which the accessibility of light on PV cells in an arbitrary geometry can be quickly visualized and quantified. Modelling of irradiance in this method is based on ambient occlusion, which indicates the likelihood of shading of object’s surfaces due to

A high-flow humidograph for testing the water uptake by ambient aerosol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ten Brink, H.M.; Khlystov, A.; Kos, G.P.A. [ECN Fuels Conversion and Environment, Petten (Netherlands); Tuch, T. [Institut of Medical Data Management, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Muenich (Germany); Roth, C.; Kreyling, W. [Institute for Inhalation Biology, GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg/Muenich (Germany)

1999-10-01

A scanning humidograph, with an air flow rate of 0.5 m{sup 3} s{sup -1} was built to investigate the uptake of water and its effect on sizing, collection and light-scattering of ambient aerosol. The performance of the system was assessed with laboratory particles of ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and sodium chloride which are the major hygroscopic components of ambient aerosol. The increase in size at the deliquescence points, which ideally is a stepwise function of relative humidity, occurs over a range of 3% RH units. This is shown to be an optimum value in a system of such large dimensions. Because of the strong temperature increase of the vapor pressure of ammonium nitrate, its evaporative loss was investigated as a function of heating/drying temperature. The loss of pure test aerosol, with a mass distribution similar to that in the ambient atmosphere, was found to be acceptable for drying temperatures of up to 40C. The sizing of deliquesced aerosol by LAS-X monitors was tested and found to be a complex function of RH. In Berner low pressure impactors growth of hygroscopic aerosol was not observed, not even at an RH approaching saturation. 21 refs.

Assessment of ambient-temperature, high-resolution detectors for nuclear safeguards applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruhter, W.D.; McQuaid, J.H.; Lavietes, A.

1993-01-01

High-resolution, gamma- and x-ray spectrometry are used routinely in nuclear safeguards verification measurements of plutonium and uranium in the field. These measurements are now performed with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors that require cooling liquid-nitrogen temperatures, thus limiting their utility in field and unattended safeguards measurement applications. Ambient temperature semiconductor detectors may complement HPGe detectors for certain safeguards verification applications. Their potential will be determined by criteria such as their performance, commercial availability, stage of development, and costs. We have conducted as assessment of ambient temperature detectors for safeguards measurement applications with these criteria in mind

Unregulated gaseous exhaust emission from modern ethanol fuelled light duty vehicles in cold ambient condition

Science.gov (United States)

Clairotte, M.; Adam, T. W.; Zardini, A. A.; Astorga, C.

2011-12-01

the first minutes of the cycle, before the light-off of the Three-Way Catalyst (TWC). Less ammonia has been emitted with ethanol fuel, in particular in low ambient condition (E75 versus E5). Ammonia is a harmful compound for human health and vegetation, and is a precursor of secondary aerosol. Even if agricultural activities are the main source of anthropogenic ammonia, the contribution from the transport sector increases significantly during the cold season. Consequently, using high concentrated ethanol as fuel may have a positive impact on ammonia emission in urban area. However, ethanol fuel had a negative impact on formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. The latter together with methane was notably emitted in low ambient temperature, in comparison with gasoline fuel (E5). Moreover, the OFP at -7°C was influenced by the amount of ethanol in gasoline, mainly because of the increase of ozone precursors linked to ethanol (ethylene, acetylene, and acetaldehyde). Even if ozone concentration levels are generally lower during the cold seasons these results show that the issue should be considered globally before promoting the use of high concentrated ethanol fuel in a large scale.

Ambient versus traditional environment in pediatric emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Patricia S; Green, Jeanette

2015-01-01

We sought to examine the effect of exposure to an ambient environment in a pediatric emergency department. We hypothesized that passive distraction from ambient lighting in an emergency department would lead to reduction in patient pain and anxiety and increased caregiver satisfaction with services. Passive distraction has been associated with lower anxiety and pain in patients and affects perception of wait time. A pediatric ED was designed that optimized passive distraction techniques using colorful ambient lighting. Participants were nonrandomly assigned to either an ambient ED environment or a traditional ED environment. Entry and exit questionnaires assessed caregiver expectations and experiences. Pain ratings were obtained with age-appropriate scales, and wait times were recorded. A total of 70 participants were assessed across conditions, that is, 40 in the ambient ED group and 30 in the traditional ED group. Caregivers in the traditional ED group expected a longer wait, had higher anxiety pretreatment, and felt more scared than those in the ambient ED group. Caregivers in the ambient ED group felt more included in the care of their child and rated quality of care higher than caregivers in the traditional ED group. Pain ratings and administrations of pain medication were lower in the ambient ED group. Mean scores for the ambient ED group were in the expected direction on several items measuring satisfaction with ED experiences. Results were suggestive of less stress in caregivers, less pain in patients, and higher satisfaction levels in the ambient ED group. © The Author(s) 2015.

Soot measurements for diesel and biodiesel spray combustion under high temperature highly diluted ambient conditions

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Ji

2014-11-01

This paper presents the soot temperature and KL factor for biodiesel, namely fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and diesel fuel combustion in a constant volume chamber using a two-color technique. The KL factor is a parameter for soot concentration, where K is an absorption coefficient and proportional to the number density of soot particles, L is the geometric thickness of the flame along the optical detection axis, and KL factor is proportional to soot volume fraction. The main objective is to explore a combustion regime called high-temperature and highly-diluted combustion (HTHDC) and compare it with the conventional and low-temperature combustion (LTC) modes. The three different combustion regimes are implemented under different ambient temperatures (800 K, 1000 K, and 1400 K) and ambient oxygen concentrations (10%, 15%, and 21%). Results are presented in terms of soot temperature and KL factor images, time-resolved pixel-averaged soot temperature, KL factor, and spatially integrated KL factor over the soot area. The time-averaged results for these three regimes are compared for both diesel and biodiesel fuels. Results show complex combined effects of the ambient temperature and oxygen concentration, and that two-color temperature for the HTHDC mode at the 10% oxygen level can actually be lower than the conventional mode. Increasing ambient oxygen and temperature increases soot temperature. Diesel fuel results in higher soot temperature than biodiesel for all three regimes. Results also show that diesel and biodiesel fuels have very different burning and sooting behavior under the three different combustion regimes. For diesel fuel, the HTHDC regime offers better results in terms of lower soot than the conventional and LTC regimes, and the 10% O2, 1400 K ambient condition shows the lowest soot concentration while maintaining a moderate two-color temperature. For biodiesel, the 15% O2, 800 K ambient condition shows some advantages in terms of reducing soot

Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holton, J.

2012-02-01

The Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting has been developed to provide a tool for the understanding and application of high performance lighting in the home. The high performance lighting strategies featured in this guide are drawn from recent advances in commercial lighting for application to typical spaces found in residential buildings. This guide offers strategies to greatly reduce lighting energy use through the application of high quality fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) technologies. It is important to note that these strategies not only save energy in the home but also serve to satisfy the homeowner's expectations for high quality lighting.

Activity, sleep and ambient light have a different impact on circadian blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature rhythms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gubin, D G; Weinert, D; Rybina, S V; Danilova, L A; Solovieva, S V; Durov, A M; Prokopiev, N Y; Ushakov, P A

2017-01-01

values were decreased during the former light time. No effects on HR were found. Altogether, the results of the present paper show that BT, BP and HR are affected by exogenous factors differently. Moreover, the effect was gender-specific. Especially, the response of BT and BP to ambient light was evident only in females. We suppose that the distinct, gender-specific responses of SBP, DBP and HR to activity, sleep and ambient light do reflect fundamental differences in the circadian control of various cardiovascular functions. Furthermore, the presented data are important for the elaboration of updated reference standards, the interpretation of rhythm disorders and for personalized chronotherapeutic approaches to prevent adverse cardiovascular events more effectively.

Photocatalysis of the homogeneous water-gas shift reaction under ambient conditions by cationic iridium (III) complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ziessel, R [Ecole Europeenne des Hautes Etudes des Industries Chimiques, 67 - Strasbourg (France)

1991-07-01

We describe here our results and mechanistic analysis of the first highly efficient light-assisted WGSR, which takes place under extremely mild conditions (room temperature, ambient pressure, neutral pH, visible light) and is catalyzed by novel Ir{sup III} pentamethylcyclopentadienyl complexes containing novel 4,4'-substituted bipyridine ligands. (orig./EF).

A smartphone colorimetric reader integrated with an ambient light sensor and a 3D printed attachment for on-site detection of zearalenone.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuan; Fu, Qiangqiang; Li, Dagang; Xie, Jun; Ke, Dongxu; Song, Qifang; Tang, Yong; Wang, Hong

2017-11-01

Smartphone biosensors could be cost-effective, portable instruments to be used for the readout of liquid colorimetric assays. However, current reported smartphone colorimetric readers have relied on photos of liquid assays captured using a camera, and then analyzed using software programs. This approach results in a relatively low accuracy and low generality. In this work, we reported a novel smartphone colorimetric reader that has been integrated with an ambient light sensor and a 3D printed attachment for the readout of liquid colorimetric assays. The portable and low-cost ($0.15) reader utilized a simplified electronic and light path design. Furthermore, our reported smartphone colorimetric reader can be compatible with different smartphones. As a proof of principle, the utility of this device was demonstrated using it in conjunction with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect zearalenone. Results were consistent with those obtained using a professional microplate reader. The developed smartphone colorimetric reader was capable of providing scalable, cost-effective, and accurate results for liquid colorimetric assays that related to clinical diagnoses, environment pollution, and food testing. Graphical abstract A novel smartphone colorimetric reader that has been integrated with an ambient light sensor and a 3D printed attachment for the readout of liquid colorimetric assays.

The importance of ambient temperature to growth and the induction of flowering.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Robertson Mcclung

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Plant development is exquisitely sensitive to the environment. Light quantity, quality, and duration (photoperiod have profound effects on vegetative morphology and flowering time. Recent studies have demonstrated that ambient temperature is a similarly potent stimulus influencing morphology and flowering. In Arabidopsis, ambient temperatures that are high, but not so high as to induce a heat stress response, confer morphological changes that resemble the shade avoidance syndrome. Similarly, these high but not stressful temperatures can accelerate flowering under short day conditions as effectively as exposure to long days. Photoperiodic flowering entails a series of external coincidences, in which environmental cycles of light and dark must coincide with an internal cycle in gene expression established by the endogenous circadian clock. It is evident that a similar model of external coincidence applies to the effects of elevated ambient temperature on both vegetative morphology and the vegetative to reproductive transition. Further study is imperative, because global warming is predicted to have major effects on the performance and distribution of wild species and strong adverse effects on crop yields. It is critical to understand temperature perception and response at a mechanistic level and to integrate this knowledge with our understanding of other environmental responses, including biotic and abiotic stresses, in order to improve crop production sufficiently to sustainably feed an expanding world population.

Adaptability of drowsiness level detection that measures blinks utilizing image processing to changes in the ambient light; Hikari kankyo no henka ni tekiosuru kao gazo shori ni yoru inemuri unten kenchi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneda, M; Obara, H; Nasu, T [Nissan Motor Co. Ltd, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

A drowsiness warning system that measures blinks utilizing image processing technology has a number of issues that need to be resolved. One issue is the adaptability of the system to changes in the ambient light environment in the actual vehicle interior. We have devised image processing software which is robust to changes in the ambient light. The drowsiness detection performance of the system was evaluated in laboratory tests and actual driving tests. It was found that the system can has a positive effect on detecting drowsiness level. 3 refs., 10 figs.

High-Performance Red-Light Photodetector Based on Lead-Free Bismuth Halide Perovskite Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Xiao-Wei; Kong, Wei-Yu; Wang, You-Yi; Zhu, Jin-Miao; Luo, Lin-Bao; Wang, Zheng-Hua

2017-06-07

In this study, we developed a sensitive red-light photodetector (RLPD) based on CsBi 3 I 10 perovskite thin film. This inorganic, lead-free perovskite was fabricated by a simple spin-coating method. Device analysis reveals that the as-assembled RLPD was very sensitive to 650 nm light, with an on/off ratio as high as 10 5 . The responsivity and specific detectivity of the device were estimated to be 21.8 A/W and 1.93 × 10 13 Jones, respectively, which are much better than those of other lead halide perovskite devices. In addition, the device shows a fast response (rise time: 0.33 ms; fall time: 0.38 ms) and a high external quantum efficiency (4.13 × 10 3 %). It is also revealed that the RLPD has a very good device stability even after storage for 3 months under ambient conditions. In summary, we suggest that the CsBi 3 I 10 perovskite photodetector developed in this study may have potential applications in future optoelectronic systems.

Ambient Dried Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Steven M.; Paik, Jong-Ah

2013-01-01

A method has been developed for creating aerogel using normal pressure and ambient temperatures. All spacecraft, satellites, and landers require the use of thermal insulation due to the extreme environments encountered in space and on extraterrestrial bodies. Ambient dried aerogels introduce the possibility of using aerogel as thermal insulation in a wide variety of instances where supercritically dried aerogels cannot be used. More specifically, thermoelectric devices can use ambient dried aerogel, where the advantages are in situ production using the cast-in ability of an aerogel. Previously, aerogels required supercritical conditions (high temperature and high pressure) to be dried. Ambient dried aerogels can be dried at room temperature and pressure. This allows many materials, such as plastics and certain metal alloys that cannot survive supercritical conditions, to be directly immersed in liquid aerogel precursor and then encapsulated in the final, dried aerogel. Additionally, the metalized Mylar films that could not survive the previous methods of making aerogels can survive the ambient drying technique, thus making multilayer insulation (MLI) materials possible. This results in lighter insulation material as well. Because this innovation does not require high-temperature or high-pressure drying, ambient dried aerogels are much less expensive to produce. The equipment needed to conduct supercritical drying costs many tens of thousands of dollars, and has associated running expenses for power, pressurized gasses, and maintenance. The ambient drying process also expands the size of the pieces of aerogel that can be made because a high-temperature, high-pressure system typically has internal dimensions of up to 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height. In the case of this innovation, the only limitation on the size of the aerogels produced would be in the ability of the solvent in the wet gel to escape from the gel network.

Modeling the Quality of Videos Displayed With Local Dimming Backlight at Different Peak White and Ambient Light Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mantel, Claire; Søgaard, Jacob; Bech, Søren

2016-01-01

is computed using a model of the display. Widely used objective quality metrics are applied based on the rendering models of the videos to predict the subjective evaluations. As these predictions are not satisfying, three machine learning methods are applied: partial least square regression, elastic net......This paper investigates the impact of ambient light and peak white (maximum brightness of a display) on the perceived quality of videos displayed using local backlight dimming. Two subjective tests providing quality evaluations are presented and analyzed. The analyses of variance show significant...

Circadian Metabolism in the Light of Evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerhart-Hines, Zachary; Lazar, Mitchell A.

2015-01-01

was originally set. A bombardment of artificial lighting, heating, and cooling systems that maintain const. ambient temp.; sedentary lifestyle; and the availability of inexpensive, high-calorie foods has threatened even the most powerful and ancient circadian programming mechanisms. Such environmental changes...

Variations of aerosol size distribution, chemical composition and optical properties from roadside to ambient environment: A case study in Hong Kong, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Ning, Zhi; Shen, Zhenxing; Li, Guoliang; Zhang, Junke; Lei, Yali; Xu, Hongmei; Sun, Jian; Zhang, Leiming; Westerdahl, Dane; Gali, Nirmal Kumar; Gong, Xuesong

2017-10-01

This study investigated the ;roadside-to-ambient; evolution of particle physicochemical and optical properties in typical urban atmospheres of Hong Kong through collection of chemically-resolved PM2.5 data and PM2.5 size distribution at a roadside and an ambient site. Roadside particle size distribution showed typical peaks in the nuclei mode (30-40 nm) while ambient measurements peaked in the Aitken mode (50-70 nm), revealing possible condensation and coagulation growth of freshly emitted particles during aging processes. Much higher levels of anthropogenic chemical components, i.e. nitrate, sulfate, ammonium, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), but lower levels of OC/EC and secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA)/EC ratios appeared in roadside than ambient particles. The high OC/EC and SIA/EC ratios in ambient particles implied high contributions from secondary aerosols. Black carbon (BC), a strong light absorbing material, showed large variations in optical properties when mixed with other inorganic and organic components. Particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (p-PAHs), an indicator of brown carbon (BrC), showed significant UV-absorbing ability. The average BC and p-PAHs concentrations were 3.8 and 87.6 ng m-3, respectively, at the roadside, but were only 1.5 and 18.1 ng m-3 at the ambient site, suggesting BC and p-PAHs concentrations heavily driven by traffic emissions. In contrast, PM2.5 UV light absorption coefficients (babs-BrC,370nm) at the ambient site (4.2 Mm-1) and at the roadside site (4.1 Mm-1) were similar, emphasizing that particle aging processes enhanced UV light-absorbing properties, a conclusion that was also supported by the finding that the Absorption Ångström coefficient (AAC) value at UV wavelengths (AAC_UV band) at the ambient site were ∼1.7 times higher than that at the roadside. Both aqueous reaction and photochemically produced secondary organic aerosol (SOA) for ambient aerosols contributed to the peak values of babs

Strategy Guideline. High Performance Residential Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holton, J. [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2012-02-01

This report has been developed to provide a tool for the understanding and application of high performance lighting in the home. The strategies featured in this guide are drawn from recent advances in commercial lighting for application to typical spaces found in residential buildings. This guide offers strategies to greatly reduce lighting energy use through the application of high quality fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) technologies. It is important to note that these strategies not only save energy in the home but also serve to satisfy the homeowner’s expectations for high quality lighting.

The roles of temperature and light in black band disease (BBD) progression on corals of the genus Diploria in Bermuda.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehl, Kristin; Jones, Ross; Gibbs, David; Richardson, Laurie

2011-03-01

On Bermuda reefs the brain coral Diploria labyrinthiformis is rarely documented with black band disease (BBD), while BBD-affected colonies of Diploria strigosa are common. D. labyrinthiformis on these reefs may be more resistant to BBD or less affected by prevailing environmental conditions that potentially diminish host defenses. To determine whether light and/or temperature influence BBD differently on these two species, infection experiments were conducted under the following experimental treatments: (1) 26 °C, ambient light; (2) 30 °C, ambient light; (3) 30 °C, low light; and (4) 30 °C, high light. A digital photograph of the affected area of each coral was taken each day for 7 days and analyzed with ImageJ image processing software. The final affected area was not significantly different between species in any of the four treatments. BBD lesions were smaller on both species infected under ambient light at 26 °C versus 30 °C. Low light at 30 °C significantly reduced the lesion size on both species when compared to colonies infected at the same temperature under ambient light. Under high light at 30 °C, BBD lesions were larger on colonies of D. strigosa and smaller on colonies of D. labyrinthiformis when compared to colonies infected under ambient light at the same temperature. The responses of both species suggests that BBD progression on both D. strigosa and D. labyrinthiformis is similarly influenced by a combination of light and temperature and that other factors present before infections become established likely contribute to the difference in BBD prevalence in Bermuda. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential responses of seven contrasting species to high light using pigment and chlorophyll a fluorescence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mittal S.

2011-05-01

Full Text Available High light intensity may induce severe photodamage to chloroplast and consequently cause decreases in the yield capacity of plants and destruction of pigments, causing an overall yellowing of the foliage. Thus, study related to light adaptation becomes necessary to understand adaptation processes in higher plants on the basis of which they are characterized as full sunlight or shade plants. Chlorophyll can be regarded as an intrinsic fluorescent probe of the photosynthetic system. The ecophysiological parameter related to plant performance and fitness i.e. in-situ chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were determined for different plant species in the medicinal plant garden of Banasthali University, Rajasthan. Miniaturized Pulse Amplitude Modulated Photosynthetic Yield Analyzers are primarily designed for measuring effective quantum yield (ΔF/Fm’ of photosystem II under momentary ambient light in the field. Photosynthetic yield measurements and light-response curves suggested a gradation of sun-adapted to shade-adapted behaviour of these plants in following order Withania somnifera> Catharanthus roseus> Datura stamonium> Vasica minora> Vasica adulta> Rauwolfia serpentina. As indicated by light response curves and pigment analysis, Datura stramonium, Withania somnifera and Catharanthus roseus competed well photosynthetically and are favoured while Rauwolfia serpentina, Vasica minora, Vasica adulta and Plumbago zeylanica were observed to be less competent photosynthetically. These light response curves and resultant cardinal points study gave insight into the ecophysiological characterization of the photosynthetic capacity of the plant and provides highly interesting parameters like electron transport rate, photo-inhibition, photosynthetically active photon flux density and yield on the basis of which light adaptability was screened for seven medicinally important plants.

Effects of ambient lighting displays on peripheral activity awareness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davis, K.; Owusu, E.B.; Marcenaro, L.; Feijs, L.; Regazzoni, C.; Hu, J.

2017-01-01

The emergence of ubiquitous sensing and the Internet of Things (IoT) have inspired the development of “smart” everyday objects, which offer tremendous opportunities for maintaining the quality of life in ambient assisted living (AAL) environments. Inspired by the future possibilities of connected

Beyond peak summer temperatures, branching corals in the Gulf of Aqaba are resilient to thermal stress but sensitive to high light

Science.gov (United States)

Bellworthy, Jessica; Fine, Maoz

2017-12-01

Despite rapidly rising sea surface temperatures and recurrent positive temperature anomalies, corals in the Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) rarely experience thermal bleaching. Elsewhere, mass coral bleaching has been observed in corals when the water temperature exceeds 1-2 °C above the local maximum monthly mean (MMM). This threshold value or "bleaching rule" has been used to create predictive models of bleaching from satellite sea surface temperature observations, namely the "degree heating week" index. This study aimed to characterize the physiological changes of dominant reef building corals from the GoA in response to a temperature and light stress gradient. Coral collection and experiments began after a period of 14 consecutive days above MMM in the field. Stylophora pistillata showed negligible changes in symbiont and host physiology parameters after accumulating up to 9.4 degree heating weeks during peak summer temperatures, for which the index predicts widespread bleaching and some mortality. This result demonstrates acute thermal tolerance in S. pistillata from the GoA and deviation from the bleaching rule. In a second experiment after 4 weeks at 4 °C above peak summer temperatures, S. pistillata and Acropora eurystoma in the high-light treatment visibly paled and suffered greater midday and afternoon photoinhibition compared to corals under low-light conditions (35% of high-light treatment). However, light, not temperature (alone or in synergy with light), was the dominant factor in causing paling and the effective quantum yield of corals at 4 °C above ambient was indistinguishable from those in the ambient control. This result highlights the exceptional, atypical thermal tolerance of dominant GoA branching corals. Concomitantly, it validates the efficacy of protecting GoA reefs from local stressors if they are to serve as a coral refuge in the face of global sea temperature rise.

Multiplexing milli-volt transmitter for operation in high ambient temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, G.J.

1980-01-01

A high integrity method of multiplexing up to two hundred and fifty millivolt level signals and transmitting the data to a remote measuring station via a 12 core flexible cable is described. The system was designed for operation in the normally hazardous and therefore inaccessible areas where high ambient temperatures are experienced. Additionally, because one potential application is in nuclear reactor systems, the design is tolerant to high levels of gamma background. The system's high reliability, high integrity and relatively small and conventional cable installation, makes it applicable to situations which depend upon temperature measurement for plant or personnel safety. (author)

Physiological responses of growing pigs to high ambient temperature and/or inflammatory challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Henrique Reis Furtado Campos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Global warming is one of the major environmental threats facing the world in the 21st century. This fact will have a significant impact on pig production due to its direct effects on welfare, health, and performance of pigs. Besides, the effects of high temperatures will presumably become more important over the next decades due to the development of pig production in developing countries mainly located in tropical and subtropical areas, where animals are often exposed to ambient temperatures above their thermal comfort zone. Furthermore, pigs reared in tropical areas are often confronted to sanitary challenges including poor hygiene conditions, lack of respect for sanitary rules, and pathogens. This results in the stimulation of the immune system and, as a consequence, in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and neuroendocrine adjustments that, in turn, usually have a negative impact on growth and feed efficiency. Although the effects of high ambient temperature and disease on pig physiology and performance have been well documented in literature, little is known about the associated effects of both factors. This understanding may contribute to a better quantification and comprehension of the physiological and metabolic disturbances occurring in practical conditions of pig production in tropical areas and, more generally, in many other geographic areas that will be influenced by the perspective of global warming. Therefore, the objective of this work is to provide an overview of recent research advances on the physiological responses of growing pigs during acclimation to high ambient temperature and on the potential effects of high ambient temperature on the ability of growing pigs to resist, cope with, or recover from an inflammatory challenge.

The mRNA and miRNA transcriptomic landscape of Panax ginseng under the high ambient temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Inuk; Kang, Hyejin; Kim, Jang Uk; Chang, Hyeonsook; Kim, Sun; Jung, Woosuk

2018-03-19

Ginseng is a popular traditional herbal medicine in north-eastern Asia. It has been used for human health for over thousands of years. With the rise in global temperature, the production of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.Meyer) in Korea have migrated from mid to northern parts of the Korean peninsula to escape from the various higher temperature related stresses. Under the high ambient temperature, vegetative growth was accelerated, which resulted in early flowering. This precocious phase change led to yield loss. Despite of its importance as a traditional medicine, biological mechanisms of ginseng has not been well studied and even the genome sequence of ginseng is yet to be determined due to its complex genome structure. Thus, it is challenging to investigate the molecular biology mechanisms at the transcript level. To investigate how ginseng responds to the high ambient temperature environment, we performed high throughput RNA sequencing and implemented a bioinformatics pipeline for the integrated analysis of small-RNA and mRNA-seq data without a reference genome. By performing reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR and sanger sequencing of transcripts that were assembled using our pipeline, we validated that their sequences were expressed in our samples. Furthermore, to investigate the interaction between genes and non-coding small RNAs and their regulation status under the high ambient temperature, we identified potential gene regulatory miRNAs. As a result, 100,672 contigs with significant expression level were identified and 6 known, 214 conserved and 60 potential novel miRNAs were predicted to be expressed under the high ambient temperature. Collectively, we have found that development, flowering and temperature responsive genes were induced under high ambient temperature, whereas photosynthesis related genes were repressed. Functional miRNAs were down-regulated under the high ambient temperature. Among them are miR156 and miR396 that target flowering (SPL6

Ambient UV-B radiation decreases photosynthesis in high arctic Vaccinium uliginosum.

OpenAIRE

Albert, Kristian; Ro-Poulsen, Helge; N. Mikkelsen, Teis

2008-01-01

UV-B-exclusion experiment was established in high arctic Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland, to investigate the possible effects of ambient UV-B on plant performance. During almost a whole growing season, canopy gas exchange and Chl fluorescence were measured on Vaccinium uliginosum (bog blueberry). Leaf area, biomass, carbon, nitrogen and UV-B-absorbing compounds were determined from a late season harvest. Compared with the reduced UV-B treatment, the plants in ambient UV-B were found to have a...

Strong antenna-enhanced fluorescence of a single light-harvesting complex shows photon anti-bunching

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wientjes, E.; Renger, J.; Curto, A.G.; Cogdell, R.; Hulst, van N.F.

2014-01-01

The nature of the highly efficient energy transfer in photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes is a subject of intense research. Unfortunately, the low fluorescence efficiency and limited photostability hampers the study of individual light-harvesting complexes at ambient conditions. Here we

Responses of hybrid poplar clones and red maple seedlings to ambient O3 under differing light within a mixed hardwood forest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, C.; Skelly, J.M.; Pennypacker, S.P.; Ferdinand, J.A.; Savage, J.E.; Stevenson, R.E.; Davis, D.D.

2004-01-01

The responses of ramets of hybrid poplar (Populus spp.) (HP) clones NE388 and NE359, and seedlings of red maple (Acer rubrum, L.) to ambient ozone (O 3 ) were studied during May-September of 2000 and 2001 under natural forest conditions and differing natural sunlight exposures (sun, partial shade and full shade). Ambient O 3 concentrations at the study site reached hourly peaks of 109 and 98 ppb in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Monthly 12-h average O 3 concentrations ranged from 32.3 to 52.9 ppb. Weekly 12-h average photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) within the sun, partial shade and full shade plots ranged from 200 to 750, 50 to 180, and 25 to 75 μmol m -2 s -1 , respectively. Ambient O 3 exposure induced visible foliar symptoms on HP NE388 and NE359 in both growing seasons, with more severe injury observed on NE388 than on NE359. Slight foliar symptoms were observed on red maple seedlings during the 2001growing season. Percentage of total leaf area affected (%LAA) was positively correlated with cumulative O 3 exposures. More severe foliar injury was observed on plants grown within the full shade and partial shade plots than those observed on plants grown within the sun plot. Lower light availability within the partial shade and full shade plots significantly decreased net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (g wv ). The reductions in Pn were greater than reductions in g wv , which resulted in greater O 3 uptake per unit Pn in plants grown within the partial shade and full shade plots. Greater O 3 uptake per unit Pn was consistently associated with more severe visible foliar injury in all species and/or clones regardless of differences in shade tolerance. These studies suggest that plant physiological responses to O 3 exposure are likely complicated due to multiple factors under natural forest conditions. - Under natural forest conditions and ambient O 3 exposures, available light plays a significant role in determining O 3 uptake and

High Output LED-Based Profile Lighting Fixture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Török, Lajos; Beczkowski, Szymon; Munk-Nielsen, Stig

2011-01-01

Recent developments in power light emitting diode (LED) industry have made LEDs suitable for being efficiently used in high intensity lighting fixtures instead of the commonly used high intensity discharge (HID) lamps. A high output LEDbased profile-light fixture is presented in this paper...

Ambient UV-B radiation reduces PSII performance and net photosynthesis in high Arctic Salix arctica

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albert, Kristian Rost; Mikkelsen, Teis Nørgaard; Ro-Poulsen, Helge

2011-01-01

Ambient ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation potentially impacts the photosynthetic performance of high Arctic plants. We conducted an UV-B exclusion experiment in a dwarf shrub heath in NE Greenland (74°N), with open control, filter control, UV-B filtering and UV-AB filtering, all in combination......, nitrogen and UV-B absorbing compounds. Compared to a 60% reduced UV-B irradiance, the ambient solar UV-B reduced net photosynthesis in Salix arctica leaves fixed in the 45° position which exposed leaves to maximum natural irradiance. Also a reduced Calvin Cycle capacity was found, i.e. the maximum rate...... across position in the vegetation. These findings add to the evidence that the ambient solar UV-B currently is a significant stress factor for plants in high Arctic Greenland....

Ambient Space and Ambient Sensation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Ulrik

The ambient is the aesthetic production of the sensation of being surrounded. As a concept, 'ambient' is mostly used in relation to the music genre 'ambient music' and Brian Eno's idea of environmental background music. However, the production of ambient sensations must be regarded as a central...... aspect of the aesthetization of modern culture in general, from architecture, transport and urbanized lifeforms to film, sound art, installation art and digital environments. This presentation will discuss the key aspects of ambient aesthetization, including issues such as objectlessness...

Light and Light Sources High-Intensity Discharge Lamps

CERN Document Server

Flesch, Peter G

2006-01-01

Light and Light Sources gives an introduction to the working principles of high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps and points out challenges and problems associated with the development and operation of HID lamps. The state-of-the-art in electrode and plasma diagnostics as well as numerical methods used for the understanding of HID lamps are described. This volume addresses students as well as scientists and researchers at universities and in industry.

Green Lighting. Energy-efficient integrated lighting systems - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linhart, F.; Scartezzini, J.-L.

2009-10-15

The objective of the Green Lighting project was to develop a High Performance Integrated Lighting System, based on advanced technologies for day- and electric lighting, achieving a Lighting Power Density (LPD) that does not exceed 3 W/m{sup 2}. The project has revealed that Anidolic Daylighting Systems (ADS) are an ideal basis for High Performance Integrated Lighting Systems. Not only are they able to provide adequate illumination (i.e. sufficiently high illuminance) in office rooms during large fractions of normal office hours, under various sky conditions and over the entire year, but they are also highly appreciated by office occupants at the condition that glare control mechanisms are available. Complementary electric lighting is, however, still necessary to back up the ADS at times when there is insufficient daylight flux available. It was shown during this project, that the most interesting trade-offs between energy-efficiency and visual comfort are obtained by using a combination of ceiling-mounted directly emitting luminaires with very high optical efficiencies for ambient lighting and portable desk lamps for temporary task lighting. The most appropriate lamps for the ceiling-mounted luminaires are currently highly efficient fluorescent tubes, but white LED tubes can be considered a realistic option for the future. The most suitable light sources for desk lamps for temporary task lighting are Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and white LED light bulbs. Based on the above-mentioned technologies, a High Performance Integrated Lighting System with a very low LPD has been developed over the last three years. The system has been set up in an office room of the LESO solar experimental building located on the EPFL campus; it has been tested intensively during a Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) study involving twenty human subjects. This study has revealed that the subjects' performance and subjective visual comfort was improved by the new system, compared to

Experimental Assessment of residential split type air-conditioning systems using alternative refrigerants to R-22 at high ambient temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joudi, Khalid A.; Al-Amir, Qusay R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • R290, R407C and R410A in residential split A/C units at high ambient. • 1 and 2 TR residential air conditioners with R22 alternatives at high ambient. • Residential split unit performance at ambients up to 55 °C with R22 alternatives. - Abstract: Steady state performance of residential air conditioning systems using R22 and alternatives R290, R407C, R410A, at high ambient temperatures, have been investigated experimentally. System performance parameters such as optimum refrigerant charge, coefficient of performance, cooling capacity, power consumption, pressure ratio, power per ton of refrigeration and TEWI environmental factor have been determined. All refrigerants were tested in the cooling mode operation under high ambient air temperatures, up to 55 °C, to determine their suitability. Two split type air conditioner of 1 and 2 TR capacities were used. A psychrometric test facility was constructed consisting of a conditioned cool compartment and an environmental duct serving the condenser. Air inside the conditioned compartment was maintained at 25 °C dry bulb and 19 °C wet bulb for all tests. In the environmental duct, the ambient air temperature was varied from 35 °C to 55 °C in 5 °C increments. The study showed that R290 is the better candidate to replace R22 under high ambient air temperatures. It has lower TEWI values and a better coefficient of performance than the other refrigerants tested. It is suitable as a drop-in refrigerant. R407C has the closest performance to R22, followed by R410A

Recycled Thermal Energy from High Power Light Emitting Diode Light Source.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Jae-Hoon; Jo, GaeHun; Ha, Jae-Geun; Koo, Sang-Mo; Kamiko, Masao; Hong, JunHee; Koh, Jung-Hyuk

2018-09-01

In this research, the recycled electrical energy from wasted thermal energy in high power Light Emitting Diode (LED) system will be investigated. The luminous efficiency of lights has been improved in recent years by employing the high power LED system, therefore energy efficiency was improved compared with that of typical lighting sources. To increase energy efficiency of high power LED system further, wasted thermal energy should be re-considered. Therefore, wasted thermal energy was collected and re-used them as electrical energy. The increased electrical efficiency of high power LED devices was accomplished by considering the recycled heat energy, which is wasted thermal energy from the LED. In this work, increased electrical efficiency will be considered and investigated by employing the high power LED system, which has high thermal loss during the operating time. For this research, well designed thermoelement with heat radiation system was employed to enhance the collecting thermal energy from the LED system, and then convert it as recycled electrical energy.

Estratégias de utilização de luz e estabilidade do desenvolvimento de plântulas de Cordia superba Cham. (Boraginaceae crescidas em diferentes ambientes luminosos Light utilization strategies and developmental stability of Cordia superba Cham. (Boraginaceae seedlings grown in different light environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo Maia Souza

2009-06-01

Full Text Available A utilização fotossintética da luz é um componente fundamental para a distribuição das espécies ao longo de um gradiente de regeneração de clareiras. O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as estratégias de utilização da luz e como isto poderia afetar a estabilidade do desenvolvimento de plantas da espécie Cordia superba crescidas em dois ambientes com irradiações contrastantes. Para tanto, foi conduzido um experimento com plantas de 12 meses de idade de C. superba, uma espécie pioneira arbórea, crescidas a pleno sol e sombreamento de 85%. Foram avaliados aspectos fisiológicos como crescimento e fluorescência da clorofila, e aspectos da arquitetura das copas como ângulo de folha e índice de área foliar. Também foi realizada uma análise da estabilidade do desenvolvimento por meio da avaliação da simetria foliar. Os resultados mostraram que esta espécie possui a capacidade de desenvolver diferentes fenótipos em resposta a disponibilidades de luz contrastantes, apresentando características de plantas de sol bem como de sombra nos respectivos ambientes de crescimento. Todavia, as plantas crescidas no ambiente ensolarado apresentaram folhas mais simétricas, em relação às plantas de sombra. Isto sugere que, apesar do ambiente de pleno sol possuir uma maior heterogeneidade ambiental do que ambientes sombreados, o status de espécie pioneira de C. superba parece ser uma característica adaptativa suficientemente desenvolvida para permitir a formação de um fenótipo estável em um ambiente variávelPhotosynthetic light utilization plays a major role in species distribution along gap regeneration gradients. The aim of this study was to evaluate strategies of light utilization and the possible influence on developmental stability of seedlings of the woody pioneer species Cordia superba grown under contrasting light environments. To this end, an experiment was carried out with 12-month-old C. superba seedlings grown under

Collisionless coupling of a high- β expansion to an ambient, magnetized plasma. I. Rayleigh model and scaling

Science.gov (United States)

Bonde, Jeffrey

2018-04-01

The dynamics of a magnetized, expanding plasma with a high ratio of kinetic energy density to ambient magnetic field energy density, or β, are examined by adapting a model of gaseous bubbles expanding in liquids as developed by Lord Rayleigh. New features include scale magnitudes and evolution of the electric fields in the system. The collisionless coupling between the expanding and ambient plasma due to these fields is described as well as the relevant scaling relations. Several different responses of the ambient plasma to the expansion are identified in this model, and for most laboratory experiments, ambient ions should be pulled inward, against the expansion due to the dominance of the electrostatic field.

Collisionless coupling of a high- β expansion to an ambient, magnetized plasma. II. Experimental fields and measured momentum coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Bonde, Jeffrey; Vincena, Stephen; Gekelman, Walter

2018-04-01

The momentum coupled to a magnetized, ambient argon plasma from a high- β, laser-produced carbon plasma is examined in a collisionless, weakly coupled limit. The total electric field was measured by separately examining the induced component associated with the rapidly changing magnetic field of the high- β (kinetic β˜106), expanding plasma and the electrostatic component due to polarization of the expansion. Their temporal and spatial structures are discussed and their effect on the ambient argon plasma (thermal β˜10-2) is confirmed with a laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic, which directly probed the argon ion velocity distribution function. For the given experimental conditions, the electrostatic field is shown to dominate the interaction between the high- β expansion and the ambient plasma. Specifically, the expanding plasma couples energy and momentum into the ambient plasma by pulling ions inward against the flow direction.

Solid-state, ambient-operation thermally activated delayed fluorescence from flexible, non-toxic gold-nanocluster thin films: towards the development of biocompatible light-emitting devices

Science.gov (United States)

Talite, M. J. A.; Lin, H. T.; Jiang, Z. C.; Lin, T. N.; Huang, H. Y.; Heredia, E.; Flores, A.; Chao, Y. C.; Shen, J. L.; Lin, C. A. J.; Yuan, C. T.

2016-08-01

Luminescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with good biocompatibility have gained much attention in bio-photonics. In addition, they also exhibit a unique photo-physical property, namely thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), by which both singlet and triplet excitons can be harvested. The combination of their non-toxic material property and unique TADF behavior makes AuNCs biocompatible nano-emitters for bio-related light-emitting devices. Unfortunately, the TADF emission is quenched when colloidal AuNCs are transferred to solid states under ambient environment. Here, a facile, low-cost and effective method was used to generate efficient and stable TADF emissions from solid AuNCs under ambient environment using polyvinyl alcohol as a solid matrix. To unravel the underlying mechanism, temperature-dependent static and transient photoluminescence measurements were performed and we found that two factors are crucial for solid TADF emission: small energy splitting between singlet and triplet states and the stabilization of the triplet states. Solid TADF films were also deposited on the flexible plastic substrate with patterned structures, thus mitigating the waveguide-mode losses. In addition, we also demonstrated that warm white light can be generated based on a co-doped single emissive layer, consisting of non-toxic, solution-processed TADF AuNCs and fluorescent carbon dots under UV excitation.

Radiophotoluminescence light scope for high-dose dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Fuminobu; Zushi, Naoki; Sakiyama, Tomoki; Kato, Yushi; Murata, Isao; Shimizu, Kikuo; Yamamoto, Takayoshi; Iida, Toshiyuki

2015-01-01

A radiophotoluminescence (RPL) light scope is a remote-sensing technique for measuring in situ the radiation dose in an RPL detector placed at a distance. The RPL light scope is mainly composed of an ultraviolet (UV) pulse laser, telescopic lenses, a photomultiplier tube, and camera modules. In a performance test, some RPL detectors were placed at distances up to 30 m and were illuminated with a pulsed UV laser beam. The photoluminescence responses of the RPL detectors were analyzed using this scope. Their radiation doses were determined from the amplitude of the given component of the photoluminescence responses. The RPL readout could be repeated without fading, and its amplitude exhibited good linearity at a dose ranging from 0.1 to 60 Gy. Furthermore, a two-dimensional distribution of radiation dose was obtained by laser scanning on an RPL detector. It was confirmed that the RPL light scope was a useful remote-sensing tool for high-dose dosimetry. - Highlights: • A radiophotoluminescence (RPL) light scope was developed for high-dose dosimetry. • The RPL light scope has high sensitivity and accuracy in high-dose dosimetry. • Two-dimensional radiation dose distribution was obtained by the RPL light scope.

High visibility temporal ghost imaging with classical light

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jianbin; Wang, Jingjing; Chen, Hui; Zheng, Huaibin; Liu, Yanyan; Zhou, Yu; Li, Fu-li; Xu, Zhuo

2018-03-01

High visibility temporal ghost imaging with classical light is possible when superbunching pseudothermal light is employed. In the numerical simulation, the visibility of temporal ghost imaging with pseudothermal light, equaling (4 . 7 ± 0 . 2)%, can be increased to (75 ± 8)% in the same scheme with superbunching pseudothermal light. The reasons for that the retrieved images are different for superbunching pseudothermal light with different values of degree of second-order coherence are discussed in detail. It is concluded that high visibility and high quality temporal ghost image can be obtained by collecting sufficient number of data points. The results are helpful to understand the difference between ghost imaging with classical light and entangled photon pairs. The superbunching pseudothermal light can be employed to improve the image quality in ghost imaging applications.

Respiratory alkalosis and primary hypocapnia in Labrador Retrievers participating in field trials in high-ambient-temperature conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Steiss, Janet E; Wright, James C

2008-10-01

To determine whether Labrador Retrievers participating in field trials develop respiratory alkalosis and hypocapnia primarily in conditions of high ambient temperatures. 16 Labrador Retrievers. At each of 5 field trials, 5 to 10 dogs were monitored during a test (retrieval of birds over a variable distance on land [1,076 to 2,200 m]; 36 assessments); ambient temperatures ranged from 2.2 degrees to 29.4 degrees C. For each dog, rectal temperature was measured and a venous blood sample was collected in a heparinized syringe within 5 minutes of test completion. Blood samples were analyzed on site for Hct; pH; sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, glucose, lactate, bicarbonate, and total CO2 concentrations; and values of PvO2 and PvCO2. Scatterplots of each variable versus ambient temperature were reviewed. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of ambient temperature ( 21 degrees C) on each variable. Compared with findings at ambient temperatures 21 degrees C; rectal temperature did not differ. Two dogs developed signs of heat stress in 1 test at an ambient temperature of 29 degrees C; their rectal temperatures were higher and PvCO2 values were lower than findings in other dogs. When running distances frequently encountered at field trials, healthy Labrador Retrievers developed hyperthermia regardless of ambient temperature. Dogs developed respiratory alkalosis and hypocapnia at ambient temperatures > 21 degrees C.

Light therapy: Methodological issues from an engineering perspective.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joost van Hoof; Aries; MD E.J.M. Wouters; Van Someren; Schoutens; Westerlaken; Aarts; Sinoo

2011-01-01

Light therapy is increasingly administered and studied as a non-pharmacologic treatment for a variety of health-related problems. Light therapy comes in a variety of ways, ranging from being exposed to daylight to being exposed to light from light boxes and ambient bright light. Light therapy is an

Dependency between light intensity and refractive development under light-dark cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Yuval; Belkin, Michael; Yehezkel, Oren; Solomon, Arieh S; Polat, Uri

2011-01-01

The emmetropization process involves fine-tuning the refractive state by altering the refractive components toward zero refraction. In this study, we provided light-dark cycle conditions at several intensities and examined the effect of light intensity on the progression of chicks' emmetropization. Chicks under high-, medium-, and low-light intensities (10,000, 500, and 50 lux, respectively) were followed for 90 days by retinoscopy, keratometry, as well as ultrasound measurements. Emmetropization was reached from days 30-50 and from days 50-60 for the low- and medium-intensity groups, respectively. On day 90, most chicks in the low-intensity group were myopic, with a mean refraction of -2.41D (95% confidence interval (CI) -2.9 to -1.8D), whereas no chicks in the high-intensity group developed myopia, but they exhibited a stable mean hyperopia of +1.1D. The medium-intensity group had a mean refraction of +0.03D. The low-intensity group had a deeper vitreous chamber depth and a longer axial length compared with the high-intensity group, and shifted refraction to the myopic side. The low-intensity group had a flatter corneal curvature, a deeper anterior chamber, and a thinner lens compared with the high-intensity group, and shifted refraction to the hyperopic side. In all groups the corneal power was correlated with the three examined levels of log light intensity for all examined times (e.g., day 20 r = 0.6 P light-dark cycles, light intensity is an environmental factor that modulates the process of emmetropization, and the low intensity of ambient light is a risk factor for developing myopia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trial Demonstration of Area Lighting Retrofit: Yuma Border Patrol, Yuma Arizona

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilkerson, Andrea M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); McCullough, Jeffrey J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-12-01

The Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area is a high flux lighting application in a high temperature environment, presenting a formidable challenge for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This retrofit is an Energy Savings Performance Contract ENABLE project under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program. If high flux LED technology performs well in a region with high ambient temperature and solar radiation, it can perform well in most outdoor environments. The design process for the Yuma retrofit has already provided valuable knowledge to CBP and DOE. The LED lighting system selected for the retrofit is expected to reduce energy consumption 69% compared to the incumbent quartz metal halide (QMH) lighting system. If the LED lighting system is installed, GATEWAY will continue to document and disseminate information regarding the installation and long-term performance so that others may also gain valuable knowledge from the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area lighting retrofit.

