Repulsive Casimir-Polder potential by a negative reflecting surface

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Qi-Zhang

2015-07-01

We present a scheme to generate an all-range long repulsive Casimir-Polder potential between a perfect negative reflecting surface and a ground-state atom. The repulsive potential is stable and does not decay with time. The Casimir-Polder potential is proportional to z-2 at short atom-surface distances and to z-4 at long atom-surface distances. Because of these advantages, this potential can help in building quantum reflectors, quantum levitating devices, and waveguides for matter waves.

Direct quantification of negatively charged functional groups on membrane surfaces

KAUST Repository

Tiraferri, Alberto

2012-02-01

Surface charge plays an important role in membrane-based separations of particulates, macromolecules, and dissolved ionic species. In this study, we present two experimental methods to determine the concentration of negatively charged functional groups at the surface of dense polymeric membranes. Both techniques consist of associating the membrane surface moieties with chemical probes, followed by quantification of the bound probes. Uranyl acetate and toluidine blue O dye, which interact with the membrane functional groups via complexation and electrostatic interaction, respectively, were used as probes. The amount of associated probes was quantified using liquid scintillation counting for uranium atoms and visible light spectroscopy for the toluidine blue dye. The techniques were validated using self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols with known amounts of charged moieties. The surface density of negatively charged functional groups of hand-cast thin-film composite polyamide membranes, as well as commercial cellulose triacetate and polyamide membranes, was quantified under various conditions. Using both techniques, we measured a negatively charged functional group density of 20-30nm -2 for the hand-cast thin-film composite membranes. The ionization behavior of the membrane functional groups, determined from measurements with toluidine blue at varying pH, was consistent with published data for thin-film composite polyamide membranes. Similarly, the measured charge densities on commercial membranes were in general agreement with previous investigations. The relative simplicity of the two methods makes them a useful tool for quantifying the surface charge concentration of a variety of surfaces, including separation membranes. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Physical principles of the surface-plasma method of producing beams of negative ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bel'chenko, Yu.I.; Dimov, G.I.; Dudnikov, V.G.

A study is made of the processes used to produce intensive beams of negative ions from surface-plasma sources (SPS). The concepts now being formulated concerning the formation of negative ions upon interaction of bombarding particles with the surface of a solid are analyzed. The peculiarities of the realization of optimal conditions for the production of beams of negative ions in SPS of various designs are discussed

Physical principles of the surface plasma method for producing beams of negative ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bel'chenko, Yu.I.; Dimov, G.I.; Dudnikov, V.G.

1977-01-01

The processes which are important for the production of intense beams of negative ions from surface plasma sources (SPS) are examined. The formation of negative ions when atomic particles interact with a surface is analyzed on the basis of both experimental results obtained when a surface was bombarded with beams and recently developed theoretical considerations of reflection, scattering, and electron exchange. The characteristic features of these processes in SPS, when a surface is bombarded with intense fluxes of plasma particles, are revealed in special experiments. The characteristics of generation and acceleration of the bombarding particles in a gas discharge SPS plasma, the characteristics of transportation of negative ions through the plasma toward the beam forming system, the role of cesium in SPS, and the characteristics of formation of the intense negative ion beams as well as the removal of parasite electrons from the beam

System upgradation for surface mode negative ion beam extraction experiments in ROBIN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandya, Kaushal; Bansal, Gourab; Gahlaut, Agrajit; Soni, Jignesh; Yadav, Ratnakar K.; Mahesh, Vuppugalla; Tyagi, Himanshu; Parmar, KanuG.; Mistri, Hiren; Bhagora, Jighesh; Prajapati, Bhavesh; Patel, Kartik; Bhuyan, Manas; Gouswami, Mehul; Bandyopadhyay, Mainak; Chakraborty, Arun K.

2017-01-01

Operational commissioning of ROBIN forms an important milestone in the Indian programme on the R&D on negative ion beams. The commissioning activity has been effected in sequence, in synchronisation with the availability of High voltage Power Supply (HVPS) systems and routine operation has now been established in the cesiated, surface mode. Significant efforts have been placed in upgrading the system to initiate the surface mode operation. These include incorporation of a temperature controlled Cesium (Cs) delivery system, spectroscopic diagnostics for detection of Cs lines, installation of plasma grid heating and closed loop warm water circuit for source components heating and Doppler Shift Spectroscopy (DSS) system. The specific design and integration features for these upgrades are discussed and preliminary results obtained from the operation of ROBIN in the surface mode are presented.

System upgradation for surface mode negative ion beam extraction experiments in ROBIN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pandya, Kaushal, E-mail: kpandya@ipr.res.in [Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382428, Gujarat (India); Bansal, Gourab; Gahlaut, Agrajit; Soni, Jignesh [Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382428, Gujarat (India); Yadav, Ratnakar K. [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Mahesh, Vuppugalla [Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382428, Gujarat (India); Tyagi, Himanshu [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Parmar, KanuG.; Mistri, Hiren [Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382428, Gujarat (India); Bhagora, Jighesh [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Prajapati, Bhavesh; Patel, Kartik [Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382428, Gujarat (India); Bhuyan, Manas [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Gouswami, Mehul [Bhakti Management Services, Gandhinagar, 382007, Gujarat (India); Bandyopadhyay, Mainak [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Chakraborty, Arun K. [Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382428, Gujarat (India)

2017-01-15

Operational commissioning of ROBIN forms an important milestone in the Indian programme on the R&D on negative ion beams. The commissioning activity has been effected in sequence, in synchronisation with the availability of High voltage Power Supply (HVPS) systems and routine operation has now been established in the cesiated, surface mode. Significant efforts have been placed in upgrading the system to initiate the surface mode operation. These include incorporation of a temperature controlled Cesium (Cs) delivery system, spectroscopic diagnostics for detection of Cs lines, installation of plasma grid heating and closed loop warm water circuit for source components heating and Doppler Shift Spectroscopy (DSS) system. The specific design and integration features for these upgrades are discussed and preliminary results obtained from the operation of ROBIN in the surface mode are presented.

Surface potential measurement of insulators in negative-ion implantation by secondary electron energy-peak shift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagumo, Shoji; Toyota, Yoshitaka; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Gotoh, Yasuhito; Ishikawa, Junzo; Sakai, Shigeki; Tanjyo, Masayasu; Matsuda, Kohji.

1993-01-01

Negative-ion implantation is expected to realize charge-up free implantation. In this article, about a way to specify surface potential of negative-ion implanted insulator by secondary-electron-energy distribution, its principle and preliminary experimental results are described. By a measuring system with retarding field type energy analyzer, energy distribution of secondary electron from insulator of Fused Quartz in negative-carbon-ion implantation was measured. As a result the peak-shift of its energy distribution resulted according with the surface potential of insulator. It was found that surface potential of insulator is negatively charged by only several volts. Thus, negative-ion implanted insulator reduced its surface charge-up potential (without any electron supply). Therefore negative-ion implantation is considered to be much more effective method than conventional positive-ion implantation. (author)

Photodetachment of negative ion in a gradient electric field near a metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Tian-Qi; Wang De-Hua; Han Cai; Liu Jiang; Liang Dong-Qi; Xie Si-Cheng

2012-01-01

Based on closed-orbit theory, the photodetachment of H − in a gradient electric field near a metal surface is studied. It is demonstrated that the gradient electric field has a significant influence on the photodetachment of negative ions near a metal surface. With the increase of the gradient of the electric field, the oscillation in the photodetachment cross section becomes strengthened. Besides, in contrast to the photodetachment of H − near a metal surface in a uniform electric field, the oscillating amplitude and the oscillating region in the cross section of a gradient electric field also become enlarged. Therefore, we can use the gradient electric field to control the photodetachment of negative ions near a metal surface. We hope that our results will be useful for understanding the photodetachment of negative ions in the vicinity of surfaces, cavities, and ion traps. (atomic and molecular physics)

Surface-Exposed Lipoproteins: An Emerging Secretion Phenomenon in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Marlena M; Bernstein, Harris D

2016-03-01

Bacterial lipoproteins are hydrophilic proteins that are anchored to a cell membrane by N-terminally linked fatty acids. It is widely believed that nearly all lipoproteins produced by Gram-negative bacteria are either retained in the inner membrane (IM) or transferred to the inner leaflet of the outer membrane (OM). Lipoproteins that are exposed on the cell surface have also been reported but are generally considered to be rare. Results from a variety of recent studies, however, now suggest that the prevalence of surface-exposed lipoproteins has been underestimated. In this review we describe the evidence that the surface exposure of lipoproteins in Gram-negative bacteria is a widespread phenomenon and discuss possible mechanisms by which these proteins might be transported across the OM. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

High-current negative hydrogen ion beam production in a cesium-injected multicusp source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeiri, Y.; Tsumori, K.; Kaneko, O.

1997-01-01

A high-current negative hydrogen ion source has been developed, where 16.2 A of the H - current was obtained with a current density of 31 mA/cm 2 . The ion source is a multicusp source with a magnetic filter for negative ion production, and cesium vapor is injected into the arc chamber, leading to enhancement of the negative ion yields. The cesium-injection effects are discussed, based on the experimental observations. Although the surface production of the negative ions on the cesium-covered plasma grid is thought to be a dominant mechanism of the H - current enhancement, the cesium effects in the plasma volume, such as the cesium ionization and the electron cooling, are observed, and could contribute to the improved operation of the negative ion source. (author)

Negative plate macropore surfaces in lead-acid batteries: Porosity, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller area, and capacity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D' Alkaine, C.V.; de O. Brito, G.A. [Group of Electrochemistry and Polymers, DQ-UFSCar, Rodovia Washington Luis, Km 235, CP 676, 13565-905 Sao Carlos (SP) (Brazil)

2009-06-01

We propose an explanation for the production of an electrochemically active area during the electrochemical formation of lead-acid battery negative plates based on solid-state reactions. Our proposal is supported by experimental data. This study includes a critical review of the literature on charge/discharge mechanisms, porosity, and BET area. The critical review, through the latter two parameters, indicates the existence of both macro and micropores in positive plates, but only macropores in negative plates, with characteristic surface roughness. In the present paper the surface sulfation of the precursor is controlled using various acidic, neutral and alkaline solutions during an electrochemical formation process that does not include soaking. Our results confirm that variable roughness can be produced at the negative plate macropore surfaces. The morphological changes produced by different formation conditions are assessed by measuring the macroporosity, BET area, and capacity of single negative plates. Based on these concepts, a method was developed and applied to measure independently the contributions of geometrical surface macroporosity and roughness to the negative plate capacity. (author)

Disordered carbon negative electrode for electrochemical capacitors and high-rate batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogihara, Nobuhiro; Igarashi, Yoshiyuki; Kamakura, Ayumu; Naoi, Katsuhiko; Kusachi, Yuki; Utsugi, Koji

2006-01-01

In order to understand the properties of high-rate capability and cycleability for a disordered carbon negative electrode in LiPF 6 /PC based electrolyte solution, the cell performance tests with various rates and depth of discharges (DODs) has been studied by spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses. From the charge-discharge measurements, a surface carbon-edge redox reaction occurring between a carbonyl (C edge =O) and a lithium alkoxide (C edge -OLi) that delivers a large capacity was found fast and high cycleability at only shallow DOD (2.0-0.4 V). The limited or shallow charge-discharge cycling utilizing such facile and reversible action of the C edge =O/C edge -OLi of the disordered carbon is suited to an application for an negative electrode of asymmetric hybrid capacitors. A deep DOD discharge (2.0-0.0 V) revealed the existence of some complex processes involving a lithium cluster deposition at pores or microvoids as well as a lithium ion intercalation at graphene layers. The cluster deposition at pores was found to be relatively fast and reproducible. The lithium ion intercalation at graphenes and the subsequent cluster deposition at microvoids were found to be slow and degrade the cycleability after 100 cycles because of the accumulation of a thick and low-ion-conductive solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film on surface

Negative-ion current density dependence of the surface potential of insulated electrode during negative-ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, Hiroshi; Okayama, Yoshio; Toyota, Yoshitaka; Gotoh, Yasuhito; Ishikawa, Junzo; Sakai, Shigeki; Tanjyo, Masayasu; Matsuda, Kouji.

1994-01-01

Positive ion implantation has been utilized as the method of impurity injection in ultra-LSI production, but the problem of substrate charging cannot be resolved by conventional charge compensation method. It was forecast that by negative ion implantation, this charging problem can be resolved. Recently the experiment on the negative ion implantation into insulated electrodes was carried out, and the effect of negative ion implantation to this problem was proved. However, the dependence of charged potential on the increase of negative ion current at the time of negative ion implantation is a serious problem in large current negative ion implantation hereafter. The charged potential of insulated conductor substrates was measured by the negative ion implantation using the current up to several mA/cm 2 . The experimental method is explained. Medium current density and high current density negative ion implantation and charged potential are reported. Accordingly in negative ion implantation, if current density is optimized, the negative ion implantation without charging can be realized. (K.I.)

High false-negative rate of anti-HCV among Egyptian patients on regular hemodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Sherif, Assem; Elbahrawy, Ashraf; Aboelfotoh, Atef; Abdelkarim, Magdy; Saied Mohammad, Abdel-Gawad; Abdallah, Abdallah Mahmoud; Mostafa, Sadek; Elmestikawy, Amr; Elwassief, Ahmed; Salah, Mohamed; Abdelbaseer, Mohamed Ali; Abdelwahab, Kouka Saadeldin

2012-07-01

Routine serological testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among hemodialysis (HD) patients is currently recommended. A dilemma existed on the value of serology because some investigators reported a high rate of false-negative serologic testing. In this study, we aimed to detect the false-negative rate of anti-HCV among Egyptian HD patients. Seventy-eight HD patients, negative for anti-HCV, anti-HIV, and hepatitis B surface antigen, were tested for HCV RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In the next step, the viral load was quantified by real-time PCR in RT-PCR-positive patients. Risk factors for HCV infection, as well as clinical and biochemical indicators of liver disease, were compared between false-negative and true-negative anti-HCV HD patients. The frequency of false-negative anti-HCV was 17.9%. Frequency of blood transfusion, duration of HD, dialysis at multiple centers, and diabetes mellitus were not identified as risk factors for HCV infection. The frequency of false-negative results had a linear relation to the prevalence of HCV infection in the HD units. Timely identification of HCV within dialysis units is needed in order to lower the risk of HCV spread within the HD units. The high false-negative rate of anti-HCV among HD patients in our study justifies testing of a large scale of patients for precious assessment of effectiveness of nucleic acid amplification technology testing in screening HD patient. © 2012 The Authors. Hemodialysis International © 2012 International Society for Hemodialysis.

Electron stimulated desorption of positive and negative oxygen ions from YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, A. [Technion-Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa (Israel). Solid State Inst.; Moss, S.D.; Paterson, P.J.K. [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia); McCubbery, D. [La Trobe Univ., Bundoora, VIC (Australia); Petravic, M. [Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia)

1996-12-31

The electron stimulated desorption (ESD) of positive and negative oxygen ion from superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} surfaces was studied. Based on ion desorption yield measurements as function of electron kinetic energy, primary excitations leading to positive and negative oxygen ion desorption are suggested. To the best of the authors` knowledge this is the first study on electron energy dependent ESD from YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} surfaces. The YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} samples were prepared from BaCO{sub 3}, Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and CuO using standard high temperature sintering and annealing procedures. Slices 2 mm thick were cut and further annealed at 400 C in flowing oxygen for 24 hours prior to insertion into the ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber for ESD. The near surface composition and chemical state of the annealed sample after exposure to air was examined by Auger and XPS analysis. These measurements suggest that the ESD experiments were performed on samples of similar near surface and bulk composition with some OH- chemisorbed groups and Cl surface contaminations and that negative and positive oxygen ion desorption may be initiated via a primary core level ionization. 10 refs., 3 figs.

Electron stimulated desorption of positive and negative oxygen ions from YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, A [Technion-Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa (Israel). Solid State Inst.; Moss, S D; Paterson, P J.K. [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia); McCubbery, D [La Trobe Univ., Bundoora, VIC (Australia); Petravic, M [Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia)

1997-12-31

The electron stimulated desorption (ESD) of positive and negative oxygen ion from superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} surfaces was studied. Based on ion desorption yield measurements as function of electron kinetic energy, primary excitations leading to positive and negative oxygen ion desorption are suggested. To the best of the authors` knowledge this is the first study on electron energy dependent ESD from YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} surfaces. The YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} samples were prepared from BaCO{sub 3}, Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and CuO using standard high temperature sintering and annealing procedures. Slices 2 mm thick were cut and further annealed at 400 C in flowing oxygen for 24 hours prior to insertion into the ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber for ESD. The near surface composition and chemical state of the annealed sample after exposure to air was examined by Auger and XPS analysis. These measurements suggest that the ESD experiments were performed on samples of similar near surface and bulk composition with some OH- chemisorbed groups and Cl surface contaminations and that negative and positive oxygen ion desorption may be initiated via a primary core level ionization. 10 refs., 3 figs.

Role of positive ions on the surface production of negative ions in a fusion plasma reactor type negative ion source--Insights from a three dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collisions model

Science.gov (United States)

Fubiani, G.; Boeuf, J. P.

2013-11-01

Results from a 3D self-consistent Particle-In-Cell Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC MCC) model of a high power fusion-type negative ion source are presented for the first time. The model is used to calculate the plasma characteristics of the ITER prototype BATMAN ion source developed in Garching. Special emphasis is put on the production of negative ions on the plasma grid surface. The question of the relative roles of the impact of neutral hydrogen atoms and positive ions on the cesiated grid surface has attracted much attention recently and the 3D PIC MCC model is used to address this question. The results show that the production of negative ions by positive ion impact on the plasma grid is small with respect to the production by atomic hydrogen or deuterium bombardment (less than 10%).

Role of positive ions on the surface production of negative ions in a fusion plasma reactor type negative ion source—Insights from a three dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collisions model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fubiani, G.; Boeuf, J. P.

2013-01-01

Results from a 3D self-consistent Particle-In-Cell Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC MCC) model of a high power fusion-type negative ion source are presented for the first time. The model is used to calculate the plasma characteristics of the ITER prototype BATMAN ion source developed in Garching. Special emphasis is put on the production of negative ions on the plasma grid surface. The question of the relative roles of the impact of neutral hydrogen atoms and positive ions on the cesiated grid surface has attracted much attention recently and the 3D PIC MCC model is used to address this question. The results show that the production of negative ions by positive ion impact on the plasma grid is small with respect to the production by atomic hydrogen or deuterium bombardment (less than 10%)

High-frequency fluctuations of surface temperatures in an urban environment

Science.gov (United States)

Christen, Andreas; Meier, Fred; Scherer, Dieter

2012-04-01

This study presents an attempt to resolve fluctuations in surface temperatures at scales of a few seconds to several minutes using time-sequential thermography (TST) from a ground-based platform. A scheme is presented to decompose a TST dataset into fluctuating, high-frequency, and long-term mean parts. To demonstrate the scheme's application, a set of four TST runs (day/night, leaves-on/leaves-off) recorded from a 125-m-high platform above a complex urban environment in Berlin, Germany is used. Fluctuations in surface temperatures of different urban facets are measured and related to surface properties (material and form) and possible error sources. A number of relationships were found: (1) Surfaces with surface temperatures that were significantly different from air temperature experienced the highest fluctuations. (2) With increasing surface temperature above (below) air temperature, surface temperature fluctuations experienced a stronger negative (positive) skewness. (3) Surface materials with lower thermal admittance (lawns, leaves) showed higher fluctuations than surfaces with high thermal admittance (walls, roads). (4) Surface temperatures of emerged leaves fluctuate more compared to trees in a leaves-off situation. (5) In many cases, observed fluctuations were coherent across several neighboring pixels. The evidence from (1) to (5) suggests that atmospheric turbulence is a significant contributor to fluctuations. The study underlines the potential of using high-frequency thermal remote sensing in energy balance and turbulence studies at complex land-atmosphere interfaces.

Negative feedback mechanism for the long-term stabilization of earth's surface temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, J.C.G.; Hays, P.B.; Kasting, J.F.