Ambient UV-B radiation reduces PSII performance and net photosynthesis in high Arctic Salix arctica

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albert, Kristian Rost; Mikkelsen, Teis Nørgaard; Ro-Poulsen, H.

2011-01-01

, nitrogen and UV-B absorbing compounds. Compared to a 60% reduced UV-B irradiance, the ambient solar UV-B reduced net photosynthesis in Salix arctica leaves fixed in the 45° position which exposed leaves to maximum natural irradiance. Also a reduced Calvin Cycle capacity was found, i.e. the maximum rate...... across position in the vegetation. These findings add to the evidence that the ambient solar UV-B currently is a significant stress factor for plants in high Arctic Greenland....

The rise of the photosynthetic rate when light intensity increases is delayed in ndh gene-defective tobacco at high but not at low CO2 concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mercedes eMartin

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The 11 plastid ndh genes have hovered frequently on the edge of dispensability, being absent in the plastid DNA of many algae and certain higher plants. We have compared the photosynthetic activity of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, cv. Petit Havana with five transgenic lines (ndhF, pr-ndhF, T181D, T181A and ndhF FC and found that photosynthetic performance is impaired in transgenic ndhF-defective tobacco plants at rapidly fluctuating light intensities and higher than ambient CO2 concentrations. In contrast to wild type and ndhF FC, which reach the maximum photosynthetic rate in less than one min when light intensity suddenly increases, ndh defective plants (ndhF and T181A show up to a 5 min delay in reaching the maximum photosynthetic rate at CO2 concentrations higher than the ambient 360 ppm. Net photosynthesis was determined at different CO2 concentrations when sequences of 130, 870, 61, 870 and 130 μmol m−2 s−1 PAR sudden light changes were applied to leaves and photosynthetic efficiency and entropy production were determined as indicators of photosynthesis performance. The two ndh-defective plants, ndhF and T181A, had lower photosynthetic efficiency and higher entropy production than wt, ndhF FC and T181D tobacco plants, containing full functional ndh genes, at CO2 concentrations above 400 ppm. We propose that the Ndh complex improves cyclic electron transport by adjusting the redox level of transporters during the low light intensity stage. In ndhF-defective strains, the supply of electrons through the Ndh complex fails, transporters remain over-oxidized (specially at high CO2 concentrations and the rate of cyclic electron transport is low, impairing the ATP level required to rapidly reach high CO2 fixation rates in the following high light phase. Hence, ndh genes could be dispensable at low but not at high atmospheric concentrations of CO2.

Visible Light Communications (VLC) for Ambient Assisted Living

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar, Ambuj; Mihovska, Albena D.; Kyriazakos, Sofoklis

2014-01-01

and a conceptual supporting architecture for its deployment. Further, the technical challenges and possible roadmap for the actual deployment are analyzed for the particular case of an eHealth scenario where the utilization of VLC technology is the enabler of the costefficient rollout of the required...... (WLANs) can take upon part of the indoor traffic, the ever increasing demand for such data, and users, calls for either use of licensed or novel unlicensed wireless communication technologies as part of the smart home enablers. This paper focuses on the potentials of visible light communications (VLC......), jointly with radio and fiber communications, to support very dense low and high data rate connectivity, while enabling deployment of secure-sensitive indoor applications, including indoor tracking and localization. The paper proposes a scenario for integrating VLC into the smart home scenario...

Scalable Light Module for Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Light- Emitting Diode Luminaires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarsa, Eric [Cree, Inc., Goleta, CA (United States)

2015-08-31

During this two-year program Cree developed a scalable, modular optical architecture for low-cost, high-efficacy light emitting diode (LED) luminaires. Stated simply, the goal of this architecture was to efficiently and cost-effectively convey light from LEDs (point sources) to broad luminaire surfaces (area sources). By simultaneously developing warm-white LED components and low-cost, scalable optical elements, a high system optical efficiency resulted. To meet program goals, Cree evaluated novel approaches to improve LED component efficacy at high color quality while not sacrificing LED optical efficiency relative to conventional packages. Meanwhile, efficiently coupling light from LEDs into modular optical elements, followed by optimally distributing and extracting this light, were challenges that were addressed via novel optical design coupled with frequent experimental evaluations. Minimizing luminaire bill of materials and assembly costs were two guiding principles for all design work, in the effort to achieve luminaires with significantly lower normalized cost ($/klm) than existing LED fixtures. Chief project accomplishments included the achievement of >150 lm/W warm-white LEDs having primary optics compatible with low-cost modular optical elements. In addition, a prototype Light Module optical efficiency of over 90% was measured, demonstrating the potential of this scalable architecture for ultra-high-efficacy LED luminaires. Since the project ended, Cree has continued to evaluate optical element fabrication and assembly methods in an effort to rapidly transfer this scalable, cost-effective technology to Cree production development groups. The Light Module concept is likely to make a strong contribution to the development of new cost-effective, high-efficacy luminaries, thereby accelerating widespread adoption of energy-saving SSL in the U.S.

High Intensity Organic Light-emitting Diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Xiangfei

This thesis is dedicated to the fabrication, modeling, and characterization to achieve high efficiency organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) for illumination applications. Compared to conventional lighting sources, OLEDs enabled the direct conversion of electrical energy into light emission and have intrigued the world's lighting designers with the long-lasting, highly efficient illumination. We begin with a brief overview of organic technology, from basic organic semiconductor physics, to its application in optoelectronics, i.e. light-emitting diodes, photovoltaics, photodetectors and thin-film transistors. Due to the importance of phosphorescent materials, we will focus on the photophysics of metal complexes that is central to high efficiency OLED technology, followed by a transient study to examine the radiative decay dynamics in a series of phosphorescent platinum binuclear complexes. The major theme of this thesis is the design and optimization of a novel architecture where individual red, green and blue phosphorescent OLEDs are vertically stacked and electrically interconnected by the compound charge generation layers. We modeled carrier generation from the metal-oxide/doped organic interface based on a thermally assisted tunneling mechanism. The model provides insights to the optimization of a stacked OLED from both electrical and optical point of view. To realize the high intensity white lighting source, the efficient removal of heat is of a particular concern, especially in large-area devices. A fundamental transfer matrix analysis is introduced to predict the thermal properties in the devices. The analysis employs Laplace transforms to determine the response of the system to the combined effects of conduction, convection, and radiation. This perspective of constructing transmission matrices greatly facilitates the calculation of transient coupled heat transfer in a general multi-layer composite. It converts differential equations to algebraic forms, and

Light intensity modulates the response of two Antarctic diatom species to ocean acidification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasmin Pascale Heiden

2016-12-01

Full Text Available It is largely unknown how rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and changes in the upper mixed layer depth, with its subsequent effects on light availability will affect phytoplankton physiology in the Southern Ocean. Linking seasonal variations in the availability of CO2 and light to abundances and physiological traits of key phytoplankton species could aid to understand their abilities to acclimate to predicted future climatic conditions. To investigate the combined effects of CO2 and light on two ecologically relevant Antarctic diatoms (Fragilariopsis curta and Odontella weisflogii a matrix of three light intensities (LL=20, ML=200, HL=500 µmol photons m-2 s-1 and three pCO2 levels (low=180, ambient=380, high=1000 µatm was applied assessing their effects on growth, particulate organic carbon (POC fixation and photophysiology. Under ambient pCO2, POC production rates were highest already at low light in Fragilariopsis, indicating saturation of photosynthesis, while in Odontella highest rates were only reached at medium irradiances. In both species ocean acidification did not stimulate, but rather inhibited, growth and POC production under low and medium light. This effect was, however, amended under high growth irradiances. Low pCO2 levels inhibited growth and POC production in both species at low and medium light, and further decreased absETRs under high light. Our results suggest that Southern Ocean diatoms were sensitive to changes in pCO2, showing species-specific responses, which were further modulated by light intensity. The two diatom species represent distinct ecotypes and revealed discrete physiological traits that matched their seasonal occurrence with the related physical conditions in Antarctic coastal waters.

Wheel-running activity and energy metabolism in relation to ambient temperature in mice selected for high wheel-running activity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vaanholt, Lobke M.; Garland, Theodore; Daan, Serge; Visser, G. Henk; Garland Jr., Theodore; Heldmaier, G.

Interrelationships between ambient temperature, activity, and energy metabolism were explored in mice that had been selectively bred for high spontaneous wheel-running activity and their random-bred controls. Animals were exposed to three different ambient temperatures (10, 20 and 30 degrees C) and

A SOLAR FLARE DISTURBING A LIGHT WALL ABOVE A SUNSPOT LIGHT BRIDGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Yijun; Zhang, Jun; Li, Ting; Yang, Shuhong; Li, Leping; Li, Xiaohong

2016-01-01

With the high-resolution data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph , we detect a light wall above a sunspot light bridge in the NOAA active region (AR) 12403. In the 1330 Å slit-jaw images, the light wall is brighter than the ambient areas while the wall top and base are much brighter than the wall body, and it keeps oscillating above the light bridge. A C8.0 flare caused by a filament activation occurred in this AR with the peak at 02:52 UT on 2015 August 28, and the flare’s one ribbon overlapped the light bridge, which was the observational base of the light wall. Consequently, the oscillation of the light wall was evidently disturbed. The mean projective oscillation amplitude of the light wall increased from 0.5 to 1.6 Mm before the flare and decreased to 0.6 Mm after the flare. We suggest that the light wall shares a group of magnetic field lines with the flare loops, which undergo a magnetic reconnection process, and they constitute a coupled system. When the magnetic field lines are pushed upward at the pre-flare stage, the light wall turns to the vertical direction, resulting in the increase of the light wall’s projective oscillation amplitude. After the magnetic reconnection takes place, a group of new field lines with smaller scales are formed underneath the reconnection site, and the light wall inclines. Thus, the projective amplitude notably decrease at the post-flare stage.

A SOLAR FLARE DISTURBING A LIGHT WALL ABOVE A SUNSPOT LIGHT BRIDGE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Yijun; Zhang, Jun; Li, Ting; Yang, Shuhong; Li, Leping; Li, Xiaohong, E-mail: yijunhou@nao.cas.cn [Key Laboratory of Solar Activity, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China)

2016-10-01

With the high-resolution data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph , we detect a light wall above a sunspot light bridge in the NOAA active region (AR) 12403. In the 1330 Å slit-jaw images, the light wall is brighter than the ambient areas while the wall top and base are much brighter than the wall body, and it keeps oscillating above the light bridge. A C8.0 flare caused by a filament activation occurred in this AR with the peak at 02:52 UT on 2015 August 28, and the flare’s one ribbon overlapped the light bridge, which was the observational base of the light wall. Consequently, the oscillation of the light wall was evidently disturbed. The mean projective oscillation amplitude of the light wall increased from 0.5 to 1.6 Mm before the flare and decreased to 0.6 Mm after the flare. We suggest that the light wall shares a group of magnetic field lines with the flare loops, which undergo a magnetic reconnection process, and they constitute a coupled system. When the magnetic field lines are pushed upward at the pre-flare stage, the light wall turns to the vertical direction, resulting in the increase of the light wall’s projective oscillation amplitude. After the magnetic reconnection takes place, a group of new field lines with smaller scales are formed underneath the reconnection site, and the light wall inclines. Thus, the projective amplitude notably decrease at the post-flare stage.

Carbon-Based CsPbBr3 Perovskite Solar Cells: All-Ambient Processes and High Thermal Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Xiaowen; Li, Weiping; Zhu, Liqun; Liu, Huicong; Geng, Huifang; Xiang, Sisi; Liu, Jiaming; Chen, Haining

2016-12-14

The device instability has been an important issue for hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This work intends to address this issue by exploiting inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr 3 ) as light absorber, accompanied by replacing organic hole transport materials (HTM) and the metal electrode with a carbon electrode. All the fabrication processes (including those for CsPbBr 3 and the carbon electrode) in the PSCs are conducted in ambient atmosphere. Through a systematical optimization on the fabrication processes of CsPbBr 3 film, carbon-based PSCs (C-PSCs) obtained the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of about 5.0%, a relatively high value for inorganic perovskite-based PSCs. More importantly, after storage for 250 h at 80 °C, only 11.7% loss in PCE is observed for CsPbBr 3 C-PSCs, significantly lower than that for popular CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 C-PSCs (59.0%) and other reported PSCs, which indicated a promising thermal stability of CsPbBr 3 C-PSCs.

Stem juice production of the C4 sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is enhanced by growth at double-ambient CO2 and high temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Joseph C V; Allen, Leon H

2009-07-15

Two cultivars of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum cv. CP73-1547 and CP88-1508) were grown for 3 months in paired-companion, temperature-gradient, sunlit greenhouses under daytime [CO2] of 360 (ambient) and 720 (double ambient) micromol mol(-1) and at temperatures of 1.5 degrees C (near ambient) and 6.0 degrees C higher than outside ambient temperature. Leaf area and biomass, stem biomass and juice and CO2 exchange rate (CER) and activities of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) of fully developed leaves were measured at harvest. On a main stem basis, leaf area, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and stem juice volume were increased by growth at doubled [CO2] or high temperature. Such increases were even greater under combination of doubled [CO2]/high temperature. Plants grown at doubled [CO2]/high temperature combination averaged 50%, 26%, 84% and 124% greater in leaf area, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and stem juice volume, respectively, compared with plants grown at ambient [CO2]/near-ambient temperature combination. In addition, plants grown at doubled [CO2]/high temperature combination were 2-3-fold higher in stem soluble solids than those at ambient [CO2]/near-ambient temperature combination. Although midday CER of fully developed leaves was not affected by doubled [CO2] or high temperature, plants grown at doubled [CO2] were 41-43% less in leaf stomatal conductance and 69-79% greater in leaf water-use efficiency, compared with plants grown at ambient [CO2]. Activity of PEPC was down-regulated 23-32% at doubled [CO2], while high temperature did not have a significant impact on this enzyme. Activity of Rubisco was not affected by growth at doubled [CO2], but was reduced 15-28% at high temperature. The increases in stem juice production and stem juice soluble solids concentration for sugarcane grown at doubled [CO2] or high temperature, or at doubled [CO2]/high temperature combination, were partially

Transmission Lines or Poles, Electric, MDTA High Mast lighting, High Mast Lighting along I 95, Maryland Transportation Authority High Mast Lighting poles, Published in 2011, 1:1200 (1in=100ft) scale, Maryland Transportation Authority.

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC State | GIS Inventory — Transmission Lines or Poles, Electric dataset current as of 2011. MDTA High Mast lighting, High Mast Lighting along I 95, Maryland Transportation Authority High Mast...

Long-range high-speed visible light communication system over 100-m outdoor transmission utilizing receiver diversity technology

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yiguang; Huang, Xingxing; Shi, Jianyang; Wang, Yuan-quan; Chi, Nan

2016-05-01

Visible light communication (VLC) has no doubt become a promising candidate for future wireless communications due to the increasing trends in the usage of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In addition to indoor high-speed wireless access and positioning applications, VLC usage in outdoor scenarios, such as vehicle networks and intelligent transportation systems, are also attracting significant interest. However, the complex outdoor environment and ambient noise are the key challenges for long-range high-speed VLC outdoor applications. To improve system performance and transmission distance, we propose to use receiver diversity technology in an outdoor VLC system. Maximal ratio combining-based receiver diversity technology is utilized in two receivers to achieve the maximal signal-to-noise ratio. A 400-Mb/s VLC transmission using a phosphor-based white LED and a 1-Gb/s wavelength division multiplexing VLC transmission using a red-green-blue LED are both successfully achieved over a 100-m outdoor distance with the bit error rate below the 7% forward error correction limit of 3.8×10-3. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest data rate at 100-m outdoor VLC transmission ever achieved. The experimental results clearly prove the benefit and feasibility of receiver diversity technology for long-range high-speed outdoor VLC systems.

Improving NIR snow pit stratigraphy observations by introducing a controlled NIR light source

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, J.; Marshall, H.; Rutter, N.; Karlson, A.

2013-12-01

Near-infrared (NIR) photography in a prepared snow pit measures mm-/grain-scale variations in snow structure, as reflectivity is strongly dependent on microstructure and grain size at the NIR wavelengths. We explore using a controlled NIR light source to maximize signal to noise ratio and provide uniform incident, diffuse light on the snow pit wall. NIR light fired from the flash is diffused across and reflected by an umbrella onto the snow pit; the lens filter transmits NIR light onto the spectrum-modified sensor of the DSLR camera. Lenses are designed to refract visible light properly, not NIR light, so there must be a correction applied for the subsequent NIR bright spot. To avoid interpolation and debayering algorithms automatically performed by programs like Adobe's Photoshop on the images, the raw data are analyzed directly in MATLAB. NIR image data show a doubling of the amount of light collected in the same time for flash over ambient lighting. Transitions across layer boundaries in the flash-lit image are detailed by higher camera intensity values than ambient-lit images. Curves plotted using median intensity at each depth, normalized to the average profile intensity, show a separation between flash- and ambient-lit images in the upper 10-15 cm; the ambient-lit image curve asymptotically approaches the level of the flash-lit image curve below 15cm. We hypothesize that the difference is caused by additional ambient light penetrating the upper 10-15 cm of the snowpack from above and transmitting through the wall of the snow pit. This indicates that combining NIR ambient and flash photography could be a powerful technique for studying penetration depth of radiation as a function of microstructure and grain size. The NIR flash images do not increase the relative contrast at layer boundaries; however, the flash more than doubles the amount of recorded light and controls layer noise as well as layer boundary transition noise.

Ambient Seismic Noise Tomography of a Loess High Bank at Dunaszekcső (Hungary)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Szanyi, G.; Gráczer, Z.; Györi, E.; Kaláb, Zdeněk; Lednická, Markéta

2016-01-01

Roč. 173, č. 8 (2016), s. 2913-2928 ISSN 0033-4553 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : seismic interferometry * ambient noise * group velocity * tomography * landslide * high bank Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure Impact factor: 1.591, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00024-016-1304-1

The role of crown architecture for light harvesting and carbon gain in extreme light environments assessed with a structurally realistic 3-D model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valladares, Fernando

2000-06-01

Full Text Available Main results from different studies of crown architecture adaptation to extreme light environments are presented. Light capture and carbon gain by plants from low (forest understory and high (open Mediterranean-type ecosystems light environments were simulated with a 3-D model (YPLANT, which was developed specifically to analyse the structural features that determine light interception and photosynthesis at the whole plant level. Distantly related taxa with contrasting architectures exhibited similar efficiencies of light interception (functional convergence. Between habitats large differences in architecture existed depending on whether light capture must be maximised or whether excess photon flux density must be avoided. These differences are realised both at the species level and within a species because of plastic adjustments of crown architecture to the external light environment. Realistic, 3-D architectural models are indispensable tools in this kind of comparative studies due to the intrinsic complexity of plant architecture. Their efficient development requires a fluid exchange of ideas between botanists, ecologists and plant modellers.Se presentan los resultados principales de varios estudios sobre las adaptaciones del follaje a ambientes lumínicos extremos. Plantas de ambientes oscuros (sotobosques de bosques templados y tropicales y de ambientes muy luminosos (ecosistemas abiertos de tipo Mediterráneo han sido estudiadas mediante un modelo (YPLANT que permite la reconstrucción tridimensional de la parte aérea de las plantas e identificar los rasgos estructurales que determinan la interceptación de luz y la fotosíntesis y transpiraci6n potencial a nivel de toda la copa. Taxones no relacionados y con arquitecturas muy diferentes mostraron una eficiencia en la interceptaci6n de luz similar (convergencia funcional. La comparación entre hábitat revelo grandes diferencias arquitecturales dependiendo de si la absorción de luz deb

Alternative Refrigerant Evaluation for High-Ambient-Temperature Environments: R-22 and R-410A Alternatives for Rooftop Air Conditioners

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdelaziz, Omar [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Shrestha, Som S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Shen, Bo [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Linkous, Randall Lee [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Goetzler, William [Navigant Consulting Inc., Burlington, MA (United States); Guernsey, Matt [Navigant Consulting Inc., Burlington, MA (United States); Bargach, Youssef [Navigant Consulting Inc., Burlington, MA (United States)

2016-09-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High-Ambient-Temperature Evaluation Program for Low-Global Warming Potential (Low-GWP) Refrigerants aims to develop an understanding of the performance of low-GWP alternative refrigerants relative to hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in packaged or Rooftop Unit (RTU) air conditioners under high-ambient-temperature conditions. This final report describes the parties involved, the alternative refrigerants selection process, the test procedures, and the final results.

Rising CO2 interacts with growth light and growth rate to alter photosystem II photoinactivation of the coastal diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Li

Full Text Available We studied the interactive effects of pCO(2 and growth light on the coastal marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana CCMP 1335 growing under ambient and expected end-of-the-century pCO(2 (750 ppmv, and a range of growth light from 30 to 380 µmol photons·m(-2·s(-1. Elevated pCO(2 significantly stimulated the growth of T. pseudonana under sub-saturating growth light, but not under saturating to super-saturating growth light. Under ambient pCO(2 susceptibility to photoinactivation of photosystem II (σ(i increased with increasing growth rate, but cells growing under elevated pCO(2 showed no dependence between growth rate and σ(i, so under high growth light cells under elevated pCO(2 were less susceptible to photoinactivation of photosystem II, and thus incurred a lower running cost to maintain photosystem II function. Growth light altered the contents of RbcL (RUBISCO and PsaC (PSI protein subunits, and the ratios among the subunits, but there were only limited effects on these and other protein pools between cells grown under ambient and elevated pCO(2.

Carbon dioxide efflux from leaves in light and darkness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holmgren, P; Jarvis, P G

1967-01-01

The efflux of carbon dioxide in light and darkness was measured at low ambient CO/sub 2/ concentrations in leaves of Rumex acetosa. Light carbon dioxide production (photorespiration) was found to depend on irradiance and to differ from dark production as to the response to temperature and ambient concentrations of O/sub 2/ and CO/sub 2/. These observations support previously made suggestions that photorespiration follows a different metabolic pathway to dark respiration.

Bright lights, big city: influences of ecological light pollution on reciprocal stream-riparian invertebrate fluxes.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Lars A; Sullivan, S Mazeika P

2013-09-01

Cities produce considerable ecological light pollution (ELP), yet the effects of artificial night lighting on biological communities and ecosystem function have not been fully explored. From June 2010 to June 2011, we surveyed aquatic emergent insects, riparian arthropods entering the water, and riparian spiders of the family Tetragnathidae at nine stream reaches representing common ambient ELP levels of Columbus, Ohio, USA, streams (low, 0.1-0.5 lux; moderate, 0.6-2.0 lux; high, 2.1-4.0 lux). In August 2011, we experimentally increased light levels at the low- and moderate-treatment reaches to 10-12 lux to represent urban streams exposed to extremely high levels of ELP. Although season exerted the dominant influence on invertebrate fluxes over the course of the year, when analyzed by season, we found that light strongly influenced multiple invertebrate responses. The experimental light addition resulted in a 44% decrease in tetragnathid spider density (P = 0.035), decreases of 16% in family richness (P = 0.040) and 76% in mean body size (P = 0.022) of aquatic emergent insects, and a 309% increase in mean body size of terrestrial arthropods (P = 0.015). Our results provide evidence that artificial light sources can alter community structure and ecosystem function in streams via changes in reciprocal aquatic-terrestrial fluxes of invertebrates.

High Brightness OLED Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spindler, Jeffrey [OLEDWorks LLC; Kondakova, Marina [OLEDWorks LLC; Boroson, Michael [OLEDWorks LLC; Hamer, John [OLEDWorks LLC

2016-05-25

In this work we describe the technology developments behind our current and future generations of high brightness OLED lighting panels. We have developed white and amber OLEDs with excellent performance based on the stacking approach. Current products achieve 40-60 lm/W, while future developments focus on achieving 80 lm/W or higher.

Alternative Refrigerant Evaluation for High-Ambient Temperature Environments: R-22 and R-410A Alternatives for Mini-Split Air Conditioners

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdelaziz, Omar [ORNL; Munk, Jeffrey D [ORNL; Shrestha, Som S [ORNL; Linkous, Randall Lee [ORNL; Goetzler, William [Navigant Consulting Inc.; Guernsey, Matt [Navigant Consulting Inc.; Kassuga, Theo [Navigant Consulting Inc.

2015-08-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High-Ambient Temperature Testing Program for Low-GWP Refrigerants aims to develop an understanding of the performance of low-Global Warming Potential (low-GWP) alternatives to Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) and Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in mini-split air conditioners under high ambient temperature conditions. This interim working paper describes the parties involved, the alternative refrigerants selection process, the test procedures, and the preliminary results.

Alternative Refrigerant Evaluation for High-Ambient-Temperature Environments: R-22 and R-410A Alternatives for Mini-Split Air Conditioners

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdelaziz, Omar [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Shrestha, Som S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Munk, Jeffrey D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Linkous, Randall Lee [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Goetzler, William [Navigant Consulting Inc., Burlington, MA (United States); Guernsey, Matt [Navigant Consulting Inc., Burlington, MA (United States); Kassuga, Theo [Navigant Consulting Inc., Burlington, MA (United States)

2015-10-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High-Ambient-Temperature Evaluation Program for low– global warming potential (Low-GWP) Refrigerants aims to develop an understanding of the performance of low-GWP alternative refrigerants to hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in mini-split air conditioners under high-ambient-temperature conditions. This final report describes the parties involved, the alternative refrigerant selection process, the test procedures, and the final results.

Electrically-driven GHz range ultrafast graphene light emitter (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngduck; Gao, Yuanda; Shiue, Ren-Jye; Wang, Lei; Aslan, Ozgur Burak; Kim, Hyungsik; Nemilentsau, Andrei M.; Low, Tony; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Bae, Myung-Ho; Heinz, Tony F.; Englund, Dirk R.; Hone, James

2017-02-01

Ultrafast electrically driven light emitter is a critical component in the development of the high bandwidth free-space and on-chip optical communications. Traditional semiconductor based light sources for integration to photonic platform have therefore been heavily studied over the past decades. However, there are still challenges such as absence of monolithic on-chip light sources with high bandwidth density, large-scale integration, low-cost, small foot print, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology compatibility. Here, we demonstrate the first electrically driven ultrafast graphene light emitter that operate up to 10 GHz bandwidth and broadband range (400 1600 nm), which are possible due to the strong coupling of charge carriers in graphene and surface optical phonons in hBN allow the ultrafast energy and heat transfer. In addition, incorporation of atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) encapsulation layers enable the stable and practical high performance even under the ambient condition. Therefore, electrically driven ultrafast graphene light emitters paves the way towards the realization of ultrahigh bandwidth density photonic integrated circuits and efficient optical communications networks.

Digital image color analysis compared to direct dental CIE colorimeter assessment under different ambient conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Knösel, Michael; Attin, Rengin; Jung, Klaus; Brunner, Edgar; Kubein-Meesenburg, Dietmar; Attin, Thomas

2009-04-01

To evaluate the concordance and repeatability of two in vivo methods for dental color assessment and to clarify the influence of different ambient light conditions and subject's head position on the assessed color variables. Color assessments were performed by two examiners on 16 arbitrarily selected subjects under two different, standardized conditions of illumination and at two different standardized head angulations. CIE (L*a*b*) data for upper and lower central incisors were recorded in two different ways: (1) by an intra-oral contact dental colorimeter and (2) by processing digital images for performing color calculation using Adobe Photoshop software. The influence of the different ambient conditions on both methods, as well as the concordance of measurements was analyzed statistically using several mixed linear models. Ambient light as a single factor had no significant influence on maxillary L*, a* and b* values, but it did have an effect on mandible assessments. Head angulation variation resulted in significant L* value differences using the photo method. The operator had a significant influence on values a* and b* for the photo method and on a* values for the colorimeter method. In fully lit ambient condition, the operator had a significant influence on the segregated L*, a*, and b* values. With dimmed lights, head angulation became significant, but not the operator. Evaluation of segregated L* values was error prone in both methods. Comparing both methods, deltaE values did not exceed 2.85 units, indicating that color differences between methods and recorded under varying ambient conditions were well below the sensitivity of the naked eye.

Perceived color shift of ceramics according to the change of illuminating light with spectroradiometer

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Hyun-Suk; Yu, Bin

2013-01-01

PURPOSE Perceived color of ceramics changes by the spectral power distribution of ambient light. This study aimed to quantify the amount of shifts in color and color coordinates of clinically simulated seven all-ceramics due to the switch of three ambient light sources using a human vision simulating spectroradiometer. MATERIALS AND METHODS CIE color coordinates, such as L*, a* and b*,of ceramic specimens were measured under three light sources, which simulate the CIE standard illuminant D65 (daylight), A (incandescent lamp), and F9 (fluorescent lamp). Shifts in color and color coordinate by the switch of lights were determined. Influence of the switched light (D65 to A, or D65 to F9), shade of veneer ceramics (A2 or A3), and brand of ceramics on the shifts was analyzed by a three-way ANOVA. RESULTS Shifts in color and color coordinates were influenced by three factors (P 5.5). When switched to A, CIE a* increased (Δa*: 5.6 to 7.6), however, CIE b* increased (Δb*: 4.9 to 7.8) when switched to F9. CONCLUSION Clinically simulated ceramics demonstrated clinically unacceptable color shifts according to the switches in ambient lights based on spectroradiometric readings. Therefore, shade matching and compatibility evaluation should be performed considering ambient lighting conditions and should be done under most relevant lighting condition. PMID:24049567

Differential photosynthetic and morphological adaptations to low light affect depth distribution of two submersed macrophytes in lakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jianfeng; Cao, Te; Zhang, Xiaolin; Xi, Yilong; Ni, Leyi; Jeppesen, Erik

2016-10-03

To evaluate the relative importance of photosynthetic versus morphological adaptations of submersed macrophytes to low light intensity in lakes, rapid light curves (RLCs), morphological parameters, relative growth rate (RGR), clonal reproduction and abundance of two submersed macrophytes (Potamogeton maackianus and Vallisneria natans) were examined under 2.8%, 7.1%, 17.1% and 39.5% ambient light in a field and outdoor experimental study. The plants increased their initial slope of RLCs (α) and decreased their minimum saturating irradiance (E k ) and maximum relative electron transport rate (ETRm) of RLCs under low light stress, but V. natans was more sensitive in RLCs than P. maackianus. Accordingly, the RGR, plant height and abundance of P. maackianus were higher in the high light regimes (shallow water) but lower in the low light regimes than those of V. natans. At the 2.8% ambient light, V. natans produced ramets and thus fulfilled its population expansion, in contrast to P. maackianus. The results revealed that P. maackianus as a canopy-former mainly elongated its shoot length towards the water surface to compensate for the low light conditions, however, it became limited in severe low light stress conditions. V. natans as a rosette adapted to low light stress mainly through photosynthetic adjustments and superior to severely low light than shoot elongation.

Turbine airfoil with ambient cooling system

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Jr, Christian X.; Marra, John J.; Marsh, Jan H.

2016-06-07

A turbine airfoil usable in a turbine engine and having at least one ambient air cooling system is disclosed. At least a portion of the cooling system may include one or more cooling channels configured to receive ambient air at about atmospheric pressure. The ambient air cooling system may have a tip static pressure to ambient pressure ratio of at least 0.5, and in at least one embodiment, may include a tip static pressure to ambient pressure ratio of between about 0.5 and about 3.0. The cooling system may also be configured such that an under root slot chamber in the root is large to minimize supply air velocity. One or more cooling channels of the ambient air cooling system may terminate at an outlet at the tip such that the outlet is aligned with inner surfaces forming the at least one cooling channel in the airfoil to facilitate high mass flow.

High-speed Light Peak optical link for high energy applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, F.X. [Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chiang, F. [FOCI Fiber Optic Comm., Inc., Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Deng, B. [Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, Hubei (China); Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX (United States); Hou, J. [FOCI Fiber Optic Comm., Inc., Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Hou, S., E-mail: suen@gate.sinica.edu.tw [Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Liu, C.; Liu, T. [Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX (United States); Teng, P.K. [Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Wang, C.H. [National United University, Miaoli, Taiwan (China); Xu, T. [Shandong University, Ji' nan (China); Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX (United States); Ye, J. [Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX (United States)

2014-11-21

Optical links provide high speed data transmission with low mass fibers favorable for applications in high energy experiments. We report investigation of a compact Light Peak optical engine designed for data transmission at 4.8 Gbps. The module is assembled with bare die VCSEL, PIN diodes and a control IC aligned within a prism receptacle for light coupling to fiber ferrule. Radiation damage in the receptacle was examined with {sup 60}Co gamma ray. Radiation induced single event effects in the optical engine were studied with protons, neutrons and X-ray tests.

Modification of photo-thermal model by accommodating light integrals using antirrhinum flowering and leaf number data from restricted range of environmental conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadley, P.; Carew, J.; Pearson, S.

2017-01-01

The objective of study was to quantify the flowering and leaf number response of Antirrhinum majus L. cv. Chimes White to different photoperiods, night temperatures and light integrals using photo-thermal model. Two experiments were conducted i.e. first one in February (under low ambient light integrals) and the second one in June (under high ambient light integrals). In each experiment plants of an early flowering cv. Chimes White were transferred (after 80% germination) to two night temperature suits (set-point temperatures 10 and 20 degree C), each having four photoperiod chambers (8, 11, 14 and 17 h.d-1). Results revealed that plants flowered earlier at long photoperiod (17 h.d-1), higher mean diurnal temperature (19.2 degree C in February and 23.4 degree C in June) and high ambient light integrals (8.26 MJ.m-2.d-1) and vice versa. These findings were successfully incorporated in to photo-thermal model, which was not reported before in Antirrhinum. The simple linear model hence updated, which would be helpful for growers to predict and quantify flowering time and leaf number (plant quality) of Antirrhinum well before their plantation to maintain its continual supply to the market. (author)

Det Ambiente

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Ulrik

Det ambiente er iscenesættelsen af en karakteristisk sanseoplevelse, der er kendetegnet ved fornemmelsen af at være omgivet. I dag bliver begrebet om det ambiente mest anvendt i forbindelse med musikgenren ’ambient musik’. Det ambiente er dog ikke essentielt knyttet til det musikalske, men må...... forstås som et betydeligt bredere fænomen i den moderne æstetiske kultur, der spiller en væsentlig rolle i oplevelsen af moderne transportformer, arkitektur, film, lydkunst, installationskunst og digitale multimedieiscenesættelser. En forståelse af det ambiente er derfor centralt for forståelsen af en...... moderne æstetiseret oplevelseskultur i almindelighed. Da det ambiente ikke hidtil har været gjort til genstand for en mere indgående teoretisk behandling, er der dog stor usikkerhed omkring, hvad fænomenet overhovedet indebærer. Hovedformålet med Det ambiente – Sansning, medialisering, omgivelse er derfor...

Ambient growth of highly oriented Cu{sub 2}S dendrites of superior thermoelectric behaviour

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mulla, Rafiq; Rabinal, M.K., E-mail: mkrabinal@yahoo.com

2017-03-01

Highlights: • A simple and ambient route to synthesize highly oriented dendrites of copper sulfide is proposed. • Remarkable enhancement is observed in Seebeck coefficient by room temperature, solution phase doping. • High thermoelectric power factor is observed at room temperature, indicating promising behaviour. - Abstract: Low-cost, non-toxic and efficient material is an urgent need for the thermoelectric energy conversion. Here, a rapid and ambient chemical route has been developed to grow dense and highly oriented dendrites of copper sulfide (Cu{sub 2}S) on copper substrate in a very simple approach, these films are uniform and covered with dense nanosheets. Room temperature solution doping of copper ions is carried out to improve thermoelectric performance. The Seebeck coefficient increased from ∼100 to 415 μV K{sup −1} with a slight decrease in electrical conductivity, this gives a high power factor (S{sup 2}σ) of about ∼400 μW m{sup −1} K{sup −2}. The improved thermoelectric properties in these films are accounted for resonant energy level doping and high phonon scattering. Such films with improved thermoelectric behaviour can be promising materials for energy conversion. The earth abundant, low cost, non toxic with a good thermoelectric property makes copper sulfide as a promising thermoelectric material for future applications.

Antireflectance coating on shielding window glasses using glacial acetic acid at ambient temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathi Sasidharan, N.; Deshingkar, D.S.; Wattal, P.K.

2006-01-01

High density lead glasses having thickness of several centimeters and large dimensions are used as shielding windows in hot cells. To improve visibility, the reflection of light from its optically polished surfaces needs to be minimized to improve transmission as absorption of light in the thick glasses can not be avoided. Antireflectance coating of a material having low refractive index is required for this purpose. Selective leaching of lead at ambient temperature in glacial acetic acid develops a silica rich leached layer on glass surface. Since silica has low refractive index, the leached layer serves as antireflectance coating. Two optically polished discs of shielding window glasses were leached in glacial acetic acid at ambient temperature for 2, 5 and 10 days and their reflectance and transmittance spectra were taken to find effect of leaching. For transparent glass transmittance could be improved from 78.76% to 85.31% after 10 days leaching. Reflectance from the glass could be decreased from 12.48 to 11.67%. For coloured glass transmittance improved from 87.77% to 88.24% after 5 days leaching while reflectance decreased from 12.28% to 5.6% during same period. Based on data generated, 10 days leaching time is recommended for developing anti reflectance coating on transparent shielding window glass and 5 days for coloured shielding window glass. The procedure can be used for shielding windows of any dimensions by fabrication a PVC tank of slightly high dimensions and filling with acetic acid (author)

High-Energy Compton Scattering Light Sources

CERN Document Server

Hartemann, Fred V; Barty, C; Crane, John; Gibson, David J; Hartouni, E P; Tremaine, Aaron M

2005-01-01

No monochromatic, high-brightness, tunable light sources currently exist above 100 keV. Important applications that would benefit from such new hard x-ray sources include: nuclear resonance fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved positron annihilation spectroscopy, and MeV flash radiography. The peak brightness of Compton scattering light sources is derived for head-on collisions and found to scale with the electron beam brightness and the drive laser pulse energy. This gamma 2

Effects of elevated [CO2] and low soil moisture on the physiological responses of Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum L. seedlings to light.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Danyagri

Full Text Available Global climate change is expected to affect how plants respond to their physical and biological environments. In this study, we examined the effects of elevated CO2 ([CO2] and low soil moisture on the physiological responses of mountain maple (Acer spicatum L. seedlings to light availability. The seedlings were grown at ambient (392 µmol mol(-1 and elevated (784 µmol mol(-1 [CO2], low and high soil moisture (M regimes, at high light (100% and low light (30% in the greenhouse for one growing season. We measured net photosynthesis (A, stomatal conductance (g s, instantaneous water use efficiency (IWUE, maximum rate of carboxylation (V cmax, rate of photosynthetic electron transport (J, triose phosphate utilization (TPU, leaf respiration (R d, light compensation point (LCP and mid-day shoot water potential (Ψx. A and g s did not show significant responses to light treatment in seedlings grown at low soil moisture treatment, but the high light significantly decreased the C i/C a in those seedlings. IWUE was significantly higher in the elevated compared with the ambient [CO2], and the effect was greater at high than the low light treatment. LCP did not respond to the soil moisture treatments when seedlings were grown in high light under both [CO2]. The low soil moisture significantly reduced Ψx but had no significant effect on the responses of other physiological traits to light or [CO2]. These results suggest that as the atmospheric [CO2] rises, the physiological performance of mountain maple seedlings in high light environments may be enhanced, particularly when soil moisture conditions are favourable.

Effects of elevated [CO2] and low soil moisture on the physiological responses of Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum L.) seedlings to light.

Science.gov (United States)

Danyagri, Gabriel; Dang, Qing-Lai

2013-01-01

Global climate change is expected to affect how plants respond to their physical and biological environments. In this study, we examined the effects of elevated CO2 ([CO2]) and low soil moisture on the physiological responses of mountain maple (Acer spicatum L.) seedlings to light availability. The seedlings were grown at ambient (392 µmol mol(-1)) and elevated (784 µmol mol(-1)) [CO2], low and high soil moisture (M) regimes, at high light (100%) and low light (30%) in the greenhouse for one growing season. We measured net photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (g s), instantaneous water use efficiency (IWUE), maximum rate of carboxylation (V cmax), rate of photosynthetic electron transport (J), triose phosphate utilization (TPU)), leaf respiration (R d), light compensation point (LCP) and mid-day shoot water potential (Ψx). A and g s did not show significant responses to light treatment in seedlings grown at low soil moisture treatment, but the high light significantly decreased the C i/C a in those seedlings. IWUE was significantly higher in the elevated compared with the ambient [CO2], and the effect was greater at high than the low light treatment. LCP did not respond to the soil moisture treatments when seedlings were grown in high light under both [CO2]. The low soil moisture significantly reduced Ψx but had no significant effect on the responses of other physiological traits to light or [CO2]. These results suggest that as the atmospheric [CO2] rises, the physiological performance of mountain maple seedlings in high light environments may be enhanced, particularly when soil moisture conditions are favourable.

High Quantum Efficiency OLED Lighting Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiang, Joseph [General Electric (GE) Global Research, Fairfield, CT (United States)

2011-09-30

The overall goal of the program was to apply improvements in light outcoupling technology to a practical large area plastic luminaire, and thus enable the product vision of an extremely thin form factor high efficiency large area light source. The target substrate was plastic and the baseline device was operating at 35 LPW at the start of the program. The target LPW of the program was a >2x improvement in the LPW efficacy and the overall amount of light to be delivered was relatively high 900 lumens. Despite the extremely difficult challenges associated with scaling up a wet solution process on plastic substrates, the program was able to make substantial progress. A small molecule wet solution process was successfully implemented on plastic substrates with almost no loss in efficiency in transitioning from the laboratory scale glass to large area plastic substrates. By transitioning to a small molecule based process, the LPW entitlement increased from 35 LPW to 60 LPW. A further 10% improvement in outcoupling efficiency was demonstrated via the use of a highly reflecting cathode, which reduced absorptive loss in the OLED device. The calculated potential improvement in some cases is even larger, ~30%, and thus there is considerable room for optimism in improving the net light coupling efficacy, provided absorptive loss mechanisms are eliminated. Further improvements are possible if scattering schemes such as the silver nanowire based hard coat structure are fully developed. The wet coating processes were successfully scaled to large area plastic substrate and resulted in the construction of a 900 lumens luminaire device.

Whole high-quality light environment for humans and plants

Science.gov (United States)

Sharakshane, Anton

2017-11-01

Plants sharing a single light environment on a spaceship with a human being and bearing a decorative function should look as natural and attractive as possible. And consequently they can be illuminated only with white light with a high color rendering index. Can lighting optimized for a human eye be effective and appropriate for plants? Spectrum-based effects have been compared under artificial lighting of plants by high-pressure sodium lamps and general-purpose white LEDs. It has been shown that for the survey sample phytochrome photo-equilibria does not depend significantly on the parameters of white LED light, while the share of phytoactive blue light grows significantly as the color temperature increases. It has been revealed that yield photon flux is proportional to luminous efficacy and increases as the color temperature decreases, general color rendering index Ra and the special color rendering index R14 (green leaf) increase. General-purpose white LED lamps with a color temperature of 2700 K, Ra > 90 and luminous efficacy of 100 lm/W are as efficient as the best high-pressure sodium lamps, and at a higher luminous efficacy their yield photon flux per joule is even bigger in proportion. Here we show that demand for high color rendering white LED light is not contradictory to the agro-technical objectives.

CALDER: High-sensitivity cryogenic light detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casali, N.; Bellini, F.; Cardani, L.

2017-01-01

The current bolometric experiments searching for rare processes such as neutrinoless double-beta decay or dark matter interaction demand for cryogenic light detectors with high sensitivity, large active area and excellent scalability and radio-purity in order to reduce their background budget. The CALDER project aims to develop such kind of light detectors implementing phonon-mediated Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs). The goal for this project is the realization of a 5 × 5 cm"2 light detector working between 10 and 100mK with a baseline resolution RMS below 20 eV. In this work the characteristics and the performances of the prototype detectors developed in the first project phase will be shown.

Impact of high ambient temperature on unintentional injuries in high-income countries: a narrative systematic literature review

Science.gov (United States)

Otte im Kampe, Eveline; Kovats, Sari; Hajat, Shakoor

2016-01-01

Objectives Given the likelihood of increased hot weather due to climate change, it is crucial to have prevention measures in place to reduce the health burden of high temperatures and heat waves. The aim of this review is to summarise and evaluate the evidence on the effects of summertime weather on unintentional injuries in high-income countries. Design 3 databases (Global Public Health, EMBASE and MEDLINE) were searched by using related keywords and their truncations in the title and abstract, and reference lists of key studies were scanned. Studies reporting heatstroke and intentional injuries were excluded. Results 13 studies met our inclusion criteria. 11 out of 13 studies showed that the risk of unintentional injuries increases with increasing ambient temperatures. On days with moderate temperatures, the increased risk varied between 0.4% and 5.3% for each 1°C increase in ambient temperature. On extreme temperature days, the risk of injuries decreased. 2 out of 3 studies on occupational accidents found an increase in work-related accidents during high temperatures. For trauma hospital admissions, 6 studies reported an increase during hot weather, whereas 1 study found no association. The evidence for impacts on injuries by subgroups such as children, the elderly and drug users was limited and inconsistent. Conclusions The present review describes a broader range of types of unintentional fatal and non-fatal injuries (occupational, trauma hospital admissions, traffic, fire entrapments, poisoning and drug overdose) than has previously been reported. Our review confirms that hot weather can increase the risk of unintentional injuries and accidents in high-income countries. The results are useful for injury prevention strategies. PMID:26868947

Development of an ozone high sensitive sensor working at ambient temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, F; Ghaddab, B; Sanchez, J B; Mavon, C

2011-01-01

Hybrid SnO 2 /SWNTs thin layer were deposited by using sol-gel process. Such sensitive layers showed very high performances for O 3 flow detection at ambient temperature. Limit sensitivity, lower than 21,5 ppb of O 3 in air has been reached by using these hybrid layers. Compared to usefull metal oxide sensors, the main advantage of the use of such hybrid layers, is that these devices enable the detection of O 3 traces at room temperature. The influence of sensor's working temperature is discussed and finally a reactional mechanism for the detection of O 3 is proposed.

Magnetic anisotropy of pure and doped YbInCu sub 4 compounds at ambient and high pressures

CERN Document Server

Mushnikov, N V; Rozenfeld, E V; Yoshimura, K; Zhang, W; Yamada, M; Kageyama, H

2003-01-01

The susceptibility and high-field magnetization of single-crystalline Yb sub 1 sub - sub x Y sub x InCu sub 4 (x = 0, 0.2 and 0.3) samples have been measured for different field orientations at ambient and high pressures. The compounds with x = 0 and 0.2 undergo a first-order valence transition from the intermediate-valence state to the trivalent state on increasing either temperature or magnetic field. The magnetization and susceptibility of these compounds have appreciable anisotropy in both states. The magnetic phase diagram of Yb sub 1 sub - sub x Y sub x InCu sub 4 determined at ambient pressure is also anisotropic, which is explained by the crystal-field calculations for the free Yb ion in the high-temperature phase. Moreover, the low-temperature magnetization process for x = 0.2 and 0.3 has been measured in low fields under high pressure; it shows anisotropic ferromagnetic ordering.

Photoacoustic Optical Properties at UV, VIS, and near IR Wavelengths for Laboratory Generated and Winter Time Ambient Urban Aerosols

Science.gov (United States)

Gyawali, M.; Arnott, W. P.; Zaveri, R. A.; Song, C.; Moosmuller, H.; Liu, L.; Mishchenko, M. I.; Chen, L.-W.A.; Green, M. C.; Watson, J. G.;

Marginal eyespots on butterfly wings deflect bird attacks under low light intensities with UV wavelengths.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Olofsson

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Predators preferentially attack vital body parts to avoid prey escape. Consequently, prey adaptations that make predators attack less crucial body parts are expected to evolve. Marginal eyespots on butterfly wings have long been thought to have this deflective, but hitherto undemonstrated function.Here we report that a butterfly, Lopinga achine, with broad-spectrum reflective white scales in its marginal eyespot pupils deceives a generalist avian predator, the blue tit, to attack the marginal eyespots, but only under particular conditions-in our experiments, low light intensities with a prominent UV component. Under high light intensity conditions with a similar UV component, and at low light intensities without UV, blue tits directed attacks towards the butterfly head.In nature, birds typically forage intensively at early dawn, when the light environment shifts to shorter wavelengths, and the contrast between the eyespot pupils and the background increases. Among butterflies, deflecting attacks is likely to be particularly important at dawn when low ambient temperatures make escape by flight impossible, and when insectivorous birds typically initiate another day's search for food. Our finding that the deflective function of eyespots is highly dependent on the ambient light environment helps explain why previous attempts have provided little support for the deflective role of marginal eyespots, and we hypothesize that the mechanism that we have discovered in our experiments in a laboratory setting may function also in nature when birds forage on resting butterflies under low light intensities.

Marginal eyespots on butterfly wings deflect bird attacks under low light intensities with UV wavelengths.

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, Martin; Vallin, Adrian; Jakobsson, Sven; Wiklund, Christer

2010-05-24

Predators preferentially attack vital body parts to avoid prey escape. Consequently, prey adaptations that make predators attack less crucial body parts are expected to evolve. Marginal eyespots on butterfly wings have long been thought to have this deflective, but hitherto undemonstrated function. Here we report that a butterfly, Lopinga achine, with broad-spectrum reflective white scales in its marginal eyespot pupils deceives a generalist avian predator, the blue tit, to attack the marginal eyespots, but only under particular conditions-in our experiments, low light intensities with a prominent UV component. Under high light intensity conditions with a similar UV component, and at low light intensities without UV, blue tits directed attacks towards the butterfly head. In nature, birds typically forage intensively at early dawn, when the light environment shifts to shorter wavelengths, and the contrast between the eyespot pupils and the background increases. Among butterflies, deflecting attacks is likely to be particularly important at dawn when low ambient temperatures make escape by flight impossible, and when insectivorous birds typically initiate another day's search for food. Our finding that the deflective function of eyespots is highly dependent on the ambient light environment helps explain why previous attempts have provided little support for the deflective role of marginal eyespots, and we hypothesize that the mechanism that we have discovered in our experiments in a laboratory setting may function also in nature when birds forage on resting butterflies under low light intensities.

Low-cost, portable, robust and high-resolution single-camera stereo-DIC system and its application in high-temperature deformation measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Yuxi; Yu, Liping; Pan, Bing

2018-05-01

A low-cost, portable, robust and high-resolution single-camera stereo-digital image correlation (stereo-DIC) system for accurate surface three-dimensional (3D) shape and deformation measurements is described. This system adopts a single consumer-grade high-resolution digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera and a four-mirror adaptor, rather than two synchronized industrial digital cameras, for stereo image acquisition. In addition, monochromatic blue light illumination and coupled bandpass filter imaging are integrated to ensure the robustness of the system against ambient light variations. In contrast to conventional binocular stereo-DIC systems, the developed pseudo-stereo-DIC system offers the advantages of low cost, portability, robustness against ambient light variations, and high resolution. The accuracy and precision of the developed single SLR camera-based stereo-DIC system were validated by measuring the 3D shape of a stationary sphere along with in-plane and out-of-plane displacements of a translated planar plate. Application of the established system to thermal deformation measurement of an alumina ceramic plate and a stainless-steel plate subjected to radiation heating was also demonstrated.

Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Spaceflight-Long

Science.gov (United States)

Czeisler, Charles A.; Barger, Laura K.; Wright, Kenneth P., Jr.; Ronda, Joseph

2009-01-01

Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Spaceflight-Long (Sleep-Long) will examine the effects of spaceflight and ambient light exposure on the sleep-wake cycles of the crew members during long-duration stays on the space station.

Chlorophyll b degradation by chlorophyll b reductase under high-light conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Rei; Ito, Hisashi; Tanaka, Ayumi

2015-12-01

The light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding protein complex of photosystem II (LHCII) is the main antenna complex of photosystem II (PSII). Plants change their LHCII content depending on the light environment. Under high-light conditions, the content of LHCII should decrease because over-excitation damages the photosystem. Chlorophyll b is indispensable for accumulating LHCII, and chlorophyll b degradation induces LHCII degradation. Chlorophyll b degradation is initiated by chlorophyll b reductase (CBR). In land plants, NON-YELLOW COLORING 1 (NYC1) and NYC1-Like (NOL) are isozymes of CBR. We analyzed these mutants to determine their functions under high-light conditions. During high-light treatment, the chlorophyll a/b ratio was stable in the wild-type (WT) and nol plants, and the LHCII content decreased in WT plants. The chlorophyll a/b ratio decreased in the nyc1 and nyc1/nol plants, and a substantial degree of LHCII was retained in nyc1/nol plants after the high-light treatment. These results demonstrate that NYC1 degrades the chlorophyll b on LHCII under high-light conditions, thus decreasing the LHCII content. After the high-light treatment, the maximum quantum efficiency of the PSII photochemistry was lower in nyc1 and nyc1/nol plants than in WT and nol plants. A larger light-harvesting system would damage PSII in nyc1 and nyc1/nol plants. The fluorescence spectroscopy of the leaves indicated that photosystem I was also damaged by the excess LHCII in nyc1/nol plants. These observations suggest that chlorophyll b degradation by NYC1 is the initial reaction for the optimization of the light-harvesting capacity under high-light conditions.

Acclimation strategy of Rhodopseudomonas palustris to high light irradiance.

Science.gov (United States)

Muzziotti, Dayana; Adessi, Alessandra; Faraloni, Cecilia; Torzillo, Giuseppe; De Philippis, Roberto

2017-04-01

The ability of Rhodopseudomonas palustris cells to rapidly acclimate to high light irradiance is an essential issue when cells are grown under sunlight. The aim of this study was to investigate the photo-acclimation process in Rhodopseudomonas palustris 42OL under different culturing conditions: (i) anaerobic (AnG), (ii) aerobic (AG), and (iii) under H 2 -producing (HP) conditions both at low (LL) and high light (HL) irradiances. The results obtained clearly showed that the photosynthetic unit was significantly affected by the light irradiance at which Rp. palustris 42OL was grown. The synthesis of carotenoids was affected by both illumination and culturing conditions. At LL, lycopene was the main carotenoid synthetized under all conditions tested, while at HL under HP conditions, it resulted the predominant carotenoid. Oppositely, under AnG and AG at HL, rhodovibrin was the major carotenoid detected. The increase in light intensity produced a deeper variation in light-harvesting complexes (LHC) ratio. These findings are important for understanding the ecological distribution of PNSB in natural environments, mostly characterized by high light intensities, and for its growth outdoors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

BLAM (Benthic Light Availability Model): A Proposed Model of Hydrogeomorphic Controls on Light in Rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Julian, J. P.; Doyle, M. W.; Stanley, E. H.

2006-12-01

Light is vital to the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. It drives photosynthesis and photochemical reactions, affects thermal structure, and influences behavior of aquatic biota. Despite the fundamental role of light to riverine ecosystems, light studies in rivers have been mostly neglected because i) boundary conditions (e.g., banks, riparian vegetation) make ambient light measurements difficult, and ii) the optical water quality of rivers is highly variable and difficult to characterize. We propose a benthic light availability model (BLAM) that predicts the percent of incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) available at the river bed. BLAM was developed by quantifying light attenuation of the five hydrogeomorphic controls that dictate riverine light availability: topography, riparian vegetation, channel geometry, optical water quality, and water depth. BLAM was calibrated using hydrogeomorphic data and light measurements from two rivers: Deep River - a 5th-order, turbid river in central North Carolina, and Big Spring Creek - a 2nd-order, optically clear stream in central Wisconsin. We used a series of four PAR sensors to measure i) above-canopy PAR, ii) PAR above water surface, iii) PAR below water surface, and iv) PAR on stream bed. These measurements were used to develop empirical light attenuation coefficients, which were then used in combination with optical water quality measurements, shading analyses, channel surveys, and flow records to quantify the spatial and temporal variability in riverine light availability. Finally, we apply BLAM to the Baraboo River - a 6th-order, 120-mile, unimpounded river in central Wisconsin - in order to characterize light availability along the river continuum (from headwaters to mouth).

Low-Power Photoplethysmogram Acquisition Integrated Circuit with Robust Light Interference Compensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongpal; Kim, Jihoon; Ko, Hyoungho

2015-12-31

To overcome light interference, including a large DC offset and ambient light variation, a robust photoplethysmogram (PPG) readout chip is fabricated using a 0.13-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process. Against the large DC offset, a saturation detection and current feedback circuit is proposed to compensate for an offset current of up to 30 μA. For robustness against optical path variation, an automatic emitted light compensation method is adopted. To prevent ambient light interference, an alternating sampling and charge redistribution technique is also proposed. In the proposed technique, no additional power is consumed, and only three differential switches and one capacitor are required. The PPG readout channel consumes 26.4 μW and has an input referred current noise of 260 pArms.

Photoelectron spectroscopy under ambient pressure and temperature conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank Ogletree, D.; Bluhm, Hendrik; Hebenstreit, Eleonore D.; Salmeron, Miquel

2009-01-01

We describe the development and applications of novel instrumentation for photoemission spectroscopy of solid or liquid surfaces in the presence of gases under ambient conditions of pressure and temperature. The new instrument overcomes the strong scattering of electrons in gases by the use of an aperture close to the surface followed by a differentially-pumped electrostatic lens system. In addition to the scattering problem, experiments in the presence of condensed water or other liquids require the development of special sample holders to provide localized cooling. We discuss the first two generations of Ambient Pressure PhotoEmission Spectroscopy (APPES) instruments developed at synchrotron light sources (ALS in Berkeley and BESSY in Berlin), with special focus on the Berkeley instruments. Applications to environmental science and catalytic chemical research are illustrated in two examples.

Yuma Border Patrol Area Lighting Retrofit LED System Performance in a Trial Installation – Two Years Later

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilkerson, Andrea M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sullivan, Gregory P. [Efficiency Solutions, Inc, Richland, WA (United States); Davis, Robert G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-05-21

Documentation of the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area lighting LED trial demonstration continues to provide a better understanding of LED technology performance in a high ambient temperature and high solar radiation environment. Measured data at the project site showed illuminances changing more rapidly than anticipated. As previously predicted, the causes for these observed changes are mostly if not completely explained by dirt accumulation. The laboratory measurements showed not only the effect of dirt on lumen output, but also on the distribution of light exiting the luminaire.

Risk related behaviour under different ambient scent conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alina Gagarina

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the effect of two ambient scents (peppermint and vanilla and their intensiveness on risk related behaviour that is expressed through selected decision making heuristics. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this article is to identify the relationship of ambient scent type and intensiveness with risk related behaviour that is expressed through selected decision making heuristics. Methodology/methods: 2×2 factorial experiment with control group was run. Ambient scent type (vanilla vs. peppermint and intensiveness (8 (1mg vs. 16 sprays (2mg of scent concentrate in the same room were manipulated as between subject variables. Risk aversion, effect of anchoring heuristic on bidding, and affect (risk and benefit heuristics were tracked as dependent variables. Scientific aim: To identify whether ambient scent type and intensiveness have effect on risk related behaviour. Findings: Evidence suggests that there are effects of ambient scent on risk related behaviour, thus fulfilling the missing gap to relate ambient environment to decision making heuristics when risks are involved. However, not all heuristics were affected by experimental conditions. Subjects were bidding significantly higher amounts under low anchor conditions, when peppermint scent was around (if compared to vanilla group. Affect risk was perceived as lower in peppermint ambient scent conditions, if compared to the control group. Intensity of ambient scent also had influence on affect risk: subjects perceived less risk under high scent intensity conditions. Conclusions: By manipulating ambient scent, marketers may reduce or increase consumers risk perception and behaviour and as a consequence influence their purchase decisions. Marketers could use peppermint scent in high intensiveness in the situations where they want consumers to undertake higher risks (expensive purchases, gambling, insurance, since stakes were higher under peppermint ambient scent condition

Highly efficient light management for perovskite solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dong-Lin; Cui, Hui-Juan; Hou, Guo-Jiao; Zhu, Zhen-Gang; Yan, Qing-Bo; Su, Gang

2016-01-06

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells have enormous potential to impact the existing photovoltaic industry. As realizing a higher conversion efficiency of the solar cell is still the most crucial task, a great number of schemes were proposed to minimize the carrier loss by optimizing the electrical properties of the perovskite solar cells. Here, we focus on another significant aspect that is to minimize the light loss by optimizing the light management to gain a high efficiency for perovskite solar cells. In our scheme, the slotted and inverted prism structured SiO2 layers are adopted to trap more light into the solar cells, and a better transparent conducting oxide layer is employed to reduce the parasitic absorption. For such an implementation, the efficiency and the serviceable angle of the perovskite solar cell can be promoted impressively. This proposal would shed new light on developing the high-performance perovskite solar cells.

Effect of ambient temperature and relative humidity on interfacial temperature during early stages of drop evaporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukatani, Yuki; Orejon, Daniel; Kita, Yutaku; Takata, Yasuyuki; Kim, Jungho; Sefiane, Khellil

2016-04-01

Understanding drop evaporation mechanisms is important for many industrial, biological, and other applications. Drops of organic solvents undergoing evaporation have been found to display distinct thermal patterns, which in turn depend on the physical properties of the liquid, the substrate, and ambient conditions. These patterns have been reported previously to be bulk patterns from the solid-liquid to the liquid-gas drop interface. In the present work the effect of ambient temperature and humidity during the first stage of evaporation, i.e., pinned contact line, is studied paying special attention to the thermal information retrieved at the liquid-gas interface through IR thermography. This is coupled with drop profile monitoring to experimentally investigate the effect of ambient temperature and relative humidity on the drop interfacial thermal patterns and the evaporation rate. Results indicate that self-generated thermal patterns are enhanced by an increase in ambient temperature and/or a decrease in humidity. The more active thermal patterns observed at high ambient temperatures are explained in light of a greater temperature difference generated between the apex and the edge of the drop due to greater evaporative cooling. On the other hand, the presence of water humidity in the atmosphere is found to decrease the temperature difference along the drop interface due to the heat of adsorption, absorption and/or that of condensation of water onto the ethanol drops. The control, i.e., enhancement or suppression, of these thermal patterns at the drop interface by means of ambient temperature and relative humidity is quantified and reported.

Ambient ultraviolet radiation induces protective responses in soybean but does not attenuate indirect defense

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, Thorsten R.; Rostas, Michael

2008-01-01

We investigated the effects of ambient ultraviolet (UV) radiation on (i) the performance and chemistry of soybean plants, (ii) the performance of Spodoptera frugiperda and (iii) the foraging behavior of the herbivore's natural enemy Cotesia marginiventris which exploits herbivore-induced plant volatiles (VOC) for host location. The accumulation of protective phenolics was faster in plants receiving ambient UV than in controls exposed to sun light lacking UV. Accordingly, isorhamnetin- and quercetin-based flavonoids were increased in UV exposed plants. No UV effects were found on the performance and feeding behavior of S. frugiperda. Herbivore-damaged plants emitted the same VOC when grown under ambient or attenuated UV for 5, 10 or 30 days. Consequently, C. marginiventris was attracted but did not discriminate between exposed and unexposed soybeans. In summary, ambient UV radiation affected soybean morphology and physiology but did not destabilize interactions between trophic levels. - Ambient ultraviolet radiation does not alter induced VOC emission in soybean and thus host location of the parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris remains effective

High-Efficiency Nitride-Based Solid-State Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul T. Fini; Shuji Nakamura

2005-07-30

In this final technical progress report we summarize research accomplished during Department of Energy contract DE-FC26-01NT41203, entitled ''High-Efficiency Nitride-Based Solid-State Lighting''. Two teams, from the University of California at Santa Barbara (Principle Investigator: Dr. Shuji Nakamura) and the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (led by Dr. N. Narendran), pursued the goals of this contract from thin film growth, characterization, and packaging/luminaire design standpoints. The UCSB team initially pursued the development of blue gallium nitride (GaN)-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, as well as ultraviolet GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs). In Year 2, the emphasis shifted to resonant-cavity light emitting diodes, also known as micro-cavity LEDs when extremely thin device cavities are fabricated. These devices have very directional emission and higher light extraction efficiency than conventional LEDs. Via the optimization of thin-film growth and refinement of device processing, we decreased the total cavity thickness to less than 1 {micro}m, such that micro-cavity effects were clearly observed and a light extraction efficiency of over 10% was reached. We also began the development of photonic crystals for increased light extraction, in particular for so-called ''guided modes'' which would otherwise propagate laterally in the device and be re-absorbed. Finally, we pursued the growth of smooth, high-quality nonpolar a-plane and m-plane GaN films, as well as blue light emitting diodes on these novel films. Initial nonpolar LEDs showed the expected behavior of negligible peak wavelength shift with increasing drive current. M-plane LEDs in particular show promise, as unpackaged devices had unsaturated optical output power of {approx} 3 mW at 200 mA drive current. The LRC's tasks were aimed at developing the subcomponents necessary for packaging UCSB's light

Periodismo ambiental

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucía Lemos

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Los periodistas toman el tema del medio ambiente cada vez más en serio. El uso de temas relacionados con el medio ambiente, debe estar ligado al análisis socio-económico y a las posibilidades de comunicación y educación de diferentes regiones del mundo. A continuación se presenta un resumen de la situación ambiental, las acciones de prensa y comunicación que se llevan a cabo en América Central (Panamá, El Salvador, Costa Rica y en Sudamérica Brasil,Colombia, Chile, México, y Perú. Se concluye en la necesidad de formar hábitos ecológicos. Los comunicadores deben presentar soluciones a los problemas, fomentar campañas comunes, compartir información y velar por el ambiente ambiente para que las generaciones futuras no tengan que perecer.

Low-Power Photoplethysmogram Acquisition Integrated Circuit with Robust Light Interference Compensation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jongpal Kim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available To overcome light interference, including a large DC offset and ambient light variation, a robust photoplethysmogram (PPG readout chip is fabricated using a 0.13-μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS process. Against the large DC offset, a saturation detection and current feedback circuit is proposed to compensate for an offset current of up to 30 μA. For robustness against optical path variation, an automatic emitted light compensation method is adopted. To prevent ambient light interference, an alternating sampling and charge redistribution technique is also proposed. In the proposed technique, no additional power is consumed, and only three differential switches and one capacitor are required. The PPG readout channel consumes 26.4 μW and has an input referred current noise of 260 pArms.

Acoustic ambient noise recorder

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Saran, A.K.; Navelkar, G.S.; Almeida, A.M.; More, S.R.; Chodankar, P.V.; Murty, C.S.

with a robust outfit that can withstand high pressures and chemically corrosion resistant materials. Keeping these considerations in view, a CMOS micro-controller-based marine acoustic ambient noise recorder has been developed with a real time clock...

Nanosecond high-power dense microplasma switch for visible light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bataller, A., E-mail: bataller@physics.ucla.edu; Koulakis, J.; Pree, S.; Putterman, S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)

2014-12-01

Spark discharges in high-pressure gas are known to emit a broadband spectrum during the first 10 s of nanoseconds. We present calibrated spectra of high-pressure discharges in xenon and show that the resulting plasma is optically thick. Laser transmission data show that such a body is opaque to visible light, as expected from Kirchoff's law of thermal radiation. Nanosecond framing images of the spark absorbing high-power laser light are presented. The sparks are ideal candidates for nanosecond, high-power laser switches.

Next generation smart window display using transparent organic display and light blocking screen.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Gyeong Woo; Lampande, Raju; Choe, Dong Cheol; Ko, Ik Jang; Park, Jin Hwan; Pode, Ramchandra; Kwon, Jang Hyuk

2018-04-02

Transparent organic light emitting diodes (TOLED) have widespread applications in the next-generation display devices particularly in the large size transparent window and interactive displays. Herein, we report high performance and stable attractive smart window displays using facile process. Advanced smart window display is realized by integrating the high performance light blocking screen and highly transparent white OLED panel. The full smart window display reveals a maximum transmittance as high as 64.2% at the wavelength of 600 nm and extremely good along with tunable ambient contrast ratio (171.94:1) compared to that of normal TOLED (4.54:1). Furthermore, the performance decisive light blocking screen has demonstrated an excellent optical and electrical characteristics such as i) high transmittance (85.56% at 562nm) at light-penetrating state, ii) superior absorbance (2.30 at 562nm) in light interrupting mode, iii) high optical contrast (85.50 at 562 nm), iv) high optical stability for more than 25,000 cycle of driving, v) fast switching time of 1.9 sec, and vi) low driving voltage of 1.7 V. The experimental results of smart window display are also validated using optical simulation. The proposed smart window display technology allows us to adjust the intensity of daylight entering the system quickly and conveniently.

Materials and Designs for High-Efficacy LED Light Engines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibbetson, James [Cree, Inc., Durham, NC (United States); Gresback, Ryan [Cree, Inc., Durham, NC (United States)

2017-09-28

Cree, Inc. conducted a narrow-band downconverter (NBD) materials development and implementation program which will lead to warm-white LED light engines with enhanced efficacy via improved spectral efficiency with respect to the human eye response. New red (600-630nm) NBD materials could result in as much as a 20% improvement in warm-white efficacy at high color quality relative to conventional phosphor-based light sources. Key program innovations included: high quantum yield; narrow peak width; minimized component-level losses due to “cross-talk” and light scattering among red and yellow-green downconverters; and improved reliability to reach parity with conventional phosphors. NBD-enabled downconversion efficiency gains relative to conventional phosphors yielded an end-of-project LED light engine efficacy of >160 lm/W at room temperature and 35 A/cm2, with a correlated color temperature (CCT) of ~3500K and >90 CRI (Color Rending Index). NBD-LED light engines exhibited equivalent luminous flux and color point maintenance at >1,000 hrs. of highly accelerated reliability testing as conventional phosphor LEDs. A demonstration luminaire utilizing an NBD-based LED light engine had a steady-state system efficacy of >150 lm/W at ~3500K and >90 CRI, which exceeded the 2014 DOE R&D Plan luminaire milestone for FY17 of >150 lm/W at just 80 CRI.

Blue and white light emission from zinc oxide nanoforests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafisa Noor

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Blue and white light emission is observed when high voltage stress is applied using micrometer-separated tungsten probes across a nanoforest formed of ZnO nanorods. The optical spectrum of the emitted light consistently shows three fine peaks with very high amplitude in the 465–485 nm (blue range, corresponding to atomic transitions of zinc. Additional peaks with smaller amplitudes in the 330–650 nm range and broad spectrum white light is observed depending on the excitation conditions. The spatial and spectral distribution of the emitted light, with pink–orange regions identifying percolation paths in some cases and high intensity blue and white light with center to edge variations in others, indicate that multiple mechanisms lead to light emission. Under certain conditions, the tungsten probe tips used to make electrical contact with the ZnO structures melt during the excitation, indicating that the local temperature can exceed 3422 °C, which is the melting temperature of tungsten. The distinct and narrow peaks in the optical spectra and the abrupt increase in current at high electric fields suggest that a plasma is formed by application of the electrical bias, giving rise to light emission via atomic transitions in gaseous zinc and oxygen. The broad spectrum, white light emission is possibly due to the free electron transitions in the plasma and blackbody radiation from molten silicon. The white light may also arise from the recombination through multiple defect levels in ZnO or due to the optical excitation from solid ZnO. The electrical measurements performed at different ambient pressures result in light emission with distinguishable differences in the emission properties and I–V curves, which also indicate that the dielectric breakdown of ZnO, sublimation, and plasma formation processes are the underlying mechanisms.

Structural studies of disordered materials using high-energy x-ray diffraction from ambient to extreme conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kohara, Shinji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (SPring-8/JASRI), 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Itou, Masayoshi [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (SPring-8/JASRI), 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Suzuya, Kentaro [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (J-PARC/JAEA), Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Inamura, Yasuhiro [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (J-PARC/JAEA), Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Sakurai, Yoshiharu [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (SPring-8/JASRI), 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Ohishi, Yasuo [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (SPring-8/JASRI), 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Takata, Masaki [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (SPring-8/JASRI), 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan)

2007-12-19

High-energy x-rays from a synchrotron radiation source allow us to obtain high-quality diffraction data for disordered materials from ambient to extreme conditions, which is necessary for revealing the detailed structures of glass, liquid and amorphous materials. We introduced high-energy x-ray diffraction beamlines and a dedicated diffractometer for glass, liquid and amorphous materials at SPring-8 and report the recent developments of ancillary equipment. Furthermore, the structures of liquid and amorphous materials determined from the high-energy x-ray diffraction data obtained at SPring-8 are discussed.

Measured and predicted aerosol light scattering enhancement factors at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Fierz-Schmidhauser

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Ambient relative humidity (RH determines the water content of atmospheric aerosol particles and thus has an important influence on the amount of visible light scattered by particles. The RH dependence of the particle light scattering coefficient (σ_sp is therefore an important variable for climate forcing calculations. We used a humidification system for a nephelometer which allows for the measurement of σ_sp at a defined RH in the range of 20–95%. In this paper we present measurements of light scattering enhancement factors f(RH=σ_sp(RH/σ_sp(dry from a 1-month campaign (May 2008 at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l., Switzerland. Measurements at the Jungfraujoch are representative for the lower free troposphere above Central Europe. For this aerosol type hardly any information about the f(RH is available so far. At this site, f(RH=85% varied between 1.2 and 3.3. Measured f(RH agreed well with f(RH calculated with Mie theory using measurements of the size distribution, chemical composition and hygroscopic diameter growth factors as input. Good f(RH predictions at RH<85% were also obtained with a simplified model, which uses the Ångström exponent of σ_sp(dry as input. RH influences further intensive optical aerosol properties. The backscatter fraction decreased by about 30% from 0.128 to 0.089, and the single scattering albedo increased on average by 0.05 at 85% RH compared to dry conditions. These changes in σ_sp, backscatter fraction and single scattering albedo have a distinct impact on the radiative forcing of the Jungfraujoch aerosol.

Large-area high-efficiency flexible PHOLED lighting panels

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Huiqing; Mandlik, Prashant; Levermore, Peter A.; Silvernail, Jeff; Ma, Ruiqing; Brown, Julie J.

2012-09-01

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) provide various attractive features for next generation illumination systems, including high efficiency, low power, thin and flexible form factor. In this work, we incorporated phosphorescent emitters and demonstrated highly efficient white phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) devices on flexible plastic substrates. The 0.94 cm2 small-area device has total thickness of approximately 0.25 mm and achieved 63 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 85 and CCT = 2920 K. We further designed and fabricated a 15 cm x 15 cm large-area flexible white OLED lighting panels, finished with a hybrid single-layer ultra-low permeability single layer barrier (SLB) encapsulation film. The flexible panel has an active area of 116.4 cm2, and achieved a power efficacy of 47 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 83 and CCT = 3470 K. The efficacy of the panel at 3,000 cd/m2 is 43 lm/W. The large-area flexible PHOLED lighting panel is to bring out enormous possibilities to the future general lighting applications.

Antioxidants keep the potentially probiotic but highly oxygen-sensitive human gut bacterium Faecalibacterium prausnitzii alive at ambient air.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Tanweer Khan

Full Text Available The beneficial human gut microbe Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a 'probiotic of the future' since it produces high amounts of butyrate and anti-inflammatory compounds. However, this bacterium is highly oxygen-senstive, making it notoriously difficult to cultivate and preserve. This has so far precluded its clinical application in the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. The present studies were therefore aimed at developing a strategy to keep F. prausnitzii alive at ambient air. Our previous research showed that F. prausnitzii can survive in moderately oxygenized environments like the gut mucosa by transfer of electrons to oxygen. For this purpose, the bacterium exploits extracellular antioxidants, such as riboflavin and cysteine, that are abundantly present in the gut. We therefore tested to what extent these antioxidants can sustain the viability of F. prausnitzii at ambient air. The present results show that cysteine can facilitate the survival of F. prausnitzii upon exposure to air, and that this effect is significantly enhanced the by addition of riboflavin and the cryoprotectant inulin. The highly oxygen-sensitive gut bacterium F. prausnitzii can be kept alive at ambient air for 24 h when formulated with the antioxidants cysteine and riboflavin plus the cryoprotectant inulin. Improved formulations were obtained by addition of the bulking agents corn starch and wheat bran. Our present findings pave the way towards the biomedical exploitation of F. prausnitzii in redox-based therapeutics for treatment of dysbiosis-related inflammatory disorders of the human gut.

High DNA stability in white blood cells and buffy coat lysates stored at ambient temperature under anoxic and anhydrous atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Luis, Aurélie; Colotte, Marthe; Tuffet, Sophie; Bonnet, Jacques

2017-01-01

Conventional storage of blood-derived fractions relies on cold. However, lately, ambient temperature preservation has been evaluated by several independent institutions that see economic and logistic advantages in getting rid of the cold chain. Here we validated a novel procedure for ambient temperature preservation of DNA in white blood cell and buffy coat lysates based on the confinement of the desiccated biospecimens under anoxic and anhydrous atmosphere in original hermetic minicapsules. For this validation we stored encapsulated samples either at ambient temperature or at several elevated temperatures to accelerate aging. We found that DNA extracted from stored samples was of good quality with a yield of extraction as expected. Degradation rates were estimated from the average fragment size of denatured DNA run on agarose gels and from qPCR reactions. At ambient temperature, these rates were too low to be measured but the degradation rate dependence on temperature followed Arrhenius’ law, making it possible to extrapolate degradation rates at 25°C. According to these values, the DNA stored in the encapsulated blood products would remain larger than 20 kb after one century at ambient temperature. At last, qPCR experiments demonstrated the compatibility of extracted DNA with routine DNA downstream analyses. Altogether, these results showed that this novel storage method provides an adequate environment for ambient temperature long term storage of high molecular weight DNA in dehydrated lysates of white blood cells and buffy coats. PMID:29190767

High DNA stability in white blood cells and buffy coat lysates stored at ambient temperature under anoxic and anhydrous atmosphere.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Lise Fabre

Full Text Available Conventional storage of blood-derived fractions relies on cold. However, lately, ambient temperature preservation has been evaluated by several independent institutions that see economic and logistic advantages in getting rid of the cold chain. Here we validated a novel procedure for ambient temperature preservation of DNA in white blood cell and buffy coat lysates based on the confinement of the desiccated biospecimens under anoxic and anhydrous atmosphere in original hermetic minicapsules. For this validation we stored encapsulated samples either at ambient temperature or at several elevated temperatures to accelerate aging. We found that DNA extracted from stored samples was of good quality with a yield of extraction as expected. Degradation rates were estimated from the average fragment size of denatured DNA run on agarose gels and from qPCR reactions. At ambient temperature, these rates were too low to be measured but the degradation rate dependence on temperature followed Arrhenius' law, making it possible to extrapolate degradation rates at 25°C. According to these values, the DNA stored in the encapsulated blood products would remain larger than 20 kb after one century at ambient temperature. At last, qPCR experiments demonstrated the compatibility of extracted DNA with routine DNA downstream analyses. Altogether, these results showed that this novel storage method provides an adequate environment for ambient temperature long term storage of high molecular weight DNA in dehydrated lysates of white blood cells and buffy coats.

Characterization of primary organic aerosol emissions from meat cooking, trash burning, and motor vehicles with high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometry and comparison with ambient and chamber observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, Claudia; Huffman, Alex; Cubison, Michael J; Aiken, Allison C; Docherty, Kenneth S; Kimmel, Joel R; Ulbrich, Ingrid M; Hannigan, Michael; Jimenez, Jose L

2009-04-01

Organic aerosol (OA) emissions from motor vehicles, meat-cooking and trash burning are analyzed here using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). High resolution data show that aerosols emitted by combustion engines and plastic burning are dominated by hydrocarbon-like organic compounds. Meat cooking and especially paper burning emissions contain significant fractions of oxygenated organic compounds; however, their unit-resolution mass spectral signatures are very similar to those from ambient hydrocarbon-like OA, and very different from the mass spectra of ambient secondary or oxygenated OA (OOA). Thus, primary OA from these sources is unlikelyto be a significant direct source of ambient OOA. There are significant differences in high-resolution tracer m/zs that may be useful for differentiating some of these sources. Unlike in most ambient spectra, all of these sources have low total m/z 44 and this signal is not dominated by the CO2+ ion. All sources have high m/z 57, which is low during high OOA ambient periods. Spectra from paper burning are similar to some types of biomass burning OA, with elevated m/z 60. Meat cooking aerosols also have slightly elevated m/z 60, whereas motor vehicle emissions have very low signal at this m/z.

Ambient ultraviolet radiation induces protective responses in soybean but does not attenuate indirect defense

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winter, Thorsten R. [Department of Botany II, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082 Wuerzburg (Germany); Rostas, Michael [Department of Botany II, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082 Wuerzburg (Germany)], E-mail: rostas@botanik.uni-wuerzburg.de

2008-09-15

We investigated the effects of ambient ultraviolet (UV) radiation on (i) the performance and chemistry of soybean plants, (ii) the performance of Spodoptera frugiperda and (iii) the foraging behavior of the herbivore's natural enemy Cotesia marginiventris which exploits herbivore-induced plant volatiles (VOC) for host location. The accumulation of protective phenolics was faster in plants receiving ambient UV than in controls exposed to sun light lacking UV. Accordingly, isorhamnetin- and quercetin-based flavonoids were increased in UV exposed plants. No UV effects were found on the performance and feeding behavior of S. frugiperda. Herbivore-damaged plants emitted the same VOC when grown under ambient or attenuated UV for 5, 10 or 30 days. Consequently, C. marginiventris was attracted but did not discriminate between exposed and unexposed soybeans. In summary, ambient UV radiation affected soybean morphology and physiology but did not destabilize interactions between trophic levels. - Ambient ultraviolet radiation does not alter induced VOC emission in soybean and thus host location of the parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris remains effective.

A design of ambient dose equivalent dosimeter and its dosimetric performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Shian; Ou Xiangming; Li Kaibao

1997-01-01

Objective: To design an ambient dose equivalent dosimeter with digital display for radiation protection, which is based on the definition of the new operational radiation quantity for environmental monitoring-ambient dose equivalent recommended by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) Report 39. Methods: Considering the energy response of the instrument, the inner wall of ionizing chamber is coated with gum graphite added with a bit of metal powder. Results: Using this chamber, measurement of H * (10) for photon radiation with unknown spectrum distribution is possible in the energy range from 47 keV to 230 keV with an uncertainty of better than 5%. The configuration, technology and dosimetric performance of the chamber and automatic functions of the reader are presented. Conclusion: The ambient dose equivalent dosimeter can be used as not only a working reference dosimeter, but also a field dosimeter for radiation protection because the readings are expressed directly in ambient dose equivalent and averaged automatically in the period of measurement. Also, its power is supplied by battery for the portable purpose and the readings are displayed on the screen with light-background for dim field

Estimating photosynthesis and concurrent export rates in C3 and C4 species at ambient and elevated CO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grodzinski, B.; Jiao, J.; Leonardos, E.D.

1998-01-01

The ability of 21 C3 and C4 monocot and dicot species to rapidly export newly fixed C in the light at both ambient and enriched CO2 levels was compared. Photosynthesis and concurrent export rates were estimated during isotopic equilibrium of the transport sugars using a steady-state 14CO2-labeling procedure. At ambient CO2 photosynthesis and export rates for C3 species were 5 to 15 and 1 to 10 micromole C m-2 s-1, respectively, and 20 to 30 and 15 to 22 micromole C m-2 s-1, respectively, for C4 species. A linear regression plot of export on photosynthesis rate of all species had a correlation coefficient of 0.87. When concurrent export was expressed as a percentage of photosynthesis, several C3 dicots that produced transport sugars other than Suc had high efflux rates relative to photosynthesis, comparable to those of C4 species. At high CO2 photosynthetic and export rates were only slightly altered in C4 species, and photosynthesis increased but export rates did not in all C3 species. The C3 species that had high efflux rates relative to photosynthesis at ambient CO2 exported at rates comparable to those of C4 species on both an absolute basis and as a percentage of photosynthesis. At ambient CO2 there were strong linear relationships between photosynthesis, sugar synthesis, and concurrent export. However, at high CO2 the relationships between photosynthesis and export rate and between sugar synthesis and export rate were not as strong because sugars and starch were accumulated

High-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction studies on disordered materials. From ambient condition to an extreme condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohara, Shinji; Ohishi, Yasuo; Suzuya, Kentaro; Takata, Masaki

2007-01-01

High-energy x-rays from synchrotron radiation source allow us to measure high-quality diffraction data of the disordered materials from under ambient condition to an extreme condition, which is necessary to reveal the detailed structure of glass, liquid, and amorphous materials. We introduce the high-energy x-ray diffraction beamline and dedicated diffractometer for glass, liquid, and amorphous materials with the recent developments of ancillary equipments. Furthermore our recent studies on the structures of disordered materials reviewed. (author)

LED-based high-speed visible light communications

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Nan; Shi, Meng; Zhao, Yiheng; Wang, Fumin; Shi, Jianyang; Zhou, Yingjun; Lu, Xingyu; Qiao, Liang

2018-01-01

We are seeing a growing use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a range of applications including lighting, TV and backlight board screen, display etc. In comparison with the traditional incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, LEDs offer long life-space, much higher energy efficiency, high performance cost ratio and above all very fast switching capability. LED based Visible Light Communications (VLC) is an emerging field of optical communications that focuses on the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can see. Depending on the transmission distance, we can divide the whole optical network into two categories, long haul and short haul. Visible light communication can be a promising candidate for short haul applications. In this paper, we outline the configuration of VLC, its unique benefits, and describe the state of the art research contributions consisting of advanced modulation formats including adaptive bit loading OFDM, carrierless amplitude and phase (CAP), pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) and single carrier Nyquist, linear equalization and nonlinear distortion mitigation based on machine learning, quasi-balanced coding and phase-shifted Manchester coding. These enabling technologies can support VLC up to 10Gb/s class free space transmission.

Exploring the Impact of Natural Light Exposure on Sleep of Healthy Older Adults: A Field Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariëlle P. J. Aarts

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Studies among people with dementia demonstrated that the sleep quality and rhythm improves significantly when people are exposed to ambient bright light. Since almost half of the healthy older people also indicate to suffer from chronic sleep disorders, the question arises whether ambient bright light can be beneficial to healthy older people. Particularly the effect on sleep/wake rhythm in relation to the exposure to natural light is the focus. It was hypothesised that the sleep quality would be worse in winter due to a lower daylight dose than in summer due to the lower illuminance and exposure duration. A field study was conducted to examine the relationship between daylight exposure and sleep quality in 14 healthy older adults living independently in their own dwellings in the Netherlands. All participants were asked to take part of the study both during the summer period as well as during the winter period. Therefore, they had to wear an actigraph for five consecutive days which measured sleep, activity and light exposure. Results confirmed that people were significantly longer exposed to high illumination levels (>1000 lx in summer than in winter. Sleep quality measures, however, did not differ significantly between summer and winter. A significant, positive correlation was found between exposure duration to high illuminance from daylight during the day and the sleep efficiency the following night in summer, implying that being exposed to high illuminance for a longer time period has a positive effect on sleep efficiency for the individual data. There was also a tendency of less frequent napping in case of longer exposure duration to light for both seasons. Sleep quality does not differ between summer and winter but is related to the duration of the exposure to bright light the day prior to the night.

PROTECTION, UTILIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF HIGH MAST STREET LIGHT IN RURAL AREA.

OpenAIRE

Bhagawati Chandra , Miss Anjali Karsh

2017-01-01

High Mast Light gives the several cost effective advantages and cost is a major issue for rural area general services. This project illustrates the theoretical basis and the analytical development of the high mast lighting poles. In the late 1960"s, studies were conducted to investigate the impact that high-mast lighting gives on traffic performance, driver visibility, and illumination costs. It was found that increasing the height of the lighting offered a noticeable advantage in that it pr...

Highly efficient white top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes with forward directed light emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freitag, Patricia; Reineke, Sebastian; Furno, Mauro; Luessem, Bjoern; Leo, Karl [Institut fuer Angewandte Photophysik, TU Dresden (Germany)

2010-07-01

The demand for highly efficient and energy saving illumination has increased considerably during the last decades. Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are promising candidates for future lighting technologies. They offer high efficiency along with excellent color quality, allowing substantially lower power consumption than traditional illuminants. Recently, especially top-emitting devices have attracted high interest due to their compatibility with opaque substrates like metal sheets. In this contribution, we demonstrate top-emitting OLEDs with white emission spectra employing a multilayer hybrid cavity structure with two highly efficient phosphorescent emitter materials for orange-red (Ir(MDQ)2(acac)) and green (Ir(ppy)3) emission as well as the stable fluorescent blue emitter TBPe. To improve the OLED performance and modify the color quality, two different electron blocking layers and anode material combinations are tested. Compared to Lambertian emission, our devices show considerably enhanced forward emission, which is preferred for most lighting applications. Besides broadband emission and angle independent emission maxima, power efficiencies of 13.3 lm/W at 3 V and external quantum efficiencies of 5.3% are achieved. The emission shows excellent CIE coordinates of (0.420,0.407) at approx. 1000 cd/m{sup 2} and color rendering indices up to 77.

A Component of Retinal Light Adaptation Mediated by the Thyroid Hormone Cascade

OpenAIRE

Bedolla, Diana E.; Torre, Vincent

2011-01-01

Analysis with DNA-microrrays and real time PCR show that several genes involved in the thyroid hormone cascade, such as deiodinase 2 and 3 (Dio2 and Dio3) are differentially regulated by the circadian clock and by changes of the ambient light. The expression level of Dio2 in adult rats (2-3 months of age) kept continuously in darkness is modulated by the circadian clock and is up-regulated by 2 fold at midday. When the diurnal ambient light was on, the expression level of Dio2 increased by 4-...

California Publicly-Owned Utilities (POUs) – LBNL ‘Beyond Widgets’ Project. Task: ambient lighting and occupancy-based plug load control. System Program Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Alastair; Mathew, Paul A.; Regnier, Cynthia; Schwartz, Peter; Schakelford, Jordan; Walter, Travis

2017-09-01

This program manual contains detailed technical information for implementing an incentive program for task-ambient lighting and occupancy-based plug load control. This manual was developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with the California Publicly-Owned Utilities (CA POUs) as a partner in the ‘Beyond Widgets’ program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office. The primary audience for this manual is the program staff of the various CA POUs. It may also be used by other utility incentive programs to help develop similar programs. It is anticipated that the content of this manual be utilized by the CA POU staff for developing related documents such as the Technical Resource Manual and other filings pertaining to the rollout of an energy systems-based rebate incentive program.

Effect of transportation during periods of high ambient temperature on physiologic and behavioral indices of beef heifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Theurer, Miles E; White, Brad J; Anderson, David E; Miesner, Matt D; Mosier, Derek A; Coetzee, Johann F; Amrine, David E

2013-03-01

To determine the effect of transportation during periods of high ambient temperature on physiologic and behavioral indices of beef heifers. 20 heifers (mean body weight, 217.8 kg). Ten heifers were transported 518 km when the maximum ambient temperature was ≥ 32.2°C while the other 10 heifers served as untransported controls. Blood samples were collected from transported heifers at predetermined intervals during the transportation period. For all heifers, body weights, nasal and rectal temperatures, and behavioral indices were measured at predetermined intervals for 3 days after transportation. A week later, the entire process was repeated such that each group was transported twice and served as the control twice. Transported heifers spent more time near the hay feeder on the day of transportation, had lower nasal and rectal temperatures for 24 hours after transportation, and spent more time lying down for 2 days after transportation, compared with those indices for control heifers. Eight hours after transportation, the weight of transported heifers decreased 6%, whereas that of control heifers increased 0.6%. At 48 hours after initiation of transportation, weight, rectal temperature, and time spent at various pen locations did not differ between transported and control heifers. Cortisol concentrations were higher 4 hours after initiation of transportation, compared with those determined just prior to transportation. Results indicated transportation during periods of high ambient temperatures caused transient changes in physiologic and behavioral indices of beef heifers.

Atmosphere and Ambient Space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Ulrik

Atmosphere and Ambient Space This paper explores the relation between atmosphere and ambient space. Atmosphere and ambient space share many salient properties. They are both ontologically indeterminate, constantly varying and formally diffuse and they are both experienced as a subtle, non......-signifying property of a given space. But from a certain point of view, the two concepts also designate quite dissimilar experiences of space. To be ’ambient’ means to surround. Accordingly, ambient space is that space, which surrounds something or somebody. (Gibson 1987: 65) Since space is essentially...... of a surrounding character, all space can thus be described as having a fundamentally ambient character. So what precisely is an ambient space, then? As I will argue in my presentation, ambient space is a sensory effect of spatiality when a space is experienced as being particularly surrounding: a ‘space effect...