1981-01-01

We suggest that the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is buffered, over geological time scales, by a negative feedback mechanism in which the rate of weathering of silicate minerals (followed by deposition of carbonate minerals) depends on surface temperature, and surface temperature, in turn, depends on carbon dioxide partial pressure through the green effect. Although the quantitative details of this mechanism are speculative, it appears able partially to stabilize earth's surface temperature against the steady increase of solar luminosity believed to have occured since the origin of the solar system

Surface antigen-negative hepatitis B virus infection in Dutch blood donors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lieshout-Krikke, R. W.; Molenaar-de Backer, M. W. A.; van Swieten, P.; Zaaijer, H. L.

2014-01-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) is a reliable marker for HBV infection, but HBsAg-negative forms of HBV infection occur. The introduction of HBV DNA screening of Dutch blood donors, which were not preselected for absence of HBV core antibodies, enabled the characterization of

Buffering the negative effects of employee surface acting: the moderating role of employee-customer relationship strength and personalized services.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Karyn L; Groth, Markus

2014-03-01

The impact of emotional labor on customer outcomes is gaining considerable attention in the literature, with research suggesting that the authenticity of emotional displays may positively impact customer outcomes. However, research investigating the impact of more inauthentic emotions on service delivery outcomes is mixed (see Chi, Grandey, Diamond, & Krimmel, 2011). This study explores 2 potential reasons for why the service outcomes of inauthentic emotions are largely inconsistent: the impact of distinct surface acting strategies and the role of service delivery context. Drawing on social-functional theories of emotions, we surveyed 243 dyads of employees and customers from a wide variety of services to examine the links between employee surface acting and customer service satisfaction, and whether this relationship is moderated by relationship strength and service personalization. Our findings suggest that faking positive emotions has no bearing on service satisfaction, but suppressing negative emotions interacts with contextual factors to predict customers' service satisfaction, in line with social-functional theories of emotions. Specifically, customers who know the employee well are less sensitive to the negative effects of suppressed negative emotions, and customers in highly personalized service encounters are more sensitive to the negative effects of suppressed negative emotions. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications.

Ferromagnetic barrier-induced negative differential conductance on the surface of a topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An Xing-Tao

2014-01-01

The effect of the negative differential conductance of a ferromagnetic barrier on the surface of a topological insulator is theoretically investigated. Due to the changes of the shape and position of the Fermi surfaces in the ferromagnetic barrier, the transport processes can be divided into three kinds: the total, partial, and blockade transmission mechanisms. The bias voltage can give rise to the transition of the transport processes from partial to blockade transmission mechanisms, which results in a considerable effect of negative differential conductance. With appropriate structural parameters, the current-voltage characteristics show that the minimum value of the current can reach to zero in a wide range of the bias voltage, and then a large peak-to-valley current ratio can be obtained. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

A high-intensity plasma-sputter heavy negative ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.; Mori, Y.; Takagi, A.; Ueno, A.; Fukumoto, S.

1989-01-01

A multicusp magnetic field plasma surface ion source, normally used for H/sup /minus//ion beam formation, has been modified for the generation of high-intensity, pulsed, heavy negative ion beams suitable for a variety of uses. To date, the source has been utilized to produce mA intensity pulsed beams of more than 24 species. A brief description of the source, and basic pulsed-mode operational data, (e.g., intensity versus cesium oven temperature, sputter probe voltage, and discharge pressure), are given. In addition, illustrative examples of intensity versus time and the mass distributions of ion beams extracted from a number of samples along with emittance data, are also presented. Preliminary results obtained during dc operation of the source under low discharge power conditions suggest that sources of this type may also be used to produce high-intensity (mA) dc beams. The results of these investigations are given, as well, and the technical issues that must be addressed for this mode of operation are discussed. 15 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs

Detection of a strongly negative surface potential at Saturn's moon Hyperion.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordheim, T A; Jones, G H; Roussos, E; Leisner, J S; Coates, A J; Kurth, W S; Khurana, K K; Krupp, N; Dougherty, M K; Waite, J H

2014-10-28

On 26 September 2005, Cassini conducted its only close targeted flyby of Saturn's small, irregularly shaped moon Hyperion. Approximately 6 min before the closest approach, the electron spectrometer (ELS), part of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) detected a field-aligned electron population originating from the direction of the moon's surface. Plasma wave activity detected by the Radio and Plasma Wave instrument suggests electron beam activity. A dropout in energetic electrons was observed by both CAPS-ELS and the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument Low-Energy Magnetospheric Measurement System, indicating that the moon and the spacecraft were magnetically connected when the field-aligned electron population was observed. We show that this constitutes a remote detection of a strongly negative (∼ -200 V) surface potential on Hyperion, consistent with the predicted surface potential in regions near the solar terminator.

High symmetry versus optical isotropy of a negative-index metamaterial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Menzel, Christoph; Rockstuhl, Carsten; Lliew, Rumen

2010-01-01

condition since it is usually assumed that light does not resolve the spatial details of MM but experiences the properties of an effective medium, which is then optically isotropic. In this work we challenge this assumption by analyzing the isofrequency surfaces of the dispersion relation of the split cube...... in carcass negative index MM. We show that this MM is basically optically isotropic but not in the spectral domain where it exhibits negative refraction. The primary goal of this contribution is to introduce a tool that allows to probe a MM against optical isotropy....

Fundamental properties of secondary negative ion emission by sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Toshiki; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Ishikawa, Junzo

1989-01-01

The report describes some results obtained from preliminary experiments on secondary negative ion emission from a cesiated surface by Xe-ion beam sputtering, which give the production probability. A measuring system is constructed for secondary negative ion emission. The system consists of a microwave ion source with a lens, a sputtering target holder with a heater, a cesium oven, a limiting aperture with a substrate for deposition, a negative-ion extractor and lens, and a ExB type mass separator. Observations are made on the dependence of negative ion current on cesium supply, dependence of negative ion current on target temperature, and negative ion production probability. The cesium supply and the target temperature are found to strongly influence the negative ion emission. By controlling these factors, the optimum condition for secondary negative ion emission is achieved with a minimum surface work function. The production probability of the negative ion is found to be very high, about 20% for carbon. Therefore, the secondary negative ion emission is considered a useful and highly efficient method to obtain high current ion beams. The constant in the Rasser's theoretical equation is experimentally determined to be 4.1 x 10 -4 eV sec/m. (N.K.)

Numerical modelling of needle-grid electrodes for negative surface corona charging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang, Y; Chen, G; Rotaru, M

2011-01-01

Surface potential decay measurement is a simple and low cost tool to examine electrical properties of insulation materials. During the corona charging stage, a needle-grid electrodes system is often used to achieve uniform charge distribution on the surface of the sample. In this paper, a model using COMSOL Multiphysics has been developed to simulate the gas discharge. A well-known hydrodynamic drift-diffusion model was used. The model consists of a set of continuity equations accounting for the movement, generation and loss of charge carriers (electrons, positive and negative ions) coupled with Poisson's equation to take into account the effect of space and surface charges on the electric field. Four models with the grid electrode in different positions and several mesh sizes are compared with a model that only has the needle electrode. The results for impulse current and surface charge density on the sample clearly show the effect of the extra grid electrode with various positions.

Review on α-Fe2O3 based negative electrode for high performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Nithya, V. D.; Arul, N. Sabari

2016-09-01

Supercapacitor is an electrochemical energy storage device which has drawn attention of the researchers in recent years due to its high power density and long cycle life. Recently, an enormous effort has been imposed to improve the energy density of supercapacitor and might be attained through asymmetric cell configuration that offer wider potential window. Until now, a significant advancement has been achieved in the fabrication of positive electrodes for asymmetric cell. Nevertheless, the electrochemical performance of negative electrode materials is less explored, especially Hematite (α-Fe2O3). The α-Fe2O3 has been proved to be a promising negative electrode in supercapacitor application due to its wide operating potential, high redox activity, low cost, abundant availability and eco-friendliness. In this review, we have chosen α-Fe2O3 as the negative electrode and discussed its latest research progress with emphasis on various surface engineering synthesis strategies such as, carbon, polymer, metal-metal oxide, and ternary based α-Fe2O3 composites for supercapacitor. Besides, the importance of their synergistic effects over the supercapacitive performance in terms of specific capacitance, energy density, power density, cycling life and rate capability are highlighted. Also, an extensive analysis of the literature about its symmetric/asymmetric cell performance is explored.

Effects of negative bias on structure and surface topography of titanium films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan Linglong

2008-01-01

Pure Ti films were fabricated by bias sputtering. The deposition rate, the density and the surface topography of the Ti films at different negative bias were studied. The results show that the deposition rate is weakly affected when the bias power is low. As the bias voltage increases, the deposition rate decreases strongly due to the increase of the layer density and the resputtering phenomena. The film density increased and saturated to nearly bulk value at a bias voltage of -119.1 V. SEM view indicates that the columnar-type structure of Ti films can be destroyed by applying negative bias. The experiments demonstrated that a dense Ti film with more smooth surface can be produced by applying negative bias. (authors)

RTV silicone rubber surface modification for cell biocompatibility by negative-ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Chenlong; Wang, Guangfu; Chu, Yingjie; Xu, Ya; Qiu, Menglin; Xu, Mi

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The radiation effect has a greater influence than doping effect on the hydrophilicity of RTV SR. • The implanted ions result in a new surface atomic bonding state and morphology. • Generating hydrophilic functional groups is a reason for the improved cell biocompatibility. • The micro roughness makes the hydrophilicity should be reduced due to the lotus effect. • Cell culture demonstrates that negative-ion implantation can improve biocompatibility. - Abstract: A negative cluster ion implantation system was built on the injector of a GIC4117 tandem accelerator. Next, the system was used to study the surface modification of room temperature vulcanization silicone rubber (RTV SR) for cell biocompatibility. The water contact angle was observed to decrease from 117.6° to 99.3° as the C_1"− implantation dose was increased to 1 × 10"1"6 ions/cm"2, and the effects of C_1"−, C_2"− and O_1"− implantation result in only small differences in the water contact angle at 3 × 10"1"5 ions/cm"2. These findings indicate that the hydrophilicity of RTV SR improves as the dose is increased and that the radiation effect has a greater influence than the doping effect on the hydrophilicity. There are two factors influence hydrophilicity of RTV: (1) based on the XPS and ATR-FTIR results, it can be inferred that ion implantation breaks the hydrophobic functional groups (Si−CH_3, Si−O−Si, C−H) of RTV SR and generates hydrophilic functional groups (−COOH, −OH, Si−(O)_x (x = 3,4)). (2) SEM reveals that the implanted surface of RTV SR appears the micro roughness such as cracks and wrinkles. The hydrophilicity should be reduced due to the lotus effect (Zhou Rui et al., 2009). These two factors cancel each other out and make the C-implantation sample becomes more hydrophilic in general terms. Finally, cell culture demonstrates that negative ion-implantation is an effective method to improve the cell biocompatibility of RTV SR.

System upgradation for surface mode negative ion beam extraction experiments in ROBIN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandya, Kaushal; Bansal, Gourab; Soni, Jignesh

2015-01-01

ROBIN (Replica Of BATMAN source in India) is a replica of BATMAN source of IPP, Garching. Plasma production (inductively coupled, RF produced plasma), plasma diagnostic (langmuir probe, optical emission spectroscopy), negative ion beam extraction in volume mode with reduced extraction area of 2 cm 2 (4 apertures) using small bench top type power supply (10kV, 400mA), with increase extraction area of 73 cm 2 (146 apertures) and using actual power supplies (Extraction Power Supply System, EPSS (11kV, 35A), and Accelerator Power Supply System, APSS (35kV, 15A)) and beam diagnostic etc have been performed successfully in ROBIN. This paper will describe the details of the system upgradation for surface mode negative ion experiments and its performance in ROBIN

Some Gram-negative Lipoproteins Keep Their Surface Topology When Transplanted from One Species to Another and Deliver Foreign Polypeptides to the Bacterial Surface*

Science.gov (United States)

Fantappiè, Laura; Irene, Carmela; De Santis, Micaela; Armini, Alessandro; Gagliardi, Assunta; Tomasi, Michele; Parri, Matteo; Cafardi, Valeria; Bonomi, Serena; Ganfini, Luisa; Zerbini, Francesca; Zanella, Ilaria; Carnemolla, Chiara; Bini, Luca; Grandi, Alberto; Grandi, Guido

2017-01-01

In Gram-negative bacteria, outer membrane-associated lipoproteins can either face the periplasm or protrude out of the bacterial surface. The mechanisms involved in lipoprotein transport through the outer membrane are not fully elucidated. Some lipoproteins reach the surface by using species-specific transport machinery. By contrast, a still poorly characterized group of lipoproteins appears to always cross the outer membrane, even when transplanted from one organism to another. To investigate such lipoproteins, we tested the expression and compartmentalization in E. coli of three surface-exposed lipoproteins, two from Neisseria meningitidis (Nm-fHbp and NHBA) and one from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa-fHbp). We found that all three lipoproteins were lipidated and compartmentalized in the E. coli outer membrane and in outer membrane vesicles. Furthermore, fluorescent antibody cell sorting analysis, proteolytic surface shaving, and confocal microscopy revealed that all three proteins were also exposed on the surface of the outer membrane. Removal or substitution of the first four amino acids following the lipidated cysteine residue and extensive deletions of the C-terminal regions in Nm-fHbp did not prevent the protein from reaching the surface of the outer membrane. Heterologous polypeptides, fused to the C termini of Nm-fHbp and NHBA, were efficiently transported to the E. coli cell surface and compartmentalized in outer membrane vesicles, demonstrating that these lipoproteins can be exploited in biotechnological applications requiring Gram-negative bacterial surface display of foreign polypeptides. PMID:28483926

Formation of surface nano-structures by plasma expansion induced by highly charged ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moslem, W. M. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Port Said University, Port Said (Egypt); Centre for Theoretical Physics, The British University in Egypt (BUE), El-Shorouk City, Cairo (Egypt) and International Centre for Advanced Studies in Physical Sciences, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany); El-Said, A. S. [Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Nuclear and Radiation Physics Laboratory, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, 35516 Mansoura (Egypt) and Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstr. 128, 01328 Dresden (Germany)

2012-12-15

Slow highly charged ions (HCIs) create surface nano-structures (nano-hillocks) on the quartz surface. The formation of hillocks was only possible by surpassing a potential energy threshold. By using the plasma expansion approach with suitable hydrodynamic equations, the creation mechanism of the nano-hillocks induced by HCIs is explained. Numerical analysis reveal that within the nanoscale created plasma region, the increase of the temperature causes an increase of the self-similar solution validity domain, and consequently the surface nano-hillocks become taller. Furthermore, the presence of the negative (positive) nano-dust particles would lead to increase (decrease) the nano-hillocks height.

Photoinduced Field-Effect Passivation from Negative Carrier Accumulation for High-Efficiency Silicon/Organic Heterojunction Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhaolang; Yang, Zhenhai; Wu, Sudong; Zhu, Juye; Guo, Wei; Sheng, Jiang; Ye, Jichun; Cui, Yi

2017-12-26

Carrier recombination and light management of the dopant-free silicon/organic heterojunction solar cells (HSCs) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are the critical factors in developing high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. However, the traditional passivation technologies can hardly provide efficient surface passivation on the front surface of Si. In this study, a photoinduced electric field was induced in a bilayer antireflective coating (ARC) of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) films, due to formation of an accumulation layer of negative carriers (O 2 - species) under UV (sunlight) illumination. This photoinduced field not only suppressed the silicon surface recombination but also enhanced the built-in potential of HSCs with 84 mV increment. In addition, this photoactive ARC also displayed the outstanding light-trapping capability. The front PEDOT:PSS/Si HSC with the saturated O 2 - received a champion PCE of 15.51% under AM 1.5 simulated sunlight illumination. It was clearly demonstrated that the photoinduced electric field was a simple, efficient, and low-cost method for the surface passivation and contributed to achieve a high efficiency when applied in the Si/PEDOT:PSS HSCs.

Surface properties of magnetite in high temperature aqueous electrolyte solutions: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidojkovic, Sonja M; Rakin, Marko P

2017-07-01

Deposits and scales formed on heat transfer surfaces in power plant water/steam circuits have a significant negative impact on plant reliability, availability and performance, causing tremendous economic consequences and subsequent increases in electricity cost. Consequently, the improvement of the understanding of deposition mechanisms on power generating surfaces is defined as a high priority in the power industry. The deposits consist principally of iron oxides, which are steel corrosion products and usually present in colloidal form. Magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) is the predominant and most abundant compound found in water/steam cycles of all types of power plants. The crucial factor that governs the deposition process and influences the deposition rate of magnetite is the electrostatic interaction between the metal wall surfaces and the suspended colloidal particles. However, there is scarcity of data on magnetite surface properties at elevated temperatures due to difficulties in their experimental measurement. In this paper a generalized overview of existing experimental data on surface characteristics of magnetite at high temperatures is presented with particular emphasis on possible application in the power industry. A thorough analysis of experimental techniques, mathematical models and results has been performed and directions for future investigations have been considered. The state-of-the-art assessment showed that for the characterization of magnetite/aqueous electrolyte solution interface at high temperatures acid-base potentiometric titrations and electrophoresis were the most beneficial and dependable techniques which yielded results up to 290 and 200°C, respectively. Mass titrations provided data on magnetite surface charge up to 320°C, however, this technique is highly sensitive to the minor concentrations of impurities present on the surface of particle. Generally, fairly good correlation between the isoelectric point (pH iep ) and point of zero charge

Hydroxy-Al and cell-surface negativity are responsible for the enhanced sensitivity of Rhodotorula taiwanensis to aluminum by increased medium pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xue Qiang; Bao, Xue Min; Wang, Chao; Xiao, Zuo Yi; Hu, Zhen Min; Zheng, Chun Li; Shen, Ren Fang

2017-10-01

Aluminum (Al) is ubiquitous and toxic to microbes. High Al 3+ concentration and low pH are two key factors responsible for Al toxicity, but our present results contradict this idea. Here, an Al-tolerant yeast strain Rhodotorula taiwanensis RS1 was incubated in glucose media containing Al with a continuous pH gradient from pH 3.1-4.2. The cells became more sensitive to Al and accumulated more Al when pH increased. Calculations using an electrostatic model Speciation Gouy Chapman Stern indicated that, the increased Al sensitivity of cells was associated with AlOH 2+ and Al(OH) 2 + rather than Al 3+ . The alcian blue (a positively charged dye) adsorption and zeta potential determination of cell surface indicated that, higher pH than 3.1 increased the negative charge and Al adsorption at the cell surface. Taken together, the enhanced sensitivity of R. taiwanensis RS1 to Al from pH 3.1-4.2 was associated with increased hydroxy-Al and cell-surface negativity.

Some Gram-negative Lipoproteins Keep Their Surface Topology When Transplanted from One Species to Another and Deliver Foreign Polypeptides to the Bacterial Surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Fantappiè, Laura; Irene, Carmela; De Santis, Micaela; Armini, Alessandro; Gagliardi, Assunta; Tomasi, Michele; Parri, Matteo; Cafardi, Valeria; Bonomi, Serena; Ganfini, Luisa; Zerbini, Francesca; Zanella, Ilaria; Carnemolla, Chiara; Bini, Luca; Grandi, Alberto; Grandi, Guido

2017-07-01

In Gram-negative bacteria, outer membrane-associated lipoproteins can either face the periplasm or protrude out of the bacterial surface. The mechanisms involved in lipoprotein transport through the outer membrane are not fully elucidated. Some lipoproteins reach the surface by using species-specific transport machinery. By contrast, a still poorly characterized group of lipoproteins appears to always cross the outer membrane, even when transplanted from one organism to another. To investigate such lipoproteins, we tested the expression and compartmentalization in E. coli of three surface-exposed lipoproteins, two from Neisseria meningitidis (Nm-fHbp and NHBA) and one from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa-fHbp). We found that all three lipoproteins were lipidated and compartmentalized in the E. coli outer membrane and in outer membrane vesicles. Furthermore, fluorescent antibody cell sorting analysis, proteolytic surface shaving, and confocal microscopy revealed that all three proteins were also exposed on the surface of the outer membrane. Removal or substitution of the first four amino acids following the lipidated cysteine residue and extensive deletions of the C-terminal regions in Nm-fHbp did not prevent the protein from reaching the surface of the outer membrane. Heterologous polypeptides, fused to the C termini of Nm-fHbp and NHBA, were efficiently transported to the E. coli cell surface and compartmentalized in outer membrane vesicles, demonstrating that these lipoproteins can be exploited in biotechnological applications requiring Gram-negative bacterial surface display of foreign polypeptides. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Ion source techniques for high-speed processing of material surface by ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, Junzo

1990-01-01

The present paper discusses some key or candidate techniques for future ion source development and such ion sources developed by the author. Several types of microwave ion sources for producing low charge state ions have been developed in Japan. When a microwave plasma cathode developed by the author is adapted to a Kaufman type ion source, the electron emission currents are found to be 2.5 A for argon gas and 0.5-0.9 A for oxygen gas. An alternative ionization method for metal atoms is strongly required for high-speed processing of material surface by metal-ion beams. Detailed discussion is made of collisional ionization of vaporized atoms, and negative-ion production (secondary negative-ion emission by sputtering). An impregnated electrode type liquid-metal ion source developed by the author, which has a porous tip structure, is described. The negative-ion production efficiency is quite high. The report also presents a neutral and ionized alkaline-metal bombardment type heavy negative-ion source, which consists of a cesium plasma ion source, suppressor, target electrode, negative-ion extraction electrode, and einzel lens. (N.K.)