Smartphones as a Light Measurement Tool: Case of Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose-Maria Gutierrez-Martinez

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years, smartphones have become the main computing tool for most of the population, making them an ideal tool in many areas. Most of these smartphones are equipped with cutting-edge hardware on their digital cameras, sensors and processors. For this reason, this paper discusses the possibility of using smartphones as an accessible and accurate tool, focusing on the measurement of light, which is an element that has a high impact on human behavior, which promotes conformance and safety, or alters human physiology when it is inappropriate. To carry out this study, three different ways to measure light through smartphones have been checked: the ambient light sensor, the digital camera and an external Bluetooth luxmeter connected with the smartphone. As a result, the accuracy of these methods has been compared to check if they can be used as accurate measurement tools.

Licenciamento ambiental e sustentabilidade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Macedo Valinhas

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A sustentabilidade está apoiada principalmente nas dimensões econômica, ambiental e social. No entanto, sem a dimensão política ela não se constrói. Um dos principais instrumentos de comando e controle da política nacional de meio ambiente, o licenciamento ambiental é um processo contínuo de gestão ambiental pública e privada. Analisou-se o processo de licenciamento ambiental como acoplamento estrutural entre os sistemas social, econômico e ambiental. Apesar da constatação de críticas aos mecanismos de comando e controle dos últimos anos, foi verificado que o Estado do Rio de Janeiro tem buscado integrar a política ambiental do Estado à gestão ambiental privada e que esta integração busca atender às demandas dos sistemas sociais e econômicos para as questões ambientais. Em linhas gerais, este caminho segue as estratégias e ações propostas na Agenda 21 brasileira.

Light quantity affects the regulation of cell shape in Fremyella diplosiphon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bagmi ePattanaik

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In some cyanobacteria, the color or prevalent wavelengths of ambient light can impact the protein or pigment composition of the light-harvesting complexes. In some cases, light color or quality impacts cellular morphology. The significance of changes in pigmentation is associated strongly with optimizing light absorption for photosynthesis, whereas the significance of changes in light quality-dependent cellular morphology is less well understood. In natural aquatic environments, light quality and intensity change simultaneously at varying depths of the water column. Thus, we hypothesize that changes in morphology that also have been attributed to differences in the prevalent wavelengths of available light may largely be associated with changes in light intensity. Fremyella diplosiphon shows highly reproducible light-dependent changes in pigmentation and morphology. Under red light (RL, F. diplosiphon cells are blue-green in color, due to the accumulation of high levels of phycocyanin, a RL- absorbing pigment in the light-harvesting complexes or phycobilisomes (PBSs, and the shape of cells are short and rounded. Conversely, under green light (GL, F. diplosiphon cells are red in color due to accumulation of GL- absorbing phycoerythrin in PBSs, and are longer and brick-shaped. GL is enriched at lower depths in the water column, where overall levels of light also are reduced, i.e., to 10% or less of the intensity found at the water surface. We hypothesize that longer cells under low light intensity, which is generally enriched in green wavelengths, are associated with greater levels of total photosynthetic pigments in the thylakoid membranes. To test this hypothesis, we grew F. diplosiphon under increasing intensities of GL and observed whether the length of cells diminished due to reduced pressure to maintain larger cells and the associated increased photosynthetic membrane capacity under high light intensity, independent of whether it is light of

Ambient temperature dependence on emission spectrum of InAs quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngo, C.Y.; Yoon, S.F. [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Chua, S.J. [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (Singapore)

2009-04-15

Semiconductor superluminescent diodes (SLDs) are important broadband light source for fiber optic gyroscope and biomedical imaging. Quantum dots (QDs) have been proposed to be the best candidate for broadband light sources due to the inhomogeneous broadening of the gain spectrum as a result of the inherited size inhomogeneity of the self-assembled QD growth. In this work, the effect of ambient temperature (25-100 C) on the emission spectrum of InAs QDs with wideband emission was investigated. It was found that the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra remains more than 125 nm throughout the temperature range, and the redshift as function of temperature is approximately 0.27 meV/K. Activation energy of 270 meV is extracted from the Arrhenius plot and the PL quenching at high temperature is attributed to thermally induced carriers escaping out of the In{sub 0.15}Ga{sub 0.85}As strain-reducing layer. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Saúde Ambiental: uma Análise dos Resultados das Conferências Nacionais de Meio Ambiente, Saúde e Saúde Ambiental

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Beatriz Maury de Carvalho

2010-08-01

Full Text Available A representação nas políticas públicas do conceito de saúde ambiental, como expressão do equilíbrio da rede de conexões entre a sociedade humana e a natureza é discutida neste trabalho, no intuito de demonstrar o status quo da saúde ambiental nas políticas públicas no país. Primeiro foi traçado o histórico da “ambientalização na saúde”, do conceito de saúde ambiental e da institucionalização das políticas ambientais e de saúde ambiental no âmbito dos Ministérios do Meio Ambiente e da Saúde. As interações entre as políticas de Saúde e de Meio Ambiente para a efetivação de uma Política Nacional de Saúde Ambiental e as intersecções dos resultados das Conferências Nacionais de Saúde, Meio Ambiente e Saúde Ambiental foram analisadas; concluindo- se com os avanços conseguidos pelos dois setores, os desafios para a articulação intersetorial e a participação social para a construção de políticas públicas de saúde ambiental.

Ambient pressure dried tetrapropoxysilane-based silica aerogels with high specific surface area

Science.gov (United States)

Parale, Vinayak G.; Han, Wooje; Jung, Hae-Noo-Ree; Lee, Kyu-Yeon; Park, Hyung-Ho

2018-01-01

In the present paper, we report the synthesis of tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS)-based silica aerogels with high surface area and large pore volume. The silica aerogels were prepared by a two-step sol-gel process followed by surface modification via a simple ambient pressure drying approach. In order to minimize drying shrinkage and obtain hydrophobic aerogels, the surface of the alcogels was modified using trichloromethylsilane as a silylating agent. The effect of the sol-gel compositional parameters on the polymerization of aerogels prepared by TPOS, one of the precursors belonging to the Si(OR)4 family, was reported for the first time. The oxalic acid and NH4OH concentrations were adjusted to achieve good-quality aerogels with high surface area, low density, and high transparency. Controlling the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the TPOS precursor turned out to be the most important factor to determine the pore characteristics of the aerogel. Highly transparent aerogels with high specific surface area (938 m2/g) and low density (0.047 g/cm3) could be obtained using an optimized TPOS/MeOH molar ratio with appropriate concentrations of oxalic acid and NH4OH.

Design of Light-Weight High-Entropy Alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Feng

2016-09-01

Full Text Available High-entropy alloys (HEAs are a new class of solid-solution alloys that have attracted worldwide attention for their outstanding properties. Owing to the demand from transportation and defense industries, light-weight HEAs have also garnered widespread interest from scientists for use as potential structural materials. Great efforts have been made to study the phase-formation rules of HEAs to accelerate and refine the discovery process. In this paper, many proposed solid-solution phase-formation rules are assessed, based on a series of known and newly-designed light-weight HEAs. The results indicate that these empirical rules work for most compositions but also fail for several alloys. Light-weight HEAs often involve the additions of Al and/or Ti in great amounts, resulting in large negative enthalpies for forming solid-solution phases and/or intermetallic compounds. Accordingly, these empirical rules need to be modified with the new experimental data. In contrast, CALPHAD (acronym of the calculation of phase diagrams method is demonstrated to be an effective approach to predict the phase formation in HEAs as a function of composition and temperature. Future perspectives on the design of light-weight HEAs are discussed in light of CALPHAD modeling and physical metallurgy principles.

Combined low temperature-high light effects on gas exchange properties of jojoba leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Loreto, F; Bongi, G

1989-12-01

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis [Link] Schneider) is an important crop in desert climates. A relatively high frequency of periods of chilling and high photon flux density (PFD) in this environment makes photoinhibition likely, resulting in a reduction of assimilation capacity in overwintering leaves. This could explain the low net photosynthesis found in shoots from the field (4-6 micromoles per square meter per second) when compared to greenhouse grown plants (12-15 micromoles per square meter per second). The responses of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to changes in absorbed PFD and in substomatal partial pressure of CO(2) were measured on jojoba leaves recovering from chilling temperature (4 degrees C) in high or low PFD. No measurable gas exchange was found immediately after chilling in either high or low PFD. For leaves chilled in low PFD, the original quantum yield was restored after 24 hours. The time course of recovery from chilling in high PFD was much longer. Quantum yield recovered to 60% of its original value in 72 hours but failed to recover fully after 1 week. Measurements of PSII chlorophyll fluorescence at 77 K showed that the reduced quantum yield was caused by photoinhibition. The ratio of variable to maximal fluorescence fell from a control level of 0.82 to 0.41 after the photoinhibitory treatment and recovery was slow. We also found a large increase in net assimilation rate and little closure of stomata as CO(2) was increased from ambient partial pressure of 35 to 85 pascals. For plants grown in full light, the increase in net assimilation rate was 100%. The photosynthetic response at high CO(2) concentration may constitute an ecological advantage of jojoba as a crop in the future.

Lighting Assessment in Knitting Workshop in Yazd

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Barkhordari

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The sense of sight is one of the most vital human senses and help the environment gets most of its information. Whatever one's job is more subtle, more work will be given brightness. Good lighting, increase work efficiency and general physiological effects on people's moods. The relationship between low and high frequency illumination accidents there Methods: This study was conducted in 10 workshops in Yazd home knitting. Due to maximize natural lighting measurements in June and November this year took place in cloudy days. Thus, in both seasons overall lighting, natural and artificial, were evaluated. That, in order to measure all the natural light, artificial light sources (lamps and the measurements were off by clarifying re-lamp, the overall lighting (natural and artificial were measured. In order to measure the general lighting provided by the Illuminating Engineering society and stop the pattern surfaces were used. The workshops with less than standard lighting conditions were identified and interventions to improve the brightness of the workshops were measured again. Results: Average, minimum and maximum overall brightness of spring workshops 4 and 6 respectively, with values of 67/278 and 53/452 is a luxury. Workshops values 5 and 2 47/184 and 43/218 minimum and maximum luxury in order to be daylight in spring. Conclusions: The majority of the studied weaving Workshops lighting was good, with measures such as proper installation and periodic cleaning and dust lamps, replacement lamps burned by use of fluorescent ambient lighting conditions can be improved.

Responsive Lighting: “The city becomes alive”

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skouboe, Esben Bala; Morrison, Ann; Andersen, Hans Jørgen

2013-01-01

We distributed fourteen controllable street lamps in a city square and recorded three comparative and one ‘usual’ condition, operating the public lighting as if it were an interactive stage. First tested was adaptive lighting that responded to people’s occupancy patterns. Second was a mobile phone...... application that allowed people to customise color and responsive behaviours in the overhead lighting system. Third was ambient lighting, responding to wind velocity. The study extends the discussion on multiuser interaction design in public lighting by asking: how can interactions using mobile phones......, thermal tracking and wind inputs afford new social behaviors, without disturbing the usual public functions of street lighting? This research lays foundational work on the affordances of mobile phones for engagement and interaction with public lighting. The study indicates the use of personal phones...

Det ambiente

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Ulrik

Om begrebet "det ambiente", der beskriver, hvad der sker, når vi fornemmer baggrundsmusikkens diskrete beats, betragter udsigten gennem panoramavinduet eller tager 3D-brillerne på og læner os tilbage i biografsædet. Bogen analyserer, hvorfan ambiente oplevelser skabes, og hvilke konsekvenser det...

Ambient Sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Börner, Dirk; Specht, Marcus

2014-01-01

This software sketches comprise two custom-built ambient sensors, i.e. a noise and a movement sensor. Both sensors measure an ambient value and process the values to a color gradient (green > yellow > red). The sensors were built using the Processing 1.5.1 development environment. Available under

Pedagogía ambiental y didáctica ambiental como fundamentos del currículo para la formación ambiental

OpenAIRE

Julio César Tovar-Gálvez

2013-01-01

Se trata el problema de la fundamentación del currículo para la formación ambiental en la educación superior, frente a lo cual es necesario construir los conceptos de pedagogía ambiental y de didáctica ambiental. El marco teórico permite definir las categorías "lo pedagógico" y "lo didáctico", a partir de lo cual se analiza la literatura y con ello definir pedagogía ambiental y didáctica ambiental. El estado del arte permite establecer que existen dos sustentos teóricos: a) uno que se cimenta...

High-intensity sources for light ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, K.N.

1995-10-01

The use of the multicusp plasma generator as a source of light ions is described. By employing radio-frequency induction discharge, the performance of the multicusp source is greatly improved, both in lifetime and in high brightness H + and H - beam production. A new technique for generating multiply-charged ions in this type of ion source is also presented

Effects of elevated ozone on CO2 uptake and leaf structure in sugar maple under two light environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bäck, J.; Vanderklein, D.W.; Topa, M.A.

1999-01-01

The interactive effects of ozone and light on leaf structure, carbon dioxide uptake and short-term carbon allocation of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) seedlings were examined using gas exchange measurements and 14 C-macroautoradiographic techniques. Two-year-old sugar maple seedlings were fumigated from budbreak for 5 months with ambient or 3 × ambient ozone in open-top chambers, receiving either 35% (high light) or 15% (low light) of full sunlight. Ozone accelerated leaf senescence, and reduced net photosynthesis, 14 CO 2 uptake and stomatal conductance, with the effects being most pronounced under low light. The proportion of intercellular space increased in leaves of seedlings grown under elevated ozone and low light, possibly enhancing the susceptibility of mesophyll cells to ozone by increasing the cumulative dose per mesophyll cell. Indeed, damage to spongy mesophyll cells in the elevated ozone × low light treatment was especially frequent. 14 C macroautoradioraphy revealed heterogeneous uptake of 14 CO 2 in well defined areole regions, suggesting patchy stomatal behaviour in all treatments. However, in seedlings grown under elevated ozone and low light, the highest 14 CO 2 uptake occurred along larger veins, while interveinal regions exhibited little or no uptake. Although visible symptoms of ozone injury were not apparent in these seedlings, the cellular damage, reduced photosynthetic rates and reduced whole-leaf chlorophyll levels corroborate the visual scaling of whole-plant senescence, suggesting that the ozone × low light treatment accelerated senescence or senescence-like injury in sugar maple. (author)

On the accuracy of van der Waals inclusive density-functional theory exchange-correlation functionals for ice at ambient and high pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Santra, Biswajit; Klimes, Jirí; Tkatchenko, Alexandre; Alfè, Dario; Slater, Ben; Michaelides, Angelos; Car, Roberto; Scheffler, Matthias

2013-10-21

Density-functional theory (DFT) has been widely used to study water and ice for at least 20 years. However, the reliability of different DFT exchange-correlation (xc) functionals for water remains a matter of considerable debate. This is particularly true in light of the recent development of DFT based methods that account for van der Waals (vdW) dispersion forces. Here, we report a detailed study with several xc functionals (semi-local, hybrid, and vdW inclusive approaches) on ice Ih and six proton ordered phases of ice. Consistent with our previous study [B. Santra, J. Klimeš, D. Alfè, A. Tkatchenko, B. Slater, A. Michaelides, R. Car, and M. Scheffler, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 185701 (2011)] which showed that vdW forces become increasingly important at high pressures, we find here that all vdW inclusive methods considered improve the relative energies and transition pressures of the high-pressure ice phases compared to those obtained with semi-local or hybrid xc functionals. However, we also find that significant discrepancies between experiment and the vdW inclusive approaches remain in the cohesive properties of the various phases, causing certain phases to be absent from the phase diagram. Therefore, room for improvement in the description of water at ambient and high pressures remains and we suggest that because of the stern test the high pressure ice phases pose they should be used in future benchmark studies of simulation methods for water.

Measurement and removal of cladding light in high power fiber systems

Science.gov (United States)

Walbaum, Till; Liem, Andreas; Schreiber, Thomas; Eberhardt, Ramona; Tünnermann, Andreas

2018-02-01

The amount of cladding light is important to ensure longevity of high power fiber components. However, it is usually measured either by adding a cladding light stripper (and thus permanently modifying the fiber) or by using a pinhole to only transmit the core light (ignoring that there may be cladding mode content in the core area). We present a novel noninvasive method to measure the cladding light content in double-clad fibers based on extrapolation from a cladding region of constant average intensity. The method can be extended to general multi-layer radially symmetric fibers, e.g. to evaluate light content in refractive index pedestal structures. To effectively remove cladding light in high power systems, cladding light strippers are used. We show that the stripping efficiency can be significantly improved by bending the fiber in such a device and present respective experimental data. Measurements were performed with respect to the numerical aperture as well, showing the dependency of the CLS efficiency on the NA of the cladding light and implying that efficiency data cannot reliably be given for a certain fiber in general without regard to the properties of the guided light.

Controlling Urban Lighting by Human Motion Patterns results from a full Scale Experiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Esben Skouboe; Andersen, Hans Jørgen; Jensen, Ole B.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a full-scale experiment investigating the use of human motion intensities as input for interactive illumination of a town square in the city of Aalborg in Denmark. As illuminators sixteen 3.5 meter high RGB LED lamps were used. The activity on the square was monitored by three...... thermal cameras and analysed by computer vision software from which motion intensity maps and peoples trajectories were estimated and used as input to control the interactive illumination. The paper introduces a 2-layered interactive light strategy addressing ambient and effect illumination criteria...... totally four light scenarios were designed and tested. The result shows that in general people immersed in the street lighting did not notice that the light changed according to their presence or actions, but people watching from the edge of the square noticed the interaction between the illumination...

High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, Seiichi, E-mail: s-yama@met.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Fujii, Kento; Morishita, Yuki; Okumura, Satoshi; Komori, Masataka [Radiological and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Aichi 461-8673 (Japan); Toshito, Toshiyuki [Department of Proton Therapy Physics, Nagoya Proton Therapy Center, Nagoya City West Medical Center, Aichi 462-8508 (Japan)

2014-11-01

Purpose: In proton therapy, imaging of the positron distribution produced by fragmentation during or soon after proton irradiation is a useful method to monitor the proton range. Although positron emission tomography (PET) is typically used for this imaging, its spatial resolution is limited. Cerenkov light imaging is a new molecular imaging technology that detects the visible photons that are produced from high-speed electrons using a high sensitivity optical camera. Because its inherent spatial resolution is much higher than PET, the authors can measure more precise information of the proton-induced positron distribution with Cerenkov light imaging technology. For this purpose, they conducted Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy. Methods: First, the authors evaluated the spatial resolution of our Cerenkov light imaging system with a {sup 22}Na point source for the actual imaging setup. Then the transparent acrylic phantoms (100 × 100 × 100 mm{sup 3}) were irradiated with two different proton energies using a spot scanning proton therapy system. Cerenkov light imaging of each phantom was conducted using a high sensitivity electron multiplied charge coupled device (EM-CCD) camera. Results: The Cerenkov light’s spatial resolution for the setup was 0.76 ± 0.6 mm FWHM. They obtained high resolution Cerenkov light images of the positron distributions in the phantoms for two different proton energies and made fused images of the reference images and the Cerenkov light images. The depths of the positron distribution in the phantoms from the Cerenkov light images were almost identical to the simulation results. The decay curves derived from the region-of-interests (ROIs) set on the Cerenkov light images revealed that Cerenkov light images can be used for estimating the half-life of the radionuclide components of positrons. Conclusions: High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of proton-induced positron distribution was possible. The

High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Fujii, Kento; Morishita, Yuki; Okumura, Satoshi; Komori, Masataka; Toshito, Toshiyuki

2014-01-01

Purpose: In proton therapy, imaging of the positron distribution produced by fragmentation during or soon after proton irradiation is a useful method to monitor the proton range. Although positron emission tomography (PET) is typically used for this imaging, its spatial resolution is limited. Cerenkov light imaging is a new molecular imaging technology that detects the visible photons that are produced from high-speed electrons using a high sensitivity optical camera. Because its inherent spatial resolution is much higher than PET, the authors can measure more precise information of the proton-induced positron distribution with Cerenkov light imaging technology. For this purpose, they conducted Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy. Methods: First, the authors evaluated the spatial resolution of our Cerenkov light imaging system with a 22 Na point source for the actual imaging setup. Then the transparent acrylic phantoms (100 × 100 × 100 mm 3 ) were irradiated with two different proton energies using a spot scanning proton therapy system. Cerenkov light imaging of each phantom was conducted using a high sensitivity electron multiplied charge coupled device (EM-CCD) camera. Results: The Cerenkov light’s spatial resolution for the setup was 0.76 ± 0.6 mm FWHM. They obtained high resolution Cerenkov light images of the positron distributions in the phantoms for two different proton energies and made fused images of the reference images and the Cerenkov light images. The depths of the positron distribution in the phantoms from the Cerenkov light images were almost identical to the simulation results. The decay curves derived from the region-of-interests (ROIs) set on the Cerenkov light images revealed that Cerenkov light images can be used for estimating the half-life of the radionuclide components of positrons. Conclusions: High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of proton-induced positron distribution was possible. The authors

Types for BioAmbients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Capecchi

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The BioAmbients calculus is a process algebra suitable for representing compartmentalization, molecular localization and movements between compartments. In this paper we enrich this calculus with a static type system classifying each ambient with group types specifying the kind of compartments in which the ambient can stay. The type system ensures that, in a well-typed process, ambients cannot be nested in a way that violates the type hierarchy. Exploiting the information given by the group types, we also extend the operational semantics of BioAmbients with rules signalling errors that may derive from undesired ambients' moves (i.e. merging incompatible tissues. Thus, the signal of errors can help the modeller to detect and locate unwanted situations that may arise in a biological system, and give practical hints on how to avoid the undesired behaviour.

Different relationships between personal exposure and ambient concentration by particle size.

Science.gov (United States)

Guak, Sooyoung; Lee, Kiyoung

2018-04-06

Ambient particulate matter (PM) concentrations at monitoring stations were often used as an indicator of population exposure to PM in epidemiological studies. The correlation between personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM varied because of diverse time-activity patterns. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 with minimal impact of time-activity pattern on personal exposure. Performance of the MicroPEM, v3.2 was evaluated by collocation with central ambient air monitors for PM 10 and PM 2.5 . A field technician repeatedly conducted measurement of 24 h personal exposures to PM 10 and PM 2.5 with a fixed time-activity pattern of office worker over 26 days in Seoul, Korea. The relationship between the MicroPEM and the ambient air monitor showed good linearity. Personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM 2.5 were highly correlated with a fixed time-activity pattern compared with PM 10 . The finding implied a high infiltration rate of PM 2.5 and low infiltration rate of PM 10 . The relationship between personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 was different for high level episodes. In the Asian dust episode, staying indoors could reduce personal exposure to PM 10 . However, personal exposure to PM 2.5 could not be reduced by staying indoors during the fine dust advisory episode.

Calcium homeostasis in low and high calcium water acclimatized Oreochromis mossambicus exposed to ambient and dietary cadmium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pratap, H.B.; Wendelaar Bonga, S.E.

2007-01-01

The effects of cadmium administered via ambient water (10 mg/l) or food (10 mgCd/fish/day) on plasma calcium, corpuscles of Stannius and bony tissues of Oreochromis mossambicus acclimated to low calcium (0.2 mM) and high calcium (0.8 mM) water were studied for 2, 4, 14 and 35 days. In low calcium

Acute Effects of Morning Light on Plasma Glucose and Triglycerides in Healthy Men and Men with Type 2 Diabetes

Science.gov (United States)

Versteeg, Ruth I.; Stenvers, Dirk J.; Visintainer, Dana; Linnenbank, Andre; Tanck, Michael W.; Zwanenburg, Gooitzen; Smilde, Age K.; Fliers, Eric; Kalsbeek, Andries; Serlie, Mireille J.; la Fleur, Susanne E.; Bisschop, Peter H.

2017-01-01

Ambient light intensity is signaled directly to hypothalamic areas that regulate energy metabolism. Observational studies have shown associations between ambient light intensity and plasma glucose and lipid levels, but human data on the acute metabolic effects of light are scarce. Since light is the main signal indicating the onset of the diurnal phase of physical activity and food intake in humans, we hypothesized that bright light would affect glucose and lipid metabolism. Therefore, we determined the acute effects of bright light on plasma glucose and lipid concentrations in 2 randomized crossover trials: (1) in 8 healthy lean men and (2) in 8 obese men with type 2 diabetes. From 0730 h, subjects were exposed to either bright light (4000 lux) or dim light (10 lux) for 5 h. After 1 h of light exposure, subjects consumed a 600-kcal mixed meal. Primary endpoints were fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels. In healthy men, bright light did not affect fasting or postprandial plasma glucose levels. However, bright light increased fasting and postprandial plasma triglycerides. In men with type 2 diabetes, bright light increased fasting and postprandial glucose levels. In men with type 2 diabetes, bright light did not affect fasting triglyceride levels but increased postprandial triglyceride levels. We show that ambient light intensity acutely affects human plasma glucose and triglyceride levels. Our findings warrant further research into the consequences of the metabolic effects of light for the diagnosis and prevention of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. PMID:28470119

Trends in ambient intelligent systems the role of computational intelligence

CERN Document Server

Khan, Mohammad; Abraham, Ajith

2016-01-01

This book demonstrates the success of Ambient Intelligence in providing possible solutions for the daily needs of humans. The book addresses implications of ambient intelligence in areas of domestic living, elderly care, robotics, communication, philosophy and others. The objective of this edited volume is to show that Ambient Intelligence is a boon to humanity with conceptual, philosophical, methodical and applicative understanding. The book also aims to schematically demonstrate developments in the direction of augmented sensors, embedded systems and behavioral intelligence towards Ambient Intelligent Networks or Smart Living Technology. It contains chapters in the field of Ambient Intelligent Networks, which received highly positive feedback during the review process. The book contains research work, with in-depth state of the art from augmented sensors, embedded technology and artificial intelligence along with cutting-edge research and development of technologies and applications of Ambient Intelligent N...

Light emitting diode with high aspect ratio submicron roughness for light extraction and methods of forming

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ting [Ventura, CA

2011-04-26

The surface morphology of an LED light emitting surface is changed by applying a reactive ion etch (RIE) process to the light emitting surface. High aspect ratio, submicron roughness is formed on the light emitting surface by transferring a thin film metal hard-mask having submicron patterns to the surface prior to applying a reactive ion etch process. The submicron patterns in the metal hard-mask can be formed using a low cost, commercially available nano-patterned template which is transferred to the surface with the mask. After subsequently binding the mask to the surface, the template is removed and the RIE process is applied for time duration sufficient to change the morphology of the surface. The modified surface contains non-symmetric, submicron structures having high aspect ratio which increase the efficiency of the device.

Amine-tethered solid adsorbents coupling high adsorption capacity and regenerability for CO2 capture from ambient air.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sunho; Gray, McMahan L; Jones, Christopher W

2011-05-23

Silica supported poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) materials are prepared via impregnation and demonstrated to be promising adsorbents for CO(2) capture from ultra-dilute gas streams such as ambient air. A prototypical class 1 adsorbent, containing 45 wt% PEI (PEI/silica), and two new modified PEI-based aminosilica adsorbents, derived from PEI modified with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (A-PEI/silica) or tetraethyl orthotitanate (T-PEI/silica), are prepared and characterized by using thermogravimetric analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. The modifiers are shown to enhance the thermal stability of the polymer-oxide composites, leading to higher PEI decomposition temperatures. The modified adsorbents present extremely high CO(2) adsorption capacities under conditions simulating ambient air (400 ppm CO(2) in inert gas), exceeding 2 mol(CO (2)) kg(sorbent)(-1), as well as enhanced adsorption kinetics compared to conventional class 1 sorbents. The new adsorbents show excellent stability in cyclic adsorption-desorption operations, even under dry conditions in which aminosilica adsorbents are known to lose capacity due to urea formation. Thus, the adsorbents of this type can be considered promising materials for the direct capture of CO(2) from ultra-dilute gas streams such as ambient air. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Abrasive wear of ceramic wear protection at ambient and high temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, M.; Adam, K.; Tumma, M.; Alessio, K. O.

2017-05-01

Ceramic wear protection is often applied in abrasive conditions due to their excellent wear resistance. This is especially necessary in heavy industries conveying large amounts of raw materials, e.g. in steel industry. Some plants also require material transport at high temperatures and velocities, making the need of temperature stable and abrasion resistant wear protection necessary. Various types and wear behaviour of ceramic protection are known. Hence, the goal of this study is to identify the best suitable ceramic materials for abrasive conditions in harsh environments at temperatures up to 950°C and severe thermal gradients. Chamottes, known for their excellent thermal shock resistance are compared to high abrasion resistant ceramic wear tiles and a cost efficient cement-bounded hard compound. Testing was done under high-stress three-body abrasion regime with a modified ASTM G65 apparatus enabling for investigations up to ~950°C. Thereto heated abrasive is introduced into the wear track and also preheated ceramic samples were used and compared to ambient temperature experiments. Results indicate a significant temperature influence on chamottes and the hard compound. While the chamottes benefit from temperature increase, the cement-bounded hard compound showed its limitation at abrasive temperatures of 950°C. The high abrasion resistant wear tiles represented the materials with the best wear resistance and less temperature influence in the investigated range.

Effects of floor cooling during high ambient temperatures on the lying behavior and productivity of growing finishing pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy,; Aarnink, A.J.A.; Spoolder, H.A.M.; Verstegen, M.W.A.; Kemp, B.

2004-01-01

Given that exposing rapidly growing pigs to high ambient temperatures can induce heat stress, which reduces their welfare and production, this study looked at the influence of floor cooling on pigs¿ behavior and performance. Pens in room 1 had a solid floor (60%) and a metal slatted floor (40%). The

Ambient intelligence, ethics and privacy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoof, van J.; Kort, H.S.M.; Markopoulos, P.; Soede, M.

2007-01-01

Networked and ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ambient intelligence are increasingly used in the home environment to facilitate independent living for older adults. These systems collect and disperse a high volume of personal data, which is used for assistance and

Growth and Development Temperature Influences Level of Tolerance to High Light Stress 1

Science.gov (United States)

Steffen, Kenneth L.; Palta, Jiwan P.

1989-01-01

The influence of growth and development temperature on the relative tolerance of photosynthetic tissue to high light stress at chilling temperatures was investigated. Two tuber-bearing potato species, Solanum tuberosum L. cv Red Pontiac and Solanum commersonii were grown for 4 weeks, at either 12 or 24°C with 12 hours of about 375 micromoles per second per square meter of photosynthetically active radiation. Paired leaf discs were cut from directly across the midvein of leaflets of comparable developmental stage and light environment from each species at each growth temperature treatment. One disc of each pair was exposed to 1°C and about 1000 micromoles per second per square meter photosynthetically active radiation for 4 hours, and the other disc was held at 1°C in total darkness for the same duration. Photosynthetic tissue of S. tuberosum, developed at 12°C, was much more tolerant to high light and low temperature stress than tissue developed under 24°C conditions. Following the high light treatment, 24°C-grown S. tuberosum tissue demonstrated light-limited and light-saturated rates that were approximately 50% of their paired dark controls. In contrast, the 12°C-grown tissue from S. tuberosum that was subjected to the light stress showed only a 18 and 6% reduction in light-limited and light-saturated rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution, respectively. Tissue from 24°C-grown S. commersonii was much less sensitive to the light stress than was tissue from S. tuberosum grown under the same conditions. The results presented here demonstrate that: (a) acclimation of S. tuberosum to lower temperature growth conditions with a constant light environment, results in the increased capacity of photosynthetic tissue to tolerate high light stress at chilling temperature and (b) following growth and development at relatively high temperatures S. commersonii, a frost- and heat-tolerant wild species, has a much greater tolerance to the high light stress at chilling

Light-induced lattice expansion leads to high-efficiency perovskite solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsai, Hsinhan; Asadpour, Reza; Blancon, Jean-Christophe; Stoumpos, Constantinos C.; Durand, Olivier; Strzalka, Joseph W.; Chen, Bo; Verduzco, Rafael; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Tretiak, Sergei; Even, Jacky; Alam, Muhammad Ashraf; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Nie, Wanyi; Mohite, Aditya D.

2018-04-05

Hybrid-perovskite based high-performance optoelectronic devices and clues from their operation has led to the realization that light-induced structural dynamics play a vital role on their physical properties, device performance and stability. Here, we report that continuous light illumination leads to a uniform lattice expansion in hybrid perovskite thin-films, which is critical for obtaining high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. Correlated, in-situ structural and device characterizations reveal that light-induced lattice expansion significantly benefits the performances of a mixed-cation pure-halide planar device, boosting the power conversion efficiency from 18.5% to 20.5%. This is a direct consequence of the relaxation of local lattice strains during lattice expansion, which results in the reduction of the energetic barriers at the perovskite/contact interfaces in devices, thus improving the open circuit voltage and fill factor. The light-induced lattice expansion stabilizes these high-efficiency photovoltaic devices under continuous operation of full-spectrum 1-Sun illumination for over 1500 hours. One Sentence Summary: Light-induced lattice expansion improves crystallinity, relaxes lattice strain, which enhances photovoltaic performance in hybrid perovskite device.

Interfacial Energy-Level Alignment for High-Performance All-Inorganic Perovskite CsPbBr3 Quantum Dot-Based Inverted Light-Emitting Diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, Alagesan; Pan, Zhenghui; Zhang, Zhenbo; Ahmad, Imtiaz; Chen, Jing; Liu, Meinan; Cheng, Shuang; Xu, Yijun; Wu, Jun; Lei, Wei; Khan, Qasim; Zhang, Yuegang

2018-04-18

All-inorganic perovskite light-emitting diode (PeLED) has a high stability in ambient atmosphere, but it is a big challenge to achieve high performance of the device. Basically, device design, control of energy-level alignment, and reducing the energy barrier between adjacent layers in the architecture of PeLED are important factors to achieve high efficiency. In this study, we report a CsPbBr 3 -based PeLED with an inverted architecture using lithium-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles as the electron transport layer (ETL). The optimal lithium doping balances the charge carrier injection between the hole transport layer and ETL, leading to superior device performance. The device exhibits a current efficiency of 3 cd A -1 , a luminance efficiency of 2210 cd m -2 , and a low turn-on voltage of 2.3 V. The turn-on voltage is one of the lowest values among reported CsPbBr 3 -based PeLEDs. A 7-fold increase in device efficiencies has been obtained for lithium-doped TiO 2 compared to that for undoped TiO 2 -based devices.

Comprehensive particle characterization of modern gasoline and diesel passenger cars at low ambient temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Mathis, Urs; Mohr, Martin; Forss, Anna-Maria

Particle measurements were performed in the exhaust of five light-duty vehicles (Euro-3) at +23, -7, and -20 °C ambient temperatures. The characterization included measurements of particle number, active surface area, number size distribution, and mass size distribution. We investigated two port-injection spark-ignition (PISI) vehicles, a direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI) vehicle, a compressed ignition (CI) vehicle with diesel particle filter (DPF), and a CI vehicle without DPF. To minimize sampling effects, particles were directly sampled from the tailpipe with a novel porous tube diluter at controlled sampling parameters. The diluted exhaust was split into two branches to measure either all or only non-volatile particles. Effect of ambient temperature was investigated on particle emission for cold and warmed-up engine. For the gasoline vehicles and the CI vehicle with DPF, the main portion of particle emission was found in the first minutes of the driving cycle at cold engine start. The particle emission of the CI vehicle without DPF was hardly affected by cold engine start. For the PISI vehicles, particle number emissions were superproportionally increased in the diameter size range from 0.1 to 0.3 μm during cold start at low ambient temperature. Based on the particle mass size distribution, the DPF removed smaller particles ( dpefficiently than larger particles ( dp>0.5μm). No significant effect of ambient temperature was observed when the engine was warmed up. Peak emission of volatile nanoparticles only took place at specific conditions and was poorly repeatable. Nucleation of particles was predominately observed during or after strong acceleration at high speed and during regeneration of the DPF.

Biotecnologia Ambiental. Aplicacions biotecnològiques a la millora del medi ambient

OpenAIRE

Blanch i Gisbert, Anicet

2010-01-01

La biotecnología ambiental comprende el conjunto de actividades tecnológicas que facilitan la comprensión y la gestión de los sistemas biológicos en el medio ambiente, con el fin de proveer productos y servicios. Actualmente, la gestión del medio ambiente y de sus recursos naturales no se comprende si no se realiza de manera sostenible. Los avances científicos y tecnológicos le están permitiendo a la biotecnología ambiental, el desarrollo de nuevas herramientas y aplicaciones con los que resp...

Color and illuminance level of lighting can modulate willingness to eat bell peppers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasenbeck, Aimee; Cho, Sungeun; Meullenet, Jean-François; Tokar, Tonya; Yang, Famous; Huddleston, Elizabeth A; Seo, Han-Seok

2014-08-01

Food products are often encountered under colored lighting, particularly in restaurants and retail stores. However, relatively little attention has been paid to whether the color of ambient lighting can affect consumers' motivation for consumption. This study aimed to determine whether color (Experiment 1) and illuminance level (Experiment 2) of lighting can influence consumers' liking of appearance and their willingness to eat bell peppers. For red, green, and yellow bell peppers, yellow and blue lighting conditions consistently increased participants' liking of appearance the most and the least, respectively. Participants' willingness to consume bell peppers increased the most under yellow lighting and the least under blue lighting. In addition, a dark condition (i.e. low level of lighting illuminance) decreased liking of appearance and willingness to eat the bell peppers compared to a bright condition (i.e. high level of lighting illuminance). Our findings demonstrate that lighting color and illuminance level can influence consumers' hedonic impression and likelihood to consume bell peppers. Furthermore, the influences of color and illuminance level of lighting appear to be dependent on the surface color of bell peppers. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

The future is 'ambient'

Science.gov (United States)

Lugmayr, Artur

2006-02-01

The research field of ambient media starts to spread rapidly and first applications for consumer homes are on the way. Ambient media is the logical continuation of research around media. Media has been evolving from old media (e.g. print media), to integrated presentation in one form (multimedia - or new media), to generating a synthetic world (virtual reality), to the natural environment is the user-interface (ambient media), and will be evolving towards real/synthetic undistinguishable media (bio-media or bio-multimedia). After the IT bubble was bursting, multimedia was lacking a vision of potential future scenarios and applications. Within this research paper the potentials, applications, and market available solutions of mobile ambient multimedia are studied. The different features of ambient mobile multimedia are manifold and include wearable computers, adaptive software, context awareness, ubiquitous computers, middleware, and wireless networks. The paper especially focuses on algorithms and methods that can be utilized to realize modern mobile ambient systems.

Manipulating Ion Migration for Highly Stable Light-Emitting Diodes with Single-Crystalline Organometal Halide Perovskite Microplatelets.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mingming; Shan, Xin; Geske, Thomas; Li, Junqiang; Yu, Zhibin

2017-06-27

Ion migration has been commonly observed as a detrimental phenomenon in organometal halide perovskite semiconductors, causing the measurement hysteresis in solar cells and ultrashort operation lifetimes in light-emitting diodes. In this work, ion migration is utilized for the formation of a p-i-n junction at ambient temperature in single-crystalline organometal halide perovskites. The junction is subsequently stabilized by quenching the ionic movement at a low temperature. Such a strategy of manipulating the ion migration has led to efficient single-crystalline light-emitting diodes that emit 2.3 eV photons starting at 1.8 V and sustain a continuous operation for 54 h at ∼5000 cd m -2 without degradation of brightness. In addition, a whispering-gallery-mode cavity and exciton-exciton interaction in the perovskite microplatelets have both been observed that can be potentially useful for achieving electrically driven laser diodes based on single-crystalline organometal halide perovskite semiconductors.

Relationship between prostate-specific antigen levels and ambient temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Ohwaki, Kazuhiro; Endo, Fumiyasu; Hattori, Kazunori; Muraishi, Osamu

2014-07-01

We examined the association between prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and daily mean ambient temperature on the day of the test in healthy men who had three annual checkups. We investigated 9,694 men who visited a hospital for routine health checkups in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Although the means and medians of ambient temperature for the three years were similar, the mode in 2008 (15.8 °C) was very different from those in 2007 and 2009 (22.4 °C and 23.2 °C). After controlling for age, body mass index, and hematocrit, a multiple regression analysis revealed a U-shaped relationship between ambient temperature and PSA in 2007 and 2009 ( P 2.5 ng/mL) by ambient temperature, with the lowest likelihood of having a high PSA at 17.8 °C in 2007 ( P = 0.038) and 15.5 °C in 2009 ( P = 0.033). When tested at 30 °C, there was a 57 % excess risk of having a high PSA in 2007 and a 61 % higher risk in 2009 compared with those at each nadir temperature. We found a U-shaped relationship between PSA and ambient temperature with the lowest level of PSA at 15-20 °C.

Integrated Automotive High-Power LED-Lighting Systems in 3D-MID Technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomas, W.

2014-01-01

The growing energy consumption of lighting as well as rising luminous efficacies and -fluxes of high-power Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have contributed to the widespread use of LEDs in modern lighting systems. One of the most prominent users of the LED-technology is automotive (exterior) lighting.

Overview of motion and presence detection systems used in smart lighting systems

OpenAIRE

Goponenko, A. S.; Matveev, I. G.

2015-01-01

The article describes stages of design of smart lighting systems. Advantages and disadvantages of detectors used in smart lighting systems are stressed with the purpose of further development of these systems. Ambient factors, which affect the detection system, were analyzed and consequent conservation measures were proposed.

Light extinction method on high-pressure diesel injection

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Tzay-Fa; El-Beshbeeshy, Mahmound S.; Corradini, Michael L.; Farrell, Patrick V.

1995-09-01

A two dimensional optical diagnostic technique based on light extinction was improved and demonstrated in an investigation of diesel spray characteristics at high injection pressures. Traditional light extinction methods require the spray image to be perpendicular to the light path. In the improved light extinction scheme, a tilted spray image which has an angle with the light path is still capable of being processed. This technique utilizes high speed photography and digital image analysis to obtain qualitative and quantitative information of the spray characteristics. The injection system used was an electronically controlled common rail unit injector system with injection pressures up to 100 MPa. The nozzle of the injector was a mini-sac type with six holes on the nozzle tip. Two different injection angle nozzles, 125 degree(s) and 140 degree(s), producing an in-plane tilted spray and an out of plane tilted spray were investigated. The experiments were conducted on a constant volume spray chamber with the injector mounted tilted at an angle of 62.5 degree(s)$. Only one spray plume was viewed, and other sprays were free to inject to the chamber. The spray chamber was pressurized with argon and air under room temperature to match the combustion chamber density at the start of the injection. The experimental results show that the difference in the spray tip penetration length, spray angle, and overall average Sauter mean diameter is small between the in- plane tilted spray and the out of plane tilted spray. The results also show that in-plane tilted spray has a slightly larger axial cross- section Sauter mean diameter than the out of plane tilted spray.

Combined Low Temperature-High Light Effects on Gas Exchange Properties of Jojoba Leaves 1

Science.gov (United States)

Loreto, Francesco; Bongi, Guido

1989-01-01

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis [Link] Schneider) is an important crop in desert climates. A relatively high frequency of periods of chilling and high photon flux density (PFD) in this environment makes photoinhibition likely, resulting in a reduction of assimilation capacity in overwintering leaves. This could explain the low net photosynthesis found in shoots from the field (4-6 micromoles per square meter per second) when compared to greenhouse grown plants (12-15 micromoles per square meter per second). The responses of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to changes in absorbed PFD and in substomatal partial pressure of CO2 were measured on jojoba leaves recovering from chilling temperature (4°C) in high or low PFD. No measurable gas exchange was found immediately after chilling in either high or low PFD. For leaves chilled in low PFD, the original quantum yield was restored after 24 hours. The time course of recovery from chilling in high PFD was much longer. Quantum yield recovered to 60% of its original value in 72 hours but failed to recover fully after 1 week. Measurements of PSII chlorophyll fluorescence at 77 K showed that the reduced quantum yield was caused by photoinhibition. The ratio of variable to maximal fluorescence fell from a control level of 0.82 to 0.41 after the photoinhibitory treatment and recovery was slow. We also found a large increase in net assimilation rate and little closure of stomata as CO2 was increased from ambient partial pressure of 35 to 85 pascals. For plants grown in full light, the increase in net assimilation rate was 100%. The photosynthetic response at high CO2 concentration may constitute an ecological advantage of jojoba as a crop in the future. PMID:16667220

The relationship between ambient illumination and psychological factors in viewing of display Images

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanami, Takuya; Kikuchi, Ayano; Kaneko, Takashi; Hirai, Keita; Yano, Natsumi; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Tsumura, Norimichi; Yoshida, Yasuhiro; Miyake, Yoichi

2009-01-01

In this paper, we have clarified the relationship between ambient illumination and psychological factors in viewing of display images. Psychological factors were obtained by the factor analysis with the results of the semantic differential (SD) method. In the psychological experiments, subjects evaluated the impressions of displayed images with changing ambient illuminating conditions. The illumination conditions were controlled by a fluorescent ceiling light and a color LED illumination which was located behind the display. We experimented under two kinds of conditions. One was the experiment with changing brightness of the ambient illumination. The other was the experiment with changing the colors of the background illumination. In the results of the experiment, two factors "realistic sensation, dynamism" and "comfortable," were extracted under different brightness of the ambient illumination of the display surroundings. It was shown that the "comfortable" was improved by the brightness of display surroundings. On the other hand, when the illumination color of surroundings was changed, three factors "comfortable," "realistic sensation, dynamism" and "activity" were extracted. It was also shown that the value of "comfortable" and "realistic sensation, dynamism" increased when the display surroundings were illuminated by the average color of the image contents.

Synthesis of aerogel tiles with high light scattering length

CERN Document Server

Danilyuk, A F; Okunev, A G; Onuchin, A P; Shaurman, S A

1999-01-01

The possibility of aerogel tiles production for RICH detectors is described. Monolithic blocks of silica aerogel were synthesized by two-step sol-gel processing of tetraethoxysilane Si(OEt) sub 4 followed by high temperature supercritical drying with organic solvent. The important characteristic of aerogel is the light scattering length. In the wide range of refraction indexes the light scattering length exceeds 4 cm at 400 nm.

High-angle scattering events strongly affect light collection in clinically relevant measurement geometries for light transport through tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canpolat, M.; Mourant, J.R.

2000-01-01

Measurement of light transport in tissue has the potential to be an inexpensive and practical tool for non-invasive tissue diagnosis in medical applications because it can provide information on both morphological and biochemical properties. To capitalize on the potential of light transport as a diagnostic tool, an understanding of what information can be gleaned from light transport measurements is needed. We present data concerning the sensitivity of light transport measurements, made in clinically relevant geometries, to scattering properties. The intensity of the backscattered light at small source-detector separations is shown to be sensitive to the phase function, and furthermore the collected light intensity is found to be correlated with the amount of high-angle scattering in the medium. (author)

Ambient air pollution and low birth weight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westergaard, Nadja; Gehring, Ulrike; Slama, Rémy

2017-01-01

(TLBW, restriction (IUGR), and suggest that some subgroups of pregnant women who are smoking, of low or high body-mass index (BMI), low socioeconomic status (SES) or asthma are more vulnerable towards...... on the association between ambient air pollution and TLBW. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for TLBW associated with exposure to ambient air pollution were in one study higher among women who smoked during pregnancy, as compared to the OR of non-smoking women, while in the other study the association was in the opposite...... direction. The association of ambient air pollution and TLBW were higher among women characterized by extreme BMI (two studies) and low SES compared to non-obese women or women of higher SES (four studies), respectively. Only one study reported the estimated effects among asthmatic and non-asthmatic women...

CUIDADO AMBIENTAL E RESPONSABILIDADE: POSSÍVEL DIÁLOGO ENTRE PSICOLOGIA AMBIENTAL E LOGOTERAPIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diogo Arnaldo Corrêa

2016-05-01

Full Text Available O cuidado ambiental vem sendo marcado pela tônica da conservação e da promoção da sustentabilidade. A premente necessidade de um dado compromisso e educação ambiental e de condutas pró-ambientais vem sendo defendida em vários contextos: na mídia, nas políticas públicas, por meio de campanhas sazonais. Todavia, pouco se descreve acerca do sentido presente nos modos de cuidado configurados a partir da inter-relação pessoa-ambiente. Nesta perspectiva, este estudo objetivou promover um possível diálogo a partir das contribuições da Psicologia Ambiental e da Logoterapia visando aproximar a noção de cuidado ambiental, delineada pela Psicologia Ambiental, à ideia de responsabilidade, como defendida pela Logoterapia, por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica. As articulações propositadas corroboraram, portanto, para acenar que a relação pessoa-ambiente pode ser arraigada em qualidade se a responsabilidade é reconhecida em sua propriedade de potencial humano, o que pode favorecer na emergência do sentido das atitudes e condutas pró-ambientais e explicitar o caráter de tarefa única e irrepetível inerente à vida.

Building blocks for the development of an interface for high-throughput thin layer chromatography/ambient mass spectrometric analysis: a green methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Sy-Chyi; Huang, Min-Zong; Wu, Li-Chieh; Chou, Chih-Chiang; Cheng, Chu-Nian; Jhang, Siou-Sian; Shiea, Jentaie

2012-07-17

Interfacing thin layer chromatography (TLC) with ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) has been an important area of analytical chemistry because of its capability to rapidly separate and characterize the chemical compounds. In this study, we have developed a high-throughput TLC-AMS system using building blocks to deal, deliver, and collect the TLC plate through an electrospray-assisted laser desorption ionization (ELDI) source. This is the first demonstration of the use of building blocks to construct and test the TLC-MS interfacing system. With the advantages of being readily available, cheap, reusable, and extremely easy to modify without consuming any material or reagent, the use of building blocks to develop the TLC-AMS interface is undoubtedly a green methodology. The TLC plate delivery system consists of a storage box, plate dealing component, conveyer, light sensor, and plate collecting box. During a TLC-AMS analysis, the TLC plate was sent to the conveyer from a stack of TLC plates placed in the storage box. As the TLC plate passed through the ELDI source, the chemical compounds separated on the plate would be desorbed by laser desorption and subsequently postionized by electrospray ionization. The samples, including a mixture of synthetic dyes and extracts of pharmaceutical drugs, were analyzed to demonstrate the capability of this TLC-ELDI/MS system for high-throughput analysis.

Highly Efficient Light-Driven TiO2-Au Janus Micromotors.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Renfeng; Zhang, Qilu; Gao, Wei; Pei, Allen; Ren, Biye

2016-01-26

A highly efficient light-driven photocatalytic TiO2-Au Janus micromotor with wireless steering and velocity control is described. Unlike chemically propelled micromotors which commonly require the addition of surfactants or toxic chemical fuels, the fuel-free Janus micromotor (diameter ∼1.0 μm) can be powered in pure water under an extremely low ultraviolet light intensity (2.5 × 10(-3) W/cm(2)), and with 40 × 10(-3) W/cm(2), they can reach a high speed of 25 body length/s, which is comparable to common Pt-based chemically induced self-electrophoretic Janus micromotors. The photocatalytic propulsion can be switched on and off by incident light modulation. In addition, the speed of the photocatalytic TiO2-Au Janus micromotor can be accelerated by increasing the light intensity or by adding low concentrations of chemical fuel H2O2 (i.e., 0.1%). The attractive fuel-free propulsion performance, fast movement triggering response, low light energy requirement, and precise motion control of the TiO2-Au Janus photocatalytic micromotor hold considerable promise for diverse practical applications.

Design of light-small high-speed image data processing system

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jinbao; Feng, Xue; Li, Fei

2015-10-01

A light-small high speed image data processing system was designed in order to meet the request of image data processing in aerospace. System was constructed of FPGA, DSP and MCU (Micro-controller), implementing a video compress of 3 million pixels@15frames and real-time return of compressed image to the upper system. Programmable characteristic of FPGA, high performance image compress IC and configurable MCU were made best use to improve integration. Besides, hard-soft board design was introduced and PCB layout was optimized. At last, system achieved miniaturization, light-weight and fast heat dispersion. Experiments show that, system's multifunction was designed correctly and worked stably. In conclusion, system can be widely used in the area of light-small imaging.

Light availability and temperature, not increased CO2, will structure future meadows of Posidonia oceanica

KAUST Repository

Hendriks, Iris E.; Olsen, Ylva S.; Duarte, Carlos M.

2017-01-01

We evaluated the photosynthetic performance of Posidonia oceanica during short-term laboratory exposures to ambient and elevated temperatures (24–25°C and 29–30°C) warming and pCO2 (380, 750 and 1000ppm pCO2) under normal and low light conditions (200 and 40μmol photons m−2s−1 respectively). Plant growth was measured at the low light regime and showed a negative response to warming. Light was a critical factor for photosynthetic performance, although we found no evidence of compensation of photosynthetic quantum efficiency in high light. Relative Electron Rate Transport (rETRmax) was higher in plants incubated in high light, but not affected by pCO2 or temperature. The saturation irradiance (Ik) was negatively affected by temperature. We conclude that elevated CO2 does not enhance photosynthetic activity and growth, in the short term for P. oceanica, while temperature has a direct negative effect on growth. Low light availability also negatively affected photosynthetic performance during the short experimental period examined here. Therefore increasing concentrations of CO2 may not compensate for predicted future conditions of warmer water and higher turbidity for seagrass meadows.

Light availability and temperature, not increased CO2, will structure future meadows of Posidonia oceanica

KAUST Repository

Hendriks, Iris E.

2017-02-15

We evaluated the photosynthetic performance of Posidonia oceanica during short-term laboratory exposures to ambient and elevated temperatures (24–25°C and 29–30°C) warming and pCO2 (380, 750 and 1000ppm pCO2) under normal and low light conditions (200 and 40μmol photons m−2s−1 respectively). Plant growth was measured at the low light regime and showed a negative response to warming. Light was a critical factor for photosynthetic performance, although we found no evidence of compensation of photosynthetic quantum efficiency in high light. Relative Electron Rate Transport (rETRmax) was higher in plants incubated in high light, but not affected by pCO2 or temperature. The saturation irradiance (Ik) was negatively affected by temperature. We conclude that elevated CO2 does not enhance photosynthetic activity and growth, in the short term for P. oceanica, while temperature has a direct negative effect on growth. Low light availability also negatively affected photosynthetic performance during the short experimental period examined here. Therefore increasing concentrations of CO2 may not compensate for predicted future conditions of warmer water and higher turbidity for seagrass meadows.

Exploring the impact of natural light exposure on sleep of healthy older adults: a field study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarts, M.P.J.; Stapel, J.C.; Schoutens, A.M.C.; van Hoof, J.

Studies among people with dementia demonstrated that the sleep quality and rhythm improves significantly when people are exposed to ambient bright light. Since almost half of the healthy older people also indicate to suffer from chronic sleep disorders, the question arises whether ambient bright

Exploring the impact of natural light exposure on sleep of healthy older adults: A field study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarts, M.P.J.; Stapel, J.C.; Schoutens, A.M.C.; Hoof, J. van

2018-01-01

Studies among people with dementia demonstrated that the sleep quality and rhythm improves significantly when people are exposed to ambient bright light. Since almost half of the healthy older people also indicate to suffer from chronic sleep disorders, the question arises whether ambient bright

Light-Absorbing Brown Carbon Aerosol Constituents from Combustion of Indonesian Peat and Biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Budisulistiorini, Sri Hapsari; Riva, Matthieu; Williams, Michael; Chen, Jing; Itoh, Masayuki; Surratt, Jason D; Kuwata, Mikinori

2017-04-18

Light-absorbing brown carbon (BrC) constituents of organic aerosol (OA) have been shown to significantly absorb ultraviolet (UV) and visible light and thus impact radiative forcing. However, molecular identification of the BrC constituents is still limited. In this study, we characterize BrC constituents at the molecular level in (i) aerosols emitted by combustion of peat, fern/leaf, and charcoal from Indonesia and (ii) ambient aerosols collected in Singapore during the 2015 haze episode. Aerosols were analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography instrument interfaced to a diode array detector and electrospray ionization high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer operated in the negative ion mode. In the laboratory-generated aerosols, we identified 41 compounds that can potentially absorb near-UV and visible wavelengths, such as oxygenated-conjugated compounds, nitroaromatics, and S-containing compounds. The sum of BrC constituents in peat, fern/leaf, and charcoal burning aerosols are 16%, 35%, and 28% of the OA mass, respectively, giving an average contribution of 24%. On average, the BrC constituents account for 0.4% of the ambient OA mass; however, large uncertainties in mass closure remain because of the lack of authentic standards. This study highlights the potential of light-absorbing BrC OA constituents from peat, fern/leaf, and charcoal burning and their importance in the atmosphere.

Can Lighting Influence Self-Disclosure?

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Veli; Mukherjee, Sumitava; Manjaly, Jaison A

2017-01-01

With the advent of social networks where people disclose a lot of their information and opinions publicly, this research attempted to re-look at the effect of environmental lighting on willingness and actual disclosure of personal information. Previous literatures mostly addressed counseling setups and the findings were mixed. In order to clarify the effect of lighting on self-disclosure, two experiments were conducted with reported willingness to disclose (Experiment 1) as well as actual disclosure (Experiment 2) on a range of topics like social issues, body, money, work, and personality. While quite a handful of studies have reported differences in disclosure from very subtle environmental lighting manipulations, in both experiments we could not find any effect of ambient room lighting conditions on self-disclosure. These results call for caution both in over-interpreting subtle environmental effects and in increased generalization of perceptual metaphors to actual behavior.

The JLab high power ERL light source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neil, G.R.; Behre, C.; Benson, S.V.

2006-01-01

A new THz/IR/UV photon source at Jefferson Lab is the first of a new generation of light sources based on an Energy-Recovered (superconducting) Linac (ERL). The machine has a 160MeV electron beam and an average current of 10mA in 75MHz repetition rate hundred femtosecond bunches. These electron bunches pass through a magnetic chicane and therefore emit synchrotron radiation. For wavelengths longer than the electron bunch the electrons radiate coherently a broadband THz ∼ half cycle pulse whose average brightness is >5 orders of magnitude higher than synchrotron IR sources. Previous measurements showed 20W of average power extracted [Carr, et al., Nature 420 (2002) 153]. The new facility offers simultaneous synchrotron light from the visible through the FIR along with broadband THz production of 100fs pulses with >200W of average power. The FELs also provide record-breaking laser power [Neil, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 (2000) 662]: up to 10kW of average power in the IR from 1 to 14μm in 400fs pulses at up to 74.85MHz repetition rates and soon will produce similar pulses of 300-1000nm light at up to 3kW of average power from the UV FEL. These ultrashort pulses are ideal for maximizing the interaction with material surfaces. The optical beams are Gaussian with nearly perfect beam quality. See www.jlab.org/FEL for details of the operating characteristics; a wide variety of pulse train configurations are feasible from 10ms long at high repetition rates to continuous operation. The THz and IR system has been commissioned. The UV system is to follow in 2005. The light is transported to user laboratories for basic and applied research. Additional lasers synchronized to the FEL are also available. Past activities have included production of carbon nanotubes, studies of vibrational relaxation of interstitial hydrogen in silicon, pulsed laser deposition and ablation, nitriding of metals, and energy flow in proteins. This paper will present the status of the system and

The JLab high power ERL light source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G.R. Neil; C. Behre; S.V. Benson; M. Bevins; G. Biallas; J. Boyce; J. Coleman; L.A. Dillon-Townes; D. Douglas; H.F. Dylla; R. Evans; A. Grippo; D. Gruber; J. Gubeli; D. Hardy; C. Hernandez-Garcia; K. Jordan; M.J. Kelley; L. Merminga; J. Mammosser; W. Moore; N. Nishimori; E. Pozdeyev; J. Preble; R. Rimmer; Michelle D. Shinn; T. Siggins; C. Tennant; R. Walker; G.P. Williams and S. Zhang

2005-03-19

A new THz/IR/UV photon source at Jefferson Lab is the first of a new generation of light sources based on an Energy-Recovered, (superconducting) Linac (ERL). The machine has a 160 MeV electron beam and an average current of 10 mA in 75 MHz repetition rate hundred femtosecond bunches. These electron bunches pass through a magnetic chicane and therefore emit synchrotron radiation. For wavelengths longer than the electron bunch the electrons radiate coherently a broadband THz {approx} half cycle pulse whose average brightness is > 5 orders of magnitude higher than synchrotron IR sources. Previous measurements showed 20 W of average power extracted[1]. The new facility offers simultaneous synchrotron light from the visible through the FIR along with broadband THz production of 100 fs pulses with >200 W of average power. The FELs also provide record-breaking laser power [2]: up to 10 kW of average power in the IR from 1 to 14 microns in 400 fs pulses at up to 74.85 MHz repetition rates and soon will produce similar pulses of 300-1000 nm light at up to 3 kW of average power from the UV FEL. These ultrashort pulses are ideal for maximizing the interaction with material surfaces. The optical beams are Gaussian with nearly perfect beam quality. See www.jlab.org/FEL for details of the operating characteristics; a wide variety of pulse train configurations are feasible from 10 microseconds long at high repetition rates to continuous operation. The THz and IR system has been commissioned. The UV system is to follow in 2005. The light is transported to user laboratories for basic and applied research. Additional lasers synchronized to the FEL are also available. Past activities have included production of carbon nanotubes, studies of vibrational relaxation of interstitial hydrogen in silicon, pulsed laser deposition and ablation, nitriding of metals, and energy flow in proteins. This paper will present the status of the system and discuss some of the discoveries we have made

How Can a Lighting Designer Use Light in Buildings For Well-Being? - 'Presented as invited speaker'

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Jens

design. Summary: Adequate lighting, both natural and artificial, is important as part of a person's well-being. A description of a person's well-being may be context-specific depending on the building design and include a number of parameters such as daylight and sunlight penetration, window views...... and content of view, enclosed or open space, crowding, visual and acoustical privacy, personal control of ambient conditions etc. Successful daylighting requires trade-offs and optimisation between competing design aspects by skilful integration of the facade layout with the space configuration and the choice...... of lighting system used.  Surveys consistently show that people prefer daylight over electric light, a desire for windows and view is well-established, and daylight as primary source is believed to be more healthful. Also, work spaces often consist of changing visual tasks, and thereby different lighting...

Investigating the Use of an Adjustment Task to Set Preferred Colour of Ambient Illumination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Logadóttir, Ásta; Fotios, Steve A.; Christoffersen, Jens

2013-01-01

An experiment was carried out to examine the method of adjustment when determining user preferences for the colour appearance of ambient lighting. A booth was lit using luminaires containing an array of white and coloured light emitting diodes (LEDs), allowing continuous variation of correlated...... different CCT stimulus ranges within the available range. All three ranges led to significantly different results for preferred CCT: 3288, 3490 and 3671 K. The experimental results confirmed that stimulus range, anchor and adaptation time have significant effect on the preferred CCT determined using...

The Aesthetics of the Ambient Video Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jim Bizzocchi

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Ambient Video is an emergent cultural phenomenon, with roots that go deeply into the history of experimental film and video art. Ambient Video, like Brian Eno's ambient music, is video that "must be as easy to ignore as notice" [9]. This minimalist description conceals the formidable aesthetic challenge that faces this new form. Ambient video art works will hang on the walls of our living rooms, corporate offices, and public spaces. They will play in the background of our lives, living video paintings framed by the new generation of elegant, high-resolution flat-panel display units. However, they cannot command attention like a film or television show. They will patiently play in the background of our lives, yet they must always be ready to justify our attention in any given moment. In this capacity, ambient video works need to be equally proficient at rewarding a fleeting glance, a more direct look, or a longer contemplative gaze. This paper connects a series of threads that collectively illuminate the aesthetics of this emergent form: its history as a popular culture phenomenon, its more substantive artistic roots in avant-garde cinema and video art, its relationship to new technologies, the analysis of the viewer's conditions of reception, and the work of current artists who practice within this form.

Comparison of ambient aerosol extinction coefficients obtained from in-situ, MAX-DOAS and LIDAR measurements at Cabauw

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zieger, P.; Weingartner, E.; Henzing, J.; Moerman, M.; Leeuw, G. de; Mikkilä, J.; Ehn, M.; Petäjä, T.; Clémer, K.; Roozendael, M. van; Yilmaz, S.; Frieß, U.; Irie, H.; Wagner, T.; Shaiganfar, R.; Beirle, S.; Apituley, A.; Wilson, K.; Baltensperger, U.

2011-01-01

In the field, aerosol in-situ measurements are often performed under dry conditions (relative humidity RH<30-40%). Since ambient aerosol particles experience hygroscopic growth at enhanced RH, their microphysical and optical properties especially the aerosol light scattering are also strongly

Ambient Field Analysis at Groningen Gas Field

Science.gov (United States)

Spica, Z.; Nakata, N.; Beroza, G. C.

2016-12-01

We analyze continuous ambient-field data at Groningen gas field (Netherlands) through cross-correlation processing. The Groningen array is composed of 75 shallow boreholes with 6 km spacing, which contain a 3C surface accelerometer and four 5-Hz 3C borehole geophones spaced at 50 m depth intervals. We successfully retrieve coherent waves from ambient seismic field on the 9 components between stations. Results show high SNR signal in the frequency range of 0.125-1 Hz, and the ZZ, ZR, RZ, RR and TT components show much stronger wave energy than other components as expected. This poster discuss the different type of waves retrieved, the utility of the combination of borehole and surface observations, future development as well as the importance to compute the 9 components of the Green's tensor to better understand the wave field propriety with ambient noise.

Robust cladding light stripper for high-power fiber lasers using soft metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Babazadeh, Amin; Nasirabad, Reza Rezaei; Norouzey, Ahmad; Hejaz, Kamran; Poozesh, Reza; Heidariazar, Amir; Golshan, Ali Hamedani; Roohforouz, Ali; Jafari, S Naser Tabatabaei; Lafouti, Majid

2014-04-20

In this paper we present a novel method to reliably strip the unwanted cladding light in high-power fiber lasers. Soft metals are utilized to fabricate a high-power cladding light stripper (CLS). The capability of indium (In), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), and gold (Au) in extracting unwanted cladding light is examined. The experiments show that these metals have the right features for stripping the unwanted light out of the cladding. We also find that the metal-cladding contact area is of great importance because it determines the attenuation and the thermal load on the CLS. These metals are examined in different forms to optimize the contact area to have the highest possible attenuation and avoid localized heating. The results show that sheets of indium are very effective in stripping unwanted cladding light.

Nanostructured High Performance Ultraviolet and Blue Light Emitting Diodes for Solid State Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arto V. Nurmikko; Jung Han

2007-03-31

We report on research results in this project which synergize advanced material science approaches with fundamental optical physics concepts pertaining to light-matter interaction, with the goal of solving seminal problems for the development of very high performance light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the blue and near ultraviolet for Solid State Lighting applications. Accomplishments in the duration of the contract period include (i) new means of synthesizing AlGaN and InN quantum dots by droplet heteroepitaxy, (ii) synthesis of AlGaInN nanowires as building blocks for GaN-based microcavity devices, (iii) progress towards direct epitaxial alignment of the dense arrays of nanowires, (iv) observation and measurements of stimulated emission in dense InGaN nanopost arrays, (v) design and fabrication of InGaN photonic crystal emitters, and (vi) observation and measurements of enhanced fluorescence from coupled quantum dot and plasmonic nanostructures. The body of results is presented in this report shows how a solid foundation has been laid, with several noticeable accomplishments, for innovative research, consistent with the stated milestones.

Ultra-bright and highly efficient inorganic based perovskite light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liuqi; Yang, Xiaolei; Jiang, Qi; Wang, Pengyang; Yin, Zhigang; Zhang, Xingwang; Tan, Hairen; Yang, Yang (Michael); Wei, Mingyang; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Sargent, Edward H.; You, Jingbi

2017-06-01

Inorganic perovskites such as CsPbX3 (X=Cl, Br, I) have attracted attention due to their excellent thermal stability and high photoluminescence quantum efficiency. However, the electroluminescence quantum efficiency of their light-emitting diodes was CsPbBr3 lattice and by depositing a hydrophilic and insulating polyvinyl pyrrolidine polymer atop the ZnO electron-injection layer to overcome these issues. As a result, we obtained light-emitting diodes exhibiting a high brightness of 91,000 cd m-2 and a high external quantum efficiency of 10.4% using a mixed-cation perovskite Cs0.87MA0.13PbBr3 as the emitting layer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the brightest and most-efficient green perovskite light-emitting diodes reported to date.

High resolution measurement of light in terrestrial ecosystems using photodegrading dyes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Roales

Full Text Available Incoming solar radiation is the main determinant of terrestrial ecosystem processes, such as primary production, litter decomposition, or soil mineralization rates. Light in terrestrial ecosystems is spatially and temporally heterogeneous due to the interaction among sunlight angle, cloud cover and tree-canopy structure. To integrate this variability and to know light distribution over time and space, a high number of measurements are needed, but tools to do this are usually expensive and limited. An easy-to-use and inexpensive method that can be used to measure light over time and space is needed. We used two photodegrading fluorescent organic dyes, rhodamine WT (RWT and fluorescein, for the quantification of light. We measured dye photodegradation as the decrease in fluorescence across an irradiance gradient from full sunlight to deep shade. Then, we correlated it to accumulated light measured with PAR quantum sensors and obtained a model for this behavior. Rhodamine WT and fluorescein photodegradation followed an exponential decay curve with respect to accumulated light. Rhodamine WT degraded slower than fluorescein and remained unaltered after exposure to temperature changes. Under controlled conditions, fluorescence of both dyes decreased when temperatures increased, but returned to its initial values after cooling to the pre-heating temperature, indicating no degradation. RWT and fluorescein can be used to measure light under a varying range of light conditions in terrestrial ecosystems. This method is particularly useful to integrate solar radiation over time and to measure light simultaneously at different locations, and might be a better alternative to the expensive and time consuming traditional light measurement methods. The accuracy, low price and ease of this method make it a powerful tool for intensive sampling of large areas and for developing high resolution maps of light in an ecosystem.

Dye laser light for high-resolution classical photography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geissler, K.K.

1982-01-01

The test run with the bubble chamber HOLEBC in October 1981 offered the opportunity of checking the usefulness of de-speckled dye laser light for illumination purposes in high-resolution classical dark field photography of small bubble chambers. (orig./HSI)

Highly Transparent, Visible-Light Photodetector Based on Oxide Semiconductors and Quantum Dots.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Seung Won; Lee, Kwang-Ho; Park, Jin-Seong; Kang, Seong Jun

2015-09-09

Highly transparent phototransistors that can detect visible light have been fabricated by combining indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) and quantum dots (QDs). A wide-band-gap IGZO film was used as a transparent semiconducting channel, while small-band-gap QDs were adopted to absorb and convert visible light to an electrical signal. Typical IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) did not show a photocurrent with illumination of visible light. However, IGZO TFTs decorated with QDs showed enhanced photocurrent upon exposure to visible light. The device showed a responsivity of 1.35×10(4) A/W and an external quantum efficiency of 2.59×10(4) under illumination by a 635 nm laser. The origin of the increased photocurrent in the visible light was the small band gap of the QDs combined with the transparent IGZO films. Therefore, transparent phototransistors based on IGZO and QDs were fabricated and characterized in detail. The result is relevant for the development of highly transparent photodetectors that can detect visible light.

Pedagogía ambiental y didáctica ambiental: tendencias en la educación superior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio César Tovar-Gálvez

2017-01-01

Full Text Available El artículo aborda el problema del currículo de educación ambiental en la educación superior, para lo que se centra en los conceptos pedagogía ambiental y didáctica ambiental. La metodología consiste en realizar un estado del arte para identificar las tendencias existentes sobre pedagogía ambiental y didáctica ambiental, para desde allí diseñar una encuesta que es dirigida a profesores y estudiantes de programas con formación en lo ambiental, de algunas universidades en Bogotá, con el objetivo de identificar sus opiniones como expertos en lo ambiental. Los resultados muestran un especial énfasis en las tendencias sobre la complejidad, pero así mismo plantean la posibilidad de múltiples modelos según los contextos y necesidades.

A component of retinal light adaptation mediated by the thyroid hormone cascade.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedolla, Diana E; Torre, Vincent

2011-01-01

Analysis with DNA-microrrays and real time PCR show that several genes involved in the thyroid hormone cascade, such as deiodinase 2 and 3 (Dio2 and Dio3) are differentially regulated by the circadian clock and by changes of the ambient light. The expression level of Dio2 in adult rats (2-3 months of age) kept continuously in darkness is modulated by the circadian clock and is up-regulated by 2 fold at midday. When the diurnal ambient light was on, the expression level of Dio2 increased by 4-8 fold and a consequent increase of the related protein was detected around the nuclei of retinal photoreceptors and of neurons in inner and outer nuclear layers. The expression level of Dio3 had a different temporal pattern and was down-regulated by diurnal light. Our results suggest that DIO2 and DIO3 have a role not only in the developing retina but also in the adult retina and are powerfully regulated by light. As the thyroid hormone is a ligand-inducible transcription factor controlling the expression of several target genes, the transcriptional activation of Dio2 could be a novel genomic component of light adaptation.

High-energy gamma-ray beams from Compton-backscattered laser light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandorfi, A.M.; LeVine, M.J.; Thorn, C.E.; Giordano, G.; Matone, G.

1983-01-01

Collisions of light photons with relativistic electrons have previously been used to produce polarized #betta#-ray beams with modest (-10%) resolution but relatively low intensity. In contrast, the LEGS project (Laser + Electron Gamma Source) at Brookhaven will produce a very high flux (>2 x 10 7 s - 1 ) of background-free polarized #betta# rays whose energy will be determined to a high accuracy (δE = 2.3 MeV). Initially, 300(420)-MeV #betta# rays will be produced by backscattering uv light from the new 2.5(3.0)-GeV X-ray storage ring of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). The LEGS facility will operate as one of many passive users of the NSLS. In a later stage of the project, a Free Electron Laser is expectred to extend the #betta#-ray energy up to 700 MeV

High-energy gamma-ray beams from Compton-backscattered laser light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandorfi, A.M.; LeVine, M.J.; Thorn, C.E.; Giordano, G.; Matone, G.

1983-01-01

Collisions of light photons with relativistic electrons have previously been used to produce polarized ..gamma..-ray beams with modest (-10%) resolution but relatively low intensity. In contrast, the LEGS project (Laser + Electron Gamma Source) at Brookhaven will produce a very high flux (>2 x 10/sup 7/ s/sup -1/) of background-free polarized ..gamma.. rays whose energy will be determined to a high accuracy (..delta..E = 2.3 MeV). Initially, 300(420)-MeV ..gamma.. rays will be produced by backscattering uv light from the new 2.5(3.0)-GeV X-ray storage ring of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). The LEGS facility will operate as one of many passive users of the NSLS. In a later stage of the project, a Free Electron Laser is expectred to extend the ..gamma..-ray energy up to 700 MeV.

POLÍTICA PÚBLICA AMBIENTAL Y AMBIENTE EN EL VALLE DEL CAUCA, 1991-2010

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro Quiceno Martínez

2010-01-01

Full Text Available La política pública ambiental en el Valle del Cauca, a partir de 1991, va en contravía de la conservación ambiental al enfatizar en el crecimiento económico, la generación de plusvalía y la ampliación de la tasa de ganancia. Para la realización de esta investigación se adoptó como herramienta metodológica la revisión bibliográfica. Se halló que la política pública ambiental en el Valle se ha orientado a subsidiar monetaria, ecológica, ambiental y socialmente al sector cañicultor. Se concluye que dicha política ha contribuido al desequilibrio ecológico y al deterioro ambiental.

Ambiente e justiça: sobre a utilidade do conceito de racismo ambiental no contexto brasileiro

OpenAIRE

Silva, Lays Helena Paes e

2013-01-01

A ideia de crise ambiental suscita discussões a respeito de distintas concepções de natureza e de ambiente e das disputas simbólicas e materiais neste meio. Uma concepção que toma sociedade e ambiente como pares inseparáveis levou à emergência, nos Estados Unidos, de movimentos que introduziram conceitos como justiça ambiental e racismo ambiental. No Brasil, surgiram movimentos e estudos focados nas mesmas bandeiras de luta e nos mesmos conceitos. Considerando as especificidades do racismo no...

Effect of High-Irradiance Light-Curing on Micromechanical Properties of Resin Cements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Peutzfeldt

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the influence of light-curing at high irradiances on micromechanical properties of resin cements. Three dual-curing resin cements and a light-curing flowable resin composite were light-cured with an LED curing unit in Standard mode (SM, High Power mode (HPM, or Xtra Power mode (XPM. Maximum irradiances were determined using a MARC PS radiometer, and exposure duration was varied to obtain two or three levels of radiant exposure (SM: 13.2 and 27.2 J/cm2; HPM: 15.0 and 30.4 J/cm2; XPM: 9.5, 19.3, and 29.7 J/cm2 (n=17. Vickers hardness (HV and indentation modulus (EIT were measured at 15 min and 1 week. Data were analyzed with nonparametric ANOVA, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests, and Spearman correlation analyses (α=0.05. Irradiation protocol, resin-based material, and storage time and all interactions influenced HV and EIT significantly (p≤0.0001. Statistically significant correlations between radiant exposure and HV or EIT were found, indicating that high-irradiance light-curing has no detrimental effect on the polymerization of resin-based materials (p≤0.0021. However, one resin cement was sensitive to the combination of irradiance and exposure duration, with high-irradiance light-curing resulting in a 20% drop in micromechanical properties. The results highlight the importance of manufacturers issuing specific recommendations for the light-curing procedure of each resin cement.

Color design model of high color rendering index white-light LED module.

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Shang-Ping; Fu, Han-Kuei; Hsieh, Hsin-Hsin; Hsieh, Kun-Yang

2017-05-10

The traditional white-light light-emitting diode (LED) is packaged with a single chip and a single phosphor but has a poor color rendering index (CRI). The next-generation package comprises two chips and a single phosphor, has a high CRI, and retains high luminous efficacy. This study employs two chips and two phosphors to improve the diode's color tunability with various proportions of two phosphors and various densities of phosphor in the silicone used. A color design model is established for color fine-tuning of the white-light LED module. The maximum difference between the measured and color-design-model simulated CIE 1931 color coordinates is approximately 0.0063 around a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 2500 K. This study provides a rapid method to obtain the color fine-tuning of a white-light LED module with a high CRI and luminous efficacy.

Thin Film Packaging Solutions for High Efficiency OLED Lighting Products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2008-06-30

The objective of the 'Thin Film Packaging Solutions for High Efficiency OLED Lighting Products' project is to demonstrate thin film packaging solutions based on SiC hermetic coatings that, when applied to glass and plastic substrates, support OLED lighting devices by providing longer life with greater efficiency at lower cost than is currently available. Phase I Objective: Demonstrate thin film encapsulated working phosphorescent OLED devices on optical glass with lifetime of 1,000 hour life, CRI greater than 75, and 15 lm/W. Phase II Objective: Demonstrate thin film encapsulated working phosphorescent OLED devices on plastic or glass composite with 25 lm/W, 5,000 hours life, and CRI greater than 80. Phase III Objective: Demonstrate 2 x 2 ft{sup 2} thin film encapsulated working phosphorescent OLED with 40 lm/W, 10,000 hour life, and CRI greater than 85. This report details the efforts of Phase III (Budget Period Three), a fourteen month collaborative effort that focused on optimization of high-efficiency phosphorescent OLED devices and thin-film encapsulation of said devices. The report further details the conclusions and recommendations of the project team that have foundation in all three budget periods for the program. During the conduct of the Thin Film Packaging Solutions for High Efficiency OLED Lighting Products program, including budget period three, the project team completed and delivered the following achievements: (1) a three-year marketing effort that characterized the near-term and longer-term OLED market, identified customer and consumer lighting needs, and suggested prototype product concepts and niche OLED applications lighting that will give rise to broader market acceptance as a source for wide area illumination and energy conservation; (2) a thin film encapsulation technology with a lifetime of nearly 15,000 hours, tested by calcium coupons, while stored at 16 C and 40% relative humidity ('RH'). This encapsulation technology

Light-induced lattice expansion leads to high-efficiency perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Hsinhan; Asadpour, Reza; Blancon, Jean-Christophe; Stoumpos, Constantinos C.; Durand, Olivier; Strzalka, Joseph W.; Chen, Bo; Verduzco, Rafael; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Tretiak, Sergei; Even, Jacky; Alam, Muhammad Ashraf; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Nie, Wanyi; Mohite, Aditya D.

2018-04-01

Light-induced structural dynamics plays a vital role in the physical properties, device performance, and stability of hybrid perovskite–based optoelectronic devices. We report that continuous light illumination leads to a uniform lattice expansion in hybrid perovskite thin films, which is critical for obtaining high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. Correlated, in situ structural and device characterizations reveal that light-induced lattice expansion benefits the performances of a mixed-cation pure-halide planar device, boosting the power conversion efficiency from 18.5 to 20.5%. The lattice expansion leads to the relaxation of local lattice strain, which lowers the energetic barriers at the perovskite-contact interfaces, thus improving the open circuit voltage and fill factor. The light-induced lattice expansion did not compromise the stability of these high-efficiency photovoltaic devices under continuous operation at full-spectrum 1-sun (100 milliwatts per square centimeter) illumination for more than 1500 hours.

High-Voltage LED Light Engine with Integrated Driver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soer, Wouter [Lumileds LLC, San Jose, CA (United States)

2016-02-29

LED luminaires have seen dramatic changes in cost breakdown over the past few years. The LED component cost, which until recently was the dominant portion of luminaire cost, has fallen to a level of the same order as the other luminaire components, such as the driver, housing, optics etc. With the current state of the technology, further luminaire performance improvement and cost reduction is realized most effectively by optimization of the whole system, rather than a single component. This project focuses on improving the integration between LEDs and drivers. Lumileds has developed a light engine platform based on low-cost high-power LEDs and driver topologies optimized for integration with these LEDs on a single substrate. The integration of driver and LEDs enables an estimated luminaire cost reduction of about 25% for targeted applications, mostly due to significant reductions in driver and housing cost. The high-power LEDs are based on Lumileds’ patterned sapphire substrate flip-chip (PSS-FC) technology, affording reduced die fabrication and packaging cost compared to existing technology. Two general versions of PSS-FC die were developed in order to create the desired voltage and flux increments for driver integration: (i) small single-junction die (0.5 mm²), optimal for distributed lighting applications, and (ii) larger multi-junction die (2 mm² and 4 mm²) for high-power directional applications. Two driver topologies were developed: a tapped linear driver topology and a single-stage switch-mode topology, taking advantage of the flexible voltage configurations of the new PSS-FC die and the simplification opportunities enabled by integration of LEDs and driver on the same board. A prototype light engine was developed for an outdoor “core module” application based on the multi-junction PSS-FC die and the single-stage switch-mode driver. The light engine meets the project efficacy target of 128 lm/W at a luminous flux

Mass Spectrometry Imaging under Ambient Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chunping; Dill, Allison L.; Eberlin, Livia S.; Cooks, R. Graham; Ifa, Demian R.

2012-01-01

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has emerged as an important tool in the last decade and it is beginning to show potential to provide new information in many fields owing to its unique ability to acquire molecularly specific images and to provide multiplexed information, without the need for labeling or staining. In MSI, the chemical identity of molecules present on a surface is investigated as a function of spatial distribution. In addition to now standard methods involving MSI in vacuum, recently developed ambient ionization techniques allow MSI to be performed under atmospheric pressure on untreated samples outside the mass spectrometer. Here we review recent developments and applications of MSI emphasizing the ambient ionization techniques of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI), laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI), probe electrospray ionization (PESI), desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization (DAPPI), femtosecond laser desorption ionization (fs-LDI), laser electrospray mass spectrometry (LEMS), infrared laser ablation metastable-induced chemical ionization (IR-LAMICI), liquid microjunction surface sampling probe mass spectrometry (LMJ-SSP MS), nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI), and plasma sources such as the low temperature plasma (LTP) probe and laser ablation coupled to flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow (LA-FAPA). Included are discussions of some of the features of ambient MSI including the ability to implement chemical reactions with the goal of providing high abundance ions characteristic of specific compounds of interest and the use of tandem mass spectrometry to either map the distribution of targeted molecules with high specificity or to provide additional MS information in the structural identification of compounds. We also describe the role of bioinformatics in acquiring and interpreting the chemical and spatial information obtained through MSI, especially in biological applications for tissue

Design of a new reactor-like high temperature near ambient pressure scanning tunneling microscope for catalysis studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Franklin Feng; Nguyen, Luan; Zhang, Shiran

2013-03-01

Here, we present the design of a new reactor-like high-temperature near ambient pressure scanning tunneling microscope (HT-NAP-STM) for catalysis studies. This HT-NAP-STM was designed for exploration of structures of catalyst surfaces at atomic scale during catalysis or under reaction conditions. In this HT-NAP-STM, the minimized reactor with a volume of reactant gases of ∼10 ml is thermally isolated from the STM room through a shielding dome installed between the reactor and STM room. An aperture on the dome was made to allow tip to approach to or retract from a catalyst surface in the reactor. This dome minimizes thermal diffusion from hot gas of the reactor to the STM room and thus remains STM head at a constant temperature near to room temperature, allowing observation of surface structures at atomic scale under reaction conditions or during catalysis with minimized thermal drift. The integrated quadrupole mass spectrometer can simultaneously measure products during visualization of surface structure of a catalyst. This synergy allows building an intrinsic correlation between surface structure and its catalytic performance. This correlation offers important insights for understanding of catalysis. Tests were done on graphite in ambient environment, Pt(111) in CO, graphene on Ru(0001) in UHV at high temperature and gaseous environment at high temperature. Atom-resolved surface structure of graphene on Ru(0001) at 500 K in a gaseous environment of 25 Torr was identified.

Olfactory marketing: The role of ambient scents in a shopping experience

OpenAIRE

Douce, Lieve

2015-01-01

Atmospheric elements such as lights, music, and scents make up the physical environment of a store and can have an impact on consumers’ shopping behavior. This doctoral dissertation aims to provide a better understanding of the effects of ambient scent in the store environment on consumer reactions. Specifically, the moderating role of individual differences (chapter 2 and 3), product congruency (chapter 4 and 5) and congruency with other atmospheric elements (chapter 6 and 7) on scent effect...

High Efficiency, Illumination Quality OLEDs for Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joseph Shiang; James Cella; Kelly Chichak; Anil Duggal; Kevin Janora; Chris Heller; Gautam Parthasarathy; Jeffery Youmans; Joseph Shiang

2008-03-31

The goal of the program was to demonstrate a 45 lumen per watt white light device based upon the use of multiple emission colors through the use of solution processing. This performance level is a dramatic extension of the team's previous 15 LPW large area illumination device. The fundamental material system was based upon commercial polymer materials. The team was largely able to achieve these goals, and was able to deliver to DOE a 90 lumen illumination source that had an average performance of 34 LPW a 1000 cd/m{sup 2} with peak performances near 40LPW. The average color temperature is 3200K and the calculated CRI 85. The device operated at a brightness of approximately 1000cd/m{sup 2}. The use of multiple emission colors particularly red and blue, provided additional degrees of design flexibility in achieving white light, but also required the use of a multilayered structure to separate the different recombination zones and prevent interconversion of blue emission to red emission. The use of commercial materials had the advantage that improvements by the chemical manufacturers in charge transport efficiency, operating life and material purity could be rapidly incorporated without the expenditure of additional effort. The program was designed to take maximum advantage of the known characteristics of these material and proceeded in seven steps. (1) Identify the most promising materials, (2) assemble them into multi-layer structures to control excitation and transport within the OLED, (3) identify materials development needs that would optimize performance within multilayer structures, (4) build a prototype that demonstrates the potential entitlement of the novel multilayer OLED architecture (5) integrate all of the developments to find the single best materials set to implement the novel multilayer architecture, (6) further optimize the best materials set, (7) make a large area high illumination quality white OLED. A photo of the final deliverable is shown

Ambient-temperature high damping capacity in TiPd-based martensitic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xue, Dezhen [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Zhou, Yumei, E-mail: zhouyumei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Ding, Xiangdong [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Otsuka, Kazuhiro [Ferroic Physics Group, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047, Ibaraki (Japan); Lookman, Turab [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Sun, Jun [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Ren, Xiaobing [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Ferroic Physics Group, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047, Ibaraki (Japan)

2015-04-24

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have attracted considerable attention for their high damping capacities. Here we investigate the damping behavior of Ti{sub 50}(Pd{sub 50−x}D{sub x}) SMAs (D=Fe, Co, Mn, V) by dynamic mechanical analysis. We find that these alloys show remarkably similar damping behavior. There exists a sharp damping peak associated with the B2–B19 martensitic transformation and a high damping plateau (Q{sup −1}~0.02–0.05) over a wide ambient-temperature range (220–420 K) due to the hysteretic twin boundary motion. After doping hydrogen into the above alloys, a new relaxation-type damping peak appears in the martensite phase over 270–360 K. Such a peak is considered to originate from the interaction of hydrogen atoms with twin boundaries and the corresponding damping capacity (Q{sup −1}~0.05–0.09) is enhanced by roughly twice that of the damping plateau for each alloy. Moreover, the relaxation peaks are at higher temperatures for the TiPd-based alloys (270–370 K) than for the TiNi-based alloys (190–260 K). We discuss the influence of hydrogen diffusion, mobility of twin boundaries and hydrogen–twin boundary interaction on the temperature range of the relaxation peak. Our results suggest that a martensite, with appropriate values for twinning shear and hydrogen doping level, provides a route towards developing high damping SMAs for applications in desired temperature ranges.

Ambient-temperature high damping capacity in TiPd-based martensitic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Dezhen; Zhou, Yumei; Ding, Xiangdong; Otsuka, Kazuhiro; Lookman, Turab; Sun, Jun; Ren, Xiaobing

2015-01-01

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have attracted considerable attention for their high damping capacities. Here we investigate the damping behavior of Ti 50 (Pd 50−x D x ) SMAs (D=Fe, Co, Mn, V) by dynamic mechanical analysis. We find that these alloys show remarkably similar damping behavior. There exists a sharp damping peak associated with the B2–B19 martensitic transformation and a high damping plateau (Q −1 ~0.02–0.05) over a wide ambient-temperature range (220–420 K) due to the hysteretic twin boundary motion. After doping hydrogen into the above alloys, a new relaxation-type damping peak appears in the martensite phase over 270–360 K. Such a peak is considered to originate from the interaction of hydrogen atoms with twin boundaries and the corresponding damping capacity (Q −1 ~0.05–0.09) is enhanced by roughly twice that of the damping plateau for each alloy. Moreover, the relaxation peaks are at higher temperatures for the TiPd-based alloys (270–370 K) than for the TiNi-based alloys (190–260 K). We discuss the influence of hydrogen diffusion, mobility of twin boundaries and hydrogen–twin boundary interaction on the temperature range of the relaxation peak. Our results suggest that a martensite, with appropriate values for twinning shear and hydrogen doping level, provides a route towards developing high damping SMAs for applications in desired temperature ranges

Kilowatt-level cladding light stripper for high-power fiber laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Ping; Sun, Junyi; Huang, Yusheng; Li, Dan; Wang, Xuejiao; Xiao, Qirong; Gong, Mali

2017-03-01

We designed and fabricated a high-power cladding light stripper (CLS) by combining a fiber-etched CLS with a cascaded polymer-recoated CLS. The etched fiber reorganizes the numerical aperture (NA) distribution of the cladding light, leading to an increase in the leakage power and a flatter distribution of the leakage proportion in the cascaded polymer-recoated fiber. The index distribution of the cascaded polymer-recoated fiber is carefully designed to ensure an even leakage of cladding light. More stages near the index of 1.451 are included to disperse the heat. The CLS is capable of working consistently under 1187 W of cladding light with an attenuation of 26.59 dB, and the highest local temperature is less than 35°C.

High luminous flux from single crystal phosphor-converted laser-based white lighting system

KAUST Repository

Cantore, Michael

2015-12-14

The efficiency droop of light emitting diodes (LEDs) with increasing current density limits the amount of light emitted per wafer area. Since low current densities are required for high efficiency operation, many LED die are needed for high power white light illumination systems. In contrast, the carrier density of laser diodes (LDs) clamps at threshold, so the efficiency of LDs does not droop above threshold and high efficiencies can be achieved at very high current densities. The use of a high power blue GaN-based LD coupled with a single crystal Ce-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce) sample was investigated for white light illumination applications. Under CW operation, a single phosphor-converted LD (pc-LD) die produced a peak luminous efficacy of 86.7 lm/W at 1.4 A and 4.24 V and a peak luminous flux of 1100 lm at 3.0 A and 4.85 V with a luminous efficacy of 75.6 lm/W. Simulations of a pc-LD confirm that the single crystal YAG:Ce sample did not experience thermal quenching at peak LD operating efficiency. These results show that a single pc-LD die is capable of emitting enough luminous flux for use in a high power white light illumination system.

Exploring the Limits of Crop Productivity: High Light Studies with Lettuce

OpenAIRE

USU Crop Physiology Lab

2015-01-01

There are many different leaf lettuce cultivars and they range in color from light green and yellow to deep green as a result of higher concentrations of chlorophyll in the leaves. We tested four cultivars in high light to explore the limits of lettuce productivity.