Towards a complete Fermi surface in underdoped high Tc superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Neil

The discovery of magnetic quantum oscillations in underdoped high Tc superconductors raised many questions, and initiated a quest to understand the origin of the Fermi surface the like of which had not been seen since the very first discovery of quantum oscillations in elemental bismuth. While studies of the Fermi surface of materials are today mostly assisted by computer codes for calculating the electronic band structure, this was not the case in the underdoped high Tc materials. The Fermi surface was shown to reconstructed into small pockets, yet there was no hint of a viable order parameter. Crucial clues to understanding the origin of the Fermi surface were provided by the small value of the observed Fermi surface cross-section, the negative Hall coefficient and the small electronic heat capacity at high magnetic fields. We also know that the magnetic fields were likely to be too weak to destroy the pseudogap and that vortex pinning effects could be seen to persist to high magnetic fields at low temperatures. I will show that the Fermi surface that appears to fit best with the experimental observations is a small electron pocket formed by connecting the nodal `Fermi arcs' seen in photoemission experiments, corresponding to a density-wave state with two different orthogonal ordering vectors. The existence of such order has subsequently been detected by x-ray scattering experiments, thereby strengthening the case for charge ordering being responsible for reconstructing the Fermi surface. I will discuss new efforts to understand the relationship between the charge ordering and the pseudogap state, discussing the fate of the quasiparticles in the antinodal region and the dimensionality of the Fermi surface. The author acknowledges contributions from Suchitra Sebastian, Brad Ramshaw, Mun Chan, Yu-Te Hsu, Mate Hartstein, Gil Lonzarich, Beng Tan, Arkady Shekhter, Fedor Balakirev, Ross McDonald, Jon Betts, Moaz Altarawneh, Zengwei Zhu, Chuck Mielke, James Day, Doug

RTV silicone rubber surface modification for cell biocompatibility by negative-ion implantation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Chenlong [Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Material Modification Ministry of Education, College of Nuclear Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing (China); Wang, Guangfu, E-mail: 88088@bnu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Material Modification Ministry of Education, College of Nuclear Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing (China); Beijing Radiation Center, 100875 Beijing (China); Chu, Yingjie; Xu, Ya; Qiu, Menglin; Xu, Mi [Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Material Modification Ministry of Education, College of Nuclear Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing (China)

2016-03-01

Highlights: • The radiation effect has a greater influence than doping effect on the hydrophilicity of RTV SR. • The implanted ions result in a new surface atomic bonding state and morphology. • Generating hydrophilic functional groups is a reason for the improved cell biocompatibility. • The micro roughness makes the hydrophilicity should be reduced due to the lotus effect. • Cell culture demonstrates that negative-ion implantation can improve biocompatibility. - Abstract: A negative cluster ion implantation system was built on the injector of a GIC4117 tandem accelerator. Next, the system was used to study the surface modification of room temperature vulcanization silicone rubber (RTV SR) for cell biocompatibility. The water contact angle was observed to decrease from 117.6° to 99.3° as the C{sub 1}{sup −} implantation dose was increased to 1 × 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2}, and the effects of C{sub 1}{sup −}, C{sub 2}{sup −} and O{sub 1}{sup −} implantation result in only small differences in the water contact angle at 3 × 10{sup 15} ions/cm{sup 2}. These findings indicate that the hydrophilicity of RTV SR improves as the dose is increased and that the radiation effect has a greater influence than the doping effect on the hydrophilicity. There are two factors influence hydrophilicity of RTV: (1) based on the XPS and ATR-FTIR results, it can be inferred that ion implantation breaks the hydrophobic functional groups (Si−CH{sub 3}, Si−O−Si, C−H) of RTV SR and generates hydrophilic functional groups (−COOH, −OH, Si−(O){sub x} (x = 3,4)). (2) SEM reveals that the implanted surface of RTV SR appears the micro roughness such as cracks and wrinkles. The hydrophilicity should be reduced due to the lotus effect (Zhou Rui et al., 2009). These two factors cancel each other out and make the C-implantation sample becomes more hydrophilic in general terms. Finally, cell culture demonstrates that negative ion-implantation is an effective method

Super-Resolution Imaging of Protein Secretion Systems and the Cell Surface of Gram-Negative Bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sachith D. Gunasinghe

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Gram-negative bacteria have a highly evolved cell wall with two membranes composed of complex arrays of integral and peripheral proteins, as well as phospholipids and glycolipids. In order to sense changes in, respond to, and exploit their environmental niches, bacteria rely on structures assembled into or onto the outer membrane. Protein secretion across the cell wall is a key process in virulence and other fundamental aspects of bacterial cell biology. The final stage of protein secretion in Gram-negative bacteria, translocation across the outer membrane, is energetically challenging so sophisticated nanomachines have evolved to meet this challenge. Advances in fluorescence microscopy now allow for the direct visualization of the protein secretion process, detailing the dynamics of (i outer membrane biogenesis and the assembly of protein secretion systems into the outer membrane, (ii the spatial distribution of these and other membrane proteins on the bacterial cell surface, and (iii translocation of effector proteins, toxins and enzymes by these protein secretion systems. Here we review the frontier research imaging the process of secretion, particularly new studies that are applying various modes of super-resolution microscopy.

Zerodur polishing process for high surface quality and high efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tesar, A.; Fuchs, B.

1992-08-01

Zerodur is a glass-ceramic composite importance in applications where temperature instabilities influence optical and mechanical performance, such as in earthbound and spaceborne telescope mirror substrates. Polished Zerodur surfaces of high quality have been required for laser gyro mirrors. Polished surface quality of substrates affects performance of high reflection coatings. Thus, the interest in improving Zerodur polished surface quality has become more general. Beyond eliminating subsurface damage, high quality surfaces are produced by reducing the amount of hydrated material redeposited on the surface during polishing. With the proper control of polishing parameters, such surfaces exhibit roughnesses of < l Angstrom rms. Zerodur polishing was studied to recommend a high surface quality polishing process which could be easily adapted to standard planetary continuous polishing machines and spindles. This summary contains information on a polishing process developed at LLNL which reproducibly provides high quality polished Zerodur surfaces at very high polishing efficiencies

Negative hydrogen ion production mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bacal, M. [UPMC, LPP, Ecole Polytechnique, UMR CNRS 7648, Palaiseau (France); Wada, M. [School of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan)

2015-06-15

Negative hydrogen/deuterium ions can be formed by processes occurring in the plasma volume and on surfaces facing the plasma. The principal mechanisms leading to the formation of these negative ions are dissociative electron attachment to ro-vibrationally excited hydrogen/deuterium molecules when the reaction takes place in the plasma volume, and the direct electron transfer from the low work function metal surface to the hydrogen/deuterium atoms when formation occurs on the surface. The existing theoretical models and reported experimental results on these two mechanisms are summarized. Performance of the negative hydrogen/deuterium ion sources that emerged from studies of these mechanisms is reviewed. Contemporary negative ion sources do not have negative ion production electrodes of original surface type sources but are operated with caesium with their structures nearly identical to volume production type sources. Reasons for enhanced negative ion current due to caesium addition to these sources are discussed.

Volume and Surface-Enhanced Volume Negative Ion Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stockli, M P

2013-01-01

H - volume sources and, especially, caesiated H - volume sources are important ion sources for generating high-intensity proton beams, which then in turn generate large quantities of other particles. This chapter discusses the physics and technology of the volume production and the caesium-enhanced (surface) production of H - ions. Starting with Bacal's discovery of the H - volume production, the chapter briefly recounts the development of some H - sources, which capitalized on this process to significantly increase the production of H - beams. Another significant increase was achieved in the 1990s by adding caesiated surfaces to supplement the volume-produced ions with surface-produced ions, as illustrated with other H - sources. Finally, the focus turns to some of the experience gained when such a source was successfully ramped up in H - output and in duty factor to support the generation of 1 MW proton beams for the Spallation Neutron Source. (author)

Efficient cesiation in RF driven surface plasma negative ion source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belchenko, Yu.; Ivanov, A.; Konstantinov, S.; Sanin, A., E-mail: sanin@inp.nsk.su; Sotnikov, O. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

2016-02-15

Experiments on hydrogen negative ions production in the large radio-frequency negative ion source with cesium seed are described. The system of directed cesium deposition to the plasma grid periphery was used. The small cesium seed (∼0.5 G) provides an enhanced H{sup −} production during a 2 month long experimental cycle. The gradual increase of negative ion yield during the long-term source runs was observed after cesium addition to the source. The degraded H{sup −} production was recorded after air filling to the source or after the cesium washing away from the driver and plasma chamber walls. The following source conditioning by beam shots produces the gradual recovery of H{sup −} yield to the high value. The effect of H{sup −} yield recovery after cesium coverage passivation by air fill was studied. The concept of cesium coverage replenishment and of H{sup −} yield recovery due to sputtering of cesium from the deteriorated layers is discussed.

Novel cavitation fluid jet polishing process based on negative pressure effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fengjun; Wang, Hui; Tang, Yu; Yin, Shaohui; Huang, Shuai; Zhang, Guanghua

2018-04-01

Traditional abrasive fluid jet polishing (FJP) is limited by its high-pressure equipment, unstable material removal rate, and applicability to ultra-smooth surfaces because of the evident air turbulence, fluid expansion, and a large polishing spot in high-pressure FJP. This paper presents a novel cavitation fluid jet polishing (CFJP) method and process based on FJP technology. It can implement high-efficiency polishing on small-scale surfaces in a low-pressure environment. CFJP uses the purposely designed polishing equipment with a sealed chamber, which can generate a cavitation effect in negative pressure environment. Moreover, the collapse of cavitation bubbles can spray out a high-energy microjet and shock wave to enhance the material removal. Its feasibility is verified through researching the flow behavior and the cavitation results of the negative pressure cavitation machining of pure water in reversing suction flow. The mechanism is analyzed through a computational fluid dynamics simulation. Thus, its cavitation and surface removal mechanisms in the vertical CFJP and inclined CFJP are studied. A series of polishing experiments on different materials and polishing parameters are conducted to validate its polishing performance compared with FJP. The maximum removal depth increases, and surface roughness gradually decreases with increasing negative outlet pressures. The surface becomes smooth with the increase of polishing time. The experimental results confirm that the CFJP process can realize a high material removal rate and smooth surface with low energy consumption in the low-pressure environment, together with compatible surface roughness to FJP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large area negative ion source for high voltage neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poulsen, P.; Hooper, E.B. Jr.

1979-11-01

A source of negative deuterium ions in the multi-ampere range is described that is readily extrapolated to reactor size, 10 amp or more of neutral beam, that is of interest in future experiments and reactors. The negative ion source is based upon the double charge exchange process. A beam of positive ions is created and accelerated to an energy at which the attachment process D + M → D - + M + proceeds efficiently. The positive ions are atomically neutralized either in D 2 or in the charge exchange medium M. Atomic species make a second charge exchange collision in the charge target to form D - . For a sufficiently thick target, the beam reaches an equilibrium fraction of negative ions. For reasons of efficiency, the target is typically alkali metal vapor; this experiment uses sodium. The beam of negative ions can be accelerated to high (>200 keV) energy, the electrons stripped from the ions, and a high energy neutral beam formed

Negative-ion beam surface modification of tissue-culture polystyrene dishes for changing hydrophilic and cell-attachment properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, H.; Satoh, H.; Ikeda, S.; Ikemura, S.; Gotoh, Y.; Ishikawa, J.

1999-01-01

Negative-silver-ion implantation into tissue-culture polystyrene (TCPS) dishes was investigated and it was found to modify hydrophilic and cell attachment properties of the dishes. Negative-ion implantation has an advantage of being almost free of surface charging, and is a suitable method for implantation into insulators such as polymers. Negative silver ions are used due to the antibacterial property of silver. Ag-implanted TCPS dishes had a contact angle larger than the normal value of 66 deg. of unimplanted dishes. The contact angle of water had a strong dependence on the ion energy rather than the dose. As a cell-culture experiment, human umbilical vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC) was used in unimplanted and Ag-implanted TCPS dishes, the implantation removed the cell-attachment property of the surface. In implantation with a mask with a striped pattern, most attached cells of HUVEC were in the unimplanted region aligned along a stripe direction

Study of negative ion surface production in cesium-free H_2 and D_2 plasmas: application to neutral beam injectors for ITER and DEMO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achkasov, Kostiantyn

2015-01-01

The objective of this thesis was to find solutions to produce high yields of H"-/D"- negative ions (NI) on surfaces in Cs-free H_2/D_2 plasmas for thermonuclear fusion applications. Modeling of the negative-ion energy distribution functions (NIEDF) has shown remarkable agreement with experiment for carbon materials. The reconstruction method developed in the course of this thesis has allowed to determine the distribution in energy and angle of NI emitted from the surface. The reconstruction method can be applied to any type of surface and/or NI. A study was performed on a large variety of materials: different types of graphite, diamond films and metals. The influence of surface temperature, bias and plasma exposure time on NI yield was investigated. The method of pulsed bias was developed to enable the study of NI production on surfaces of insulating materials such as microcrystalline non-doped diamond (MCD). The use of ex situ surface diagnostics such as temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and Raman spectroscopy has allowed to characterize the surface state of carbon materials. Basing on the performed studies, we demonstrated that to optimize the NI yield on diamond one has to work with a less degraded surface. This can be obtained rising the surface temperature to 400 C-500 C which allows restoring intrinsic properties of diamond. The less degraded surface state can also be obtained by applying the pulsed bias which gives the possibility to increase the H_2/D_2 surface coverage and diminish the defects induced by plasma exposure. (author) [fr

Integrating high electrical conductivity and photocatalytic activity in cotton fabric by cationizing for enriched coating of negatively charged graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahito, Iftikhar Ali; Sun, Kyung Chul; Arbab, Alvira Ayoub; Qadir, Muhammad Bilal; Jeong, Sung Hoon

2015-10-05

Electroconductive textiles have attended tremendous focus recently and researchers are making efforts to increase conductivity of e-textiles, in order to increase the use of such flexible and low cost textile materials. In this study, surface conductivity and photo catalytic activity of standard cotton fabric (SCF) was enhanced by modifying its surface charge, from negative to positive, using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a cationic agent, to convert it into cationised cotton fabric (CCF). Then, both types of fabrics were dip coated with a simple dip and dry technique for the adsorption of negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) sheets onto its surface. This resulted in 67.74% higher loading amount of GO on the CCF making self-assembly. Finally, this coating was chemically converted by vapor reduction using hydrazine hydrate to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for restoration of a high electrical conductivity at the fabric surface. Our results revealed that with such high loading of GO, the surface resistance of CCF was only 40Ω/sq as compared to 510Ω/sq of the SCF and a 66% higher photo catalytic activity was also achieved through cationization for improved GO coating. Graphene coated SCF and CCF were characterized using FE-SEM, FTIR, Raman, UV-vis, WAXD, EDX and XPS spectroscopy to ascertain successful reduction of GO to rGO. The effect of BSA treatment on adsorption of cotton fabric was studied using drop shape analyzer to measure contact angle and for thermal and mechanical resistance, the fabric was tested for TGA and tensile strength, respectively. rGO coated fabric also showed slightly improved thermal stability yet a minor loss of strength was observed. The high flexibility, photocatalytic activity and excellent conductivity of this fabric suggests that it can be used as an electrode material for various applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Producing high-quality negatives from ERTS black-and-white transparancies

Science.gov (United States)

Richard J. Myhre

1973-01-01

A method has been devised for producing high-quality black-and-white negatives quickly and efficiently from dense transparencies orgininating from Earth Resources Technology Satellite imagery. Transparencies are evaluated on a standard light source to determine exposure and processing information needed for making negatives. A “System ASA Rating” was developed by...

Identification of ionic chloroacetanilide-herbicide metabolites in surface water and groundwater by HPLC/MS using negative ion spray

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer, I.; Thurman, E.M.; Barcelo, D.

1997-01-01

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was combined with high-performance liquid chromatography/high-flow pneumatically assisted electrospray mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESP/MS) for the trace analysis of oxanilic and sulfonic acids of acetochlor, alachlor, and metolachlor. The isolation procedure separated the chloroacetanilide metabolites from the parent herbicides during the elution from C18 cartridges using ethyl acetate for parent compounds, followed by methanol for the anionic metabolites. The metabolites were separated chromatographically using reversed-phase HPLC and analyzed by negative-ion MS using electrospray ionization in selected ion mode. Quantitation limits were 0.01 ??g/L for both the oxanilic and sulfonic acids based on a 100-mL water sample. This combination of methods represents an important advance in environmental analysis of chloroacetanilide-herbicide metabolites in surface water and groundwater for two reasons. First, anionic chloroacetanilide metabolites are a major class of degradation products that are readily leached to groundwater in agricultural areas. Second, anionic metabolites, which are not able to be analyzed by conventional methods such as liquid extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, are effectively analyzed by SPE and high-flow pneumatically assisted electrospray mass spectrometry. This paper reports the first HPLC/MS identification of these metabolites in surface water and groundwater.

Fabrication of an SPR Sensor Surface with Antifouling Properties for Highly Sensitive Detection of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Using Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Polymerization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiyoshi Toko

2013-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, we modified a surface plasmon resonance immunosensor chip with a polymer using surface-initiated atom transfer polymerization (SI-ATRP for the highly sensitive detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT. To immobilize a TNT analogue on the polymer, mono-2-(methacryloyloxyethylsuccinate (MES, which has a carboxyl group, was used in this study. However, the anti-TNT antibody may adsorb non-specifically on the polymer surface by an electrostatic interaction because MES is negatively charged. Therefore, a mixed monomer with MES and diethylaminoethylmethacrylate (DEAEM, which has a tertiary amino group and is positively charged, was prepared to obtain electroneutrality for suppressing the nonspecific adsorption. The detection of TNT was performed by inhibition assay using the polymer surface. To ensure high sensitivity to TNT, the affinity between the surface and the antibody was optimized by controlling the density of the initiator for ATRP by mixing two types of self-assembled monolayer reagents. As a result, a limit of detection of 5.7 pg/mL (ppt for TNT was achieved using the optimized surface.

Experimental study of high current negative ion sources D- / H-. Analysis based on the simulation of the negative ion transport in the plasma source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riz, D.