Integration of a high-NA light microscope in a scanning electron microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Zonnevylle, A C; Van Tol, R F C; Liv, N; Narvaez, A C; Effting, A P J; Kruit, P; Hoogenboom, J P

2013-10-01

We present an integrated light-electron microscope in which an inverted high-NA objective lens is positioned inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM objective lens and the light objective lens have a common axis and focal plane, allowing high-resolution optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy on the same area of a sample simultaneously. Components for light illumination and detection can be mounted outside the vacuum, enabling flexibility in the construction of the light microscope. The light objective lens can be positioned underneath the SEM objective lens during operation for sub-10 μm alignment of the fields of view of the light and electron microscopes. We demonstrate in situ epifluorescence microscopy in the SEM with a numerical aperture of 1.4 using vacuum-compatible immersion oil. For a 40-nm-diameter fluorescent polymer nanoparticle, an intensity profile with a FWHM of 380 nm is measured whereas the SEM performance is uncompromised. The integrated instrument may offer new possibilities for correlative light and electron microscopy in the life sciences as well as in physics and chemistry. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2013 Royal Microscopical Society.

Electron-transporting layer doped with cesium azide for high-performance phosphorescent and tandem white organic light-emitting devices

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yaoyao; Chen, Xingming; Jin, Yu; Wu, Zhijun; Yu, Ye; Lin, Wenyan; Yang, Huishan

2017-07-01

Cesium azide was employed as an effective n-dopant in the electron-transporting layer (ETL) of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) owing to its low deposition temperature and high ambient stability. By doping cesium azide onto 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, a green phosphorescent OLED having best efficiencies of 66.25 cd A-1, 81.22 lm W-1 and 18.82% was realized. Moreover, the efficiency roll-off from 1000 cd m-2 to 10 000 cd m-2 is only 12.9%, which is comparable with or even lower than that of devices utilizing the co-host system. Physical mechanisms for the improvement of device performance were studied in depth by analyzing the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of the electron-only devices. In particular, by comparing the J-V characteristics of the electron-only devices instead of applying the complicated ultraviolet photoelectron spectrometer measurements, we deduced the decrease in barrier height for electron injection at the ETL/cathode contact. Finally, an efficient tandem white OLED utilizing the n-doped layer in the charge generation unit (CGU) was constructed. As far as we know, this is the first report on the application of this CGU for fabricating tandem white OLEDs. The emissions of the tandem device are all in the warm white region from 1213 cd m-2 to 10870 cd m-2, as is beneficial to the lighting application.

Electron-transporting layer doped with cesium azide for high-performance phosphorescent and tandem white organic light-emitting devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Yaoyao; Chen, Xingming; Jin, Yu; Wu, Zhijun; Yu, Ye; Lin, Wenyan; Yang, Huishan

2017-01-01

Cesium azide was employed as an effective n-dopant in the electron-transporting layer (ETL) of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) owing to its low deposition temperature and high ambient stability. By doping cesium azide onto 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, a green phosphorescent OLED having best efficiencies of 66.25 cd A −1 , 81.22 lm W −1 and 18.82% was realized. Moreover, the efficiency roll-off from 1000 cd m −2 to 10 000 cd m −2 is only 12.9%, which is comparable with or even lower than that of devices utilizing the co-host system. Physical mechanisms for the improvement of device performance were studied in depth by analyzing the current density–voltage ( J – V ) characteristics of the electron-only devices. In particular, by comparing the J – V characteristics of the electron-only devices instead of applying the complicated ultraviolet photoelectron spectrometer measurements, we deduced the decrease in barrier height for electron injection at the ETL/cathode contact. Finally, an efficient tandem white OLED utilizing the n-doped layer in the charge generation unit (CGU) was constructed. As far as we know, this is the first report on the application of this CGU for fabricating tandem white OLEDs. The emissions of the tandem device are all in the warm white region from 1213 cd m −2 to 10870 cd m −2 , as is beneficial to the lighting application. (paper)

Automated Processing Workflow for Ambient Seismic Recordings

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, A. J.; Shragge, J.

2017-12-01

Structural imaging using body-wave energy present in ambient seismic data remains a challenging task, largely because these wave modes are commonly much weaker than surface wave energy. In a number of situations body-wave energy has been extracted successfully; however, (nearly) all successful body-wave extraction and imaging approaches have focused on cross-correlation processing. While this is useful for interferometric purposes, it can also lead to the inclusion of unwanted noise events that dominate the resulting stack, leaving body-wave energy overpowered by the coherent noise. Conversely, wave-equation imaging can be applied directly on non-correlated ambient data that has been preprocessed to mitigate unwanted energy (i.e., surface waves, burst-like and electromechanical noise) to enhance body-wave arrivals. Following this approach, though, requires a significant preprocessing effort on often Terabytes of ambient seismic data, which is expensive and requires automation to be a feasible approach. In this work we outline an automated processing workflow designed to optimize body wave energy from an ambient seismic data set acquired on a large-N array at a mine site near Lalor Lake, Manitoba, Canada. We show that processing ambient seismic data in the recording domain, rather than the cross-correlation domain, allows us to mitigate energy that is inappropriate for body-wave imaging. We first develop a method for window selection that automatically identifies and removes data contaminated by coherent high-energy bursts. We then apply time- and frequency-domain debursting techniques to mitigate the effects of remaining strong amplitude and/or monochromatic energy without severely degrading the overall waveforms. After each processing step we implement a QC check to investigate improvements in the convergence rates - and the emergence of reflection events - in the cross-correlation plus stack waveforms over hour-long windows. Overall, the QC analyses suggest that

Blue Light Enhances Bacterial Clearance and Reduces Organ Injury During Sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Anthony J; Zhang, Xianghong; Griepentrog, John E; Yuan, Du; Collage, Richard D; Waltz, Paul K; Angus, Derek C; Zuckerbraun, Brian S; Rosengart, Matthew R

2018-05-04

The physiology of nearly all mammalian organisms are entrained by light and exhibit circadian rhythm. The data derived from animal studies show that light influences immunity, and these neurophysiologic pathways are maximally entrained by the blue spectrum. Here, we hypothesize that bright blue light reduces acute kidney injury by comparison with either bright red or standard, white fluorescent light in mice subjected to sepsis. To further translational relevance, we performed a pilot clinical trial of blue light therapy in human subjects with appendicitis. Laboratory animal research, pilot human feasibility trial. University basic science laboratory and tertiary care hospital. Male C57BL/6J mice, adult (> 17 yr) patients with acute appendicitis. Mice underwent cecal ligation and puncture and were randomly assigned to a 24-hour photoperiod of bright blue, bright red, or ambient white fluorescent light. Subjects with appendicitis were randomized to receive postoperatively standard care or standard care plus high-illuminance blue light. Exposure to bright blue light enhanced bacterial clearance from the peritoneum, reduced bacteremia and systemic inflammation, and attenuated the degree of acute kidney injury. The mechanism involved an elevation in cholinergic tone that augmented tissue expression of the nuclear orphan receptor REV-ERBα and occurred independent of alterations in melatonin or corticosterone concentrations. Clinically, exposure to blue light after appendectomy was feasible and reduced serum interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 concentrations. Modifying the spectrum of light may offer therapeutic utility in sepsis.

Light emitting diodes as an alternative ambient illumination source in photolithography environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Corell, Dennis Dan; Ou, Haiyan; Dam-Hansen, Carsten

2009-01-01

We explored an alternative light emitting diode (LED) - based solution to replace the existing yellow fluorescent light tubes (YFT) used in photolithography rooms. A no-blue LED lamp was designed and a prototype was fabricated. For both solutions, the spectral power distribution (SPD) was measured......, the colorimetric values were calculated, and a visual comparison using Gretagmacbeth colorcharts was performed. The visual comparison showed that the LED bulb was better to render colors despite a low color rendering index (CRI). Furthermore, the LED bulb was tested in a photolithography room...... and there was no exposure to the photoresist even after 168 hours illumination....

Salud ambiental: conceptos y actividades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalo A. Ordóñez

2000-03-01

Full Text Available La finalidad del trabajo es aportar información y propuestas conceptuales que faciliten la tarea de quienes tienen a su cargo la sistematización institucional de la salud ambiental. Se hace un análisis de la noción de "ambiente" para la cual se sugiere una definición, y se examina el lugar de la salud ambiental en el contexto de los problemas ambientales y sus vertientes "verde" y "azul". Se examinan denominaciones equivalentes de salud ambiental y se introducen los servicios de salud ambiental. Se proporcionan varias definiciones y se da la oficial de salud ambiental adoptada por la OMS en Sofía, Bulgaria (1993. A continuación se transcriben las áreas básicas que a la salud ambiental le han asignado diversas organizaciones o reuniones, como la OPS, la OMS, el Programa 21 y otros. A partir de aquí se construye un repertorio bastante completo de áreas y subáreas y se encuentra que todos los listados son, en realidad, una reunión asistemática de tres tipos de constituyentes: determinantes (factores o hechos de la realidad física, procesos (conjuntos de intervenciones y funciones (conjuntos de acciones de gestión, los cuales pueden enfocarse matricialmente y llevan a individualizar actividades de los servicios de salud ambiental. Se proponen unas reglas de operación que permiten, en una especie de álgebra, construir expresiones para especificar con precisión las actividades y sus agregados. De este modo se logra disponer de un lenguaje simbólico común que puede ayudar a la intercomunicación, enseñanza e investigación en el ámbito de la salud ambiental.

Development of high-performance solar LED lighting system

KAUST Repository

Huang, B.J.; Wu, M.S.; Hsu, P.C.; Chen, J.W.; Chen, K.Y.

2010-01-01

The present study developed a high-performance charge/discharge controller for stand-alone solar LED lighting system by incorporating an nMPPO system design, a PWM battery charge control, and a PWM battery discharge control to directly drive the LED. The MPPT controller can then be removed from the stand-alone solar system and the charged capacity of the battery increases 9.7%. For LED driven by PWM current directly from battery, a reliability test for the light decay of LED lamps was performed continuously for 13,200 h. It has shown that the light decay of PWM-driven LED is the same as that of constant-current driven LED. The switching energy loss of the MOSFET in the PWM battery discharge control is less than 1%. Three solar-powered LED lighting systems (18 W, 100 W and 150 W LED) were designed and built. The long-term outdoor field test results have shown that the system performance is satisfactory with the control system developed in the present study. The loss of load probability for the 18 W solar LED system is 14.1% in winter and zero in summer. For the 100 W solar LED system, the loss of load probability is 3.6% in spring. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of high-performance solar LED lighting system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, B.J.; Wu, M.S.; Hsu, P.C.; Chen, J.W.; Chen, K.Y.

2010-01-01

The present study developed a high-performance charge/discharge controller for stand-alone solar LED lighting system by incorporating an nMPPO system design, a PWM battery charge control, and a PWM battery discharge control to directly drive the LED. The MPPT controller can then be removed from the stand-alone solar system and the charged capacity of the battery increases 9.7%. For LED driven by PWM current directly from battery, a reliability test for the light decay of LED lamps was performed continuously for 13,200 h. It has shown that the light decay of PWM-driven LED is the same as that of constant-current driven LED. The switching energy loss of the MOSFET in the PWM battery discharge control is less than 1%. Three solar-powered LED lighting systems (18 W, 100 W and 150 W LED) were designed and built. The long-term outdoor field test results have shown that the system performance is satisfactory with the control system developed in the present study. The loss of load probability for the 18 W solar LED system is 14.1% in winter and zero in summer. For the 100 W solar LED system, the loss of load probability is 3.6% in spring.

Development of high-performance solar LED lighting system

KAUST Repository

Huang, B.J.

2010-08-01

The present study developed a high-performance charge/discharge controller for stand-alone solar LED lighting system by incorporating an nMPPO system design, a PWM battery charge control, and a PWM battery discharge control to directly drive the LED. The MPPT controller can then be removed from the stand-alone solar system and the charged capacity of the battery increases 9.7%. For LED driven by PWM current directly from battery, a reliability test for the light decay of LED lamps was performed continuously for 13,200 h. It has shown that the light decay of PWM-driven LED is the same as that of constant-current driven LED. The switching energy loss of the MOSFET in the PWM battery discharge control is less than 1%. Three solar-powered LED lighting systems (18 W, 100 W and 150 W LED) were designed and built. The long-term outdoor field test results have shown that the system performance is satisfactory with the control system developed in the present study. The loss of load probability for the 18 W solar LED system is 14.1% in winter and zero in summer. For the 100 W solar LED system, the loss of load probability is 3.6% in spring. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-efficiency white organic light-emitting diodes using thermally activated delayed fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishide, Jun-ichi; Hiraga, Yasuhide; Nakanotani, Hajime; Adachi, Chihaya

2014-01-01

White organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) have attracted much attention recently, aimed for next-generation lighting sources because of their high potential to realize high electroluminescence efficiency, flexibility, and low-cost manufacture. Here, we demonstrate high-efficiency WOLED using red, green, and blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials as emissive dopants to generate white electroluminescence. The WOLED has a maximum external quantum efficiency of over 17% with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage coordinates of (0.30, 0.38).

A high-performance stand-alone solar PV power system for LED lighting

KAUST Repository

Huang, B. J.

2010-06-01

The present study developed a high-performance solar PV power technology for the LED lighting of a solar home system. The nMPPO (near-Maximum-Power- Point- Operation) design is employed in system design to eliminate MPPT. A feedback control system using pulse width modulation (PWM) technique was developed for battery charging control which can increase the charging capacity by 78%. For high-efficiency lighting, the LED is directly driven by battery using a PWM discharge control to eliminate a DC/DC converter. Two solar-powered LED lighting systems (50W and 100W LED) were built. The long-term outdoor tests have shown that the loss of load probability for full-night lighting requirement is zero for 50W LED and 3.6% for 100W LED. © 2010 IEEE.

High efficiency electrophosphorescence from bilayer organic light emitting diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Minghang; Lin, Ming-Te; Shepherd, Nigel D [Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX (United States); Chen, Wei-Hsuan; Oswald, Iain; Omary, Mohammad [Department of Chemeistry, University of North Texas, Denton, TX (United States)

2011-09-14

An electron mobility of 2.7 x 10{sup -5} cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} was measured for the phosphorescent emitter bis[3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazolato]platinum(II)(Pt(ptp)2), which prompted its evaluation as both the emissive layer and electron transport layer in organic light emitting diodes with a simple bilayer structure. Power and external quantum efficiencies of 54.0 {+-} 0.2 lm W{sup -1} and 15.9% were obtained, which as far as we could ascertain are amongst the highest reported values for bilayer devices. We ascribe the high device efficiency to the combination of the high electron mobility, short excited-state lifetime (117 ns) and high luminescence quantum yield (60%) of the bis[3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazolato]platinum(II). The colour temperature of the devices was 2855 K at 5 V, which places the emission in the 'warm' light spectral region.

MODIFICANDO O AMBIENTE ESCOLAR ATRAVÉS DO PROJETO MEIO AMBIENTE: CULTIVANDO E CONHECENDO AS PLANTAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Letícia Caroline Lopes

2011-07-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho intitulado “MODIFICANDO O AMBIENTE ESCOLAR ATRAVÉS DO PROJETO MEIO AMBIENTE: CULTIVANDO E CONHECENDO AS PLANTAS” tem como desígnio apresentar o desenvolvimento do projeto “meio ambiente: cultivando e conhecendo as plantas”, no qual teve como proposta sensibilizar os alunos sobre a importância e preservação do meio ambiente através da prática e modificação do ambiente escolar, onde procurou-se utilizar materiais reciclados, tais como, garrafas pet, pneus velhos, carreteis de fios de eletricidade, e também mudas de arvore, plantas e hortaliças. Desta forma buscou se utilizar da criatividade dos envolvidos no processo para a transformação do ambiente escolar seco e vazio, para uma ambiente alegre, e acolhedor. O projeto foi elaborado pelas professoras da Extensão Betel, e aplicado em parceria com acadêmicos do sexto semestre do curso de Licenciatura em Pedagogia da Universidade do Estado do Mato Grosso (UNEMAT, campus de Sinop. Tendo como proposta a interdisciplinaridade, o projeto foi divido em três eixos orientados pelas professoras Edneuza Alves Trugillo, Sinóvia Rauber e Mariza Kreinner, abrangendo assim alunos e professoras de duas turmas de 2º Ano do Ensino Fundamental, e acadêmicos e professores da Universidade, os eixos foram arborização, jardinagem e horta, onde teve a duração de aproximadamente dois meses. A finalização das práticas obteve resultados satisfatórios e objetivos alcançados, tanto pela sensibilização dos alunos sobre a preservação e importância do meio-ambiente, quanto pela prática de intervenção pelos acadêmicos envolvidos no processo, que em coletividade conseguiram modificar o ambiente escolar através do objetivo do projeto, meio-ambiente, proporcionando assim um enriquecimento na formação acadêmica enquanto práticas pedagógicas.

Progress in extremely high brightness LED-based light sources

Science.gov (United States)

Hoelen, Christoph; Antonis, Piet; de Boer, Dick; Koole, Rolf; Kadijk, Simon; Li, Yun; Vanbroekhoven, Vincent; Van De Voorde, Patrick

2017-09-01

Although the maximum brightness of LEDs has been increasing continuously during the past decade, their luminance is still far from what is required for multiple applications that still rely on the high brightness of discharge lamps. In particular for high brightness applications with limited étendue, e.g. front projection, only very modest luminance values in the beam can be achieved with LEDs compared to systems based on discharge lamps or lasers. With dedicated architectures, phosphor-converted green LEDs for projection may achieve luminance values up to 200-300 Mnit. In this paper we report on the progress made in the development of light engines based on an elongated luminescent concentrator pumped by blue LEDs. This concept has recently been introduced to the market as ColorSpark High Lumen Density LED technology. These sources outperform the maximum brightness of LEDs by multiple factors. In LED front projection, green LEDs are the main limiting factor. With our green modules, we now have achieved peak luminance values of 2 Gnit, enabling LED-based projection systems with over 4000 ANSI lm. Extension of this concept to yellow and red light sources is presented. The light source efficiency has been increased considerably, reaching 45-60 lm/W for green under practical application conditions. The module architecture, beam shaping, and performance characteristics are reviewed, as well as system aspects. The performance increase, spectral range extensions, beam-shaping flexibility, and cost reductions realized with the new module architecture enable a breakthrough in LED-based projection systems and in a wide variety of other high brightness applications.

Educação ambiental na escola: a perspectiva estudantil sobre o meio ambiente e a propaganda ambiental na internet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Reis de Pinho Tavares

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho visa mostrar as idéias dos estudantes sobre um tema - a propaganda - refletindo como ela se insere na questão ambiental. Também abordamos como os alunos percebem questões como as relações, empresa, meio ambiente e sociedade. Foi realizado em uma oficina de Educação Ambiental, em uma escola particular de Lagoa Santa - MG, durante os meses de junho e julho de 2004. Analisaram-se sites de diversas empresas e ONG's (Organizações Não Governamentais. Em sua maioria os estudantes conseguiram posicionar-se criticamente em relação às entidades investigadas.

Numerical and experimental investigation of GaN-based flip-chip light-emitting diodes with highly reflective Ag/TiW and ITO/DBR Ohmic contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shengjun; Liu, Xingtong; Gao, Yilin; Liu, Yingce; Liu, Mengling; Liu, Zongyuan; Gui, Chengqun; Liu, Sheng

2017-10-30

We demonstrate two types of GaN-based flip-chip light-emitting diodes (FCLEDs) with highly reflective Ag/TiW and indium-tin oxide (ITO)/distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) p-type Ohmic contacts. We show that a direct Ohmic contact to p-GaN layer using pure Ag is obtained when annealed at 600°C in N 2 ambient. A TiW diffusion barrier layer covered onto Ag is used to suppress the agglomeration of Ag and thus maintain high reflectance of Ag during high temperature annealing process. We develop a strip-shaped SiO 2 current blocking layer beneath the ITO/DBR to alleviate current crowding occurring in FCLED with ITO/DBR. Owing to negligibly small spreading resistance of Ag, however, our combined numerical and experimental results show that the FCLED with Ag/TiW has a more favorable current spreading uniformity in comparison to the FCLED with ITO/DBR. As a result, the light output power of FCLED with Ag/TiW is 7.5% higher than that of FCLED with ITO/DBR at 350 mA. The maximum output power of the FCLED with Ag/TiW obtained at 305.6 A/cm 2 is 29.3% larger than that of the FCLED with ITO/DBR obtained at 278.9 A/cm 2 . The improvement appears to be due to the enhanced current spreading and higher optical reflectance provided by the Ag/TiW.

Use of long-term stable CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots in phospho-silicate glass for highly efficient white LEDs.

Science.gov (United States)

Di, Xiaoxuan; Hu, Zemin; Jiang, Jutao; He, Meiling; Zhou, Lei; Xiang, Weidong; Liang, Xiaojuan

2017-10-05

We report the synthesis of CsPbBr 3 QDs with great stability and high quantum yield in phospho-silicate glass, which was fabricated by using a heat-treatment approach, for white light emitting devices. QD glasses exhibited excellent photo- and thermal stability, and significantly prolonged the lifetime of light emitters under ambient air conditions.

Variability of Battery Wear in Light Duty Plug-In Electric Vehicles Subject to Ambient Temperature, Battery Size, and Consumer Usage: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wood, E.; Neubauer, J.; Brooker, A. D.; Gonder, J.; Smith, K. A.

2012-08-01

Battery wear in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is a complex function of ambient temperature, battery size, and disparate usage. Simulations capturing varying ambient temperature profiles, battery sizes, and driving patterns are of great value to battery and vehicle manufacturers. A predictive battery wear model developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory captures the effects of multiple cycling and storage conditions in a representative lithium chemistry. The sensitivity of battery wear rates to ambient conditions, maximum allowable depth-of-discharge, and vehicle miles travelled is explored for two midsize vehicles: a battery electric vehicle (BEV) with a nominal range of 75 mi (121 km) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) with a nominal charge-depleting range of 40 mi (64 km). Driving distance distributions represent the variability of vehicle use, both vehicle-to-vehicle and day-to-day. Battery wear over an 8-year period was dominated by ambient conditions for the BEV with capacity fade ranging from 19% to 32% while the PHEV was most sensitive to maximum allowable depth-of-discharge with capacity fade ranging from 16% to 24%. The BEV and PHEV were comparable in terms of petroleum displacement potential after 8 years of service, due to the BEV?s limited utility for accomplishing long trips.

Highly efficient greenish-blue platinum-based phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes on a high triplet energy platform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Y. L., E-mail: yilu.chang@mail.utoronto.ca; Gong, S., E-mail: sgong@chem.utoronto.ca; White, R.; Lu, Z. H., E-mail: zhenghong.lu@utoronto.ca [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 184 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4 (Canada); Wang, X.; Wang, S., E-mail: wangs@chem.queensu.ca [Department of Chemistry, Queen' s University, 90 Bader Lane, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 (Canada); Yang, C. [Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China)

2014-04-28

We have demonstrated high-efficiency greenish-blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) based on a dimesitylboryl-functionalized C^N chelate Pt(II) phosphor, Pt(m-Bptrz)(t-Bu-pytrz-Me). Using a high triplet energy platform and optimized double emissive zone device architecture results in greenish-blue PHOLEDs that exhibit an external quantum efficiency of 24.0% and a power efficiency of 55.8 lm/W. This record high performance is comparable with that of the state-of-the-art Ir-based sky-blue organic light-emitting diodes.

High gradient accelerators for linear light sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barletta, W.A.

1988-01-01

Ultra-high gradient radio frequency linacs powered by relativistic klystrons appear to be able to provide compact sources of radiation at XUV and soft x-ray wavelengths with a duration of 1 picosecond or less. This paper provides a tutorial review of the physics applicable to scaling the present experience of the accelerator community to the regime applicable to compact linear light sources. 22 refs., 11 figs., 21 tabs

Effect of surface roughness variation on the transmission characteristics of D-shaped fibers with ambient index change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyun-Joo; Kwon, Oh-Jang; Han, Young-Geun

2010-01-01

The influence of surface roughness on the sensitivity of D-shaped fibers to changes in the ambient index was investigated. In order to obtain D-shaped fibers with different surface roughness, we polished one side of the fibers by using different abrasive grits. The topographies of the surfaces of the polished D-shaped fibers were then observed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The light scattered from the rough surfaces of the D-shaped fibers was measured by using optical microscopy. The effect of an ambient index change on the transmission characteristics of D-shaped fibers was measured for various values of the surface roughness. The experimental results indicate that variations in the surface roughness have a considerable influence on the sensitivity of the transmission characteristics of D-shaped fibers to changes in the ambient index.

A component of retinal light adaptation mediated by the thyroid hormone cascade.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana E Bedolla

Full Text Available Analysis with DNA-microrrays and real time PCR show that several genes involved in the thyroid hormone cascade, such as deiodinase 2 and 3 (Dio2 and Dio3 are differentially regulated by the circadian clock and by changes of the ambient light. The expression level of Dio2 in adult rats (2-3 months of age kept continuously in darkness is modulated by the circadian clock and is up-regulated by 2 fold at midday. When the diurnal ambient light was on, the expression level of Dio2 increased by 4-8 fold and a consequent increase of the related protein was detected around the nuclei of retinal photoreceptors and of neurons in inner and outer nuclear layers. The expression level of Dio3 had a different temporal pattern and was down-regulated by diurnal light. Our results suggest that DIO2 and DIO3 have a role not only in the developing retina but also in the adult retina and are powerfully regulated by light. As the thyroid hormone is a ligand-inducible transcription factor controlling the expression of several target genes, the transcriptional activation of Dio2 could be a novel genomic component of light adaptation.

Highly Efficient Visible Colloidal Lead-Halide Perovskite Nanocrystal Light-Emitting Diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Fei; Xing, Jun; Xing, Guichuan; Quan, Lina; Tan, Swee Tiam; Zhao, Jiaxin; Su, Rui; Zhang, Lulu; Chen, Shi; Zhao, Yawen; Huan, Alfred; Sargent, Edward H.; Xiong, Qihua; Demir, Hilmi Volkan

2018-05-01

Lead-halide perovskites have been attracting attention for potential use in solid-state lighting. Following the footsteps of solar cells, the field of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) has been growing rapidly. Their application prospects in lighting, however, remain still uncertain due to a variety of shortcomings in device performance including their limited levels of luminous efficiency achievable thus far. Here we show high-efficiency PeLEDs based on colloidal perovskite nanocrystals (PeNCs) synthesized at room temperature possessing dominant first-order excitonic radiation (enabling a photoluminescence quantum yield of 71% in solid film), unlike in the case of bulk perovskites with slow electron-hole bimolecular radiative recombination (a second-order process). In these PeLEDs, by reaching charge balance in the recombination zone, we find that the Auger nonradiative recombination, with its significant role in emission quenching, is effectively suppressed in low driving current density range. In consequence, these devices reach a record high maximum external quantum efficiency of 12.9% reported to date and an unprecedentedly high power efficiency of 30.3 lm W-1 at luminance levels above 1000 cd m-2 as required for various applications. These findings suggest that, with feasible levels of device performance, the PeNCs hold great promise for their use in LED lighting and displays.

COMPLEJIDAD AMBIENTAL: PROPUESTAS ÉTICAS EMERGENTES DEL PENSAMIENTO AMBIENTAL LATINOAMERICANO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noguera de Echeverri Ana Patricia

2008-07-01

Full Text Available En este artículo, se recogen las propuestas ético ambientales más importantes de la Escuela de Pensamiento Ambiental Latinoamericano, que ha ido construyéndose desde hace 30 años. Se destacan autores de primera línea en el campo de la construcción de Pensamiento Ambiental filosófico, como el Filósofo y Pensador Colombiano, de trascendencia latinoamericana, Augusto Ángel Maya, quien plantea la posibilidad de construir una Filosofía Ambiental Ético estética, dado que la Filosofía Moderna ha sido Metafísica, aún en sus corrientes empiristas, positivistas y neopositivistas. Se destaca la obra de Enrique Leff, mexicano, que propone los conceptos de Complejidad y Saber Ambiental, como puntos de partida de una ética en la educación, la ciencia y la tecnología, dentro de unas relaciones sistémicas y holísticas. Igualmente la propuesta ético estética compleja de Julio Carrizoza, colombiano, se hace presente en este ensayo, como una propuesta política fundamental ante problemas colombianos como son la violencia y la exclusión. Las propuestas de Filósofos colombianos de gran importancia en el campo de la Filosofía Política y Moral, que han desembocado en la propuesta de una Ética Ambiental, Pública y Comunicativa, como es el caso de Guillermo Hoyos Vásquez y de otros pensadores tanto de Colombia como de otros países latinoamericanos, se presentan en este espacio, con el fin de recoger de manera crítica nuestras ideas acerca de la posibilidad de una ética ambiental, es decir una ética descentrada, sin sujeto y sin objeto, una ética sistémica, donde los valores se construyen en las relaciones y donde la intricada trama de la vida, que ha venido construyéndose desde hace más de 2.500 millones de años, y de la cual somos meros hilos, pasa de ser objeto a ser valor primero en su más genuino sentido.

Det ambientes fænomenologi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walther-Hansen, Mads

2014-01-01

Det ambiente: sansning, medialisering, omgivelse er et aktuelt og ambitiøst værk. Bogen skildrer hvordan ambiente fænomener har fået en stigende betydning i den moderne verden, og redegør for måden hvorpå det ambiente virker ind på hele vores oplevelseskultur. Det er en levende, uprætentiøs og frem...

Effect of high ambient temperature on behavior of sheep under semi-arid tropical environment.

Science.gov (United States)

De, Kalyan; Kumar, Davendra; Saxena, Vijay Kumar; Thirumurugan, Palanisamy; Naqvi, Syed Mohammed Khursheed

2017-07-01

High environmental temperature is a major constraint in sheep production under semi-arid tropical environment. Behavior is the earliest indicator of animal's adaptation and responses to the environmental alteration. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of high ambient temperature on the behavior of sheep under a semi-arid tropical environment. The experiment was conducted for 6 weeks on 16 Malpura cross (Garole × Malpura × Malpura (GMM)) rams. The rams were divided equally into two groups, designated as C and T. The rams of C were kept in comfortable environmental conditions served as control. The rams of T were exposed to a different temperature at different hours of the day in a climatic chamber, to simulate a high environmental temperature of summer in semi-arid tropic. The behavioral observations were taken by direct instantaneous observation at 15-min intervals for each animal individually. The feeding, ruminating, standing, and lying behaviors were recorded twice a week from morning (0800 hours) to afternoon (1700 hours) for 6 weeks. Exposure of rams to high temperature (T) significantly (P behavior of sheep which is directed to circumvent the effect of the stressor.

Effect of high ambient temperature on behavior of sheep under semi-arid tropical environment

Science.gov (United States)

De, Kalyan; Kumar, Davendra; Saxena, Vijay Kumar; Thirumurugan, Palanisamy; Naqvi, Syed Mohammed Khursheed

2017-07-01

High environmental temperature is a major constraint in sheep production under semi-arid tropical environment. Behavior is the earliest indicator of animal's adaptation and responses to the environmental alteration. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of high ambient temperature on the behavior of sheep under a semi-arid tropical environment. The experiment was conducted for 6 weeks on 16 Malpura cross (Garole × Malpura × Malpura (GMM)) rams. The rams were divided equally into two groups, designated as C and T. The rams of C were kept in comfortable environmental conditions served as control. The rams of T were exposed to a different temperature at different hours of the day in a climatic chamber, to simulate a high environmental temperature of summer in semi-arid tropic. The behavioral observations were taken by direct instantaneous observation at 15-min intervals for each animal individually. The feeding, ruminating, standing, and lying behaviors were recorded twice a week from morning (0800 hours) to afternoon (1700 hours) for 6 weeks. Exposure of rams to high temperature (T) significantly ( P animals of T spent significantly ( P behavior of sheep which is directed to circumvent the effect of the stressor.

Persuasion in Ambient Intelligence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaptein, M.C.; Markopoulos, P.; Ruyter, de B.E.R.; Aarts, E.H.L.

2010-01-01

Although the field of persuasive technologies has lately attracted a lot of attention, only recently the notion of ambient persuasive technologies was introduced. Ambient persuasive technologies can be integrated into every aspect of life, and as such have greater persuasive power than the

Effects of dietary on antioxidant status, lipid profile, immune response and performance characteristics of broiler chickens reared under high ambient temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Mirzaie

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Objective Spirulina has been recognized formerly as a filamentous spiral-shaped blue-green algae but more recently as a genus of photosynthetic bacteria (Arthrospira. This microorganism is considered as a rich source of essential nutrients for human and animals. The present study was conducted to determine potential application of Spirulina for heat-exposed broilers. Methods Two hundred and fifty Cobb 500 chicks with male to female in equal ratio with average initial weight of 615.6 g at 17 days of age were divided into 5 treatments with 5 replicates of 10 chicks. Treatment groups were as follows: positive and negative controls with 0% Spirulina supplement and three Spirulina receiving groups with 5 g/kg (0.5%, 10 g/kg (1%, and 20 g/kg (2% supplementation. Spirulina receiving groups as well as positive control were exposed to high ambient temperature at 36°C for 6 h/d from 38 to 44 days of age. Biochemical variables were measured in serum samples at 35, 38, 42, and 45 days of broiler chickens age. Results The results showed that supplementation of the diet with Spirulina decreased concentration of stress hormone and some serum lipid parameters while enhanced humoral immunity response and elevated antioxidant status whereas it didn’t meaningfully affect performance characteristics. Nevertheless, feed conversion ratio was improved numerically but not statistically in broilers fed with 1% Spirulina under high ambient temperature. Conclusion Overall, the present study suggests that alleviation of adverse impacts due to high ambient temperature at biochemical level including impaired enzymatic antioxidant system, elevated stress hormone and lipid profile can be approached in broiler chickens through supplementation of the diet with Spirulina platensis.

Vibration compensated high-resolution scanning white-light Linnik-interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Tereschenko, Stanislav; Lehmann, Peter; Gollor, Pascal; Kuehnhold, Peter

2017-06-01

We present a high-resolution Linnik scanning white-light interferometer (SWLI) with integrated distance measuring interferometer (DMI) for close-to-machine applications in the presence of environmental vibrations. The distance, measured by DMI during the depth-scan, is used for vibration compensation of SWLI signals. The reconstruction of the white-light interference signals takes place after measurement by reordering the captured images in accordance with their real positions obtained by the DMI and subsequent trigonometrical approximation. This system is the further development of our previously presented Michelson-interferometer. We are able to compensate for arbitrary vibrations with frequencies up to several kilohertz and amplitudes in the lower micrometer range. Completely distorted SWLI signals can be reconstructed and the surface topography can be obtained with high accuracy. We demonstrate the feasibility of the method by examples of practical measurements with and without vibrational disturbances.

Achieving Energy Savings with Highly-Controlled Lighting in an Open-Plan Office

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rubinstein, Francis; Enscoe, Abby

2010-04-19

An installation in a Federal building tested the effectiveness of a highly-controlled, workstation-specific lighting retrofit. The study took place in an open-office area with 86 cubicles and low levels of daylight. Each cubicle was illuminated by a direct/indirectpendant luminaire with three 32 watt lamps, two dimmable DALI ballasts, and an occupancy sensor. A centralized control system programmed all three lamps to turn on and off according to occupancy on a workstation-by-workstation basis. Field measurements taken over the course of several monthsdemonstrated 40% lighting energy savings compared to a baseline without advanced controls that conforms to GSA's current retrofit standard. A photometric analysis found that the installation provided higher desktop light levels than the baseline, while an occupant survey found that occupants in general preferred the lighting system to thebaseline.Simple payback is fairly high; projects that can achieve lower installation costs and/or higher energy savings and those in which greenhouse gas reduction and occupant satisfaction are significant priorities provide the ideal setting for workstation-specific lighting retrofits.

Ten Minutes of α-tACS and Ambient Illumination Independently Modulate EEG α-Power

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Heiko I. Stecher

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS sees increased use in neurosciences as a tool for the exploration of brain oscillations. It has been shown that tACS stimulation in specific frequency bands can result in aftereffects of modulated oscillatory brain activity that persist after the stimulation has ended. The general relationship between persistency of the effect and duration of stimulation is sparsely investigated but previous research has shown that the occurrence of tACS aftereffects depends on the brain state before and during stimulation. Early alpha neurofeedback research suggests that particularly in the alpha band the responsiveness to a manipulation depends on the ambient illumination during measurement. Therefore, in the present study we assessed the brain’s susceptibility to tACS at the individual alpha frequency during darkness compared to ambient illumination. We measured alpha power after 10 min of stimulation in 30 participants while they continuously performed a visual vigilance task. Our results show that immediately after stimulation, the alpha power in the illumination condition for both the stimulated and sham group has increased by only about 7%, compared to about 20% in both groups in the ‘dark’ condition. For the group that did not receive stimulation, the power in darkness remained stable after stimulation, whereas the power in light increased by an additional 10% during the next 30 min. For the group that did receive stimulation, alpha power during these 30 min increased by another 11% in light and 22% in darkness. Since alpha power already increased by about 10% without stimulation, the effect of illumination does not seem to have interacted with the effect of stimulation. Instead, both effects seem to have added up linearly. Although our findings do not show that illumination-induced differences in oscillatory activity influence the susceptibility toward tACS, they stress the importance of

High voltage interactions of a sounding rocket with the ambient and system-generated environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuharski, R.A.; Jongeward, G.A.; Wilcox, K.G.; Rankin, T.V.; Roche, J.C.

1990-01-01

The high-power space systems will interact with their environment far more severely than the low-voltage, low-power space systems flown to date. As a minimum, these interactions will include ionization and bulk breakdown, plasma-induced surface flashover, oxygen erosion, meteor and debris damage, and radiation effects. The SPEAR program is addressing some of these issues through the development and testing of high-powered systems for the space environment. SPEAR III, the latest in the SPEAR program, is scheduled to fly in early 1991. It will test high-voltage designs in both ambient and system-generated environments. Two of the key questions that the experiment hopes to address are whether or not the Earth's magnetic field can cause the current that a high-voltage object draws from the plasma to be far less then the current that would be drawn in the absence of the magnetic field and under what neutral environment conditions a discharge from the high-voltage object to the plasma will occur. In this paper, the authors use EPSAT (the environment power system analysis tool) to baseline the design of SPEAR III. The authors' calculations indicate that the experiment will produce the conditions necessary to address these questions

Light sources and light pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pichler, G.

2005-01-01

From the dawn of mankind fire and light sources in general played an essential role in everyday life and protection over night. The development of new light sources went through many stages and is now an immense technological achievement, but also a threat for the wildlife at night, mainly because of the so-called light pollution. This paper discusses several very successful light sources connected with low pressure mercury and sodium vapour electric discharges. The luminous efficacy, colour rendering index and other lighting features cannot be always satisfactory, but at least some of the features can be much better than those met by the standard tungsten filament bulbs. High-pressure metal-vapour discharge lamps definitely have a good colour rendering index and a relatively high luminosity. Different light sources with burners at high pressure are discussed, paying special attention to their spectrum. The paper investigates new trends in development through a number of examples with non-toxic elements and pulsed electric discharge, which may be good news in terms of clean environment and energy savings. Light emitting diodes have recently appeared as worthy competitors to conventional light sources. White LEDs have approached 100 lumen/Watt efficacy in laboratories. This suggests that in some not very distant future they could completely replace high-pressure lamps, at least in indoor lighting. The article speculates on new developments which combine trends in nano technology and material science. The paper concludes with light pollution in view of several recent observations of plant and animal life at night in the vicinity of strong light sources. Photo-induced changes at the cell level may completely alter the normal life of plants and animals.(author)

Algorithms in ambient intelligence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarts, E.H.L.; Korst, J.H.M.; Verhaegh, W.F.J.; Weber, W.; Rabaey, J.M.; Aarts, E.

2005-01-01

We briefly review the concept of ambient intelligence and discuss its relation with the domain of intelligent algorithms. By means of four examples of ambient intelligent systems, we argue that new computing methods and quantification measures are needed to bridge the gap between the class of

Photocatalysts: ambient temperature destruction of VOCs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, R [IT Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

1994-12-31

Photocatalysis was a failure as a solar energy driven organic synthesis technique, but as this study indicates, it has undergone a renaissance as a promising treatment method for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air streams. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) relies upon the ability of certain semiconductors to be stimulated by UV radiation. UV light excites valence band electrons in the semiconductor catalyst to jump to a conductance band leaving holes in the valence band. The electrons and holes can react with compounds such as organic contaminants present in an air stream. Hallmarks of the technology include rapid destruction kinetics for many VOCs at ambient temperature and efficient use energy in the form of UV-A photons. Studies clearly indicate that PCO is competitive on capital cost and offers significant operating cost savings on selected applications. 6 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs.

Photocatalysts: ambient temperature destruction of VOCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R.

1994-01-01

Photocatalysis was a failure as a solar energy driven organic synthesis technique, but as this study indicates, it has undergone a renaissance as a promising treatment method for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air streams. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) relies upon the ability of certain semiconductors to be stimulated by UV radiation. UV light excites valence band electrons in the semiconductor catalyst to jump to a conductance band leaving holes in the valence band. The electrons and holes can react with compounds such as organic contaminants present in an air stream. Hallmarks of the technology include rapid destruction kinetics for many VOCs at ambient temperature and efficient use energy in the form of UV-A photons. Studies clearly indicate that PCO is competitive on capital cost and offers significant operating cost savings on selected applications. 6 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii responding to high light: a role for 2-propenal (acrolein).

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, Thomas; Baur, Theresa; Stöggl, Wolfgang; Krieger-Liszkay, Anja

2017-09-01

High light causes photosystem II to generate singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can react with membrane lipids, releasing reactive electrophile species (RES), such as acrolein. To investigate how RES may contribute to light stress responses, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was high light-treated in photoautotrophic and mixotrophic conditions and also in an oxygen-enriched atmosphere to elevate ROS production. The responses were compared to exogenous acrolein. Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was higher in photoautotrophic cells, as a consequence of a more de-epoxidized state of the xanthophyll cycle pool and more LHCSR3 protein, showing that photosynthesis was under more pressure than in mixotrophic cells. Photoautotrophic cells had lowered α-tocopherol and β-carotene contents and a higher level of protein carbonylation, indicators of elevated 1 O 2 production. Levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase (GPX5) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST1), important antioxidants against RES, were also increased in photoautotrophic cells. In parallel to the wild-type, the LHCSR3-deficient npq4 mutant was high light-treated, which in photoautotrophic conditions exhibited particular sensitivity under elevated oxygen, the treatment that induced the highest RES levels, including acrolein. The npq4 mutant had more GPX5 and GST1 alongside higher levels of carbonylated protein and a more oxidized glutathione redox state. In wild-type cells glutathione contents doubled after 4 h treatment, either with high light under elevated oxygen or with a non-critical dose (600 ppm) of acrolein. Exogenous acrolein also increased GST1 levels, but not GPX5. Overall, RES-associated oxidative damage and glutathione metabolism are prominently associated with light stress and potentially in signaling responses of C. reinhardtii. © 2017 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Extraction of surface plasmons in organic light-emitting diodes via high-index coupling.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Bert J; Frischeisen, Jörg; Jaeger, Arndt; Setz, Daniel S; Reusch, Thilo C G; Brütting, Wolfgang

2012-03-12

The efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is still limited by poor light outcoupling. In particular, the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at metal-organic interfaces represents a major loss channel. By combining optical simulations and experiments on simplified luminescent thin-film structures we elaborate the conditions for the extraction of SPPs via coupling to high-index media. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the possibility to extract light from wave-guided modes and surface plasmons in a top-emitting white OLED by a high-index prism.

Sistemas de gestión ambiental normalizados

OpenAIRE

Fronti de García, Luisa; Pahlen, Ricardo José María; D’Onofrio, Paula Alejandra

2004-01-01

La contabilidad ambiental presupone la existencia de un sistema de gestión ambiental. Dentro del sistema integral de la organización, el sistema de gestión ambiental permite la obtención de información oportuna y segura. Podríamos definir el sistema de gestión ambiental de un ente como el conjunto de medidas destinadas a prevenir el impacto negativo de las actividades del ente sobre el medio ambiente. El sistema de gestión ambiental (SGA) es aquella parte del sistema de gestión total que incl...

Correlated colour temperature of morning light influences alertness and body temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Te Kulve, Marije; Schlangen, Luc; Schellen, Lisje; Souman, Jan L; van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter

2018-03-01

Though several studies have reported human alertness to be affected by the intensity and spectral composition of ambient light, the mechanism behind this effect is still largely unclear, especially for daytime exposure. Alerting effects of nocturnal light exposure are correlated with melatonin suppression, but melatonin levels are generally low during the day. The aim of this study was to explore the alerting effect of light in the morning for different correlated colour temperature (CCT) values, as well as its interaction with ambient temperature. Body temperature and perceived comfort were included in the study as possible mediating factors. In a randomized crossover design, 16 healthy females participated in two sessions, once under 2700K and once under 6500K light (both 55lx). Each session consisted of a baseline, a cool, a neutral and a warm thermal environment. Alertness as measured in a reaction time task was lower for the 6500K exposure, while subjective sleepiness was not affected by CCT. Also, core body temperature was higher under 6500K. Skin temperature parameters and perceived comfort were positively correlated with subjective sleepiness. Reaction time correlated with heat loss, but this association did not explain why the reaction time was improved for 2700K. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-brightness electron guns for linac-based light sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewellen, J.W.

2004-01-01

Most proposed linac-based light sources, such as single-pass free-electron lasers and energy-recovery-linacs, require very high-brightness electron beams in order to achieve their design performance. These beam requirements must be achieved not on an occasional basis, but rather must be met by every bunch produced by the source over extended periods of time. It is widely assumed that the beam source will be a photocathode electron gun; the selection of accelerator technique (e.g., dc or rf) for the gun is more dependent on the application.The current state of the art of electron beam production is adequate but not ideal for the first generation of linac-based light sources, such as the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) x-ray free-electron laser (X-FEL). For the next generation of linac-based light sources, an order of magnitude reduction in the transverse electron beam emittance is required to significantly reduce the cost of the facility. This is beyond the present state of the art, given the other beam properties that must be maintained. The requirements for current and future linac-based light source beam sources are presented here, along with a review of the present state of the art. A discussion of potential paths towards meeting future needs is presented at the conclusion.