1996-01-01

In the frame of the development of a neutral beam injection system able to work the ITER tokamak (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), two negative ion sources, Dragon and Kamaboko, have been installed on the MANTIS test bed in Cadarache, and studies in order to extract 20 mA/cm 2 of D - . The two production modes of negative ions have been investigated: volume production; surface production after cesium injection in the discharge. Experiments have shown that cesium seeding is necessary in order to reach the requested performances for ITER. 20 mA/cm 2 have been extracted from the Kamaboko source for an arc power density of 2.5 kW/liter. Simultaneously, a code called NIETZSCHE has been developed to simulate the negative ions transport in the source plasma, from their birth place to the extraction holes. The ion trajectory is calculated by numerically solving the 3D motion equation, while the atomic processes of destruction, of elastic collisions H - /H + and of charge exchange H - /H 0 are handled at each time step by a Monte Carlo procedure. The code allows to obtain the extraction probability of a negative ion produced at a given location. The calculations performed with NIETZSCHE have allowed to explain several phenomena observed on negative ion sources, such as the isotopic effect H - /D - and the influence of the polarisation of the plasma grid and of the magnetic filter on the negative ions current. The code has also shown that, in the type of sources contemplated for ITER, working with large arc power densities (> 1 kW/liter), only negative ions produced in volume at a distance lower that 2 cm from the plasma grid and those produced at the grid surface have a chance of being extracted. (author)

Measurement of the dechanneling length for high-energy negative pions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scandale, W.; Losito, R.; Bagli, E.; Bandiera, L.; Dalpiaz, P.; Fiorini, M.; Guidi, V.; Mazzolari, A.; Vincenzi, D.; Della Mea, G.; Vallazza, E.; Afonin, A.G.; Chesnokov, Yu.A.; Maisheev, V.A.; Yazynin, I.A.; Kovalenko, A.D.; Taratin, A.M.; Denisov, A.S.; Gavrikov, Yu.A.; Ivanov, Yu.M.

2013-01-01

We studied the dechanneling length of 150 GeV/cπ − interacting with a short bent silicon crystal. Dechanneling length measures the rate and the strength of incoherent interactions of channeled particles in a crystal. The mechanism of dechanneling of negatively charged particles has been elucidated through simulation and experiment. It was found that the dechanneling length for negative particles is comparable to the nuclear dechanneling length for positive charges. Indeed, dechanneling of negative particles occurs as a result of incoherent interactions with the nuclei because the trajectories of such particles always intersect atomic planes, explaining the lower channeling efficiency for such particles. Obtained results can be useful for the design of crystals for manipulating high-energy negative particle beams through channeling

Volume generation of negative ions in high density hydrogen discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiskes, J.R.; Karo, A.M.

1983-01-01

A parametric survey is made of a high-density tandem two-chamber hydrogen negative ion system. The optimum extracted negative ion current densities are sensitive to the atom concentration in the discharge and to the system scale length. For scale lengths ranging from 10 cm to 0.1 cm optimum current densities range from of order 1 to 100 mA cm -2 , respectively

High volume hydraulic fracturing operations: potential impacts on surface water and human health.

Science.gov (United States)

Mrdjen, Igor; Lee, Jiyoung

2016-08-01

High volume, hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) processes, used to extract natural gas and oil from underground shale deposits, pose many potential hazards to the environment and human health. HVHF can negatively affect the environment by contaminating soil, water, and air matrices with potential pollutants. Due to the relatively novel nature of the process, hazards to surface waters and human health are not well known. The purpose of this article is to link the impacts of HVHF operations on surface water integrity, with human health consequences. Surface water contamination risks include: increased structural failure rates of unconventional wells, issues with wastewater treatment, and accidental discharge of contaminated fluids. Human health risks associated with exposure to surface water contaminated with HVHF chemicals include increased cancer risk and turbidity of water, leading to increased pathogen survival time. Future research should focus on modeling contamination spread throughout the environment, and minimizing occupational exposure to harmful chemicals.

New insight in the structural features of haloadaptation in α-amylases from halophilic Archaea following homology modeling strategy: folded and stable conformation maintained through low hydrophobicity and highly negative charged surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zorgani, Mohamed Amine; Patron, Kevin; Desvaux, Mickaël

2014-07-01

Proteins from halophilic archaea, which live in extreme saline conditions, have evolved to remain folded, active and stable at very high ionic strengths. Understanding the mechanism of haloadaptation is the first step toward engineering of halostable biomolecules. Amylases are one of the main enzymes used in industry. Yet, no three-dimensional structure has been experimentally resolved for α-amylases from halophilic archaea. In this study, homology structure modeling of α-amylases from the halophilic archaea Haloarcula marismortui, Haloarcula hispanica, and Halalkalicoccus jeotgali were performed. The resulting models were subjected to energy minimization, evaluation, and structural analysis. Calculations of the amino acid composition, salt bridges and hydrophobic interactions were also performed and compared to a set of non-halophilic counterparts. It clearly appeared that haloarchaeal α-amylases exhibited lower propensities for helix formation and higher propensities for coil-forming regions. Furthermore, they could maintain a folded and stable conformation in high salt concentration through highly negative charged surface with over representation of acidic residues, especially Asp, and low hydrophobicity with increase of salt bridges and decrease in hydrophobic interactions on the protein surface. This study sheds some light on the stability of α-amylases from halophilic archaea and provides strong basis not only to understand haloadaptation mechanisms of proteins in microorganisms from hypersalines environments but also for biotechnological applications.

Climate Response to Negative Greenhouse Gas Radiative Forcing in Polar Winter

Science.gov (United States)

Flanner, M. G.; Huang, X.; Chen, X.; Krinner, G.

2018-02-01

Greenhouse gas (GHG) additions to Earth's atmosphere initially reduce global outgoing longwave radiation, thereby warming the planet. In select environments with temperature inversions, however, increased GHG concentrations can actually increase local outgoing longwave radiation. Negative top of atmosphere and effective radiative forcing (ERF) from this situation give the impression that local surface temperatures could cool in response to GHG increases. Here we consider an extreme scenario in which GHG concentrations are increased only within the warmest layers of winter near-surface inversions of the Arctic and Antarctic. We find, using a fully coupled Earth system model, that the underlying surface warms despite the GHG addition exerting negative ERF and cooling the troposphere in the vicinity of the GHG increase. This unique radiative forcing and thermal response is facilitated by the high stability of the polar winter atmosphere, which inhibit thermal mixing and amplify the impact of surface radiative forcing on surface temperature. These findings also suggest that strategies to exploit negative ERF via injections of short-lived GHGs into inversion layers would likely be unsuccessful in cooling the planetary surface.

Implications of surface charge and curvature for the binding orientation of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase on negatively charged or zwitterionic phospholipid vesicles as studied by ESR spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hedin, E.M.K.; Høyrup, Lise Pernille Kristine; Patkar, S.A.

2005-01-01

fluorescence quenching efficiency between each spin-label positioned on TLL, and the lipid membrane. ESR exposure and fluorescence quenching data show that TILL associates closer to the negatively charged PG surface than the zwitterionic PC surface, and binds to both POPG LUV and POPC SUV predominantly through......The triglyceride lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) binds with high affinity to unilamellar phospholipid vesicles that serve as a diluent interface for both lipase and substrate, but it displays interfacial activation on only small and negatively charged such vesicles [Cajal......) spectroscopy in combination with site-directed spin-labeling [Hedin, E. M. K., et al. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 1418514196]. In our investigation, we have studied the interfacial orientation of TLL when bound to large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) consisting of POPG, and bound to SUV consisting of 1-palmitoyl-2...

Toward the detection of the triatomic negative ion SPN-: Spectroscopy and potential energy surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Trabelsi, Tarek; Hochlaf, Majdi; Francisco, Joseph S.

2018-04-01

High level theoretical calculations using coupled-cluster theory were performed to provide an accurate description of the electronic structure, spectroscopic properties, and stability of the triatomic negative ion comprising S, N, and P. The adiabatic electron affinities (AEAs) and vertical detachment energies (VDEs) of PNS, SPN, PSN, and cyc-PSN were calculated. The predicted AEA and VDE of the linear SPN isomer are large: 2.24 and 3.04 eV, respectively. The potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the lowest-lying electronic states of the SPN- isomer along the PN and SP bond lengths and bond angle were mapped. A set of spectroscopic parameters for SPN-, PNS-, and PSN- in their electronic ground states is obtained from the 3D PESs to help detect these species in the gas phase. The electronic excited state SPN-(12A″) is predicted to be stable with a long lifetime calculated to be 189.7 μs. The formation of SPN- in its electronic ground state through the bimolecular collision between S- + PN and N + PS- is also discussed.

Transport of negative ions across a double sheath with a virtual cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McAdams, R; King, D B; Surrey, E; Holmes, A J T

2011-01-01

A one-dimensional analytical model of the sheath in a negative ion source, such as those proposed for heating and diagnostic beams on present and future fusion devices, has been developed. The model, which is collisionless, describes the transport of surface produced negative ions from a cathode, across the sheath to a plasma containing electrons, positive ions and negative ions. It accounts for the situation where the emitted flux of negative ions is greater than the space charge limit, where the electric field at the cathode is negative, and a virtual cathode is formed. It is shown that, in the presence of a virtual cathode, there is a maximum current density of negative ions that can be transported across the sheath into the plasma. Furthermore, for high rates of surface production the virtual cathode persists regardless of the negative bias applied to the cathode, so that the current density transported across the sheath is limited. This is a significant observation and implies that present negative ion sources may not be exploiting all of the surface production available. The model is used to calculate the transported negative ion flux in a number of examples. The limitations of the model and proposed future work are also discussed.

Quantum maps of geodesic flows on surfaces of constant negative curvature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogomolny, E.B.; Carioli, M.

1992-01-01

The Selberg zeta function Z(s) yields an exact relationship between the periodic orbits of a fully chaotic Hamiltonian system (the geodesic flow on surfaces of constant negative curvature) and the corresponding quantum system (the spectrum of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on the same manifold). It was found that for certain manifolds Z(s) can be exactly rewritten as the Fredholm determinant det(1-T s ), where T s is the generalization of the Ruelle-Perron-Frobenius transfer operator. An alternative derivation of this result is presented, yielding a method to find not only the spectrum but also the eigenvalues of the Laplace-Beltrami operator in terms of eigenfunctions of T s . Various properties of the transfer operator are investigated both analytically and numerically. (author) 15 refs., 10 figs

Negative ion detachment processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Champion, R.L.; Doverspike, L.D.

1990-10-01

This paper discusses the following topics: H - and D - collisions with atomic hydrogen; collisional decomposition of SF 6 - ; two-electron loss processes in negative ion collisions; associative electron detachment; and negative ion desorption from surfaces

The Effect of Charge at the Surface of Silver Nanoparticles on Antimicrobial Activity against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria: A Preliminary Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbaszadegan, A.; Ghahramani, Y.; Nabavizadeh, M.; Gholami, A.; Hemmateenejad, I.; Dorostkar, S.; Sharghi, H.

2014-01-01

The bactericidal efficiency of various positively and negatively charged silver nanoparticles has been extensively evaluated in literature, but there is no report on efficacy of neutrally charged silver nanoparticles. The goal of this study is to evaluate the role of electrical charge at the surface of silver nanoparticles on antibacterial activity against a panel of microorganisms. Three different silver nanoparticles were synthesized by different methods, providing three different electrical surface charges (positive, neutral, and negative). The antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was tested against gram-positive (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and Streptococcus pyogenes) and gram-negative (i.e., Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris) bacteria. Well diffusion and micro-dilution tests were used to evaluate the bactericidal activity of the nanoparticles. According to the obtained results, the positively-charged silver nanoparticles showed the highest bactericidal activity against all microorganisms tested. The negatively charged silver nanoparticles had the least and the neutral nanoparticles had intermediate antibacterial activity. The most resistant bacteria were Proteus vulgaris. We found that the surface charge of the silver nanoparticles was a significant factor affecting bactericidal activity on these surfaces. Although the positively charged nanoparticles showed the highest level of effectiveness against the organisms tested, the neutrally charged particles were also potent against most bacterial species.

Photoelectric emission from negative-electron-affinity diamond (111) surfaces: Exciton breakup versus conduction-band emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandis, C.; Pate, B.B.

1995-01-01

We have recently reported that bound electron-hole pairs (Mott-Wannier excitons) are the dominant source of photoelectron emission from specially prepared [''as-polished'' C(111)-(1x1):H] negative-electron-affinity diamond surfaces for near-band-gap excitation up to 0.5 eV above threshold [C. Bandis and B. B. Pate, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 777 (1995)]. It was found that photoexcited excitons transport to the surface, break up, and emit their electron. In this paper, we extend the study of exciton-derived emission to include partial yield (constant final-state) analysis as well as angular distribution measurements of the photoelectric emission. In addition, we find that exciton-derived emission does not always dominate. Photoelectric emission properties of the in situ ''rehydrogenated'' (111)-(1x1):H diamond surface are characteristically different than emission observed from the as-polished (111)-(1x1):H surface. The rehydrogenated surface has additional downward band bending as compared to the as-polished surface. In confirmation of the assignment of photoelectric yield to exciton breakup emission, we find a significant enhancement of the total electron yield when the downward band bending of the hydrogenated surface is increased. The functional form of the observed total electron yield demonstrates that, in contrast to the as-polished surface, conduction-band electrons are a significant component of the observed photoelectric yield from the in situ hydrogenated (111)-(1x1):H surface. Furthermore, electron emission characteristics of the rehydrogenated surface confirms our assignment of a Fan phonon-cascade mechanism for thermalization of excitons

The role of high Rydberg states in the generation of negative ions in negative-ion discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiskes, J.R.

1995-01-01

The generation of substantial yields of H - ions in a laser excited H 2 gas has been reported by Pinnaduwage and Christoforu. These H - yields have been attributed to (2 + 1) REMP photoexcitation processes leading to dissociative attachment of doubly-excited or superexcited states (SES), or dissociative attachment of high Rydberg product states. The new feature of these experiments is the implied large dissociative attachment rates, of order 10 -6 cm 3 sec -1 , values that are orders-of-magnitude larger than the dissociative attachment of the vibrationally excited levels of the ground electronic state. While these laser excitations are not directly applicable to a hydrogen negative-ion discharge, the implication of large dissociative attachment rates to the high Rydberg states may affect both the total negative-ion density and the interpretation of discharge performance. Within the discharge energetic electrons will collisionally excite the higher Rydberg states, and the relative contribution of the dissociative attachment of these states when compared with the dissociative attachment to the ground state vibrational levels, is the topic of this paper

Attention during adaptation weakens negative afterimages of perceptually colour-spread surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Lak, Armin

2008-06-01

The visual system can complete coloured surfaces from stimulus fragments, inducing the subjective perception of a colour-spread figure. Negative afterimages of these induced colours were first reported by S. Shimojo, Y. Kamitani, and S. Nishida (2001). Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of attention on the duration of these afterimages. The results showed that shifting attention to the colour-spread figure during the adaptation phase weakened the subsequent afterimage. On the basis of previous findings that the duration of these afterimages is correlated with the strength of perceptual filling-in (grouping) among local inducers during the adaptation phase, it is proposed that attention weakens perceptual filling-in during the adaptation phase and thereby prevents the stimulus from being segmented into an illusory figure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

High-temperature morphology of stepped gold surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilalbegovic, G.; Tosatti, E.; Ercolessi, F.

1992-04-01

Molecular dynamics simulations with a classical many-body potential are used to study the high-temperature stability of stepped non-melting metal surfaces. We have studied in particular the Au(111) vicinal surfaces in the (M+1, M-1, M) family and the Au(100) vicinals in the (M, 1, 1) family. Some vicinal orientations close to the non-melting Au(111) surface become unstable close to the bulk melting temperature and facet into a mixture of crystalline (111) regions and localized surface-melted regions. On the contrary, we do not find high-temperature faceting for vicinals close to Au(100), also a non-melting surface. These (100) vicinal surfaces gradually disorder with disappearance of individual steps well below the bulk melting temperature. We have also studied the high-temperature stability of ledges formed by pairs of monoatomic steps of opposite sign on the Au(111) surface. It is found that these ledges attract each other, so that several of them merge into one larger ledge, whose edge steps then act as a nucleation site for surface melting. (author). 43 refs, 8 figs

A High-Intensity, RF Plasma-Sputter Negative Ion Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.; Bao, Y.; Cui, B.; Lohwasser, R.; Reed, C.A.; Zhang, T.

1999-01-01

A high-intensity, plasma-sputter negative-ion source based on the use of RF power for plasma generation has been developed that can be operated in either pulsed or dc modes. The source utilizes a high-Q, self-igniting, inductively coupled antenna system, operating at 80 MHz that has been optimized to generate Cs-seeded plasmas at low pressures (typically, - (610 microA); F - (100 microA); Si - (500 microA); S - (500 microA); P - (125 microA); Cl - (200 microA); Ni - (150 microA); Cu - (230 microA); Ge - (125 microA); As - (100 microA); Se - (200 microA); Ag - (70 microA); Pt - (125 microA); Au - (250 microA). The normalized emittance var e psilon n of the source at the 80% contour is: var e psilon n = 7.5 mm.mrad.(MeV) 1/2 . The design principles of the source, operational parameters, ion optics, emittance and intensities for a number of negative-ion species will be presented in this report

High-Temperature Surface-Acoustic-Wave Transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiaoliang; Tittmann, Bernhard R.

2010-01-01

Aircraft-engine rotating equipment usually operates at high temperature and stress. Non-invasive inspection of microcracks in those components poses a challenge for the non-destructive evaluation community. A low-profile ultrasonic guided wave sensor can detect cracks in situ. The key feature of the sensor is that it should withstand high temperatures and excite strong surface wave energy to inspect surface/subsurface cracks. As far as the innovators know at the time of this reporting, there is no existing sensor that is mounted to the rotor disks for crack inspection; the most often used technology includes fluorescent penetrant inspection or eddy-current probes for disassembled part inspection. An efficient, high-temperature, low-profile surface acoustic wave transducer design has been identified and tested for nondestructive evaluation of structures or materials. The development is a Sol-Gel bismuth titanate-based surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) sensor that can generate efficient surface acoustic waves for crack inspection. The produced sensor is very thin (submillimeter), and can generate surface waves up to 540 C. Finite element analysis of the SAW transducer design was performed to predict the sensor behavior, and experimental studies confirmed the results. One major uniqueness of the Sol-Gel bismuth titanate SAW sensor is that it is easy to implement to structures of various shapes. With a spray coating process, the sensor can be applied to surfaces of large curvatures. Second, the sensor is very thin (as a coating) and has very minimal effect on airflow or rotating equipment imbalance. Third, it can withstand temperatures up to 530 C, which is very useful for engine applications where high temperature is an issue.

Development of Functional Surfaces on High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) via Gas-Assisted Etching (GAE) Using Focused Ion Beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Sezen, Meltem; Bakan, Feray

2015-12-01

Irradiation damage, caused by the use of beams in electron and ion microscopes, leads to undesired physical/chemical material property changes or uncontrollable modification of structures. Particularly, soft matter such as polymers or biological materials is highly susceptible and very much prone to react on electron/ion beam irradiation. Nevertheless, it is possible to turn degradation-dependent physical/chemical changes from negative to positive use when materials are intentionally exposed to beams. Especially, controllable surface modification allows tuning of surface properties for targeted purposes and thus provides the use of ultimate materials and their systems at the micro/nanoscale for creating functional surfaces. In this work, XeF2 and I2 gases were used in the focused ion beam scanning electron microscope instrument in combination with gallium ion etching of high-density polyethylene surfaces with different beam currents and accordingly different gas exposure times resulting at the same ion dose to optimize and develop new polymer surface properties and to create functional polymer surfaces. Alterations in the surface morphologies and surface chemistry due to gas-assisted etching-based nanostructuring with various processing parameters were tracked using high-resolution SEM imaging, complementary energy-dispersive spectroscopic analyses, and atomic force microscopic investigations.

Probing the Surface Charge on the Basal Planes of Kaolinite Particles with High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, N; Andersson, M P; van den Ende, D; Mugele, F; Siretanu, I

2017-12-19

High-resolution atomic force microscopy is used to map the surface charge on the basal planes of kaolinite nanoparticles in an ambient solution of variable pH and NaCl or CaCl 2 concentration. Using DLVO theory with charge regulation, we determine from the measured force-distance curves the surface charge distribution on both the silica-like and the gibbsite-like basal plane of the kaolinite particles. We observe that both basal planes do carry charge that varies with pH and salt concentration. The silica facet was found to be negatively charged at pH 4 and above, whereas the gibbsite facet is positively charged at pH below 7 and negatively charged at pH above 7. Investigations in CaCl 2 at pH 6 show that the surface charge on the gibbsite facet increases for concentration up to 10 mM CaCl 2 and starts to decrease upon further increasing the salt concentration to 50 mM. The increase of surface charge at low concentration is explained by Ca 2+ ion adsorption, while Cl - adsorption at higher CaCl 2 concentrations partially neutralizes the surface charge. Atomic resolution imaging and density functional theory calculations corroborate these observations. They show that hydrated Ca 2+ ions can spontaneously adsorb on the gibbsite facet of the kaolinite particle and form ordered surface structures, while at higher concentrations Cl - ions will co-adsorb, thereby changing the observed ordered surface structure.

Negations in syllogistic reasoning: evidence for a heuristic-analytic conflict.

Science.gov (United States)

Stupple, Edward J N; Waterhouse, Eleanor F

2009-08-01

An experiment utilizing response time measures was conducted to test dominant processing strategies in syllogistic reasoning with the expanded quantifier set proposed by Roberts (2005). Through adding negations to existing quantifiers it is possible to change problem surface features without altering logical validity. Biases based on surface features such as atmosphere, matching, and the probability heuristics model (PHM; Chater & Oaksford, 1999; Wetherick & Gilhooly, 1995) would not be expected to show variance in response latencies, but participant responses should be highly sensitive to changes in the surface features of the quantifiers. In contrast, according to analytic accounts such as mental models theory and mental logic (e.g., Johnson-Laird & Byrne, 1991; Rips, 1994) participants should exhibit increased response times for negated premises, but not be overly impacted upon by the surface features of the conclusion. Data indicated that the dominant response strategy was based on a matching heuristic, but also provided evidence of a resource-demanding analytic procedure for dealing with double negatives. The authors propose that dual-process theories offer a stronger account of these data whereby participants employ competing heuristic and analytic strategies and fall back on a heuristic response when analytic processing fails.

Photoelectric work function measurement of a cesiated metal surface and its correlation with the surface-produced H- ion flux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, M.; Berkner, K.H.; Pyle, R.V.; Stearns, J.W.

1982-09-01

For application in plasma heating, fueling, and current drive of magnetic fusion devices, high current negative deuterium ion sources for intense neutral beam injectors are being developed using efficient production of negative hydrogen isotope ions on low work function metal surfaces imbedded in hydrogen plasmas. In order to investigate the correlation between work function and negative hydrogen ion production, photoelectron emission from a cesiated metal surface, which is immersed in a hydrogen plasma with an electron density less than 5 x 10 10 /cc, was measured in the photon energy range of 1.3 to 4.1 eV. The work function determination was based on Fowler's analysis, and at the optimum coverage a work function of less than 1.5 eV was observed for a Cs-Cu surface. Measured values of work functions for different Cs coverages were compared to the negative hydrogen currents produced at the metal surface in the discharge; the surface production of negative hydrogen ion current is monotonically increasing with decreasing work function

Enabling Highly Effective Boiling from Superhydrophobic Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Allred, Taylor P.; Weibel, Justin A.; Garimella, Suresh V.

2018-04-01

A variety of industrial applications such as power generation, water distillation, and high-density cooling rely on heat transfer processes involving boiling. Enhancements to the boiling process can improve the energy efficiency and performance across multiple industries. Highly wetting textured surfaces have shown promise in boiling applications since capillary wicking increases the maximum heat flux that can be dissipated. Conversely, highly nonwetting textured (superhydrophobic) surfaces have been largely dismissed for these applications as they have been shown to promote formation of an insulating vapor film that greatly diminishes heat transfer efficiency. The current Letter shows that boiling from a superhydrophobic surface in an initial Wenzel state, in which the surface texture is infiltrated with liquid, results in remarkably low surface superheat with nucleate boiling sustained up to a critical heat flux typical of hydrophilic wetting surfaces, and thus upends this conventional wisdom. Two distinct boiling behaviors are demonstrated on both micro- and nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces based on the initial wetting state. For an initial surface condition in which vapor occupies the interstices of the surface texture (Cassie-Baxter state), premature film boiling occurs, as has been commonly observed in the literature. However, if the surface texture is infiltrated with liquid (Wenzel state) prior to boiling, drastically improved thermal performance is observed; in this wetting state, the three-phase contact line is pinned during vapor bubble growth, which prevents the development of a vapor film over the surface and maintains efficient nucleate boiling behavior.

High-Performance Supercapacitor of Functionalized Carbon Fiber Paper with High Surface Ionic and Bulk Electronic Conductivity: Effect of Organic Functional Groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suktha, Phansiri; Chiochan, Poramane; Iamprasertkun, Pawin; Wutthiprom, Juthaporn; Phattharasupakun, Nutthaphon; Suksomboon, Montakan; Kaewsongpol, Tanon; Sirisinudomkit, Pichamon; Pettong, Tanut; Sawangphruk, Montree

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A supercapacitor of organic functionalized carbon fiber paper (f-CFP) exhibits high areal and volumetric capacitances. • The performance of the supercapacitor depends on the organic functional group on the surface of the f-CFP. • Hydroxyl and carboxylic groups modified on the surface of f-CFP have higher pseudocapacitive property than amide and amine functional groups. • The f-CFP exhibits high surface ionic and bulk electrical conductivities. - Abstract: Although carbon fiber paper (CFP) or nonwovens are widely used as a non-corrosive and conductive substrate or current collector in batteries and supercapacitors as well as a gas diffusion layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, the CFP cannot store charges due to its poor ionic conductivity and its hydrophobic surface. In this work, the chemically functionalized CFP (f-CFP) consisting of hydroxyl and carboxylic groups on its surface was produced by an oxidation reaction of CFP in a mixed concentrated acid solution of H 2 SO 4 :HNO 3 (3:1 v/v) at 60 °C for 1 h. Other amide and amine groups modified CFP were also synthesized for comparison using a dehydration reaction of carboxylic modified CFP with ethylenediamine and n-butylamine. Interestingly, it was found that hydroxyl and carboxylic groups modified CFP behave as a pseudocapacitor electrode, which can store charges via the surface redox reaction in addition to electrochemical double layer capacitance. The aqueous-based supercapacitor of f-CFP has high areal, volumetric, and specific energy (49.0 μW.h/cm 2 , 1960 mW.h/L, and 5.2 W.h/Kg) and power (3.0 mW/cm 2 , 120 W/L, and 326.2 W/Kg) based on the total geometrical surface area and volume as well as the total weight of positive and negative electrodes. High charge capacity of the f-CFP stems from high ionic charge and pseudocapacitive behavior due to hydroxyl and carboxylic groups on its surface and high bulk electronic conductivity (2.03 mS/cm) due to 1D carbon fiber paper. The

High Friction Surface Treatments, Transportation Research Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-01

MnDOT and local transportation agencies in Minnesota are considering the use of a high friction surface treatment (HFST) as a safety strategy. HFST is used as a spot pavement surfacing treatment in locations with high friction demand (for example, cr...

Auditory mismatch negativity in schizophrenia: topographic evaluation with a high-density recording montage.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirayasu, Y; Potts, G F; O'Donnell, B F; Kwon, J S; Arakaki, H; Akdag, S J; Levitt, J J; Shenton, M E; McCarley, R W

1998-09-01

The mismatch negativity, a negative component in the auditory event-related potential, is thought to index automatic processes involved in sensory or echoic memory. The authors' goal in this study was to examine the topography of auditory mismatch negativity in schizophrenia with a high-density, 64-channel recording montage. Mismatch negativity topography was evaluated in 23 right-handed male patients with schizophrenia who were receiving medication and in 23 nonschizophrenic comparison subjects who were matched in age, handedness, and parental socioeconomic status. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to measure psychiatric symptoms. Mismatch negativity amplitude was reduced in the patients with schizophrenia. They showed a greater left-less-than-right asymmetry than comparison subjects at homotopic electrode pairs near the parietotemporal junction. There were correlations between mismatch negativity amplitude and hallucinations at left frontal electrodes and between mismatch negativity amplitude and passive-apathetic social withdrawal at left and right frontal electrodes. Mismatch negativity was reduced in schizophrenia, especially in the left hemisphere. This finding is consistent with abnormalities of primary or adjacent auditory cortex involved in auditory sensory or echoic memory.

Study of Au- production in a plasma-sputter type negative ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okabe, Yushirou.

1991-10-01

A negative ion source of plasma-sputter type has been constructed for the purpose of studying physical processes which take place in the ion source. Negative ions of gold are produced on the gold target which is immersed in an argon discharge plasma and biased negatively with respect to the plasma. The work function of the target surface was lowered by the deposition of Cs on the target. An in-situ method has been developed to determine the work function of the target surface in the ion source under discharge conditions. The observed minimum work function of a cesiated gold surface in an argon plasma was 1.3 eV, when the negative ion production rate took the maximum value. The production rate increased monotonically and saturated when the surface work function was reduced from 1.9 eV to 1.3 eV. The dependence of Au - production rate on the incident ion energy and on the number of the incident ion was studied. From the experimental results, it is shown that the sputtering process is an important physical process for the negative ion production in the plasma-sputter type negative ion source. The energy distribution function was also measured. When the bias voltage was smaller than 280 V, the high energy component in the distribution decreased as the target voltage was decreased. Therefore, the energy spread ΔE, of the observed negative ion energy distribution also decreased. This tendency is also seen in the energy spectrum of Cu atoms sputtered in normal direction by Ar + ions. (J.P.N.)

Liouville master equation for multielectron dynamics: Neutralization of highly charged ions near a LiF surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wirtz, Ludger; Reinhold, Carlos O.; Lemell, Christoph; Burgdoerfer, Joachim

2003-01-01

We present a simulation of the neutralization of highly charged ions in front of a lithium fluoride surface including the close-collision regime above the surface. The present approach employs a Monte Carlo solution of the Liouville master equation for the joint probability density of the ionic motion and the electronic population of the projectile and the target surface. It includes single as well as double particle-hole (de)excitation processes and incorporates electron correlation effects through the conditional dynamics of population strings. The input in terms of elementary one- and two-electron transfer rates is determined from classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations as well as quantum-mechanical Auger calculations. For slow projectiles and normal incidence, the ionic motion depends sensitively on the interplay between image acceleration towards the surface and repulsion by an ensemble of positive hole charges in the surface ('trampoline effect'). For Ne 10+ we find that image acceleration is dominant and no collective backscattering high above the surface takes place. For grazing incidence, our simulation delineates the pathways to complete neutralization. In accordance with recent experimental observations, most ions are reflected as neutral or even as singly charged negative particles, irrespective of the charge state of the incoming ions

Empathy costs: Negative emotional bias in high empathisers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chikovani, George; Babuadze, Lasha; Iashvili, Nino; Gvalia, Tamar; Surguladze, Simon

2015-09-30

Excessive empathy has been associated with compassion fatigue in health professionals and caregivers. We investigated an effect of empathy on emotion processing in 137 healthy individuals of both sexes. We tested a hypothesis that high empathy may underlie increased sensitivity to negative emotion recognition which may interact with gender. Facial emotion stimuli comprised happy, angry, fearful, and sad faces presented at different intensities (mild and prototypical) and different durations (500ms and 2000ms). The parameters of emotion processing were represented by discrimination accuracy, response bias and reaction time. We found that higher empathy was associated with better recognition of all emotions. We also demonstrated that higher empathy was associated with response bias towards sad and fearful faces. The reaction time analysis revealed that higher empathy in females was associated with faster (compared with males) recognition of mildly sad faces of brief duration. We conclude that although empathic abilities were providing for advantages in recognition of all facial emotional expressions, the bias towards emotional negativity may potentially carry a risk for empathic distress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polystyrene negative resist for high-resolution electron beam lithography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma Siqi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We studied the exposure behavior of low molecular weight polystyrene as a negative tone electron beam lithography (EBL resist, with the goal of finding the ultimate achievable resolution. It demonstrated fairly well-defined patterning of a 20-nm period line array and a 15-nm period dot array, which are the densest patterns ever achieved using organic EBL resists. Such dense patterns can be achieved both at 20 and 5 keV beam energies using different developers. In addition to its ultra-high resolution capability, polystyrene is a simple and low-cost resist with easy process control and practically unlimited shelf life. It is also considerably more resistant to dry etching than PMMA. With a low sensitivity, it would find applications where negative resist is desired and throughput is not a major concern.

From Geodesic Flow on a Surface of Negative Curvature to Electronic Generator of Robust Chaos

Science.gov (United States)

Kuznetsov, Sergey P.

2016-12-01

Departing from the geodesic flow on a surface of negative curvature as a classic example of the hyperbolic chaotic dynamics, we propose an electronic circuit operating as a generator of rough chaos. Circuit simulation in NI Multisim software package and numerical integration of the model equations are provided. Results of computations (phase trajectories, time dependencies of variables, Lyapunov exponents and Fourier spectra) show good correspondence between the chaotic dynamics on the attractor of the proposed system and of the Anosov dynamics for the original geodesic flow.

Neuropilin-1highCD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells Exhibit Primary Negative Immunoregulation in Sepsis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Lei Gao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Regulatory T cells (Tregs appear to be involved in sepsis-induced immune dysfunction; neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1 was identified as a surface marker for CD4+CD25+Tregs. In the current study, we investigated the negative immunoregulation of Nrp-1highCD4+CD25+Tregs and the potential therapeutic value of Nrp-1 in sepsis. Splenic CD4+CD25+Tregs from cecal ligation and puncture (CLP mouse models were further segregated into Nrp-1highTregs and Nrp-1lowTregs; they were cocultured with CD4+CD25−  T cells. The expression of forkhead/winged helix transcription factor-3 (Foxp-3, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4, membrane associated transforming growth factor-β (TGF-βm+, apoptotic rate, and secretive ability [including TGF-β and interleukin-10 (IL-10] for various types of Tregs, as well as the immunosuppressive ability of Tregs on CD4+CD25−  T cells, were determined. Meanwhile, the impact of recombinant Nrp-1 polyclonal antibody on the demethylation of Foxp-3-TSDR (Treg-specific demethylated region was measured in in vitro study. Sepsis per se markedly promoted the expression of Nrp-1 of CD4+CD25+Tregs. Foxp-3/CTLA-4/TGF-βm+ of Nrp-1highTregs were upregulated by septic challenge. Nrp-1highTregs showed strong resilience to apoptosis and secretive ability and the strongest immunosuppressive ability on CD4+CD25−  T cells. In the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, the recombinant Nrp-1 polyclonal antibody reduced the demethylation of Foxp-3-TSDR. Nrp-1highTregs might reveal primary negative immunoregulation in sepsis; Nrp-1 could represent a new potential therapeutic target for the study of immune regulation in sepsis.

Microwave effective surface impedance of structures including a high-Tc superconducting film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartemann, P.

1992-01-01

The microwave effective surface impedances of different stacks made of high-temperature superconducting films, dielectric materials and bulk normal metals were computed. The calculations were based on the two-fluid model of superconductors and the conventional transmission line theory. These effective impedances are compared to the calculated intrinsic surface impedances of the stacked superconducting films. The considered superconducting material has been the oxide YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 epitaxially grown on crystalline substrates (MgO, LaAlO 3 , SrTiO 3 ), the film thickness ranging from a few nm to 1μm. Discrepancies between the effective surface resistances or reactances and the corresponding intrinsic values were determined at 10 GHz for non resonant or resonant structures. At resonance the surface resistance discrepancy exhibits a sharp peak which reaches 10 4 or more in relative value according to the geometry and the used materials. Obviously the effective surface reactance shows also huge variations about the resonance and may be negative. Moreover geometries allowing to obtain an effective resistance smaller than the film intrinsic value have been found. The effects of the resonance phenomenon on the electromagnetic wave reflectivity and reflection phase shift are investigated. Therefore the reported theoretical results demonstrate that the effective surface impedance of YBCO films with a thickness smaller than 500 nm can be very different from the intrinsic film impedance according to the structures. (Author). 3 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs

Surface studies with high-energy ion beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stensgaard, Ivan [Aarhus Univ. (Denmark). Inst. of Physics

1992-07-01

High-energy ion scattering is an extremely useful technique for surface studies. Three methods for surface composition analysis (Rutherford backscattering, nuclear-reaction analysis and elastic recoil detection) are discussed. Directional effects in ion-beam surface interactions (shadowing and blocking) form the basis for surface structure analysis with high-energy ion beams and these phenomena are addressed in some detail. It is shown how surface relaxation and reconstruction, as well as positions of adsorbed atoms, can be determined by comparison with computer simulations. A special technique called transmission channelling is introduced and shown to be particularly well suited for studies of adsorption positions, even of hydrogen. Recent developments in the field are demonstrated by discussing a large number of important (experimental) applications which also include surface dynamics and melting, as well as epitaxy and interface structure. (author).

Divertor ‘death-ray’ explained: An artifact of a Langmuir probe operating at negative bias in a high-recycling divertor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunner, D.; Umansky, M.V.; LaBombard, B.; Rognlien, T.D.

2013-01-01

The divertor ‘death-ray’, enhanced plasma pressure near the outer strike-point relative to ‘upstream’ values, was thought to correspond to axisymmetric increased divertor heat flux. Recent measurements on Alcator C-Mod show that the ‘death-ray’ is localized to biased Langmuir probes. Heat fluxes deduced from plasma-sheath theory and surface thermocouples agree in sheath-limited and moderate-recycling regimes. They diverge in high-recycling and detached regimes; surface thermocouples measure reduced heat flux while a ‘death-ray’ appears on Langmuir probes. The ‘death-ray’ is caused by the probe’s negative bias affecting the local flux tube. With the bias, electron heat flux to the probe surface is reduced. Thus, the local electron temperature is raised, enhancing neutral ionization and increasing the ion flux to the probe. The plasma fluid code UEDGE is used to simulate and reproduce many of the features of this integrated biased probe/divertor system

Risk score predicts high-grade prostate cancer in DNA-methylation positive, histopathologically negative biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Neste, Leander; Partin, Alan W; Stewart, Grant D; Epstein, Jonathan I; Harrison, David J; Van Criekinge, Wim

2016-09-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis is challenging because efforts for effective, timely treatment of men with significant cancer typically result in over-diagnosis and repeat biopsies. The presence or absence of epigenetic aberrations, more specifically DNA-methylation of GSTP1, RASSF1, and APC in histopathologically negative prostate core biopsies has resulted in an increased negative predictive value (NPV) of ∼90% and thus could lead to a reduction of unnecessary repeat biopsies. Here, it is investigated whether, in methylation-positive men, DNA-methylation intensities could help to identify those men harboring high-grade (Gleason score ≥7) PCa, resulting in an improved positive predictive value. Two cohorts, consisting of men with histopathologically negative index biopsies, followed by a positive or negative repeat biopsy, were combined. EpiScore, a methylation intensity algorithm was developed in methylation-positive men, using area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic as metric for performance. Next, a risk score was developed combining EpiScore with traditional clinical risk factors to further improve the identification of high-grade (Gleason Score ≥7) cancer. Compared to other risk factors, detection of DNA-methylation in histopathologically negative biopsies was the most significant and important predictor of high-grade cancer, resulting in a NPV of 96%. In methylation-positive men, EpiScore was significantly higher for those with high-grade cancer detected upon repeat biopsy, compared to those with either no or low-grade cancer. The risk score resulted in further improvement of patient risk stratification and was a significantly better predictor compared to currently used metrics as PSA and the prostate cancer prevention trial (PCPT) risk calculator (RC). A decision curve analysis indicated strong clinical utility for the risk score as decision-making tool for repeat biopsy. Low DNA-methylation levels in PCa-negative biopsies led

Investigations of a new, highly negative liposome with improved biodistribution for imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hnatowich, D.J.; Clancy, B.