High-Efficiency Nitride-Based Solid-State Lighting. Final Technical Progress Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul T. Fini; Shuji Nakamura

2005-01-01

In this final technical progress report we summarize research accomplished during Department of Energy contract DE-FC26-01NT41203, entitled ''High-Efficiency Nitride-Based Solid-State Lighting''. Two teams, from the University of California at Santa Barbara (Principle Investigator: Dr. Shuji Nakamura) and the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (led by Dr. N. Narendran), pursued the goals of this contract from thin film growth, characterization, and packaging/luminaire design standpoints. The UCSB team initially pursued the development of blue gallium nitride (GaN)-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, as well as ultraviolet GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs). In Year 2, the emphasis shifted to resonant-cavity light emitting diodes, also known as micro-cavity LEDs when extremely thin device cavities are fabricated. These devices have very directional emission and higher light extraction efficiency than conventional LEDs. Via the optimization of thin-film growth and refinement of device processing, we decreased the total cavity thickness to less than 1 (micro)m, such that micro-cavity effects were clearly observed and a light extraction efficiency of over 10% was reached. We also began the development of photonic crystals for increased light extraction, in particular for so-called ''guided modes'' which would otherwise propagate laterally in the device and be re-absorbed. Finally, we pursued the growth of smooth, high-quality nonpolar a-plane and m-plane GaN films, as well as blue light emitting diodes on these novel films. Initial nonpolar LEDs showed the expected behavior of negligible peak wavelength shift with increasing drive current. M-plane LEDs in particular show promise, as unpackaged devices had unsaturated optical output power of ∼ 3 mW at 200 mA drive current. The LRC's tasks were aimed at developing the subcomponents necessary for packaging UCSB's light emitting diodes, and packaging them to produce a white light

Contabilidade ambiental o passaporte para a competitividade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Elisabeth Pereira Kraemer

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Como todos os problemas ambientais provocaram grandes danos irreversíveis, que incidiram e incidem agora em todos os países subdesenvolvidos e desenvolvidos, nasce, então, como necessidade imperiosa, introduzir nos nossos sistemas econômicos a Contabilidade Ambiental, pois as organizações, até alguns anos atrás, preocupavam-se apenas com a eficiência dos sistemas produtivos. Chegamos a "era da revolução ambiental", e o ambiente não somente aparece como um conjunto de problemas relativos ao controle da contaminação, mas representa um custo no crescimento econômico. Neste sentido, o contador precisa de uma formação que se estenda além dos limites das técnicas e dos procedimentos. É necessário acrescentar o registro contábil do meio ambiente, dada a velocidade de sua afetação e a influência do mundo atual na utilização e disposição dos recursos naturais. Deve ser considerado como um dos princípios contábeis, onde é um desafio para a contabilidade. Precisa ser considerada como uma ciência contábil integrada, pois com a ciência ecológica e outras ciências são responsáveis pela natureza onde devem ser aplicados critérios de proteção ambiental, demonstrando que os recursos naturais constituem nosso principal capital. Partindo dessa premissa é que este trabalho está enfocando os seguintes tópicos: Responsabilidade Social da Empresa; A Empresa e o Meio Ambiente; Gestão Ambiental; Sistema de Gestão Ambiental; Ações para Preservar o Meio Ambiente - O Protocolo Verde, A Contabilidade, Custos Ambientais, Ativo Ambiental, Passivo Ambiental, Patrimônio Ambiental, Contabilidade Ambiental e Contabilidade Ambiental - o Passaporte para a Competitividade.

The concentrations of ambient Burkholderia pseudomallei during typhoon season in endemic area of melioidosis in Taiwan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ya-Lei Chen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Melioidosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei with a high case-fatality rate. Epidemiological and animal studies show the possibility of inhalation transmission. However, no B. pseudomallei concentrations in ambient air have been researched. Here, we developed a method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei and then measured concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei during the typhoon season and the non-typhoon season to determine the factors influencing ambient B. pseudomallei levels. METHODS: We quantified ambient B. pseudomallei by using a filter/real-time qPCR method in the Zoynan Region in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Twenty-four hour samples were collected at a sampling rate of 20 L/min every day from June 11 to December 21, 2012 including during the typhoon season (June to September and reference season (October to December. RESULTS: We successfully developed a filtration/real-time qPCR method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei. Ambient B. pseudomallei were only detected during the typhoon season when compared to the reference season. For the typhoons affecting the Zoynan Region, the positive rates of ambient B. pseudomallei were very high at 80% to 100%. During June to December, rainfall was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei with a statistical significance. Sediment at a nearby pond significantly influenced the concentration of ambient B. pseudomallei. During the typhoon month, the typhoon was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei whereas wind speed was reversely correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest the possibility of transmission of B. pseudomallei via inhalation during the typhoon season.

The concentrations of ambient Burkholderia pseudomallei during typhoon season in endemic area of melioidosis in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ya-Lei; Yen, Yu-Chuan; Yang, Chun-Yuh; Lee, Min Sheng; Ho, Chi-Kung; Mena, Kristina D; Wang, Peng-Yau; Chen, Pei-Shih

2014-01-01

Melioidosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei with a high case-fatality rate. Epidemiological and animal studies show the possibility of inhalation transmission. However, no B. pseudomallei concentrations in ambient air have been researched. Here, we developed a method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei and then measured concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei during the typhoon season and the non-typhoon season to determine the factors influencing ambient B. pseudomallei levels. We quantified ambient B. pseudomallei by using a filter/real-time qPCR method in the Zoynan Region in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Twenty-four hour samples were collected at a sampling rate of 20 L/min every day from June 11 to December 21, 2012 including during the typhoon season (June to September) and reference season (October to December). We successfully developed a filtration/real-time qPCR method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei. Ambient B. pseudomallei were only detected during the typhoon season when compared to the reference season. For the typhoons affecting the Zoynan Region, the positive rates of ambient B. pseudomallei were very high at 80% to 100%. During June to December, rainfall was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei with a statistical significance. Sediment at a nearby pond significantly influenced the concentration of ambient B. pseudomallei. During the typhoon month, the typhoon was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei whereas wind speed was reversely correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei. Our data suggest the possibility of transmission of B. pseudomallei via inhalation during the typhoon season.

Ambient illumination revisited: A new adaptation-based approach for optimizing medical imaging reading environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chawla, Amarpreet S.; Samei, Ehsan

2007-01-01

Ambient lighting in soft-copy reading rooms is currently kept at low values to preserve contrast rendition in the dark regions of a medical image. Low illuminance levels, however, create inadequate viewing conditions and may also cause eye strain. This eye strain may be potentially attributed to notable variations in the luminance adaptation state of the reader's eyes when moving the gaze intermittently between the brighter display and darker surrounding surfaces. This paper presents a methodology to minimize this variation and optimize the lighting conditions of reading rooms by exploiting the properties of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with low diffuse reflection coefficients and high luminance ratio. First, a computational model was developed to determine a global luminance adaptation value, L adp , when viewing a medical image on display. The model is based on the diameter of the pupil size, which depends on the luminance of the observed object. Second, this value was compared with the luminance reflected off surrounding surfaces, L s , under various conditions of room illuminance, E, different values of diffuse reflection coefficients of surrounding surfaces, R s , and calibration settings of a typical LCD. The results suggest that for typical luminance settings of current LCDs, it is possible to raise ambient illumination to minimize differences in eye adaptation, potentially reducing visual fatigue while also complying with the TG18 specifications for controlled contrast rendition. Specifically, room illumination in the 75-150 lux range and surface diffuse reflection coefficients in the practical range of 0.13-0.22 sr -1 provide an ideal setup for typical LCDs. Future LCDs with lower diffuse reflectivity and with higher inherent luminance ratios can provide further improvement of ergonomic viewing conditions in reading rooms

The effects of spectral tuning of evening ambient light on melatonin suppression, alertness and sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Shadab A; St Hilaire, Melissa A; Lockley, Steven W

2017-08-01

We compared the effects of bedroom-intensity light from a standard fluorescent and a blue- (i.e., short-wavelength) depleted LED source on melatonin suppression, alertness, and sleep. Sixteen healthy participants (8 females) completed a 4-day inpatient study. Participants were exposed to blue-depleted circadian-sensitive (C-LED) light and a standard fluorescent light (FL, 4100K) of equal illuminance (50lx) for 8h prior to a fixed bedtime on two separate days in a within-subject, randomized, cross-over design. Each light exposure day was preceded by a dim light (LED conditions compared to FL 30min prior to bedtime. EEG-based correlates of alertness corroborated the reduced alertness under C-LED conditions as shown by significantly increased EEG spectral power in the delta-theta (0.5-8.0Hz) bands under C-LED as compared to FL exposure. There was no significant difference in total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE%), and slow-wave activity (SWA) between the two conditions. Unlike melatonin suppression and alertness, a significant order effect was observed on all three sleep variables, however. Individuals who received C-LED first and then FL had increased TST, SE% and SWA averaged across both nights compared to individuals who received FL first and then C-LED. These data show that the spectral characteristics of light can be fine-tuned to attenuate non-visual responses to light in humans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced dielectric properties of ZrO2 thin films prepared in nitrogen ambient by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, J; Li, T L; Pan, B; Zhou, L; Liu, Z G

2003-01-01

ZrO 2 thin films were fabricated in O 2 ambient and in N 2 ambient by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. X-ray diffraction revealed that films prepared at 400 deg. C remained amorphous. The dielectric properties of amorphous ZrO 2 films were investigated by measuring the capacitance-frequency characteristics of Pt/ZrO 2 /Pt capacitor structures. The dielectric constant of the films deposited in N 2 ambient was larger than that of the films deposited in O 2 ambient. The dielectric loss was lower for films prepared in N 2 ambient. Atom force microscopy investigation indicated that films deposited in N 2 ambient had smoother surface than films deposited in O 2 ambient. Capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics were studied. The equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of films with 6.6 nm physical thickness deposited in N 2 ambient is lower than that of films deposited in O 2 ambient. An EOT of 1.38 nm for the film deposited in N 2 ambient was obtained, while the leakage current density was 94.6 mA cm -2 . Therefore, ZrO 2 thins deposited in N 2 ambient have enhanced dielectric properties due to the incorporation of nitrogen which leads to the formation of Zr-doped nitride interfacial layer, and is suggested to be a potential material for alternative high-k (high dielectric constant) gate dielectric applications

Visible-Light-Initiated Na2-Eosin Y Catalyzed Highly Regio- and Stereoselective Difunctionalization of Alkynes with Alkyl Bromides.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kuai; Meng, Ling-Guo; Wang, Lei

2016-08-19

A highly regioselective and stereoselective addition of alkyl bromides (amino-brominated aromatic β,β-dicyanoalkenes) to arylacetylenes by photoredox catalysis was developed. This difunctionalization of arylacetylenes was accomplished under ambient and metal-free conditions to produce alkenyl bromides in high efficiency with a wide range of group tolerance.

High-Resolution Light Transmission Spectroscopy of Nanoparticles in Real Time

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, Carol; Sun, Nan; Deatsch, Alison; Li, Frank; Ruggiero, Steven

2017-04-01

As implemented here, Light Transmission Spectroscopy (LTS) is a high-resolution real-time technique for eliminating spectral noise and systematic effects in wide band spectroscopic measurements of nanoparticles. In this work, we combine LTS with spectral inversion for the purpose of characterizing the size, shape, and number of nanoparticles in solution. The apparatus employs a wide-band multi-wavelength light source and grating spectrometers coupled to CCD detectors. The light source ranges from 210 to 2000 nm, and the wavelength dependent light detection system ranges from 200 to 1100 nm with model the total extinction cross-section, and spectral inversion is employed to obtain quantitative particle size distributions. Discussed are the precision, accuracy, resolution, and sensitivity of our results. The technique is quite versatile and can be applied to spectroscopic investigations where wideband, accurate, low-noise, real-time spectra are desired. University of Notre Dame Office of Research, College of Science, Department of Physics, and USDA.

High Efficiency Lighting with Integrated Adaptive Control (HELIAC), Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed project is the continued development of the High Efficiency Lighting with Integrated Adaptive Control (HELIAC) system. Solar radiation is not a viable...

High Efficiency Lighting with Integrated Adaptive Control (HELIAC), Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The innovation of the proposed project is the development of High Efficiency Lighting with Integrated Adaptive Control (HELIAC) systems to drive plant growth. Solar...

Temporally coherent x-ray laser with the high order harmonic light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Noboru; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Kishimoto, Maki; Sukegawa, Kouta; Tanaka, Momoko; Ochi, Yoshihiro; Nishikino, Masaharu; Kawazome, Hayato; Nagashima, Keisuke

2005-01-01

We obtained the neon-like manganese x-ray laser with the injection of the high order harmonic light as the seed x-ray at the wavelength of 26.9 nm for the purpose of generation of the temporally coherent x-ray laser. The x-ray amplifier, which has quite narrow spectral width, selected and amplified the temporally coherent mode of the harmonic light. The temporal coherence of the mode selected harmonic light was nearly transform limited pulse, and the obtained x-ray laser with the seed x-ray expected to be nearly temporally coherent x-ray. (author)

High-resolution 3-D S-wave Tomography of upper crust structures in Yilan Plain from Ambient Seismic Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai-Xun; Chen, Po-Fei; Liang, Wen-Tzong; Chen, Li-Wei; Gung, YuanCheng

2015-04-01

The Yilan Plain (YP) in NE Taiwan locates on the western YP of the Okinawa Trough and displays high geothermal gradients with abundant hot springs, likely resulting from magmatism associated with the back-arc spreading as attested by the offshore volcanic island (Kueishantao). YP features NS distinctive characteristics that the South YP exhibits thin top sedimentary layer, high on-land seismicity and significant SE movements, relative those of the northern counterpart. A dense network (~2.5 km station interval) of 89 Texan instruments was deployed in Aug. 2014, covering most of the YP and its vicinity. The ray path coverage density of each 0.015 degree cells are greater than 150 km that could provide the robustness assessment of tomographic results. We analyze ambient noise signals to invert a high-resolution 3D S-wave model for shallow velocity structures in and around YP. The aim is to investigate the velocity anomalies corresponding to geothermal resources and the NS geological distinctions aforementioned. We apply the Welch's method to generate empirical Rayleigh wave Green's functions between two stations records of continuous vertical components. The group velocities of thus derived functions are then obtained by the multiple-filter analysis technique measured at the frequency range between 0.25 and 1 Hz. Finally, we implement a wavelet-based multi-scale parameterization technique to construct 3D model of S-wave velocity. Our first month results exhibit low velocity in the plain, corresponding existing sediments, those of whole YP show low velocity offshore YP and those of high-resolution south YP reveal stark velocity contrast across the Sanshin fault. Key words: ambient seismic noises, Welch's method, S-wave, Yilan Plain

Dependence of Acetate-Based Antisolvents for High Humidity Fabrication of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Devices in Ambient Atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Fu; Kapil, Gaurav; Zhang, Putao; Hu, Zhaosheng; Kamarudin, Muhammad Akmal; Ma, Tingli; Hayase, Shuzi

2018-05-16

High-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) need to be fabricated in the nitrogen-filled glovebox by the atmosphere-controlled crystallization process. However, the use of the glovebox process is of great concern for mass level production of PSCs. In this work, notable efficient CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 solar cells can be obtained in high humidity ambient atmosphere (60-70% relative humidity) by using acetate as the antisolvent, in which dependence of methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl acetate on the crystal growth mechanism is discussed. It is explored that acetate screens the sensitive perovskite intermediate phases from water molecules during perovskite film formation and annealing. It is revealed that relatively high vapor pressure and high water solubility of methyl acetate (MA) leads to the formation of highly dense and pinhole free perovskite films guiding to the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.3% with a reduced hysteresis. The devices prepared using MA showed remarkable shelf life stability of more than 80% for 360 h in ambient air condition, when compared to the devices fabricated using other antisolvents with low vapor pressure and low water solubility. Moreover, the PCE was still kept at 15.6% even though 2 vol % deionized water was added in the MA for preparing the perovskite layer.

Highly polarized light from stable ordered magnetic fields in GRB 120308A.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundell, C G; Kopač, D; Arnold, D M; Steele, I A; Gomboc, A; Kobayashi, S; Harrison, R M; Smith, R J; Guidorzi, C; Virgili, F J; Melandri, A; Japelj, J

2013-12-05

After the initial burst of γ-rays that defines a γ-ray burst (GRB), expanding ejecta collide with the circumburst medium and begin to decelerate at the onset of the afterglow, during which a forward shock travels outwards and a reverse shock propagates backwards into the oncoming collimated flow, or 'jet'. Light from the reverse shock should be highly polarized if the jet's magnetic field is globally ordered and advected from the central engine, with a position angle that is predicted to remain stable in magnetized baryonic jet models or vary randomly with time if the field is produced locally by plasma or magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Degrees of linear polarization of P ≈ 10 per cent in the optical band have previously been detected in the early afterglow, but the lack of temporal measurements prevented definitive tests of competing jet models. Hours to days after the γ-ray burst, polarization levels are low (P < 4 per cent), when emission from the shocked ambient medium dominates. Here we report the detection of P =28(+4)(-4) per cent in the immediate afterglow of Swift γ-ray burst GRB 120308A, four minutes after its discovery in the γ-ray band, decreasing to P = 16(+5)(-4) per cent over the subsequent ten minutes. The polarization position angle remains stable, changing by no more than 15 degrees over this time, with a possible trend suggesting gradual rotation and ruling out plasma or magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Instead, the polarization properties show that GRBs contain magnetized baryonic jets with large-scale uniform fields that can survive long after the initial explosion.

High-pressure, ambient temperature hydrogen storage in metal-organic frameworks and porous carbon

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Beckner, Matthew; Dailly, Anne

2014-03-01

We investigated hydrogen storage in micro-porous adsorbents at ambient temperature and pressures up to 320 bar. We measured three benchmark adsorbents: two metal-organic frameworks, Cu3(1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate)2 [Cu3(btc)2; HKUST-1] and Zn4O(1,3,5-benzenetribenzoate)2 [Zn4O(btb)2; MOF-177], and the activated carbon MSC-30. In this talk, we focus on adsorption enthalpy calculations using a single adsorption isotherm. We use the differential form of the Claussius-Clapeyron equation applied to the Dubinin-Astakhov adsorption model to calculate adsorption enthalpies. Calculation of the adsorption enthalpy in this way gives a temperature independent enthalpy of 5-7 kJ/mol at the lowest coverage for the three materials investigated. Additionally, we discuss the assumptions and corrections that must be made when calculating adsorption isotherms at high-pressure and adsorption enthalpies.

Ambient Air Quality Data Inventory

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Office of Air and Radiation's (OAR) Ambient Air Quality Data (Current) contains ambient air pollution data collected by EPA, other federal agencies, as well as...

Effects of ambient conditions on fuel cell vehicle performance

Science.gov (United States)

Haraldsson, K.; Alvfors, P.

Ambient conditions have considerable impact on the performance of fuel cell hybrid vehicles. Here, the vehicle fuel consumption, the air compressor power demand, the water management system and the heat loads of a fuel cell hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV) were studied. The simulation results show that the vehicle fuel consumption increases with 10% when the altitude increases from 0 m up to 3000 m to 4.1 L gasoline equivalents/100 km over the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC). The increase is 19% on the more power demanding highway US06 cycle. The air compressor is the major contributor to this fuel consumption increase. Its load-following strategy makes its power demand increase with increasing altitude. Almost 40% of the net power output of the fuel cell system is consumed by the air compressor at the altitude of 3000 m with this load-following strategy and is thus more apparent in the high-power US06 cycle. Changes in ambient air temperature and relative humidity effect on the fuel cell system performance in terms of the water management rather in vehicle fuel consumption. Ambient air temperature and relative humidity have some impact on the vehicle performance mostly seen in the heat and water management of the fuel cell system. While the heat loads of the fuel cell system components vary significantly with increasing ambient temperature, the relative humidity did not have a great impact on the water balance. Overall, dimensioning the compressor and other system components to meet the fuel cell system requirements at the minimum and maximum expected ambient temperatures, in this case 5 and 40 °C, and high altitude, while simultaneously choosing a correct control strategy are important parameters for efficient vehicle power train management.

a Study of the Bioluminescence of Larger Zooplankton and the Effects of Low-Level Light Changes on Their Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

van Keuren, Jeffrey Robert

A bio-optical study was undertaken to quantify the relationships which exist between counter-illuminating organisms and the downwelling spectral light field in which they exist. The basic hypothesis behind counter-illumination is that the animal emits light using ventrally-oriented photophores to disrupt or eliminate the shadowed area on ventral surfaces. An organism lacking photophores sharply silhouettes against the highly directional downwelling irradiance, whereas by distributing photophores over the ventral surface of the body and closely matching the spectral and intensity characteristics of the downwelling light, this silhouette is obscured. Analysis carried out on changes in vertical distribution patterns in response to low-level intensity changes in ambient surface light suggested that diel migrating organisms begin to shift vertically in the water column when surface scalar irradiance decreased below or increased above 1.0 times10^{-2} muEin m^{-2} sec^ {-1}. Maximum aggregations of organisms, as defined by MOCNESS net sampling or single-frequency acoustic backscatter, appeared to remain within definable in situ blue-green isolume ranges varying less than a factor of ten throughout each night. Comparisons made between organism counter-illumination capacity and modeled in situ downwelling irradiance levels suggested that euphausiids, decapods and myctophids use between 1-10 percent of their maximum counter-illumination capacity to match the ambient downwelling light conditions. Modeling also suggested that up to 40 percent of the maximum measured bioluminescence output is required to match ambient irradiance in the shallower surface zones where aggregations of copepods, potential food sources, were commonly found at night. An optical study to quantify the radiative transfer of bioluminescence from a point source revealed that non -isotropic point sources produce radiance patterns that cannot be simply explained by inverse square losses. Therefore simple

Transcriptome Analysis in Haematococcus pluvialis: Astaxanthin Induction by High Light with Acetate and Fe2.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Bangxiang; Hou, Lulu; Dong, Manman; Shi, Jiawei; Huang, Xiaoyun; Ding, Yating; Cong, Xiaomei; Zhang, Feng; Zhang, Xuecheng; Zang, Xiaonan

2018-01-07

Haematococcus pluvialis is a commercial microalga, that produces abundant levels of astaxanthin under stress conditions. Acetate and Fe 2+ are reported to be important for astaxanthin accumulation in H. pluvialis . In order to study the synergistic effects of high light stress and these two factors, we obtained transcriptomes for four groups: high light irradiation (HL), addition of 25 mM acetate under high light (HA), addition of 20 μM Fe 2+ under high light (HF) and normal green growing cells (HG). Among the total clean reads of the four groups, 156,992 unigenes were found, of which 48.88% were annotated in at least one database (Nr, Nt, Pfam, KOG/COG, SwissProt, KEGG, GO). The statistics for DEGs (differentially expressed genes) showed that there were more than 10 thousand DEGs caused by high light and 1800-1900 DEGs caused by acetate or Fe 2+ . The results of DEG analysis by GO and KEGG enrichments showed that, under the high light condition, the expression of genes related to many pathways had changed, such as the pathway for carotenoid biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms and so on. Addition of acetate under high light significantly promoted the expression of key genes related to the pathways for carotenoid biosynthesis and fatty acid elongation. Furthermore, acetate could obviously inhibit the expression of genes related to the pathway for photosynthesis-antenna proteins. For addition of Fe 2+ , the genes related to photosynthesis-antenna proteins were promoted significantly and there was no obvious change in the gene expressions related to carotenoid and fatty acid synthesis.

Transcriptome Analysis in Haematococcus pluvialis: Astaxanthin Induction by High Light with Acetate and Fe2+

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bangxiang He

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Haematococcus pluvialis is a commercial microalga, that produces abundant levels of astaxanthin under stress conditions. Acetate and Fe2+ are reported to be important for astaxanthin accumulation in H. pluvialis. In order to study the synergistic effects of high light stress and these two factors, we obtained transcriptomes for four groups: high light irradiation (HL, addition of 25 mM acetate under high light (HA, addition of 20 μM Fe2+ under high light (HF and normal green growing cells (HG. Among the total clean reads of the four groups, 156,992 unigenes were found, of which 48.88% were annotated in at least one database (Nr, Nt, Pfam, KOG/COG, SwissProt, KEGG, GO. The statistics for DEGs (differentially expressed genes showed that there were more than 10 thousand DEGs caused by high light and 1800–1900 DEGs caused by acetate or Fe2+. The results of DEG analysis by GO and KEGG enrichments showed that, under the high light condition, the expression of genes related to many pathways had changed, such as the pathway for carotenoid biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms and so on. Addition of acetate under high light significantly promoted the expression of key genes related to the pathways for carotenoid biosynthesis and fatty acid elongation. Furthermore, acetate could obviously inhibit the expression of genes related to the pathway for photosynthesis-antenna proteins. For addition of Fe2+, the genes related to photosynthesis-antenna proteins were promoted significantly and there was no obvious change in the gene expressions related to carotenoid and fatty acid synthesis.

La Educación Ambiental una herramienta clave de la Gestión Ambiental

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María josé Esteves Ivanissevich

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Entendemos que el objeto de la educación ambiental no es el ambiente como tal, sino nuestra relación con él; la multiplicidad y diversidad de objetivos y la necesidad de anclar la intervención en cada contexto específico, hace de ésta una tarea inmensa y compleja. La provincia del Chubut registra desde el año 1999 un historial importante. Éste trabajo, toma lo realizado en la temática de eliminación de bolsas de polietileno en los espacios públicos, de forma interinstitucional y en ámbitos educativo formal y no formal. Con la hipótesis de que la educación ambiental constituye un instrumento de política ambiental preventivo atendiendo los problemas que afecten o pudieran afectar al ambiente; nos planteamos como objetivos: construir una ciudadanía ambientalmente responsable; Impulsar la formación y capacitación de docentes y actores sociales con una mirada ambiental; Contribuir a la conservación ambiental disponiendo de las nuevas tecnologías. La metodología se sustenta en una concepción que hace eje en el aumento de la participación de la sociedad. Desde el ámbito formal se trabajó durante el 2007-2011 con capacitaciones presenciales y a distancia, para docentes de nivel inicial y primario (434 capacitados, en forma conjunta con el Ministerio de Educación. El equipo de trabajo consta de cuatro profesionales del Ministerio de Ambiente y la colaboración de especialistas según el lugar y la temática. En el ámbito no formal se realizaron charlas y talleres con la comunidad (5826 capacitados; comunicación extrainstitucional por medios masivos de comunicación; campañas ambientales, trabajando en forma conjunta con organismos municipales, provinciales, no gubernamentales y privados. Se cubrieron 28 localidades en todo el territorio provincial. Se abarcó un gran número de docentes, quedando el trabajo con directores y supervisores, para pensar en la inclusión de las temáticas como los residuos sólidos urbanos, en el

Evaluación Ambiental Estratégica y Auditoría Contable Ambiental como Instrumentos para la Optimización de la Política Pública Ambiental en el Brasil

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Gardênia Maria Braga de Carvalho

2014-01-01

Full Text Available La política ambiental es un conjunto de directrices, objetivos e instrumentos de acción que el poder público utiliza para producir efectos deseables sobre el medio ambiente. Algunos de esos instrumentos aunque no están institucionalizados, como la Evaluación Ambiental Estratégica (AAE, que objetiva desarrollar un estudio macro de los impactos causados al medio ambiente y a la comunidad; y la Auditoría Contable Ambiental (ACA, que consiste en la confrontación de las informaciones de los informes ambientales y contables. Así, se cuestiona: a ¿qué problemas generados por la ausencia de la AAE y de la ACA en la política ambiental brasileira? b ¿cómo la inserción de la AAE y de la ACA contribuiría para la solución de los problemas específicos detectados? Este artículo tiene como objetivo demostrar que existe una laguna en la política ambiental por desconsideración de esos instrumentos. El referencial teórico fue construido teniendo como base la contabilidad ambiental, auditoría ambiental y política pública. Se utilizó como método el análisis descriptivo en relación a sus objetivos, siendo realizada una pesquisa bibliográfica y exploratoria sobre los temas: políticas públicas, AAE y ACA. Se concluye que es necesaria la institucionalización de la AAE y de la ACA, en la fase inicial y final, respectivamente, del proceso de instalación y acompañamiento de emprendimientos impactantes al medio ambiente, pues el hecho de no ser compulsorios, revelaron una laguna en la política ambiental, tornándola frágil.

A reaction cell for ambient pressure soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy

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Castán-Guerrero, C.; Krizmancic, D.; Bonanni, V.; Edla, R.; Deluisa, A.; Salvador, F.; Rossi, G.; Panaccione, G.; Torelli, P.

2018-05-01

We present a new experimental setup for performing X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) in the soft X-ray range at ambient pressure. The ambient pressure XAS setup is fully compatible with the ultra high vacuum environment of a synchrotron radiation spectroscopy beamline end station by means of ultrathin Si3N4 membranes acting as windows for the X-ray beam and seal of the atmospheric sample environment. The XAS detection is performed in total electron yield (TEY) mode by probing the drain current from the sample with a picoammeter. The high signal/noise ratio achievable in the TEY mode, combined with a continuous scanning of the X-ray energies, makes it possible recording XAS spectra in a few seconds. The first results show the performance of this setup to record fast XAS spectra from sample surfaces exposed at atmospheric pressure, even in the case of highly insulating samples. The use of a permanent magnet inside the reaction cell enables the measurement of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at ambient pressure.

Very high efficiency phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices by using rough indium tin oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yingjie; Aziz, Hany, E-mail: h2aziz@uwaterloo.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2014-07-07

The efficiency of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) is shown to significantly depend on the roughness of the indium tin oxide (ITO) anode. By using rougher ITO, light trapped in the ITO/organic wave-guided mode can be efficiently extracted, and a light outcoupling enhancement as high as 40% is achieved. Moreover, contrary to expectations, the lifetime of OLEDs is not affected by ITO roughness. Finally, an OLED employing rough ITO anode that exhibits a current efficiency of 56 cd/A at the remarkably high brightness of 10{sup 5} cd/m{sup 2} is obtained. This represents the highest current efficiency at such high brightness to date for an OLED utilizing an ITO anode, without any external light outcoupling techniques. The results demonstrate the significant efficiency benefits of using ITO with higher roughness in OLEDs.

Very high efficiency phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices by using rough indium tin oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yingjie; Aziz, Hany

2014-01-01

The efficiency of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) is shown to significantly depend on the roughness of the indium tin oxide (ITO) anode. By using rougher ITO, light trapped in the ITO/organic wave-guided mode can be efficiently extracted, and a light outcoupling enhancement as high as 40% is achieved. Moreover, contrary to expectations, the lifetime of OLEDs is not affected by ITO roughness. Finally, an OLED employing rough ITO anode that exhibits a current efficiency of 56 cd/A at the remarkably high brightness of 10 5  cd/m 2 is obtained. This represents the highest current efficiency at such high brightness to date for an OLED utilizing an ITO anode, without any external light outcoupling techniques. The results demonstrate the significant efficiency benefits of using ITO with higher roughness in OLEDs.

Effects of Ambient Environmental Factors on the Stereotypic Behaviors of Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, He; Duan, Hejun; Wang, Cheng

2017-01-01

Stereotypies are commonly observed in zoo animals, and it is necessary to better understand whether ambient environmental factors contribute to stereotypy and how to affect animal welfare in zoo settings. This study investigated the relationships between stereotypic behaviors and environmental factors including ambient temperatures, humidity, light intensity, sound intensity and number of visitors. Seven giant pandas were observed in three indoor enclosures and three outdoor enclosures. Environmental factors were measured for both indoor and outdoor enclosures and the effect they had on stereotypical behaviors was investigated. Our research found that light intensity significantly correlated with all stereotypies behaviors. Higher environmental temperature reduced the duration of pacing but increased the frequency of pacing, the duration and frequency of door-directed, meanwhile the duration of head-toss. However, we found no noticeable effect of humidity on stereotypic behaviors except for the frequency of head-toss. We also found that sound intensity was not correlated with stereotypies. Finally, the growth of visitors was negatively associated with the duration of door-directed. These results demonstrated that various environmental factors can have significant effects on stereotypic behaviors causing the expression of various stereotypies. Thus, stereotypies in zoo animals may not simply represent suboptimal welfare, but rather might be adopted as a means of coping with an aversive environment.

Ambient Assistive Technologies (AAT: socio-technology as a powerful tool for facing the inevitable sociodemographic challenges?

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Plischke Herbert

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Due to the socio-demographic change in most developed western countries, elderly populations have been continuously increasing. Therefore, preventive and assistive systems that allow elderly people to independently live in their own homes as long as possible will become an economical if not ethical necessity. These respective technologies are being developed under the term "Ambient Assistive Technologies" (AAT. The EU-funded AAT-project Ambient Lighting Assistance for an Ageing Population (ALADIN has established the long-term goal to create an adaptive system capable of improving the residential lighting conditions of single living elderly persons also aiming at supporting the preservation of their independence. Results of an earlier survey revealed that the elderly perceived their current lighting situation as satisfactory, whereas interviewers assessed in-house lighting as too dark and risk-laden. The overall results of ALADIN showed a significant increase in well-being from the baseline final testing with the new adaptive lighting system. Positive results for wellbeing and life quality suggest that the outcome effects may be attributed to the introduction of technology as well as to social contacts arising from participating in the study. The technological guidance of the study supervisors, in particular, may have produced a strong social reactivity effect that was first observed in the famous Hawthorne experiments in the 1930s. As older adults seem to benefit both from meaningful social contacts as well as assistive technologies, the question arises how assistive technology can be socially embedded to be able to maximize positive health effects. Therefore ethical guidelines for development and use of new assistive technologies for handicapped/older persons have to be developed and should be discussed with regard to their applicability in the context of AAT.

Synthesis of indium nanoparticles at ambient temperature; simultaneous phase transfer and ripening

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aghazadeh Meshgi, Mohammad; Kriechbaum, Manfred [Graz University of Technology, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (Austria); Biswas, Subhajit; Holmes, Justin D., E-mail: j.holmes@ucc.ie [University College Cork, Materials Chemistry and Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and the Tyndall National Institute (Ireland); Marschner, Christoph, E-mail: christoph.marschner@tugraz.at [Graz University of Technology, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (Austria)

2016-12-15

The synthesis of size-monodispersed indium nanoparticles via an innovative simultaneous phase transfer and ripening method is reported. The formation of nanoparticles occurs in a one-step process instead of well-known two-step phase transfer approaches. The synthesis involves the reduction of InCl{sub 3} with LiBH{sub 4} at ambient temperature and although the reduction occurs at room temperature, fine indium nanoparticles, with a mean diameter of 6.4 ± 0.4 nm, were obtained directly in non-polar n-dodecane. The direct synthesis of indium nanoparticles in n-dodecane facilitates their fast formation and enhances their size-monodispersity. In addition, the nanoparticles were highly stable for more than 2 months. The nanoparticles were characterised by dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to determine their morphology, structure and phase purity.

Ambient Seismic Noise Interferometry on the Island of Hawai`i

Science.gov (United States)

Ballmer, Silke

Ambient seismic noise interferometry has been successfully applied in a variety of tectonic settings to gain information about the subsurface. As a passive seismic technique, it extracts the coherent part of ambient seismic noise in-between pairs of seismic receivers. Measurements of subtle temporal changes in seismic velocities, and high-resolution tomographic imaging are then possible - two applications of particular interest for volcano monitoring. Promising results from other volcanic settings motivate its application in Hawai'i, with this work being the first to explore its potential. The dataset used for this purpose was recorded by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's permanent seismic network on the Island of Hawai'i. It spans 2.5 years from 5/2007 to 12/2009 and covers two distinct sources of volcanic tremor. After applying standard processing for ambient seismic noise interferometry, we find that volcanic tremor strongly affects the extracted noise information not only close to the tremor source, but unexpectedly, throughout the island-wide network. Besides demonstrating how this long-range observability of volcanic tremor can be used to monitor volcanic activity in the absence of a dense seismic array, our results suggest that care must be taken when applying ambient seismic noise interferometry in volcanic settings. In a second step, we thus exclude days that show signs of volcanic tremor, reducing the dataset to three months, and perform ambient seismic noise tomography. The resulting two-dimensional Rayleigh wave group velocity maps for 0.1 - 0.9 Hz compare very well with images from previous travel time tomography, both, for the main volcanic structures at low frequencies as well as for smaller features at mid-to-high frequencies - a remarkable observation for the temporally truncated dataset. These robust results suggest that ambient seismic noise tomography in Hawai'i is suitable 1) to provide a three-dimensional S-wave model for the volcanoes and 2

Compact RGBY light sources with high luminance for laser display applications

Science.gov (United States)

Paschke, Katrin; Blume, Gunnar; Werner, Nils; Müller, André; Sumpf, Bernd; Pohl, Johannes; Feise, David; Ressel, Peter; Sahm, Alexander; Bege, Roland; Hofmann, Julian; Jedrzejczyk, Daniel; Tränkle, Günther

2018-02-01

Watt-class visible laser light with a high luminance can be created with high-power GaAs-based lasers either directly in the red spectral region or using single-pass second harmonic generation (SHG) for the colors in the blue-yellow spectral region. The concepts and results of red- and near infrared-emitting distributed Bragg reflector tapered lasers and master oscillator power amplifier systems as well as their application for SHG bench-top experiments and miniaturized modules are presented. Examples of these high-luminance light sources aiming at different applications such as flying spot display or holographic 3D cinema are discussed in more detail. The semiconductor material allows an easy adaptation of the wavelength allowing techniques such as six-primary color 3D projection or color space enhancement by adding a fourth yellow color.

Broadband white light emission from Ce:AlN ceramics: High thermal conductivity down-converters for LED and laser-driven solid state lighting

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A. T. Wieg

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We introduce high thermal conductivity aluminum nitride (AlN as a transparent ceramic host for Ce3+, a well-known active ion dopant. We show that the Ce:AlN ceramics have overlapping photoluminescent (PL emission peaks that cover almost the entire visible range resulting in a white appearance under 375 nm excitation without the need for color mixing. The PL is due to a combination of intrinsic AlN defect complexes and Ce3+ electronic transitions. Importantly, the peak intensities can be tuned by varying the Ce concentration and processing parameters, causing different shades of white light without the need for multiple phosphors or light sources. The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage coordinates calculated from the measured spectra confirm white light emission. In addition, we demonstrate the viability of laser driven white light emission by coupling the Ce:AlN to a readily available frequency tripled Nd-YAG laser emitting at 355 nm. The high thermal conductivity of these ceramic down-converters holds significant promise for producing higher power white light sources than those available today.

Light at Night and Breast Cancer Risk Among California Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Hurley, Susan; Goldberg, Debbie; Nelson, David; Hertz, Andrew; Horn-Ross, Pamela L.; Bernstein, Leslie; Reynolds, Peggy

2014-01-01

Background There is convincing evidence that circadian disruption mediated by exposure to light at night promotes mammary carcinogenesis in rodents. The role that light at night plays in human breast cancer etiology remains unknown. We evaluated the relationship between estimates of indoor and outdoor light at night and the risk of breast cancer among members of the California Teachers Study. Methods Indoor light-at-night estimates were based on questionnaire data regarding sleep habits and use of night time lighting while sleeping. Estimates of outdoor light at night were derived from imagery data obtained from the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program assigned to geocoded addresses of study participants. Analyses were conducted among 106,731 California Teachers Study members who lived in California, had no prior history of breast cancer, and provided information on lighting while sleeping. 5,095 cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed 1995–2010 were identified via linkage to the California Cancer Registry. We used age-stratified Cox proportional hazard models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for breast cancer risk factors and neighborhood urbanization and socioeconomic class. Results An increased risk was found for women living in areas with the highest quintile of outdoor light at night exposure estimates (HR=1.12 [95% CI=1.00 – 1.26], test for trend, P=0.06). While more pronounced among premenopausal women (HR=1.34 [95% CI=1.07 – 1.69], test for trend, P=0.04), the associations did not differ statistically by menopausal status (test for interaction, P=0.34). Conclusions Women living in areas with high levels of ambient light at night may be at an increased risk of breast cancer. Future studies that integrate quantitative measurements of indoor and outdoor light at night are warranted. PMID:25061924

The spectral energy distribution of the scattered light from dark clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Mattila, Kalevi; Schnur, G. F. O.

1989-01-01

A dark cloud is exposed to the ambient radiation field of integrated starlight in the Galaxy. Scattering of starlight by the dust particles gives rise to a diffuse surface brightness of the dark nebula. The intensity and the spectrum of this diffuse radiation can be used to investigate, e.g., the scattering parameters of the dust, the optical thickness of the cloud, and as a probe of the ambient radiation field at the location of the cloud. An understanding of the scattering process is also a prerequisite for the isolation of broad spectral features due to fluorescence or to any other non-scattering origin of the diffuse light. Model calculations are presented for multiple scattering in a spherical cloud. These calculations show that the different spectral shapes of the observed diffuse light can be reproduced with standard dust parameters. The possibility to use the observed spectrum as a diagnostic tool for analyzing the thickness of the cloud and the dust particle is discussed.

A method to measure internal stray radiation of cryogenic infrared imaging systems under various ambient temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Qijie; Chang, Songtao; Li, Zhou; He, Fengyun; Qiao, Yanfeng

2017-03-01

The suppression level of internal stray radiation is a key criterion for infrared imaging systems, especially for high-precision cryogenic infrared imaging systems. To achieve accurate measurement for internal stray radiation of cryogenic infrared imaging systems under various ambient temperatures, a measurement method, which is based on radiometric calibration, is presented in this paper. First of all, the calibration formula is deduced considering the integration time, and the effect of ambient temperature on internal stray radiation is further analyzed in detail. Then, an approach is proposed to measure the internal stray radiation of cryogenic infrared imaging systems under various ambient temperatures. By calibrating the system under two ambient temperatures, the quantitative relation between the internal stray radiation and the ambient temperature can be acquired, and then the internal stray radiation of the cryogenic infrared imaging system under various ambient temperatures can be calculated. Finally, several experiments are performed in a chamber with controllable inside temperatures to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can be used to measure internal stray radiation with high accuracy at various ambient temperatures and integration times. The proposed method has some advantages, such as simple implementation and the capability of high-precision measurement. The measurement results can be used to guide the stray radiation suppression and to test whether the internal stray radiation suppression performance meets the requirement or not.

Highly efficient phosphor-converted white organic light-emitting diodes with moderate microcavity and light-recycling filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sang-Hwan; Oh, Jeong Rok; Park, Hoo Keun; Kim, Hyoung Kun; Lee, Yong-Hee; Lee, Jae-Gab; Do, Young Rag

2010-01-18

We demonstrate the combined effects of a microcavity structure and light-recycling filters (LRFs) on the forward electrical efficiency of phosphor-converted white organic light-emitting diodes (pc-WOLEDs). The introduction of a single pair of low- and high-index layers (SiO(2)/TiO(2)) improves the blue emission from blue OLED and the insertion of blue-passing and yellow-reflecting LRFs enhances the forward yellow emission from the YAG:Ce(3+) phosphors layers. The enhancement of the luminous efficacy of the forward white emission is 1.92 times that of a conventional pc-WOLED with color coordinates of (0.34, 0.34) and a correlated color temperature of about 4800 K.

Effect of Nb additions on the microstructure, thermal stability and mechanical behavior of high pressure Zr phases under ambient conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhilyaev, A.P.; Sabirov, I.; Gonzalez-Doncel, G.; Molina-Aldareguia, J.; Srinivasarao, B.; Perez-Prado, M.T.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We analyze the influence of Nb additions on the shear-induced α → ω → β phase transformations in pure Zr by high pressure torsion (HPT). → Nb reduces the transition pressures and increases the transformation kinetics. → High pressure phases are retained under ambient conditions due to the presence of an internal stress. → Post-HPT annealing allows to fabricate bimodal/biphase nanostructures with enhanced mechanical behavior. - Abstract: This paper analyzes the influence of Nb on the shear-induced α → ω → β transformation taking place when processing Zr by high pressure torsion (HPT) under suitable conditions of pressure and shear. With that purpose, pure Zr and Zr-2.5%Nb were processed by HPT at room temperature and at pressures ranging from 0.25 to 6 GPa using 5 anvil turns. Nb causes a further reduction of the transition pressures, which are already lower when applying shear besides pressure. Thus, the transition pressure to the β phase is reduced at least 100 times in the Zr-Nb alloy. Alloying with Nb decreases the grain size of the transformed phases, significantly enhances their thermal stability and increases their UTS and elongation to failure. Selected post-HPT annealing treatments lead to the development of very tough, multiphase Zr and Zr-Nb with bimodal grain size distributions. The retention of the high pressure phases under ambient conditions is explained by the development of a high internal stress during processing. This stress is measured by synchrotron radiation diffraction at HZB-BESSY II. It is proposed that the presence of Nb reduces the internal stress level required for the retention of the high pressure phases.

Concept of dual-resolution light field imaging using an organic photoelectric conversion film for high-resolution light field photography.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugimura, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Suguru; Hamamoto, Takayuki

2017-11-01

Light field imaging is an emerging technique that is employed to realize various applications such as multi-viewpoint imaging, focal-point changing, and depth estimation. In this paper, we propose a concept of a dual-resolution light field imaging system to synthesize super-resolved multi-viewpoint images. The key novelty of this study is the use of an organic photoelectric conversion film (OPCF), which is a device that converts spectra information of incoming light within a certain wavelength range into an electrical signal (pixel value), for light field imaging. In our imaging system, we place the OPCF having the green spectral sensitivity onto the micro-lens array of the conventional light field camera. The OPCF allows us to acquire the green spectra information only at the center viewpoint with the full resolution of the image sensor. In contrast, the optical system of the light field camera in our imaging system captures the other spectra information (red and blue) at multiple viewpoints (sub-aperture images) but with low resolution. Thus, our dual-resolution light field imaging system enables us to simultaneously capture information about the target scene at a high spatial resolution as well as the direction information of the incoming light. By exploiting these advantages of our imaging system, our proposed method enables the synthesis of full-resolution multi-viewpoint images. We perform experiments using synthetic images, and the results demonstrate that our method outperforms other previous methods.

Educación ambiental en la crisis y crisis de la educación ambiental

OpenAIRE

Delgado Huertos, Enrique

2012-01-01

Producción Científica Es preciso repensar la Educación Ambiental una vez asumido que los ciudadanos despues de tres décadas de mensajes y actividades educativas, si bien han cambiado su percepción de los problemas ambientales, apenas ha variado su actitud y su compromiso personal en favor del medio ambiente. La educación ambiental ha de perder el carácter anecdótico y pasar de actividades aisladas, repetitivas y desconectadas del resto de los aprendizajes a una intervención basada en la si...

Spatial Analysis of BioAmbients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielson, Hanne Riis; Nielson, Flemming; Pilegaard, Henrik

2004-01-01

Programming language technology can contribute to the development and understanding of Systems Biology by providing formal calculi for specifying and analysing the dynamic behaviour of biological systems. Our focus is on BioAmbients, a variation of the ambient calculi developed for modelling...