1980-01-01

An attractive feature of liposomes is the wide range of lipid composition that can lead to liposome formation, coupled with the observation that liposome biodistribution may be altered by varying lipid composition. For instance, adding charged lipids to neutral lecithin will alter the biodistribution of the resulting charged liposomes. We have prepared highly negative liposomes by replacing lecithin with negatively charged cardiolipin. The liposomes have been labeled in the lipid phase with Ga-67 and Tc-99m oxine and their properties evaluated. The expected high negative charge of the resulting liposomes was confirmed by an ion-exchange chromatographic technique. Using paper chromatography, the stability of the label was determined during incubation in saline and serum. Finally, biodistributions were determined at 2 h in mice, and the results compared with those for negative lecithin liposomes. Accumulated activities in liver and spleen were reduced by factors of five and 20, respectively, over lecithin liposomes. Since preferential accumulation of activity in these organs constitutes the biggest limitation to the use of lecithin liposomes, cardiolipin liposomes may prove to be more useful carriers of radioactivity in imaging applications. More importantly, however, these results illustrate the value of studying novel liposome types as potential radiopharmaceuticals

Studies of nanosecond pulse surface ionization wave discharges over solid and liquid dielectric surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrishchev, Vitaly; Leonov, Sergey; Adamovich, Igor V

2014-01-01

Surface ionization wave discharges generated by high-voltage nanosecond pulses, propagating over a planar quartz surface and over liquid surfaces (distilled water and 1-butanol) have been studied in a rectangular cross section test cell. The discharge was initiated using a custom-made, alternating polarity, high-voltage nanosecond pulse plasma generator, operated at a pulse repetition rate of 100–500 Hz, with a pulse peak voltage and current of 10–15 kV and 7–20 A, respectively, a pulse FWHM of ∼100 ns, and a coupled pulse energy of 2–9 mJ/pulse. Wave speed was measured using a capacitive probe. ICCD camera images demonstrated that the ionization wave propagated predominantly over the quartz wall or over the liquid surface adjacent to the grounded waveguide placed along the bottom wall of the test cell. Under all experimental conditions tested, the surface plasma ‘sheet’ was diffuse and fairly uniform, both for positive and negative polarities. The parameters of ionization wave discharge propagating over distilled water and 1-butanol surfaces were close to those of the discharge over a quartz wall. No perturbation of the liquid surface by the discharge was detected. In most cases, the positive polarity surface ionization wave propagated at a higher speed and over a longer distance compared to the negative polarity wave. For all three sets of experiments (surface ionization wave discharge over quartz, water and 1-butanol), wave speed and travel distance decreased with pressure. Diffuse, highly reproducible surface ionization wave discharge was also observed over the liquid butanol–saturated butanol vapor interface, as well as over the distilled water–saturated water vapor interface, without buffer gas flow. No significant difference was detected between surface ionization discharges sustained using single-polarity (positive or negative), or alternating polarity high-voltage pulses. Plasma emission images yielded preliminary evidence of charge

High-Density Infrared Surface Treatments of Refractories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiegs, T.N.

2005-03-31

Refractory materials play a crucial role in all energy-intensive industries and are truly a crosscutting technology for the Industries of the Future (IOF). One of the major mechanisms for the degradation of refractories and a general decrease in their performance has been the penetration and corrosion by molten metals or glass. Methods and materials that would reduce the penetration, wetting, and corrosive chemistry would significantly improve refractory performance and also maintain the quality of the processed liquid, be it metal or glass. This report presents the results of an R&D project aimed at investigating the use of high-density infrared (HDI) heating to surface treat refractories to improve their performance. The project was a joint effort between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR). HDI is capable of heating the near-surface region of materials to very high temperatures where sintering, diffusion, and melting can occur. The intended benefits of HDI processing of refractories were to (1) reduce surface porosity (by essentially sealing the surface to prevent liquid penetration), (2) allow surface chemistry changes to be performed by bonding an adherent coating onto the underlying refractory (in order to inhibit wetting and/or improve corrosion resistance), and (3) produce noncontact refractories with high-emissivity surface coatings.

Time-resolved measurements of highly-polymerised negative ions in rf silane plasma deposition experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howling, A.A.; Sansonnens, L.; Dorier, J.L.; Hollenstein, C.

1993-07-01

The time-resolved fluxes of negative polysilicon hydride ions from a power-modulated rf silane plasma have been measured by quadrupole mass spectrometry and modeled using a simple polymerisation scheme. Experiments were performed with plasma parameters suitable for high-quality amorphous silicon deposition. Polysilicon hydride anions diffuse from the plasma with low energy (approximately 0.5 eV) during the afterglow after the electron density has decayed and the sheath fields have collapsed. The mass-dependence of the temporal behavior of the anion loss flux demonstrates that the plasma composition is influenced by the modulation frequency. The negative species attain much higher masses than the positive or neutral species, and anions containing as many as sixteen silicon atoms have been observed, corresponding to the 500 amu limit of the mass spectrometer. This suggests that negative ions could be the precursors to particle formation. Ion-molecule and ion-ion reactions are discussed and a simple negative ion polymerisation scheme is proposed which qualitatively reproduces the experimental results. The model shows that the densities of high mass negative ions in the plasma are strongly reduced by modulation frequencies near 1 kHz. Each plasma period is then too short for the polymerisation chain to propagate to high masses before the elementary anions are lost in each subsequent afterglow period. This explains why modulation of the rf power can reduce particle contamination. We conclude that, for the case of silane rf plasmas, the initiation steps which ultimately lead to particle contamination proceed by negative ion polymerisation. (author) 15 figs., 72 refs

[Adsorption behavior and influence factors of p-nitroaniline on high surface area activated carbons prepared from plant stems].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kun-quan; Zheng, Zheng; Luo, Xing-zhang

2010-08-01

Low-cost and high surface area microporous activated carbons were prepared from Spartina alternilora and cotton stalk with KOH activation under the conditions of impregnation ratio of 3.0, activation temperature at 800 degrees C and activation time of 1.5 h. The adsorption behavior of p-nitroaniline on the activated carbons was investigated by batch sorption experiments. The influences of solution pH value, adsorbent dose and temperature were investigated. The adsorption isotherm and thermodynamic characteristics were also discussed. The Spartina alterniflora activated carbon (SA-AC) has a high surface area of 2825 m2 x g(-1) and a micropore volume of 1.192 cm3 x g(-1). The BET surface area and micropore volume of the cotton stalk activated carbon (CS-AC) are 2135 m2 x g(-1) and 1.011 cm3 x g(-1), respectively. The sorption experiments show that both the activated carbons have high sorption capacity for p-nitroaniline. The Langmuir maximum sorption amount was found to be 719 mg x g(-1) for SA-AC and 716 mg x g(-1) for CS-AC, respectively. The sorption was found to depend on solution pH, adsorbent dose, and temperature. The optimum pH for the removal of p-nitroaniline was found to be 7.0. The Freundlich model and Redlich-Peterson model can describe the experimental data effectively. The negative changes in free energy (delta G0) and enthalpy (delta H0) indicate that the sorption is a spontaneous and exothermic procedure. The negative values of the adsorption entropy delta S0 indicate that the mobility of p-nitroaniline on the carbon surface becomes more restricted as compared with that of those in solution.

A Multi-Sample Cs-Sputter Negative Ion Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.; Ball, J.A.; Bao, Y.; Cui, B.; Reed, C.A.; Williams, C.

1998-01-01

A multi-sample Cs sputter negative-ion source, equipped with a conical-geometry, W-surface-ionizer has been designed and fabricated that permits sample changes without disruption of on-line accelerator operation. Sample changing is effected by actuating an electro-pneumatic control system located at ground potential that drives an air-motor-driven sample-indexing-system mounted at high voltage; this arrangement avoids complications associated with indexing mechanisms that rely on electronic power-supplies located at high potential. In-beam targets are identified by LED indicator lights derived from a fiber-optic, Gray-code target-position sensor. Aspects of the overall source design and details of the indexing mechanism along with operational parameters, ion optics. intensities, and typical emittances for a variety of negative-ion species will be presented in this report

A Multi-Sample Cs-Sputter Negative Ion Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alton, G.D.; Ball, J.A.; Bao, Y.; Cui, B.; Reed, C.A.; Williams, C.

1998-10-05

A multi-sample Cs sputter negative-ion source, equipped with a conical-geometry, W-surface-ionizer has been designed and fabricated that permits sample changes without disruption of on-line accelerator operation. Sample changing is effected by actuating an electro-pneumatic control system located at ground potential that drives an air-motor-driven sample-indexing-system mounted at high voltage; this arrangement avoids complications associated with indexing mechanisms that rely on electronic power-supplies located at high potential. In-beam targets are identified by LED indicator lights derived from a fiber-optic, Gray-code target-position sensor. Aspects of the overall source design and details of the indexing mechanism along with operational parameters, ion optics. intensities, and typical emittances for a variety of negative-ion species will be presented in this report.

Negative ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, Junzo; Takagi, Toshinori

1983-01-01

Negative ion sources have been originally developed at the request of tandem electrostatic accelerators, and hundreds of nA to several μA negative ion current has been obtained so far for various elements. Recently, the development of large current hydrogen negative ion sources has been demanded from the standpoint of the heating by neutral particle beam injection in nuclear fusion reactors. On the other hand, the physical properties of negative ions are interesting in the thin film formation using ions. Anyway, it is the present status that the mechanism of negative ion action has not been so fully investigated as positive ions because the history of negative ion sources is short. In this report, the many mechanisms about the generation of negative ions proposed so far are described about negative ion generating mechanism, negative ion source plasma, and negative ion generation on metal surfaces. As a result, negative ion sources are roughly divided into two schemes, plasma extraction and secondary ion extraction, and the former is further classified into the PIG ion source and its variation and Duoplasmatron and its variation; while the latter into reflecting and sputtering types. In the second half of the report, the practical negative ion sources of each scheme are described. If the mechanism of negative ion generation will be investigated more in detail and the development will be continued under the unified know-how as negative ion sources in future, the development of negative ion sources with which large current can be obtained for any element is expected. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Spray-coatable negative photoresist for high topography MEMS applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, Markus; Haas, Sven; Schwenzer, Falk; Schwenzer, Gunther; Reuter, Danny; Geßner, Thomas; Voigt, Anja; Gruetzner, Gabi

2017-01-01

In microsystem technology, the lithographical processing of substrates with a topography is very important. Interconnecting lines, which are routed over sloped topography sidewalls from the top of the protecting wafer to the contact pads of the device wafer, are one example of patterning over a topography. For structuring such circuit paths, a photolithography process, and therefore a process for homogeneous photoresist coating, is required. The most flexible and advantageous way of depositing a homogeneous photoresist film over structures with high topography steps is spray-coating. As a pattern transfer process for circuit paths in cavities, the lift-off process is widely used. A negative resist, like ma-N (MRT) or AZnLOF (AZ) is favoured for lift-off processes due to the existing negative angle of the sidewalls. Only a few sprayable negative photoresists are commercially available. In this paper, the development of a novel negative resist spray-coating based on a commercially available single-layer lift-off resist for spin-coating, especially for the patterning of structures inside the cavity and on the cavity wall, is presented. A variety of parameters influences the spray-coating process, and therefore the patterning results. Besides the spray-coating tool and the parameters, the composition of the resist solution itself also influences the coating results. For homogeneous resist coverage over the topography of the substrate, different solvent combinations for diluting the resist solution, different chuck temperatures during the coating process, and also the softbake conditions, are all investigated. The solvent formulations and the process conditions are optimized with respect to the homogeneity of the resist coverage on the top edge of the cavities. Finally, the developed spray-coating process, the resist material and the process stability are demonstrated by the following applications: (i) lift-off, (ii) electroplating, (iii) the wet and (iv) the dry

The Coordination of calculation and experimental procedures in the determination of high-negative reactivities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinegin, A.A.; Tsyganov, S.V.

1999-01-01

Usually three sources of information about the value of inserted negative reactivity (ρ) are used: dynamical experiment with reactimeters, solution of conventionally critical problems, and dynamical calculation of the process of reactivity insertion with the reactimer model. Each of them gives they own estimation of ρ. The discrepancy between these estimation could be significant, particularly noticeable in dissymmetric insertion of perturbation. The paper discusses origin of problems of estimation high negative reactivity with reactivity meter. Authors believe that correct method of high negative reactivity estimation have to include three dimensional dynamic core model for taking to account spatial effect. Moreover, some special process, such a removal of delayed neutron emitters, change in the fraction of delayed neutrons, inner source etc. (Authors)

The coordination of calculation and experimental procedures in the determination of high-negative reactivities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinegin, A.A.; Tsyganov, S.V.

1999-01-01

Usually three sources of information about the value of inserted negative reactivity (ρ) are used: dynamical experiment with reactimeters, solution of conventionally critical problems, and dynamical calculation of the process of reactivity insertion with the reactimeter model. Each of them gives they own estimation of ρ. The discrepancy between these estimations could be significant, particularly noticeable in dissymmetric insertion of perturbation. Origin of problems of estimation high negative reactivity is discussed using the reactivity meter. A correct method of high negative reactivity estimation have to include three dimensional dinamic core model for taking to account spatial effect. Moreover, some special processes, such as removal of delayed neutron emitters, change in the fraction of delayed neutrons, inner sources are considered etc. (author)

Surface nucleation and independent growth of Ce(OH)4 within confinement space on modified carbon black surface to prepare nano-CeO2 without agglomeration

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xinyue; Xia, Chunhui; Li, Kaitao; Lin, Yanjun

2018-04-01

Highly dispersed negative carboxyl groups can be formed on carbon black (CB) surface modified with strong nitric acid. Therefore positive cations can be uniformly absorbed by carboxyl groups and precipitated within a confinement space on modified CB surface to prepare highly dispersed nanomaterials. In this paper, the formation and dispersion status of surface negative carboxyl groups, adsorption status of Ce3+, surface confinement nucleation, crystallization and calcination process were studied by EDS, SEM, and laser particle size analysis. The results show that the carboxyl groups formed on modified CB surface are highly dispersed, and Ce3+ cations can be uniformly anchored by carboxyl groups. Therefore, highly dispersed Ce3+ can react with OH- within a confinement surface region to form positive nano-Ce(OH)4 nuclei which also can be adsorbed by electrostatic attraction. After independent growth of Ce(OH)4 without agglomeration, highly dispersed CeO2 nanoparticles without agglomeration can be prepared together with the help of effectively isolates by CO2 released in the combustion of CB.

Ice nucleation triggered by negative pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcolli, Claudia

2017-11-30

Homogeneous ice nucleation needs supercooling of more than 35 K to become effective. When pressure is applied to water, the melting and the freezing points both decrease. Conversely, melting and freezing temperatures increase under negative pressure, i.e. when water is stretched. This study presents an extrapolation of homogeneous ice nucleation temperatures from positive to negative pressures as a basis for further exploration of ice nucleation under negative pressure. It predicts that increasing negative pressure at temperatures below about 262 K eventually results in homogeneous ice nucleation while at warmer temperature homogeneous cavitation, i. e. bubble nucleation, dominates. Negative pressure occurs locally and briefly when water is stretched due to mechanical shock, sonic waves, or fragmentation. The occurrence of such transient negative pressure should suffice to trigger homogeneous ice nucleation at large supercooling in the absence of ice-nucleating surfaces. In addition, negative pressure can act together with ice-inducing surfaces to enhance their intrinsic ice nucleation efficiency. Dynamic ice nucleation can be used to improve properties and uniformity of frozen products by applying ultrasonic fields and might also be relevant for the freezing of large drops in rainclouds.

Classification of bacterial samples as negative or positive for a UTI and antibiogram using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Kastanos, Evdokia; Hadjigeorgiou, Katerina; Kyriakides, Alexandros; Pitris, Costas

2011-03-01

Urinary tract infection (UTI) diagnosis requires an overnight culture to identify a sample as positive or negative for a UTI. Additional cultures are required to identify the pathogen responsible for the infection and to test its sensitivity to antibiotics. A rise in ineffective treatments, chronic infections, rising health care costs and antibiotic resistance are some of the consequences of this prolonged waiting period of UTI diagnosis. In this work, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is used for classifying bacterial samples as positive or negative for UTI. SERS spectra of serial dilutions of E.coli bacteria, isolated from a urine culture, were classified as positive (105-108 cells/ml) or negative (103-104 cells/ml) for UTI after mixing samples with gold nanoparticles. A leave-one-out cross validation was performed using the first two principal components resulting in the correct classification of 82% of all samples. Sensitivity of classification was 88% and specificity was 67%. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was also done using SERS spectra of various species of gram negative bacteria collected 4 hours after exposure to antibiotics. Spectral analysis revealed clear separation between the spectra of samples exposed to ciprofloxacin (sensitive) and amoxicillin (resistant). This study can become the basis for identifying urine samples as positive or negative for a UTI and determining their antibiogram without requiring an overnight culture.

On the c-Si surface passivation mechanism by the negative-charge-dielectric Al2O3

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoex, B.; Gielis, J.J.H.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.; Kessels, W.M.M.

2008-01-01

Al2 O3 is a versatile high- ¿ dielectric that has excellent surface passivation properties on crystalline Si (c-Si), which are of vital importance for devices such as light emitting diodes and high-efficiency solar cells. We demonstrate both experimentally and by simulations that the surface

Comprehensive surface treatment of high-speed steel tool

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorov, Sergey V.; Aleshin, Sergey V.; Swe, Min Htet; Abdirova, Raushan D.; Kapitanov, Alexey V.; Egorov, Sergey B.

2018-03-01

One of the promising directions of hardening of high-speed steel tool is the creation on their surface of the layered structures with the gradient of physic-chemical properties between the wear-resistant coatings to the base material. Among the methods of such surface modification, a special process takes place based on the use of pulsed high-intensity charged particle beams. The high speed of heating and cooling allows structural-phase transformations in the surface layer, which cannot be realized in a stationary mode. The treatment was conducted in a RITM-SP unit, which constitutes a combination of a source of low-energy high-current electron beams "RITM" and two magnetron spraying systems on a single vacuum chamber. The unit enables deposition of films on the surface of the desired product and subsequent liquid-phase mixing of materials of the film and the substrate by an intense pulse electron beam. The article discusses features of the structure of the subsurface layer of high-speed steel M2, modified by surface alloying of a low-energy high-current electron beam, and its effect on the wear resistance of the tool when dry cutting hard to machine Nickel alloy. A significant decrease of intensity of wear of high-speed steel with combined treatment happens due to the displacement of the zone of wear and decrease the radius of rounding of the cutting edge because of changes in conditions of interaction with the material being treated.

The blues broaden, but the nasty narrows: attentional consequences of negative affects low and high in motivational intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gable, Philip; Harmon-Jones, Eddie

2010-02-01

Positive and negative affects high in motivational intensity cause a narrowing of attentional focus. In contrast, positive affects low in motivational intensity cause a broadening of attentional focus. The attentional consequences of negative affects low in motivational intensity have not been experimentally investigated. Experiment 1 compared the attentional consequences of negative affect low in motivational intensity (sadness) relative to a neutral affective state. Results indicated that low-motivation negative affect caused attentional broadening. Experiment 2 found that disgust, a high-motivation negative affect not previously investigated in attentional studies, narrowed attentional focus. These experiments support the conceptual model linking high-motivation affective states to narrowed attention and low-motivation affective states to broadened attention.

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients and response to 5-fluorouracil in Angola

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nutt RJ

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Robert J Nutt,1 John L Clements,2 William H Dean3 1Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; 2Boa Vista Eye Clinic, Benguela, Angola; 3Bristol Eye Hospital, Bristol, UK Background: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN is becoming increasingly prevalent and aggressive in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a phenomenon linked with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection, although association rates in Angola are currently unknown. A topical treatment that is effective in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals may be preferable to surgery in some contexts. We aimed to estimate the proportion of OSSN associated with HIV in Angola and to report on the success of topical 5-fluorouracil as a primary treatment in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients.Methods: Photographs of OSSNs taken at presentation and following treatment with 5-fluorouracil in patients presenting to Boa Vista Eye Clinic, Angola, between October 2011 and July 2013 were grouped into HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups and analyzed to compare presenting features and treatment response. Eighty-one OSSNs were analyzed for clinical features and 24 met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response.Results: Eighty-two patients presented with OSSN between October 2011 and July 2013. Twenty-one (26% were HIV-positive and typically had OSSNs that exhibited more pathological features than those in HIV-negative patients. Twenty-four (29% patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response; of these, 26 (91% OSSNs in both groups displayed at least partial resolution after one treatment course. In the HIV-positive group, five of eight patients displayed complete resolution, two showed partial resolution, and one failed. In the HIV-negative group, five of 16 showed complete resolution, ten of 16 had partial resolution, and one failed.Conclusion: Individuals presenting with OSSN in Angola are more likely to have HIV infection compared

Involvement of flocculin in negative potential-applied ITO electrode adhesion of yeast cells

Science.gov (United States)

Koyama, Sumihiro; Tsubouchi, Taishi; Usui, Keiko; Uematsu, Katsuyuki; Tame, Akihiro; Nogi, Yuichi; Ohta, Yukari; Hatada, Yuji; Kato, Chiaki; Miwa, Tetsuya; Toyofuku, Takashi; Nagahama, Takehiko; Konishi, Masaaki; Nagano, Yuriko; Abe, Fumiyoshi

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop novel methods for attachment and cultivation of specifically positioned single yeast cells on a microelectrode surface with the application of a weak electrical potential. Saccharomyces cerevisiae diploid strains attached to an indium tin oxide/glass (ITO) electrode to which a negative potential between −0.2 and −0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl was applied, while they did not adhere to a gallium-doped zinc oxide/glass electrode surface. The yeast cells attached to the negative potential-applied ITO electrodes showed normal cell proliferation. We found that the flocculin FLO10 gene-disrupted diploid BY4743 mutant strain (flo10Δ /flo10Δ) almost completely lost the ability to adhere to the negative potential-applied ITO electrode. Our results indicate that the mechanisms of diploid BY4743 S. cerevisiae adhesion involve interaction between the negative potential-applied ITO electrode and the Flo10 protein on the cell wall surface. A combination of micropatterning techniques of living single yeast cell on the ITO electrode and omics technologies holds potential of novel, highly parallelized, microchip-based single-cell analysis that will contribute to new screening concepts and applications. PMID:26187908

A topological screening heuristic for low-energy, high-index surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wenhao; Ceder, Gerbrand

2018-03-01

Robust ab initio investigations of nanoparticle surface properties require a method to identify candidate low-energy surface facets a priori. By assuming that low-energy surfaces are planes with high atomic density, we devise an efficient algorithm to screen for low-energy surface orientations, even if they have high (hkl) miller indices. We successfully predict the observed low-energy, high-index { 10 12 bar } and { 10 1 bar 4 } surfaces of hematite α-Fe2O3, the {311} surfaces of cuprite Cu2O, and the {112} surfaces of anatase TiO2. We further tabulate candidate low-energy surface orientations for nine of the most common binary oxide structures. Screened surfaces are found to be generally applicable across isostructural compounds with varying chemistries, although relative surface energies between facets may vary based on the preferred coordination of the surface atoms.

Enhancing Plasma Surface Modification using high Intensity and high Power Ultrasonic Acoustic Waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2010-01-01

high intensity and high power acoustic waves (102) by at least one ultrasonic high intensity and high power acoustic wave generator (101 ), wherein the ultrasonic acoustic waves are directed to propagate towards said surface (314) of the object (100) so that a laminar boundary layer (313) of a gas...... or a mixture of gases (500) flow in contact with said solid object (100) is thinned or destructed for at least a part of said surface (314). In this way, the plasma can more efficiently access and influence the surface of the solid object to be treated by the plasma, which speeds the process time up...

Prototype high current, high duty factor negative hydrogen ion source for LAMPF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawrence, G.P.; Hayward, T.D.; Jackson, J.A.

1975-01-01

Present plans for the high current proton storage ring at LAMPF incorporate charge changing (stripping) injection of H - ions in all modes of operation. Achievable stored current levels in this device will be strongly dependent on the maximum H - beam intensity which can be accelerated by the linac, consistent with acceptable beam spill. This requirement has stimulated a program to develop an H - ion source capable of providing a suitably high peak current (up to 25 mA) at high duty factor (up to 12 percent), with a normalized x,x' or y,y' emittance acceptable to the accelerating system. There are presently two main approaches which could lead to H - ion sources providing this kind of performance. These are (a) the charge exchange method, in which an intense proton beam is fractionally converted to H - beam in a suitable charge adding medium, and (b) the direct extraction method, in which H - ions are obtained by a surface emission process associated with a gas discharge plasma. While both approaches may eventually find optimum application in different situations, it is not obvious, at present, which scheme will turn out to be the most satisfactory for LAMPF. A prototype charge exchange H - ion source has been constructed as a first step in the development program and is presently being evaluated. Work on surface emission direct extraction techniques is in the planning stages. (U.S.)

Negative ion sourcery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Os, C.F.A. van.

1989-01-01

The work described in this thesis is involved by current research programs in the field of nuclear-fusion. A brief introduction to fusion is given, anticipated problems related to current drive of the fusion plasma are pinpointed and probable suggestions to overcome these problems are described. One probable means for current drive is highlighted; Neutral Beam Injection (NBI). This is based on injecting a 1 MeV neutral hydrogen or deuterium beam into a fusion plasma. Negative ions are needed as primary particles because they can easily be neutralized at 1 MeV. The two current schemes for production of negative ions are described, volume production and negative surface ionization. The latter method is extensively studied in this thesis. (author). 171 refs.; 55 figs.; 7 tabs

High-grade surface osteosarcoma of the hand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abe, Kuniko; Hayashi, Tomayoshi; Kinoshita, Naoe [Nagasaki University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Nagasaki (Japan); Kumagai, Kenji; Shindo, Hiroyuki [Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagasaki (Japan); Uetani, Masataka [Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Radiology and Radiation Biology, Nagasaki (Japan); Ishida, Tsuyoshi [National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kohnodai Hospital, Chiba (Japan); Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Department of Molecular Bone and Cartilage Pathology, Hard Tissue Genome Research Center, Tokyo (Japan)

2007-09-15

A 32-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of mild pain in the right ring finger. Radiographs and CT revealed a calcified lesion with cortical erosion on the surface of the proximal aspect of the right ring finger proximal phalanx. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the lesion showed low signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images and slight enhancement with gadolinium. Clinically, it was diagnosed as a benign bone-forming lesion such as florid reactive periostitis, and excision was accordingly performed. However, histological examination revealed proliferation of atypical osteoblastic cells among irregularly arranged osteoid seams. Taking the imaging findings into account, a pathological diagnosis of high-grade surface osteosarcoma was established. In general, bone- and cartilage-forming lesions of the hands and feet are benign. Osteosarcoma of short tubular bones in the hands and feet is extremely rare; moreover, high-grade surface osteosarcoma is one of the rarest subtypes of osteosarcoma. Nonetheless, high-grade surface osteosarcoma should be included in the differential diagnosis, particularly if the radiological findings or clinical course are not entirely typical of a more common benign process, to avoid incorrect clinicoradiological and pathological diagnosis. (orig.)

High-grade surface osteosarcoma of the hand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Kuniko; Hayashi, Tomayoshi; Kinoshita, Naoe; Kumagai, Kenji; Shindo, Hiroyuki; Uetani, Masataka; Ishida, Tsuyoshi

2007-01-01

A 32-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of mild pain in the right ring finger. Radiographs and CT revealed a calcified lesion with cortical erosion on the surface of the proximal aspect of the right ring finger proximal phalanx. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the lesion showed low signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images and slight enhancement with gadolinium. Clinically, it was diagnosed as a benign bone-forming lesion such as florid reactive periostitis, and excision was accordingly performed. However, histological examination revealed proliferation of atypical osteoblastic cells among irregularly arranged osteoid seams. Taking the imaging findings into account, a pathological diagnosis of high-grade surface osteosarcoma was established. In general, bone- and cartilage-forming lesions of the hands and feet are benign. Osteosarcoma of short tubular bones in the hands and feet is extremely rare; moreover, high-grade surface osteosarcoma is one of the rarest subtypes of osteosarcoma. Nonetheless, high-grade surface osteosarcoma should be included in the differential diagnosis, particularly if the radiological findings or clinical course are not entirely typical of a more common benign process, to avoid incorrect clinicoradiological and pathological diagnosis. (orig.)

Installation of spectrally selective imaging system in RF negative ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, K.; Kisaki, M.; Nagaoka, K.; Nakano, H.; Osakabe, M.; Tsumori, K.; Kaneko, O.; Takeiri, Y.; Wünderlich, D.; Fantz, U.; Heinemann, B.; Geng, S.

2016-01-01

A spectrally selective imaging system has been installed in the RF negative ion source in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor-relevant negative ion beam test facility ELISE (Extraction from a Large Ion Source Experiment) to investigate distribution of hydrogen Balmer-α emission (H α ) close to the production surface of hydrogen negative ion. We selected a GigE vision camera coupled with an optical band-path filter, which can be controlled remotely using high speed network connection. A distribution of H α emission near the bias plate has been clearly observed. The same time trend on H α intensities measured by the imaging diagnostic and the optical emission spectroscopy is confirmed

The Peculiar Negative Greenhouse Effect Over Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Sejas, S.; Taylor, P. C.; Cai, M.

2017-12-01

Greenhouse gases warm the climate system by reducing the energy loss to space through the greenhouse effect. Thus, a common way to measure the strength of the greenhouse effect is by taking the difference between the surface longwave (LW) emission and the outgoing LW radiation. Based on this definition, a paradoxical negative greenhouse effect is found over the Antarctic Plateau, which suprisingly indicates that greenhouse gases enhance energy loss to space. Using 13 years of NASA satellite observations, we verify the existence of the negative greenhouse effect and find that the magnitude and sign of the greenhouse effect varies seasonally and spectrally. A previous explanation attributes the negative greenhouse effect solely to stratospheric CO2 and warmer than surface stratospheric temperatures. However, we surprisingly find that the negative greenhouse effect is predominantly caused by tropospheric water vapor. A novel principle-based explanation provides the first complete account of the Antarctic Plateau's negative greenhouse effect indicating that it is controlled by the vertical variation of temperature and greenhouse gas absorption strength. Our findings indicate that the strong surface-based temperature inversion and scarcity of free tropospheric water vapor over the Antarctic Plateau cause the negative greenhouse effect. These are climatological features uniquely found in the Antarctic Plateau region, explaining why the greenhouse effect is positive everywhere else.

Neutrophil CD64 has a high negative predictive value for exclusion ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods and results. In this prospective observational study, patients were classied into categories of infection, namely denite, probable and possible. Of 76 neonates, 1 had denite infection, 5 probable infection, 30 possible infection, and 32 no infection. .e neutrophil CD64 index at a cut-o. value of 1.8 had a high negative ...

High surface conductivity of Fermi-arc electrons in Weyl semimetals

Science.gov (United States)

Resta, Giacomo; Pi, Shu-Ting; Wan, Xiangang; Savrasov, Sergey Y.

2018-02-01

Weyl semimetals (WSMs), a new type of topological condensed matter, are currently attracting great interest due to their unusual electronic states and intriguing transport properties such as chiral anomaly induced negative magnetoresistance, a semiquantized anomalous Hall effect, and the debated chiral magnetic effect. These systems are close cousins of topological insulators (TIs) which are known for their disorder-tolerant surface states. Similarly, WSMs exhibit unique topologically protected Fermi-arc surface states. Here, we analyze electron-phonon scattering, a primary source of resistivity in metals at finite temperatures, as a function of the shape of the Fermi arc where we find that the impact on surface transport is significantly dependent on the arc curvature and disappears in the limit of a straight arc. Next, we discuss the effect of strong surface disorder on the resistivity by numerically simulating a tight-binding model with the presence of quenched surface vacancies using the coherent potential approximation and Kubo-Greenwood formalism. We find that the limit of a straight arc geometry is remarkably disorder tolerant, producing surface conductivity that is one to two orders of magnitude larger than a comparable setup with surface states of TI. This is primarily attributed to a significantly different hybridization strength of the surface states with the remaining electrons in two systems. Finally, a simulation of the effects of surface vacancies on TaAs is presented, illustrating the disorder tolerance of the topological surface states in a recently discovered WSM material.

Negative Ion Sources: Magnetron and Penning

CERN Document Server

Faircloth, D.C.

2013-12-16

The history of the magnetron and Penning electrode geometry is briefly outlined. Plasma generation by electrical discharge-driven electron impact ionization is described and the basic physics of plasma and electrodes relevant to magnetron and Penning discharges are explained. Negative ions and their applications are introduced, along with their production mechanisms. Caesium and surface production of negative ions are detailed. Technical details of how to build magnetron and Penning surface plasma sources are given, along with examples of specific sources from around the world. Failure modes are listed and lifetimes compared.

Negative Ion Sources: Magnetron and Penning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faircloth, D C

2013-01-01

The history of the magnetron and Penning electrode geometry is briefly outlined. Plasma generation by electrical discharge-driven electron impact ionization is described and the basic physics of plasma and electrodes relevant to magnetron and Penning discharges are explained. Negative ions and their applications are introduced, along with their production mechanisms. Caesium and surface production of negative ions are detailed. Technical details of how to build magnetron and Penning surface plasma sources are given, along with examples of specific sources from around the world. Failure modes are listed and lifetimes compared. (author)

Elaboration of highly hydrophobic polymeric surface — a potential strategy to reduce the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poncin-Epaillard, F., E-mail: fabienne.poncin-epaillard@univ-lemans.fr [Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans (IMMM), département Polymères, Colloïdes et Interfaces, UMR CNRS 6283 Université LUNAM, av. O. Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans (France); Herry, J.M. [INRA-AgroParisTech, UMR 1319 MICALIS, équipe B2HM, 25 avenue de la République, 91300 Massy (France); Marmey, P.; Legeay, G. [CTTM, 20 rue Thalès de Milet 72000 Le Mans (France); Debarnot, D. [Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans (IMMM), département Polymères, Colloïdes et Interfaces, UMR CNRS 6283 Université LUNAM, av. O. Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans (France); Bellon-Fontaine, M.N. [INRA-AgroParisTech, UMR 1319 MICALIS, équipe B2HM, 25 avenue de la République, 91300 Massy (France)

2013-04-01

Different polymeric surfaces have been modified in order to reach a high hydrophobic character, indeed the superhydrophobicity property. For this purpose, polypropylene and polystyrene have been treated by RF or μwaves CF{sub 4} plasma with different volumes, the results were compared according to the density of injected power. The effect of pretreatment such as mechanical abrasion or plasma activation was also studied. The modified surfaces were shown as hydrophobic, or even superhydrophobic depending of defects density. They were characterized by measurement of wettability and roughness at different scales, i.e. macroscopic, mesoscopic and atomic. It has been shown that a homogeneous surface at the macroscopic scale could be heterogeneous at lower mesoscopic scale. This was associated with the crystallinity of the material. The bioadhesion tests were performed with Gram positive and negative pathogenic strains: Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Hafnia alvei. They have demonstrated an antibacterial efficiency of very hydrophobic and amorphous PS treated for all strains tested and a strain-dependent efficiency with modified PP surface being very heterogeneous at the mesoscopic scale. Thus, these biological results pointed out not only the respective role of the surface chemistry and topography in bacterial adhesion, but also the dependence on the peaks and valley distribution at bacteria dimension scale. Highlights: ► Simple, eco-friendly modification of polymers leading to highly hydrophobic property ► Plasma treatment inducing surface fluorination and roughness ► Study of non-adhesion of different types of bacteria onto such polymeric surfaces ► Dependence of their non-adhesion on surface topography whatever their characteristics.

Negative-feedback control system of the high voltage power supply for ECRH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Tonghai; Liu Baohua; Jiang Shufang

2001-01-01

A kind of high accuracy negative high voltage power supply (HVPS) was introduced. The serial feedback was regulated according to the character of the high power tetrode and a new kind of integrator with preset value, which solved the key technological problem of the HVPS that the ECRH system required a voltage of -80 kV, a pulse width of 10 - 100 ms and a precision of 99.7%. The result using a PSPICE code simulation has shown that the method is practical

Negative surface streamers propagating on TiO2 and γ-Al2O3-supported Ag catalysts: ICCD imaging and modeling study

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-Ha; Teramoto, Yoshiyuki; Ogata, Atsushi; Kang, Woo Seok; Hur, Min; Song, Young-Hoon

2018-06-01

Surface streamers propagating on the surface of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and alumina (γ-Al2O3) were studied in negative polarity using intensified charge coupled device (ICCD) imaging and numerical simulation. Detailed time-resolved ICCD images of cathode-directed streamers (CDSs) emanating from a ground electrode are first presented in this report. Instead of primary streamers in positive polarity, only a glow-like discharge appeared in the early stage at the cathode under negative polarity. After this discharge disappeared, a counter-propagating CDS initiated from the ground electrode (anode). Numerical simulation indicated that strong electric fields at the pellet-anode and the formation of positive ion rich local spots were the main reason for the CDS formation near the ground electrode. The maximum velocity was 750 km s‑1 for Ag-supported γ-Al2O3 and 550 km s‑1 for Ag-supported TiO2, respectively. In contrast to the CDS in the gas-phase with a positive polarity, the CDS in a catalyst packed-bed under negative polarity showed more branching and a larger number of streamers in the presence of oxygen than in pure N2.

Divergent surface and total soil moisture projections under global warming

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Alexis; Sheffield, Justin; Milly, Paul C.D.

2017-01-01

Land aridity has been projected to increase with global warming. Such projections are mostly based on off-line aridity and drought metrics applied to climate model outputs but also are supported by climate-model projections of decreased surface soil moisture. Here we comprehensively analyze soil moisture projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5, including surface, total, and layer-by-layer soil moisture. We identify a robust vertical gradient of projected mean soil moisture changes, with more negative changes near the surface. Some regions of the northern middle to high latitudes exhibit negative annual surface changes but positive total changes. We interpret this behavior in the context of seasonal changes in the surface water budget. This vertical pattern implies that the extensive drying predicted by off-line drought metrics, while consistent with the projected decline in surface soil moisture, will tend to overestimate (negatively) changes in total soil water availability.

Highly smooth Nb surfaces fabricated by buffered electropolishing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Andy T; John Mammossor; Phillips, H.; Jean Delayen; Charles Reece; Amy Wilkerson; David Smith; Robert Ike

2005-01-01

It is demonstrated that highly smooth Nb surfaces can be obtained through Buffered ElectroPolishing (BEP) employing an electrolyte consisting of lactic, sulfuric, and hydrofluoric acids. Parameters that control the polishing process are optimized to achieve the smoothest surface finish with the help of surface observations using a scanning electron microscope and a Metallographic Optical Microscope (MOM). The polishing rate of BEP is determined to be 0.646 (micro)m/min that is much higher than 0.381 (micro)m/min achieved by the conventional ElectroPolishing (EP) process widely used in the Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) community. A high precision and large scan area 3-D profilometer is used to view morphology of the treated Nb surfaces. Statistical data, such as, rms, total indicator runout, and arithmetic mean deviation of the Nb surfaces are extracted from the profilometer images. It is found that Nb surfaces treated by BEP are an order of magnitude smoother than those treated by the optimized EP process. The chemical composition of the Nb surfaces after BEP is analyzed by static and dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS) systems. Cracking patterns of the Nb surfaces under different primary ion sources of Ga + , Au + , and Ar + are reported. The depth profile of the surface niobium oxides is studied through continuously monitoring niobium and its relevant oxides' peaks as a function of time. Dynamic SIMS results imply that the surface oxide structure of Nb may be more complicated than what usually believed and can be inhomogeneous. Preliminary results of BEP on Nb SRF single cell cavities and half-cells are reported. It is shown that smooth and bright surfaces can be obtained in 30 minutes when the electric field inside a SRF cavity is uniform during a BEP process. This study reveals that BEP is a highly promising technique for surface treatment on Nb SRF cavities to be used in particle accelerators

Introducing Bayesian thinking to high-throughput screening for false-negative rate estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xin; Gao, Lin; Zhang, Xiaolei; Qian, Hong; Rowan, Karen; Mark, David; Peng, Zhengwei; Huang, Kuo-Sen

2013-10-01

High-throughput screening (HTS) has been widely used to identify active compounds (hits) that bind to biological targets. Because of cost concerns, the comprehensive screening of millions of compounds is typically conducted without replication. Real hits that fail to exhibit measurable activity in the primary screen due to random experimental errors will be lost as false-negatives. Conceivably, the projected false-negative rate is a parameter that reflects screening quality. Furthermore, it can be used to guide the selection of optimal numbers of compounds for hit confirmation. Therefore, a method that predicts false-negative rates from the primary screening data is extremely valuable. In this article, we describe the implementation of a pilot screen on a representative fraction (1%) of the screening library in order to obtain information about assay variability as well as a preliminary hit activity distribution profile. Using this training data set, we then developed an algorithm based on Bayesian logic and Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the number of true active compounds and potential missed hits from the full library screen. We have applied this strategy to five screening projects. The results demonstrate that this method produces useful predictions on the numbers of false negatives.