Indicadores de salud ambiental

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Posada de la Paz

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Esta ponencia presenta una visión general del proyecto de Indicadores de Salud Ambiental, coordinado por la OMS a nivel internacional y liderado por el Centro de Investigación sobre el Síndrome del Aceite Tóxico y Enfermedades Raras (CISATER en España. En ella se describen los objetivos del proyecto, las gestiones realizadas y los resultados obtenidos durante la fase de viabilidad de este proyecto. El proyecto consiste en el establecimiento de un sistema de información sobre salud ambiental que permita desarrollar una vigilancia de los factores ambientales determinantes de los estados de salud, realizar comparaciones internacionales, elaborar políticas de acción, así como facilitar la comunicación con la ciudadanía. La OMS desarrolló una metodología para el desarrollo de estos indicadores dentro del marco conceptual de información ambiental DPSEEA (Fuerzas impulsoras, Presión, Estado, Exposición, Efecto, Acción y seleccionó un total de 55 indicadores (que incluyen 168 variables sobre 10 áreas de la salud ambiental. Durante la fase de viabilidad se predijo que podrían obtenerse el 89% de los indicadores. Sin embargo la recolección de los datos supuso muchas dificultades debido a la incompatibilidad de algunas variables en los sistemas de información españoles con las variables definidas por la OMS. A nivel de gestión del proyecto, la mayor dificultad radica en la disparidad de responsabilidades en materia de medio ambiente y salud entre las instituciones españolas. Además de la aportación técnica a la salud ambiental en España, un valor añadido de este proyecto ha sido el establecimiento de líneas de colaboración estrechas con los responsables de los diferentes Ministerios implicados.

Response of conifer species from three latitudinal populations to light spectra generated by light-emitting diodes and high-pressure sodium lamps

Science.gov (United States)

Kent G. Apostol; Kas Dumroese; Jeremy Pinto; Anthony S. Davis

2015-01-01

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology shows promise for supplementing photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in forest nurseries because of the potential reduction in energy consumption and an ability to supply discrete wavelengths to optimize seedling growth. Our objective was to examine the effects of light spectra supplied by LED and traditional high-pressure...

Formulating CdSe quantum dots for white light-emitting diodes with high color rendering index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Fei; Li, Wan-Nan; Fu, Shao-Yun; Xiao, Hong-Mei

2015-01-01

Generation of white light using CdSe quantum dots (QDs) alone presents exciting possibilities for solid state lighting technology. In this work, Cd(Ac) 2 ·2H 2 O and Na 2 SeSO 3 are used as precursors to synthesize CdSe-QDs with an average diameter ranging from 2.77 to 4.65 nm at the low temperature from 60 to 180 °C. Smaller CdSe-QDs with an average diameter of 2.29 nm are got by an oxidation etching process using H 2 O 2 as oxidant. The structural and optical properties of these QDs are investigated and proper formulation of CdSe QDs with various sizes is carefully designed to achieve white light with a high color rendering index (CRI). It is observed for the first time that the as-prepared white light-emitting diodes from single CdSe-QDs show the Commission Inernationale del’Eclairage coordinate (CIE) of (0.30,0.34) very close to that (0.33,0.33) of pure white light and a high CRI of 84. Owing to these advantages, the as-prepared white light-emitting diodes from a single compound are promising for lighting applications. - Highlights: • CdSe-quantum dots (QDs) with a continuously changing size from 2.31 to 4.74 nm are prepared. • The obtained CdSe-QDs emit lights with tunable colors in the whole visible range. • The obtained mixture sample generates white light with a high color rendering index of 84. • The sample yields white light with the CIE coordinate (0.30, 0.34) very close to that of pure white light

Science research with high-brilliance synchrotron light source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanyal, Milan K.

2013-01-01

Synchrotron-science has changed dramatically since the development of high brilliance electron accelerator-based light sources in 1990s. In the last twenty years or so, several such facilities have come up, particularly in developed countries, as material characterizations in relevant atmosphere and protein crystallography with tiny-crystals have strong implications in industrial competitiveness. Moreover several new techniques have been developed recently over the entire spectral range of emitted light, from infra-red to high energy X-rays, which have altered our basic understanding of various materials like biomaterials, nanomaterials, soft-matter and semiconductor quantum structures. In addition, rapid development of various X-ray imaging techniques for nondestructive evaluation of compositional/structural homogeneity of engineering materials with nanometer resolution will have tremendous impact in manufacturing industries. As India becomes a developed country, it must have access to such an advanced synchrotron facility in the country that enables knowledge generation in the ever-expanding fields of design-characterization-production of advanced materials and modern medicines. Development of such state-of-the art facility will also enable us to carry out frontier-basic-research in our own country and help us to retain and bring back Indian talents to India. Here we shall discuss briefly the characteristics of a high brilliance synchrotron source and outline the nature of basic and applied science research that can be done with such a state-of-the-art facility. (author)

As cores no ambiente de terapia intensiva: percepções de pacientes e profissionais Los colores en el ambiente de cuidados intensivos: percepciones de pacientes y profesionales Colors in the intensive therapy environment: perceptions of patients and professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nélio Barbosa Boccanera

2006-09-01

Full Text Available A utilização das cores no ambiente da Unidade de Terapia Intensiva - UTI pode interferir no bem-estar dos profissionais e clientes. Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar percepções de profissionais e pacientes quanto às cores utilizadas no ambiente de terapia intensiva, identificando aquelas consideradas agradáveis e desagradáveis. Trata-se de pesquisa descritivo-exploratória, com enfoque quanti-qualitativo. A amostra foi constituída de clientes internados e profissionais que trabalham em três UTIs de hospitais públicos localizados em Goiânia. As cores consideradas mais agradáveis para serem utilizadas em UTI foram o azul-claro e o verde-claro. Além dessas, apontaram o amarelo-claro, palha, cinza, rosa e goiaba. O vermelho e o preto foram consideradas as cores mais desagradáveis para um ambiente de UTI. Os profis-sionais e clientes referem preferência por cores variadas, as quais podem ser utilizadas no sentido de melhorar o clima da UTI.La utilización de los colores en el ambiente de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos - UCI puede interferir en el bienestar de los profesionales y clientes. En este estudio se tuvo como objetivo analizar las percepciones de profesionales y pacientes en cuanto a los colores utilizados en el ambiente de cuidados intensivos, identificando aquellas consideradas agradables y desagradables. Se trata de una investigación descriptivo-exploratoria, con enfoque cuanti-cualitativa. La muestra estuvo constituida de clientes internados y de profesionales que trabajan en tres UCIs de hospitales públicos localizados en Goiânia. Los colores considerados más agradables para ser utilizadas en UCI fueron el celeste y el verde claro. Además de ellos, señalaron el amarillo, paja, gris, rosado y guayaba. El rojo y el negro fueron considerados los colores más desagradables para un ambiente de UCI. Los profesionales y clientes refirieron preferencia por colores variados, los cuales pueden ser utilizados en el

High cortisol awakening response is associated with an impairment of the effect of bright light therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martiny, Klaus Per Juul; Lunde, Marianne Anita; Undén, M

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the predictive validity of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in patients with non-seasonal major depression. METHOD: Patients were treated with sertraline in combination with bright or dim light therapy for a 5-week period. Saliva cortisol levels were measured in 63...... patients, as an awakening profile, before medication and light therapy started. The CAR was calculated by using three time-points: awakening and 20 and 60 min after awakening. RESULTS: Patients with low CAR had a very substantial effect of bright light therapy compared with dim light therapy, whereas...... patients with a high CAR had no effect of bright light therapy compared with dim light therapy. CONCLUSION: High CAR was associated with an impairment of the effect of bright light therapy. This result raises the question of whether bright light acts through a mechanism different from...

Medio ambiente y educación ambiental: representaciones sociales de los profesores en formación

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raúl Calixto Flores

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Una de las líneas actuales de investigación educativa que aporta elementos valiosos para comprender los procesos de formación de los sujetos es la que corresponde a las representaciones sociales. En este artículo se describen los aspectos centrales de la investigación Representaciones del medio ambiente de los estudiantes de la licenciatura en educación primaria. Con las representaciones los estudiantes discriminan espacio-temporalmente los elementos del medio ambiente, estableciendo correspondencias con las prácticas sociales. Entre los resultados de la investigación referida se encuentra la existencia de una relación entre las representaciones del medio ambiente y las corrientes de la educación ambiental.

Medio ambiente y educación ambiental: representaciones sociales de los profesores en formación

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raúl Calixto Flores

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Una de las líneas actuales de investigación educativa que aporta elementos valiosos para comprender los procesos de formación de los sujetos es la que corresponde a las representaciones sociales. En este artículo se describen los aspectos centrales de la investigación Representaciones del medio ambiente de los estudiantes de la licenciatura en educación primaria. Con las representaciones los estudiantes discriminan espaciotemporalmente los elementos del medio ambiente, estableciendo correspondencias con las prácticas sociales. Entre los resultados de la investigación referida se encuentra la existencia de una relación entre las representaciones del medio ambiente y las corrientes de la educación ambiental.

True Visions The Emergence of Ambient Intelligence

CERN Document Server

Aarts, Emile

2006-01-01

Ambient intelligence (AI) refers to a developing technology that will increasingly make our everyday environment sensitive and responsive to our presence. The AI vision requires technology invisibly embedded in our everyday surroundings, present whenever we need it that will lead to the seamless integration of lighting, sounds, vision, domestic appliances, and personal healthcare products to enhance our living experience. Written for the non-specialist seeking an authoritative but accessible overview of this interdisciplinary field, True Visions explains how the devices making up the AI world will operate collectively using information and intelligence hidden in the wireless network connecting them. Expert contributions address key AI components such as smart materials and textiles, system architecture, mobile computing, broadband communication, and underlying issues of human-environment interactions. It seeks to unify the perspectives of scientists from diverse backgrounds ranging from the physics of materia...

Reaction between laser ablation plume and ambient gas studied by laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, K; Watarai, H

2007-01-01

We visualized the density distributions of C 2 (plume), NO (ambient gas), and CN (reaction product) when a graphite target was ablated by irradiating YAG laser pulses at wavelengths of 1064 and 355 nm in ambient gas mixture of NO and He. It has been shown by the density distributions of C 2 and NO that the expansion of the plume removes the ambient gas and the plume and the ambient gas locate exclusively in both the cases at 1064 and 355 nm. A high CN density was observed at the interface between the plume and the ambient gas at 1064 nm, which is reasonable since chemical reactions between the plume and the ambient gas may occur only at their interface. On the other hand, in the case at 355 nm, we observed considerable CN inside the plume, indicating that the chemical reaction processes in the laser ablation at 355 nm is different from that expected from the density distributions of the plume and the ambient gas

Vitrification of high level nuclear waste inside ambient temperature disposal containers using inductive heating: The SMILE system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, J.; Reich, M.; Barletta, R.

1996-01-01

A new approach, termed SMILE (Small Module Inductively Loaded Energy), for the vitrification of high level nuclear wastes (HLW) is described. Present vitrification systems liquefy the HLW solids and associated frit material in large high temperature melters. The molten mix is then poured into small (∼1 m 3 ) disposal canisters, where it solidifies and cools. SMILE eliminates the separate, large high temperature melter. Instead, the BLW solids and frit melt inside the final disposal containers, using inductive heating. The contents then solidify and cool in place. The SMILE modules and the inductive heating process are designed so that the outer stainless can of the module remains at near ambient temperature during the process cycle. Module dimensions are similar to those of present disposal containers. The can is thermally insulated from the high temperature inner container by a thin layer of refractory alumina firebricks. The inner container is a graphite crucible lined with a dense alumina refractory that holds the HLW and fiit materials. After the SMILE module is loaded with a slurry of HLW and frit solids, an external multi-turn coil is energized with 30-cycle AC current. The enclosing external coil is the primary of a power transformer, with the graphite crucible acting as a single turn ''secondary.'' The induced current in the ''secondary'' heats the graphite, which in turn heats the HLW and frit materials. The first stage of the heating process is carried out at an intermediate temperature to drive off remnant liquid water and water of hydration, which takes about 1 day. The small fill/vent tube to the module is then sealed off and the interior temperature raised to the vitrification range, i.e., ∼1200C. Liquefaction is complete after approximately 1 day. The inductive heating then ceases and the module slowly loses heat to the environment, allowing the molten material to solidify and cool down to ambient temperature

Validating Firewalls in Mobile Ambients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielson, Flemming; Nielson, Hanne Riis; Hansen, René Rydhof

1999-01-01

The ambient calculus is a calculus of computation that allows active processes (mobile ambients) to move between sites. A firewall is said to be protective whenever it denies entry to attackers not possessing the required passwords. We devise a polynomial time algorithm for rejecting proposed...

Influence of non-line of sight luminescent emitters in visible light communication systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorai, Anaranya; Walvekar, Pratik; Nayak, Shreyas; Narayan, K. S.

2018-01-01

We introduce and demonstrate concepts which utilize the non-line of sight fraction of light incident on a detector assembly in a visible-light communication (VLC) system. In addition to ambient light, realistic enclosures where VLC is implemented consist of a sizable fraction of scattered and reflected light. We present results of VLC systems with detectors responding to contributions from the light source scattered off a surface embedded with fluorescent and phosphorescent emitters besides the direct line of sight signal. Contribution from the emitters takes a form of discernible fluctuations in the detector signal. The implication of our results from noise analysis of these fluctuations indicates the possibility of utilizing smart coatings to further tailor VLC capabilities.

Ambient diagnostics

CERN Document Server

Cai, Yang

2014-01-01

Part I. FundamentalsIntroductionWhat is Ambient Diagnostics?Diagnostic ModelsMultimedia IntelligenceCrowd SourcingSoft SensorsScience of SimplicityPersonal DiagnosesBasic AlgorithmsBasic ToolsSummaryProblemsTransformationEarly Discoveries of Heartbeat PatternsTransforms, Features, and AttributesSequential FeaturesSpatiotemporal FeaturesShape FeaturesImagery FeaturesFrequency Domain FeaturesMulti-Resolution FeaturesSummaryProblemsPattern RecognitionSimilarities and DistancesClustering MethodsClassification MethodsClassifier Accuracy MeasuresSummaryProblemsPart II. Multimedia IntelligenceSound RecognitionMicrophone AppsModern Acoustic Transducers (Microphones)Frequency Response CharacteristicsDigital Audio File FormatsHeart Sound SensingLung Sound SensingSnore MeterSpectrogram (STFT)Ambient Sound AnalysisSound RecognitionRecognizing Asthma SoundPeak ShiftFeature CompressionRegroupingNoise IssuesFuture ApplicationsSummaryProblemsColor SensorsColor SensingHuman Color VisionColor SensorsColor Matching ExperimentsC...

Spectral light absorption by ambient aerosols influenced by biomass burning in the Amazon Basin. I: Comparison and field calibration of absorption measurement techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Schmid

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Spectral aerosol light absorption is an important parameter for the assessment of the radiation budget of the atmosphere. Although on-line measurement techniques for aerosol light absorption, such as the Aethalometer and the Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP, have been available for two decades, they are limited in accuracy and spectral resolution because of the need to deposit the aerosol on a filter substrate before measurement. Recently, a 7-wavelength (λ Aethalometer became commercially available, which covers the visible (VIS to near-infrared (NIR spectral range (λ=450–950 nm, and laboratory calibration studies improved the degree of confidence in these measurement techniques. However, the applicability of the laboratory calibration factors to ambient conditions has not been investigated thoroughly yet. As part of the LBA-SMOCC (Large scale Biosphere atmosphere experiment in Amazonia – SMOke aerosols, Clouds, rainfall and Climate campaign from September to November 2002 in the Amazon basin we performed an extensive field calibration of a 1-λ PSAP and a 7-λ Aethalometer utilizing a photoacoustic spectrometer (PAS, 532 nm as reference device. Especially during the dry period of the campaign, the aerosol population was dominated by pyrogenic emissions. The most pronounced artifact of integrating-plate type attenuation techniques (e.g. Aethalometer, PSAP is due to multiple scattering effects within the filter matrix. For the PSAP, we essentially confirmed the laboratory calibration factor by Bond et al. (1999. On the other hand, for the Aethalometer we found a multiple scattering enhancement of 5.23 (or 4.55, if corrected for aerosol scattering, which is significantly larger than the factors previously reported (~2 for laboratory calibrations. While the exact reason for this discrepancy is unknown, the available data from the present and previous studies suggest aerosol mixing (internal versus external as a likely cause. For

Design of High Efficiency Illumination for LED Lighting

OpenAIRE

Chang, Yong-Nong; Cheng, Hung-Liang; Kuo, Chih-Ming

2013-01-01

A high efficiency illumination for LED street lighting is proposed. For energy saving, this paper uses Class-E resonant inverter as main electric circuit to improve efficiency. In addition, single dimming control has the best efficiency, simplest control scheme and lowest circuit cost among other types of dimming techniques. Multiple serial-connected transformers used to drive the LED strings as they can provide galvanic isolation and have the advantage of good current distribution against de...

La crisis del medio ambiente

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Carlos Quintero Vélez

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Este artículo, introducción al tema del medio ambiente, pretende proporcionar conceptos básicos para analizar y dimensionar el impacto que genera el hombre sobre los sistemas que soportan la vida. Para entender estos problemas, es indispensable partir de un análisis básico de la relación entre el hombre actual, su medio ambiente, sus necesidades y sus actividades. El autor revisa los antecedentes, las causas y las consecuencias de la crisis ambiental internacional, e intenta dar explicación a la problemática nacionalen este campo, y establecer los puntos más críticos en Colombia. Finalmente, con base en los parámetros establecidos por el gobierno, se presenta el concepto de“desarrollo sostenible" como modelo que interrelaciona los procesos económicos, sociales y tecnológicos con el medio ambiente.

Construindo cidadania ambiental na escola

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cibele Schwanke

2014-03-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1807-0221.2013v10n16p14 O forte componente transversal da Educação Ambiental possibilita sua inserção em vários espaços e níveis de escolaridade. No ensino fundamental, constitui-se em uma importante ferramenta para criar espaços que permitam a abordagem de temáticas socioambientais atuais, de forma crítica e participativa. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar o Projeto Construindo Cidadania Ambiental, executado por bolsistas do Grupo PET - Conexões Gestão Ambiental em unidades escolares, explicitando sua filosofia de implantação e resultados obtidos até o momento. Verifica-se que sua natureza interdisciplinar e integrada permite uma efetiva interação com o corpo docente e discente da escola, bem como permite a prática de uma educação ambiental crítica e transformadora.

Ambient ionization mass spectrometry: A tutorial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Min-Zong; Cheng, Sy-Chi; Cho, Yi-Tzu [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Shiea, Jentaie, E-mail: jetea@fac.nsysu.edu.tw [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

2011-09-19

Highlights: {yields} Ambient ionization technique allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. {yields} We sort ambient ionization techniques into three main analytical strategies, direct ionization, direct desorption/ionization, and two-step ionization. {yields} The underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques are described and compared. - Abstract: Ambient ionization is a set of mass spectrometric ionization techniques performed under ambient conditions that allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. Using combinations of different types of sample introduction systems and ionization methods, several novel techniques have been developed over the last few years with many applications (e.g., food safety screening; detection of pharmaceuticals and drug abuse; monitoring of environmental pollutants; detection of explosives for antiterrorism and forensics; characterization of biological compounds for proteomics and metabolomics; molecular imaging analysis; and monitoring chemical and biochemical reactions). Electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization are the two main ionization principles most commonly used in ambient ionization mass spectrometry. This tutorial paper provides a review of the publications related to ambient ionization techniques. We describe and compare the underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques.

Ambient ionization mass spectrometry: A tutorial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Min-Zong; Cheng, Sy-Chi; Cho, Yi-Tzu; Shiea, Jentaie

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Ambient ionization technique allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. → We sort ambient ionization techniques into three main analytical strategies, direct ionization, direct desorption/ionization, and two-step ionization. → The underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques are described and compared. - Abstract: Ambient ionization is a set of mass spectrometric ionization techniques performed under ambient conditions that allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. Using combinations of different types of sample introduction systems and ionization methods, several novel techniques have been developed over the last few years with many applications (e.g., food safety screening; detection of pharmaceuticals and drug abuse; monitoring of environmental pollutants; detection of explosives for antiterrorism and forensics; characterization of biological compounds for proteomics and metabolomics; molecular imaging analysis; and monitoring chemical and biochemical reactions). Electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization are the two main ionization principles most commonly used in ambient ionization mass spectrometry. This tutorial paper provides a review of the publications related to ambient ionization techniques. We describe and compare the underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques.

Emissions from residential energy use dominate exposure to ambient fine particulate matter in India

Science.gov (United States)

Conibear, L.; Butt, E. W.; Knote, C. J.; Arnold, S.; Spracklen, D. V.

2017-12-01

Exposure to ambient particulate matter of less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) is a leading cause of disease burden in India. Information on the source contributions to the burden of disease attributable to ambient PM2.5 exposure is critical to support the national and sub-national control of air pollution. Previous studies analysing the contributions of different emission sectors to disease burden in India have been limited by coarse model resolutions and a lack of extensive PM2.5 observations before 2016. We use a regional numerical weather prediction model online-coupled with chemistry, evaluated against extensive surface observations, to make the first high resolution study of the contributions of seven emission sectors to the disease burden associated with ambient PM2.5 exposure in India. We find that residential energy use is the dominant contributing emission sector. Removing air pollution emissions from residential energy use would reduce population-weighted annual mean ambient PM2.5 concentrations by 52%, reducing the number of premature mortalities caused by exposure to ambient PM2.5 by 26%, equivalent to 268,000 (95% uncertainty interval (95UI): 167,000-360,000) lives every year. The smaller fractional reduction in mortality burden is due to the non-linear exposure-response relationship at the high PM2.5 concentrations observed across India and consequently large reductions in emissions are required to reduce the health burden from ambient PM2.5 exposure in India. Keywords: ambient air quality, India, residential energy use, health impact, particulate matter, WRF-Chem

Using high-power light emitting diodes for photoacoustic imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, R. S.

2011-01-01

for the experiment consists of a 3mm high x 5mm wide slice of green colored gelatine overlaid by a 3cm layer of colorless gelatine. The light pulses from the LED is focused on the green gelatine. The photoacoustic response from the green gelatine is detected by a single transducer on the opposite (top) surface...

Multielement CdZnTe detectors for high-efficiency, ambient-temperature gamma-ray spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prettyman, T.H.; Moss, C.E.; Sweet, M.R.; Ianakiev, K.; Reedy, R.C.; Li, J.; Valentine, J.D.

1998-01-01

CdZnTe is an attractive alternative to scintillator-based technology for ambient-temperature, gamma-ray spectroscopy. Large, single-element devices up to 3500 mm 3 have been developed for gamma-ray spectroscopy and are now available commercially. Because CdZnTe is a wide band-gap semiconductor, it can operate over a wide range of ambient temperatures with minimal power consumption. Over this range, CdZnTe detectors routinely yield better overall performance for gamma-ray spectroscopy than scintillator detectors. Manufacturing issues and material electronic properties limit the maximum size of single-element CdZnTe detectors. The authors are investigating methods to combine CdZnTe detectors together to improve detection efficiency and overall performance of gamma-ray spectroscopy. The applications include the assay and identification of radioisotopes for nuclear material safeguards and nonproliferation (over the energy range 50 keV to 1 MeV), and the analysis of elemental composition for planetary science (over the energy range 1 MeV to 10 MeV). Design issues for the two energy ranges are summarized

La protección internacional del medio ambiente

OpenAIRE

Bou Franch, Valentín

2017-01-01

PowerPoint del Tema 14 de la asignatura "Derecho Internacional Público". Curso 2017-18. Tema 14. La protección internacional del medio ambiente: 1.- El Derecho Internacional del Medio Ambiente: caracteres específicos. 2.- Principios fundamentales del Derecho Internacional del Medio Ambiente. 3.- Medio ambiente y Desarrollo: el Desarrollo Sostenible.

High-dimensional quantum cryptography with twisted light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirhosseini, Mohammad; Magaña-Loaiza, Omar S; O’Sullivan, Malcolm N; Rodenburg, Brandon; Malik, Mehul; Boyd, Robert W; Lavery, Martin P J; Padgett, Miles J; Gauthier, Daniel J

2015-01-01

Quantum key distribution (QKD) systems often rely on polarization of light for encoding, thus limiting the amount of information that can be sent per photon and placing tight bounds on the error rates that such a system can tolerate. Here we describe a proof-of-principle experiment that indicates the feasibility of high-dimensional QKD based on the transverse structure of the light field allowing for the transfer of more than 1 bit per photon. Our implementation uses the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of photons and the corresponding mutually unbiased basis of angular position (ANG). Our experiment uses a digital micro-mirror device for the rapid generation of OAM and ANG modes at 4 kHz, and a mode sorter capable of sorting single photons based on their OAM and ANG content with a separation efficiency of 93%. Through the use of a seven-dimensional alphabet encoded in the OAM and ANG bases, we achieve a channel capacity of 2.05 bits per sifted photon. Our experiment demonstrates that, in addition to having an increased information capacity, multilevel QKD systems based on spatial-mode encoding can be more resilient against intercept-resend eavesdropping attacks. (paper)

The Utility of the Extended Images in Ambient Seismic Wavefield Migration

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, A. J.; Shragge, J. C.

2015-12-01

Active-source 3D seismic migration and migration velocity analysis (MVA) are robust and highly used methods for imaging Earth structure. One class of migration methods uses extended images constructed by incorporating spatial and/or temporal wavefield correlation lags to the imaging conditions. These extended images allow users to directly assess whether images focus better with different parameters, which leads to MVA techniques that are based on the tenets of adjoint-state theory. Under certain conditions (e.g., geographical, cultural or financial), however, active-source methods can prove impractical. Utilizing ambient seismic energy that naturally propagates through the Earth is an alternate method currently used in the scientific community. Thus, an open question is whether extended images are similarly useful for ambient seismic migration processing and verifying subsurface velocity models, and whether one can similarly apply adjoint-state methods to perform ambient migration velocity analysis (AMVA). Herein, we conduct a number of numerical experiments that construct extended images from ambient seismic recordings. We demonstrate that, similar to active-source methods, there is a sensitivity to velocity in ambient seismic recordings in the migrated extended image domain. In synthetic ambient imaging tests with varying degrees of error introduced to the velocity model, the extended images are sensitive to velocity model errors. To determine the extent of this sensitivity, we utilize acoustic wave-equation propagation and cross-correlation-based migration methods to image weak body-wave signals present in the recordings. Importantly, we have also observed scenarios where non-zero correlation lags show signal while zero-lags show none. This may be a valuable missing piece for ambient migration techniques that have yielded largely inconclusive results, and might be an important piece of information for performing AMVA from ambient seismic recordings.

Architecture of a highly modular lighting simulation system

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2014-01-01

This talk will discuss the challenges before designing a highly modular, parallel, heterogeneous rendering system and their solutions. It will review how different lighting simulation algorithms could be combined to work together using an unified framework. We will discuss how the system can be instrumented for collecting data about the algorithms' runtime performance. The talk includes an overview of how collected data could be visualised in the computational domain of the lighting algorithms and be used for visual debugging and analysis. About the speaker Hristo Lesev has been working in the software industry for the last ten years. He has taken part in delivering a number of desktop and mobile applications. Computer Graphics programming is Hristo's main passion and he has experience writing extensions for 3D software like 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, Sketchup, and V-Ray. Since 2006 Hristo teaches Photorealistic Ray Tracing in the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at the Paisii Hilendarski...

SCHEMA CONGRUITY – A BASIS FOR EVALUATING AMBIENT ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jurca Maria Alina

2013-07-01

light in the under-researched field of ambient advertising and can offer a theoretical basis for future empirical research on the effectiveness of this promotional tool.

A high-temperature, ambient-pressure ultra-dry operando reactor cell for Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Köck, Eva-Maria; Kogler, Michaela; Pramsoler, Reinhold; Klötzer, Bernhard; Penner, Simon, E-mail: simon.penner@uibk.ac.at [Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria)

2014-08-15

The construction of a newly designed high-temperature, high-pressure FT-IR reaction cell for ultra-dry in situ and operando operation is reported. The reaction cell itself as well as the sample holder is fully made of quartz glass, with no hot metal or ceramic parts in the vicinity of the high-temperature zone. Special emphasis was put on chemically absolute water-free and inert experimental conditions, which includes reaction cell and gas-feeding lines. Operation and spectroscopy up to 1273 K is possible, as well as pressures up to ambient conditions. The reaction cell exhibits a very easy and variable construction and can be adjusted to any available FT-IR spectrometer. Its particular strength lies in its possibility to access and study samples under very demanding experimental conditions. This includes studies at very high temperatures, e.g., for solid-oxide fuel cell research or studies where the water content of the reaction mixtures must be exactly adjusted. The latter includes all adsorption studies on oxide surfaces, where the hydroxylation degree is of paramount importance. The capability of the reaction cell will be demonstrated for two selected examples where information and in due course a correlation to other methods can only be achieved using the presented setup.

La economía ambiental y la política ambiental.

OpenAIRE

Caraballo, Leonardo Javier

2007-01-01

Presentación. Ramos Jiménez, Alfredo Los círculos bolivarianos. El mito de la unidad del pueblo. Arenas, Nelly y Gómez Calcaño, Luis Lo massmediático y las sociedades contemporáneas. Un acercamiento a la relación medios-democracia. Briceño Romero, Ysabel La economía ambiental y la política ambiental. Caraballo, Leonardo Javier Veinte años de democracia en la Argentina. ¿Qué democracia? Kers, Mercedes y Leiras, Santiago C. La ciencia de la política. Bolívar ...

Historical Ambient Air Quality Data Inventory

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Historical Ambient Air Quality Data Inventory contains measured and estimated data on ambient air pollution for use in assessing air quality, assisting in...

Productivity of Chlorella sorokiniana in a short light-path (SLP) panel photobioreactor under high irradiance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cuaresma, M.; Janssen, M.G.J.; Vilchez, C.; Wijffels, R.H.

2009-01-01

Maximal productivity of a 14 mm light-path panel photobioreactor under high irradiance was determined. Under continuous illumination of 2,100 µmol photons m-2 s-1 with red light emitting diodes (LEDs) the effect of dilution rate on photobioreactor productivity was studied. The light intensity used

High-dimensional quantum channel estimation using classical light

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mabena, Chemist M

2017-11-01

Full Text Available stream_source_info Mabena_20007_2017.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 960 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Mabena_20007_2017.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 PHYSICAL REVIEW A 96, 053860... (2017) High-dimensional quantum channel estimation using classical light Chemist M. Mabena CSIR National Laser Centre, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa and School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South...

Effects of Ambient Environmental Factors on the Stereotypic Behaviors of Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Liu

Full Text Available Stereotypies are commonly observed in zoo animals, and it is necessary to better understand whether ambient environmental factors contribute to stereotypy and how to affect animal welfare in zoo settings. This study investigated the relationships between stereotypic behaviors and environmental factors including ambient temperatures, humidity, light intensity, sound intensity and number of visitors. Seven giant pandas were observed in three indoor enclosures and three outdoor enclosures. Environmental factors were measured for both indoor and outdoor enclosures and the effect they had on stereotypical behaviors was investigated. Our research found that light intensity significantly correlated with all stereotypies behaviors. Higher environmental temperature reduced the duration of pacing but increased the frequency of pacing, the duration and frequency of door-directed, meanwhile the duration of head-toss. However, we found no noticeable effect of humidity on stereotypic behaviors except for the frequency of head-toss. We also found that sound intensity was not correlated with stereotypies. Finally, the growth of visitors was negatively associated with the duration of door-directed. These results demonstrated that various environmental factors can have significant effects on stereotypic behaviors causing the expression of various stereotypies. Thus, stereotypies in zoo animals may not simply represent suboptimal welfare, but rather might be adopted as a means of coping with an aversive environment.

Lighting and energy performance for an office using high frequency dimming controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Danny H.W.; Lam, Tony N.T.; Wong, S.L.

2006-01-01

Artificial lighting is one of the major electricity consuming items in many non-domestic buildings. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in incorporating daylight in architectural and building designs to reduce the electricity use and enhance greener building developments. This paper presents field measurements for a fully air conditioned open plan office using a photoelectric dimming system. Electric lighting load, indoor illuminance levels and daylight availability were systematically measured and analyzed. The general features and characteristics of the results such as electric lighting energy savings and transmitted daylight illuminance in the forms of frequency distributions and cumulative frequency distributions are presented. Daylighting theories and regression models have been developed and discussed. It has been found that energy savings in electric lighting were over 30% using the high frequency dimming controls. The results from the study would be useful and applicable to other office spaces with similar architectural layouts and daylight linked lighting control systems

Below-Ambient and Cryogenic Thermal Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Fesmire, James E.

2016-01-01

Thermal insulation systems operating in below-ambient temperature conditions are inherently susceptible to moisture intrusion and vapor drive toward the cold side. The subsequent effects may include condensation, icing, cracking, corrosion, and other problems. Methods and apparatus for real-world thermal performance testing of below-ambient systems have been developed based on cryogenic boiloff calorimetry. New ASTM International standards on cryogenic testing and their extension to future standards for below-ambient testing of pipe insulation are reviewed.

High mobility solution-processed hybrid light emitting transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, Bright; Kim, Jin Young; Ullah, Mujeeb; Burn, Paul L.; Namdas, Ebinazar B.; Chae, Gil Jo; Cho, Shinuk; Seo, Jung Hwa

2014-01-01

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of high-performance, solution-processed hybrid (inorganic-organic) light emitting transistors (HLETs). The devices employ a high-mobility, solution-processed cadmium sulfide layer as the switching and transport layer, with a conjugated polymer Super Yellow as an emissive material in non-planar source/drain transistor geometry. We demonstrate HLETs with electron mobilities of up to 19.5 cm 2 /V s, current on/off ratios of >10 7 , and external quantum efficiency of 10 −2 % at 2100 cd/m 2 . These combined optical and electrical performance exceed those reported to date for HLETs. Furthermore, we provide full analysis of charge injection, charge transport, and recombination mechanism of the HLETs. The high brightness coupled with a high on/off ratio and low-cost solution processing makes this type of hybrid device attractive from a manufacturing perspective

Abnormal environmental light exposure in the intensive care environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Emily P; Abbott, Sabra M; Reid, Kathryn J; Zee, Phyllis C; Maas, Matthew B

2017-08-01

We sought to characterize ambient light exposure in the intensive care unit (ICU) environment to identify patterns of light exposure relevant to circadian regulation. A light monitor was affixed to subjects' bed at eye level in a modern intensive care unit and continuously recorded illuminescence for at least 24h per subject. Blood was sampled hourly and measured for plasma melatonin. Subjects underwent hourly vital sign and bedside neurologic assessments. Care protocols and the ICU environment were not modified for the study. A total of 67,324 30-second epochs of light data were collected from 17 subjects. Light intensity peaked in the late morning, median 64.1 (interquartile range 19.7-138.7) lux. The 75th percentile of light intensity exceeded 100lx only between 9AM and noon, and never exceeded 150lx. There was no correlation between melatonin amplitude and daytime, nighttime or total light exposure (Spearman's correlation coefficients all 0.5). Patients' environmental light exposure in the intensive care unit is consistently low and follows a diurnal pattern. No effect of nighttime light exposure was observed on melatonin secretion. Inadequate daytime light exposure in the ICU may contribute to abnormal circadian rhythms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

REPRESENTACIONES SOCIALES DE AMBIENTE Y EDUCACIÓN AMBIENTAL EN EL C.E.D. LA CONCEPCIÓN (BOGOTA-COLOMBIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny Johanna Duarte Díaz

2014-05-01

Full Text Available En la actualidad en las instituciones educativas existe dificultad por construir prácticas relacionadas con temas ambientales, a consecuencia de que no hay suficiente claridad en la forma de diseñar e implementar propuestas, propiciando que lo abordado desde los proyectos ambientales no tenga el impacto esperado. Razón que genera la necesidad de iniciar procesos investigativos que establezcan coherencia en las posturas curriculares, políticas nacionales y los contextos escolares en los que está inmersa la educación ambiental.   Por lo cual, el presente estudio se planteó con el objetivo de identificar las representaciones sociales frente al ambiente y la educación ambiental que poseían algunos miembros de una institución educativa de carácter público en Bogotá. Con el fin de iniciar procesos formativos que lleven a trabajar la educación ambiental de manera interdisciplinar en la escuela desde miradas reflexivas, que nos permitan construir una visión global del ambiente.   Para lo cual se utilizó un enfoque metodológico cualitativo apoyado en la técnica de entrevistas y como instrumento el cuestionario.   Concluyendo que el grupo de participantes no presentan una única representación social de ambiente definiéndolo desde tres miradas: como el medio de vida, los recursos a utilizar y la naturaleza. Y la educación ambiental desde las visiones naturalista, conservacionista - recursista y humanista. Evidenciando la importancia de generar más que actividades puntuales, procesos formativos en educación ambiental que vinculen a los diversos sujetos de las comunidades educativas.

Production of a diffuse very high reflectivity material for light collection in nuclear detectors

CERN Document Server

Pichler, B J; Mirzoyan, R; Weiss, L; Ziegler, S I

2000-01-01

A diffuse very high reflectivity material, based on polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) for optimization of light-collection efficiency has been developed. PTFE powder was used to produce reflector block material. The powder was pressed with 525 kPa in a form and sintered at 375 deg. C. The reflectivity was above 98% within the spectral range from 350 to 1000 nm. The blocks of this material are machinable with saws, drilling and milling machines. The reflector is used as a housing for scintillating crystals in a nuclear medicine application (small animal positron emission tomograph). It is also used as a light collector in very high-energy gamma-ray astrophysicas experiments, HEGRA and MAGIC. The application of this inexpensive, easy to make diffuse reflector may allow the optimization of light collection in a wide range of low-level light-detector configurations.

Densification of silica glass at ambient pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Lianqing; An Qi; Fu Rongshan; Ni Sidao; Luo, S.-N.

2006-01-01

We show that densification of silica glass at ambient pressure as observed in irradiation experiments can be attributed to defect generation and subsequent structure relaxation. In our molecular dynamics simulations, defects are created by randomly removing atoms, by displacing atoms from their nominal positions in an otherwise intact glass, and by assigning certain atom excess kinetic energy (simulated ion implantation). The former forms vacancies; displacing atoms and ion implantation produce both vacancies and 'interstitials'. Appreciable densification is induced by these defects after equilibration of the defective glasses. The structural and vibrational properties of the densified glasses are characterized, displaying resembling features regardless of the means of densification. These results indicate that relaxation of high free-energy defects into metastable amorphous structures enriched in atomic coordination serves as a common mechanism for densification of silica glass at ambient pressure

Broadband Light Absorption and Efficient Charge Separation Using a Light Scattering Layer with Mixed Cavities for High-Performance Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells with Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Byeong Cheul; Park, Jung Hyo; Lee, Dong Ki; Tsvetkov, Nikolai; Ock, Ilwoo; Choi, Kyung Min; Kang, Jeung Ku

2017-08-01

CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 is one of the promising light sensitizers for perovskite photovoltaic cells, but a thick layer is required to enhance light absorption in the long-wavelength regime ranging from PbI 2 absorption edge (500 nm) to its optical band-gap edge (780 nm) in visible light. Meanwhile, the thick perovskite layer suppresses visible-light absorption in the short wavelengths below 500 nm and charge extraction capability of electron-hole pairs produced upon light absorption. Herein, we find that a new light scattering layer with the mixed cavities of sizes in 100 and 200 nm between transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide and mesoporous titanium dioxide electron transport layer enables full absorption of short-wavelength photons (λ cell with a light scattering layer of mixed cavities is stabilized due to suppressed charge accumulation. Consequently, this work provides a new route to realize broadband light harvesting of visible light for high-performance perovskite photovoltaic cells. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Calidad ambiental interior: bienestar, confort y salud

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Vargas Marcos

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Distintas formas de interpretar las condiciones ambientales han llevado al desarrollo de conceptos tales como edificio enfermo, calidad del aire o calidad ambiental interior, todos ellos encaminados a entender la complejidad de los contaminantes en los ambientes cerrados y las implicaciones sobre la salud de la población. La propuesta de "Calidad ambiental interior" es un avance conceptual y operativo que supera ampliamente a los anteriores, puesto que orienta las acciones hacia ambientes saludables sin limitar al aire la idea de contaminación. El objetivo del trabajo es identificar las competencias y el marco legislativo que permiten actuar en la prevención de riesgos asociados a la exposición de contaminantes en ambientes interiores. Óptimas condiciones en los ambientes interiores deben redundar en salud, bienestar y confort, tanto en lo que respecta a la vida laboral como a los ámbitos donde se desarrollan las actividades cotidianas extralaborales, escolares, de descanso y de ocio. La sociedad actual exige lugares seguros, limpios y bien climatizados, para lo que es necesario integrar percepciones y exigencias de los habitantes y alcanzar un óptimo equilibrio entre estándares sociales, uso de la energía y desarrollo sostenible, buscando confort sin contaminar y sin aumentar el consumo de fuentes energéticas que degraden el medio ambiente. El desarrollo legislativo se orienta a la seguridad y la salud en los lugares de trabajo y la regulación de las sustancias químicas. La Sanidad Ambiental lleva a cabo tareas de prevención y control, participa en la ejecución de convenios internacionales de reducción de contaminantes y desechos y promueve acciones para el desarrollo de la Estrategia Europea de Salud y Medio Ambiente.

Do circadian genes and ambient temperature affect substrate-borne signalling during Drosophila courtship?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izarne Medina

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Courtship vibratory signals can be air-borne or substrate-borne. They convey distinct and species-specific information from one individual to its prospective partner. Here, we study the substrate-borne vibratory signals generated by the abdominal quivers of the Drosophila male during courtship; these vibrations travel through the ground towards courted females and coincide with female immobility. It is not known which physical parameters of the vibrations encode the information that is received by the females and induces them to pause. We examined the intervals between each vibratory pulse, a feature that was reported to carry information for animal communication. We were unable to find evidence of periodic variations in the lengths of these intervals, as has been reported for fly acoustical signals. Because it was suggested that the genes involved in the circadian clock may also regulate shorter rhythms, we search for effects of period on the interval lengths. Males that are mutant for the period gene produced vibrations with significantly altered interpulse intervals; also, treating wild type males with constant light results in similar alterations to the interpulse intervals. Our results suggest that both the clock and light/dark cycles have input into the interpulse intervals of these vibrations. We wondered if we could alter the interpulse intervals by other means, and found that ambient temperature also had a strong effect. However, behavioural analysis suggests that only extreme ambient temperatures can affect the strong correlation between female immobility and substrate-borne vibrations.

High-power LED light sources for optical measurement systems operated in continuous and overdriven pulsed modes

Science.gov (United States)

Stasicki, Bolesław; Schröder, Andreas; Boden, Fritz; Ludwikowski, Krzysztof

2017-06-01

The rapid progress of light emitting diode (LED) technology has recently resulted in the availability of high power devices with unprecedented light emission intensities comparable to those of visible laser light sources. On this basis two versatile devices have been developed, constructed and tested. The first one is a high-power, single-LED illuminator equipped with exchangeable projection lenses providing a homogenous light spot of defined diameter. The second device is a multi-LED illuminator array consisting of a number of high-power LEDs, each integrated with a separate collimating lens. These devices can emit R, G, CG, B, UV or white light and can be operated in pulsed or continuous wave (CW) mode. Using an external trigger signal they can be easily synchronized with cameras or other devices. The mode of operation and all parameters can be controlled by software. Various experiments have shown that these devices have become a versatile and competitive alternative to laser and xenon lamp based light sources. The principle, design, achieved performances and application examples are given in this paper.

INFLUÊNCIA DO TREINAMENTO AMBIENTAL NA CONSCIÊNCIA AMBIENTAL DE PROFISSIONAIS DA ÁREA DE RECURSOS HUMANOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thais Accioly Baccaro

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Actualmente, muchas organizaciones trabajan para minimizar y contribuir para resolver los problemasambientales. En esa dirección, el área de recursos humanos emerge como facilitadora de la implantación deprácticas y políticas ambientales en las empresas, principalmente por la utilización de los programas deentrenamiento. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la influencia del entrenamiento ambiental enla conciencia ambiental de los profesionales de recursos humanos. Con un abordaje cuantitativodescriptivo, se aplicó un cuestionario, ya validado, a 73 profesionales de recursos humanos de la región deLondrina-PR. El análisis de datos involucró la estadística descriptiva y el teste sin parámetros χ 2 dePearson. Los resultados señalaron la relación entre el entrenamiento ambiental y la conciencia ambientalde los profesionales de recursos humanos investigados: de hecho, los que recibieron algún tipo deentrenamiento ambiental presentaron un nivel de conciencia ambiental mayor que los que no recibieronningún entrenamiento en esa área.

Emission of high-energy, light particles from intermediate-energy heavy-ion reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, J.B.; Auble, R.L.

1982-01-01

One of the early surprises in examining reaction products from heavy ion reactions at 10 MeV/nucleon and above was the large yield of light particles emitted and the high energies to which the spectra of these particles extended. The interpretation of the origin of the high energy light ions has evolved from a picture of projectile excitation and subsequent evaporation to one of pre-equilibrium (or nonequilibrium) emission. The time scale for particle emission has thus moved from one that occurs following the initial collision to one that occurs at the very early stages of the collision. Research at ORNL on this phenomenon is reviewed

High Resolution Near Infrared Spectrometer to Study the Zodiacal Light Spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Kutyrev, Alexander; Arendt, R.; Dwek, E.; Moseley, S. H.; Silverberg, R.; Rapchun, D.

2007-12-01

We are developing a near infrared spectrometer for measuring solar absorption lines in the zodiacal light in the near infrared region. R. Reynolds at el. (2004, ApJ 612, 1206) demonstrated that observing single Fraunhofer line can be a powerful tool for extracting zodiacal light parameters based on their measurements of the profile of the Mg I line at 5184 A. We are extending this technique to the near infrared with the primary goal of measuring the absolute intensity of the zodiacal light. This measurement will provide the crucial information needed to accurately subtract zodiacal emission from the DIRBE measurements to get a much higher quality measurement of the extragalactic IR background. The instrument design is based on a dual Fabry-Perot interferometer with a narrow band filter. Its double etalon design allows to achieve high spectral contrast to reject the bright out of band telluric OH emission. High spectral contrast is absolutely necessary to achieve detection limits needed to accurately measure the intensity of the absorption line. We present the design, estimated performance of the instrument with the expected results of the observing program. The project is supported by NASA ROSES-APRA grant.

Dynamic light absorption of biomass-burning organic carbon photochemically aged under natural sunlight