The positive bystander effect: passive bystanders increase helping in situations with high expected negative consequences for the helper.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Peter; Greitemeyer, Tobias

2013-01-01

The present field study investigated the interplay between the presence of a passive bystander (not present versus present) in a simulated bike theft and expected negative consequences (low versus high) in predicting intervention behavior when no physical victim is present. It was found that an additional bystander increases individual intervention in situations where the expected negative consequences for the helper in case of intervention were high (i.e., when the bike thief looks fierce) compared to situations where the expected negative consequences for the helper were low (i.e., when the bike thief does not look fierce). In contrast, no such effect for high vs. low expected negative consequences was observed when no additional bystander observed the critical situation. The results are discussed in light of previous laboratory findings on expected negative consequences and bystander intervention.

Management of High-Voltage Burns of the Hand and Wrist with Negative Pressure Dressing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazım Gümüş

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Negative pressure dressing stimulates wound healing by promoting cellular proliferation and regeneration. It also removes interstitial edema and increases local blood flow, resulting in rapid growth of the granulation tissue. We used the dressing method in deep hand and wrist burns caused by high-voltage electrical current, which leads to progressive tissue necrosis, elevated compartment pressure, and deep tissue edema, to reveal if subatmospheric pressure could limit the zone of injury or ongoing tissue necrosis after electrical burn. Material and Methods: Six hands of five patients, who came in contact with high-voltage electrical wire carrying more than 1000 volts, are presented in this study. Hands and wrists were seriously injured and contracted. After the initial treatment involving fluid resuscitation, fasciotomy, carpal tunnel release, and debridement, a negative pressure dressing was applied to the wounds of hand, wrist, and forearm with 125 mm Hg continuous pressure, and maintained for 20 days. Results: When negative pressure dressing was stopped on the 20th day, significant granulation tissue developed over the hand and forearm wounds. However, wrist wounds needed more debridement and repeated dressings because of the presence of necrosis. Edema of the hands subsided significantly during the use of negative pressure dressing. Time to closure for hand and forearm wounds decreased considerably. Moreover, in one wrist, spontaneous closure was achieved at about one month. All hands except one treated with negative pressure dressing could be saved from amputation; however, significant tissue loss developed, needing complex reconstruction procedures. One hand was amputated because of the permanent loss of blood perfusion. Conclusion: The management of high-voltage burns of hand and wrist with subatmospheric pressure appears to be capable of reducing hand edema and accelerating closure of the wounds. It seems that negative

Reversal of negative charges on the surface of Escherichia coli thioredoxin: pockets versus protrusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mancusso, Romina; Cruz, Eduardo; Cataldi, Marcela; Mendoza, Carla; Fuchs, James; Wang, Hsin; Yang, Xiaomin; Tasayco, María Luisa

2004-04-06

Recent studies of proteins with reversed charged residues have demonstrated that electrostatic interactions on the surface can contribute significantly to protein stability. We have used the approach of reversing negatively charged residues using Arg to evaluate the effect of the electrostatics context on the transition temperature (T(m)), the unfolding Gibbs free energy change (DeltaG), and the unfolding enthalpy change (DeltaH). We have reversed negatively charged residues at a pocket (Asp9) and protrusions (Asp10, Asp20, Glu85), all located in interconnecting segments between elements of secondary structure on the surface of Arg73Ala Escherichia coli thioredoxin. DSC measurements indicate that reversal of Asp in a pocket (Asp9Arg/Arg73Ala, DeltaT(m) = -7.3 degrees C) produces a larger effect in thermal stability than reversal at protrusions: Asp10Arg/Arg73Ala, DeltaT(m) = -3.1 degrees C, Asp20Arg/Arg73Ala, DeltaT(m) = 2.0 degrees C, Glu85Arg/Arg73Ala, DeltaT(m) = 3.9 degrees ). The 3D structure of thioredoxin indicates that Asp20 and Glu85 have no nearby charges within 8 A, while Asp9 does not only have Asp10 as sequential neighbor, but it also forms a 5-A long-range ion pair with the solvent-exposed Lys69. Further DSC measurements indicate that neutralization of the individual charges of the ion pair Asp9-Lys69 with nonpolar residues produces a significant decrease in stability in both cases: Asp9Ala/Arg73Ala, DeltaT(m) = -3.7 degrees C, Asp9Met/Arg73Ala, DeltaT(m) = -5.5 degrees C, Lys69Leu/Arg73Ala, DeltaT(m) = -5.1 degrees C. However, thermodynamic analysis shows that reversal or neutralization of Asp9 produces a 9-15% decrease in DeltaH, while both reversal of Asp at protrusions and neutralization of Lys69 produce negligible changes. These results correlate well with the NMR analysis, which demonstrates that only the substitution of Asp9 produces extensive conformational changes and these changes occur in the surroundings of Lys69. Our results led us to

Latent negative self-schema and high emotionality in well adolescents at risk for psychopathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelvin, R G; Goodyer, I M; Teasdale, J D; Brechin, D

1999-09-01

Teasdale's (1988) differential activation hypothesis proposes that a tendency for negative mood to activate latent negative self-schemas characterises people at risk for depression. The current study tested predictions from this hypothesis in a community sample of 102 adolescents who were free from history of psychiatric illness, and who were subdivided according to level of emotionality, a temperamental style as assessed by parental questionnaire. A musical mood induction task was used to induce temporary mild dysphoria, and the effect of mood induction on self-schemas was assessed. There was no difference between high and low emotionality groups in the liability to sad mood induction. However, adolescents with high emotionality endorsed significantly more negative self-descriptors after dysphoric, but not after neutral, mood induction. This was not accounted for by level of self-reported depressive symptoms over the previous week. This suggests that a " dysphoric mood induction challenge" may provide important information about vulnerability to depression that is not identified by routine self-report of mood or cognitions.

High-Level Synthesis of DSP Applications Using Adaptive Negative Cycle Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nitin Chandrachoodan

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The problem of detecting negative weight cycles in a graph is examined in the context of the dynamic graph structures that arise in the process of high level synthesis (HLS. The concept of adaptive negative cycle detection is introduced, in which a graph changes over time and negative cycle detection needs to be done periodically, but not necessarily after every individual change. We present an algorithm for this problem, based on a novel extension of the well-known Bellman-Ford algorithm that allows us to adapt existing cycle information to the modified graph, and show by experiments that our algorithm significantly outperforms previous incremental approaches for dynamic graphs. In terms of applications, the adaptive technique leads to a very fast implementation of Lawlers algorithm for the computation of the maximum cycle mean (MCM of a graph, especially for a certain form of sparse graph. Such sparseness often occurs in practical circuits and systems, as demonstrated, for example, by the ISCAS 89/93 benchmarks. The application of the adaptive technique to design-space exploration (synthesis is also demonstrated by developing automated search techniques for scheduling iterative data-flow graphs.

Origami with negative refractive index to generate super-lenses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guenneau, Fanny; Chakrabarti, Sangeeta; Guenneau, Sebastien; Ramakrishna, S Anantha

2014-01-01

Negative refractive index materials (NRIM) enable unique effects including superlenses with a high degree of sub-wavelength image resolution, a capability that stems from the ability of NRIM to support a host of surface plasmon states. Using a generalized lens theorem and the powerful tools of transformational optics, a variety of focusing configurations involving complementary positive and negative refractive index media can be generated. A paradigm of such complementary media are checkerboards that consist of alternating cells of positive and negative refractive index, and are associated with very singular electromagnetics. We present here a variety of multi-scale checkerboard lenses that we call origami lenses and investigate their electromagnetic properties both theoretically and computationally. Some of these meta-structures in the plane display thin bridges of complementary media, and this highly enhances their plasmonic response. We demonstrate the design of three-dimensional checkerboard meta-structures of complementary media using transformational optics to map the checkerboard onto three-dimensional corner lenses, the only restriction being that the corresponding unfolded structures in the plane are constrained by the four color-map theorem. (paper)

High-order fractional partial differential equation transform for molecular surface construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Langhua; Chen, Duan; Wei, Guo-Wei

2013-01-01

Fractional derivative or fractional calculus plays a significant role in theoretical modeling of scientific and engineering problems. However, only relatively low order fractional derivatives are used at present. In general, it is not obvious what role a high fractional derivative can play and how to make use of arbitrarily high-order fractional derivatives. This work introduces arbitrarily high-order fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) to describe fractional hyperdiffusions. The fractional PDEs are constructed via fractional variational principle. A fast fractional Fourier transform (FFFT) is proposed to numerically integrate the high-order fractional PDEs so as to avoid stringent stability constraints in solving high-order evolution PDEs. The proposed high-order fractional PDEs are applied to the surface generation of proteins. We first validate the proposed method with a variety of test examples in two and three-dimensional settings. The impact of high-order fractional derivatives to surface analysis is examined. We also construct fractional PDE transform based on arbitrarily high-order fractional PDEs. We demonstrate that the use of arbitrarily high-order derivatives gives rise to time-frequency localization, the control of the spectral distribution, and the regulation of the spatial resolution in the fractional PDE transform. Consequently, the fractional PDE transform enables the mode decomposition of images, signals, and surfaces. The effect of the propagation time on the quality of resulting molecular surfaces is also studied. Computational efficiency of the present surface generation method is compared with the MSMS approach in Cartesian representation. We further validate the present method by examining some benchmark indicators of macromolecular surfaces, i.e., surface area, surface enclosed volume, surface electrostatic potential and solvation free energy. Extensive numerical experiments and comparison with an established surface model

Pulsed discharges produced by high-power surface waves

Science.gov (United States)

Böhle, A.; Ivanov, O.; Kolisko, A.; Kortshagen, U.; Schlüter, H.; Vikharev, A.

1996-02-01

The mechanisms of the ionization front advance in surface-wave-produced discharges are investigated using two experimental set-ups. The high-power surface waves are excited in a 3 cm wavelength band by a surfaguide and a novel type of launcher (an E-plane junction). The ionization front velocity of the surface wave is measured for a wide range of gas pressures, incident microwave power and initial pre-ionization. The experimental results are compared with theoretical ones based on three different models. The comparison between theory and experiment allows one to suggest a new interpretation of the ionization front's advance. The ionization front velocity is determined by a breakdown wave or an ionization wave in the electric field of a high-power surface wave in the zone near the ionization front.

Physics of negative refractive index materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramakrishna, S Anantha

2005-01-01

In the past few years, new developments in structured electromagnetic materials have given rise to negative refractive index materials which have both negative dielectric permittivity and negative magnetic permeability in some frequency ranges. The idea of a negative refractive index opens up new conceptual frontiers in photonics. One much-debated example is the concept of a perfect lens that enables imaging with sub-wavelength image resolution. Here we review the fundamental concepts and ideas of negative refractive index materials. First we present the ideas of structured materials or meta-materials that enable the design of new materials with a negative dielectric permittivity, negative magnetic permeability and negative refractive index. We discuss how a variety of resonance phenomena can be utilized to obtain these materials in various frequency ranges over the electromagnetic spectrum. The choice of the wave-vector in negative refractive index materials and the issues of dispersion, causality and energy transport are analysed. Various issues of wave propagation including nonlinear effects and surface modes in negative refractive materials (NRMs) are discussed. In the latter part of the review, we discuss the concept of a perfect lens consisting of a slab of a NRM. This perfect lens can image the far-field radiative components as well as the near-field evanescent components, and is not subject to the traditional diffraction limit. Different aspects of this lens such as the surface modes acting as the mechanism for the imaging of the evanescent waves, the limitations imposed by dissipation and dispersion in the negative refractive media, the generalization of this lens to optically complementary media and the possibility of magnification of the near-field images are discussed. Recent experimental developments verifying these ideas are briefly covered

Electrostatic Power Generation from Negatively Charged, Simulated Lunar Regolith

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sang H.; King, Glen C.; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Park, Yeonjoon

2010-01-01

Research was conducted to develop an electrostatic power generator for future lunar missions that facilitate the utilization of lunar resources. The lunar surface is known to be negatively charged from the constant bombardment of electrons and protons from the solar wind. The resulting negative electrostatic charge on the dust particles, in the lunar vacuum, causes them to repel each other minimizing the potential. The result is a layer of suspended dust about one meter above the lunar surface. This phenomenon was observed by both Clementine and Surveyor spacecrafts. During the Apollo 17 lunar landing, the charged dust was a major hindrance, as it was attracted to the astronauts' spacesuits, equipment, and the lunar buggies. The dust accumulated on the spacesuits caused reduced visibility for the astronauts, and was unavoidably transported inside the spacecraft where it caused breathing irritation [1]. In the lunar vacuum, the maximum charge on the particles can be extremely high. An article in the journal "Nature", titled "Moon too static for astronauts?" (Feb 2, 2007) estimates that the lunar surface is charged with up to several thousand volts [2]. The electrostatic power generator was devised to alleviate the hazardous effects of negatively charged lunar soil by neutralizing the charged particles through capacitive coupling and thereby simultaneously harnessing power through electric charging [3]. The amount of power generated or collected is dependent on the areal coverage of the device and hovering speed over the lunar soil surface. A thin-film array of capacitors can be continuously charged and sequentially discharged using a time-differentiated trigger discharge process to produce a pulse train of discharge for DC mode output. By controlling the pulse interval, the DC mode power can be modulated for powering devices and equipment. In conjunction with a power storage system, the electrostatic power generator can be a power source for a lunar rover or other

Recombination and dissociative recombination of H2+ and H3+ ions on surfaces with application to hydrogen negative ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiskes, J.R.; Karo, A.M.

1988-12-01

A four-step model for recombination and dissociative recombination of H 2 + and H 3 + ions on metal surfaces is discussed. Vibrationally excited molecules, H 2 (v''), from H 3 + recombination are produced in a broad spectrum that enhances the excited level distribution. The application of this latter process to hydrogen negative ion discharges is discussed. 5 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Evaluation of Tyregrip(R) high-friction surfacing.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

This report describes the installation of Tyregrip, a high friction surface, on a high accident location to reduce accident : rates. Tyregrip is a thin polymer overlay system that uses a two part epoxy binder and calcined bauxite aggregate. Postc...

Analytic vortex solutions on compact hyperbolic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maldonado, Rafael; Manton, Nicholas S

2015-01-01

We construct, for the first time, abelian Higgs vortices on certain compact surfaces of constant negative curvature. Such surfaces are represented by a tessellation of the hyperbolic plane by regular polygons. The Higgs field is given implicitly in terms of Schwarz triangle functions and analytic solutions are available for certain highly symmetric configurations. (paper)

Meandered-line antenna with integrated high-impedance surface.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forman, Michael A.

2010-09-01

A reduced-volume antenna composed of a meandered-line dipole antenna over a finite-width, high-impedance surface is presented. The structure is novel in that the high-impedance surface is implemented with four Sievenpiper via-mushroom unit cells, whose area is optimized to match the meandered-line dipole antenna. The result is an antenna similar in performance to patch antenna but one fourth the area that can be deployed directly on the surface of a conductor. Simulations demonstrate a 3.5 cm ({lambda}/4) square antenna with a bandwidth of 4% and a gain of 4.8 dBi at 2.5 GHz.

Stochastic clustering of material surface under high-heat plasma load

Science.gov (United States)

Budaev, Viacheslav P.

2017-11-01

The results of a study of a surface formed by high-temperature plasma loads on various materials such as tungsten, carbon and stainless steel are presented. High-temperature plasma irradiation leads to an inhomogeneous stochastic clustering of the surface with self-similar granularity - fractality on the scale from nanoscale to macroscales. Cauliflower-like structure of tungsten and carbon materials are formed under high heat plasma load in fusion devices. The statistical characteristics of hierarchical granularity and scale invariance are estimated. They differ qualitatively from the roughness of the ordinary Brownian surface, which is possibly due to the universal mechanisms of stochastic clustering of material surface under the influence of high-temperature plasma.

Experimental measurements of negative hydrogen ion production from surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, W.G.

1977-09-01

Experimental measurements of the production of H - from surfaces bombarded with hydrogen are reviewed. Some measurements of H + and H 0 production from surfaces are also discussed with particular emphasis on work which might be relevant to ion source applications

High surface area bio-waste based carbon as a superior electrode for vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Maharjan, Makhan; Bhattarai, Arjun; Ulaganathan, Mani; Wai, Nyunt; Oo, Moe Ohnmar; Wang, Jing-Yuan; Lim, Tuti Mariana

2017-09-01

Activated carbon (AC) with high surface area (1901 m2 g-1) is synthesized from low cost bio-waste orange (Citrus sinensis) peel for vanadium redox flow battery (VRB). The composition, structure and electrochemical properties of orange peel derived AC (OP-AC) are characterized by elemental analyzer, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. CV results show that OP-AC coated bipolar plate demonstrates improved electro-catalytic activity in both positive and negative side redox couples than the pristine bipolar plate electrode and this is ascribed to the high surface area of OP-AC which provides effective electrode area and better contact between the porous electrode and bipolar plate. Consequently, the performance of VRB in a static cell shows higher energy efficiency for OP-AC electrode than the pristine electrode at all current densities tested. The results suggest the OP-AC to be a promising electrode for VRB applications and can be incorporated into making conducting plastics electrode to lower the VRB cell stack weight and cost.

Different methods to alter surface morphology of high aspect ratio structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leber, M., E-mail: moritz.leber@utah.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Shandhi, M.M.H. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Hogan, A. [Blackrock Microsystems, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Solzbacher, F. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Bhandari, R.; Negi, S. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Blackrock Microsystems, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

2016-03-01

Graphical abstract: Surface engineering of high aspect ratio silicon structures. - Highlights: • Multiple roughening techniques for high aspect ratio devices were investigated. • Modification of surface morphology of high aspect ratio silicon devices (1:15). • Decrease of 76% in impedance proves significant increase in surface area. - Abstract: In various applications such as neural prostheses or solar cells, there is a need to alter the surface morphology of high aspect ratio structures so that the real surface area is greater than geometrical area. The change in surface morphology enhances the devices functionality. One of the applications of altering the surface morphology is of neural implants such as the Utah electrode array (UEA) that communicate with single neurons by charge injection induced stimulation or by recording electrical neural signals. For high selectivity between single cells of the nervous system, the electrode surface area is required to be as small as possible, while the impedance is required to be as low as possible for good signal to noise ratios (SNR) during neural recording. For stimulation, high charge injection and charge transfer capacities of the electrodes are required, which increase with the electrode surface. Traditionally, researchers have worked with either increasing the roughness of the existing metallization (platinum grey, black) or other materials such as Iridium Oxide and PEDOT. All of these previously investigated methods lead to more complicated metal deposition processes that are difficult to control and often have a critical impact on the mechanical properties of the metal films. Therefore, a modification of the surface underneath the electrode's coating will increase its surface area while maintaining the standard and well controlled metal deposition process. In this work, the surfaces of the silicon micro-needles were engineered by creating a defined microstructure on the electrodes surface using several

High-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) with a fibrous morphology

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek; Cha, Dong Kyu; Zhang, Xixiang; Basset, Jean-Marie

2010-01-01

Fibrous nanosilica: A new family of high-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) have been prepared (see picture). KCC-1 features excellent physical properties, including high surface area, unprecedented fibrous surface morphology, high thermal (up to 950 °C) and hydrothermal stabilities, and high mechanical stability. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) with a fibrous morphology

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek

2010-08-02

Fibrous nanosilica: A new family of high-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) have been prepared (see picture). KCC-1 features excellent physical properties, including high surface area, unprecedented fibrous surface morphology, high thermal (up to 950 °C) and hydrothermal stabilities, and high mechanical stability. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Radiotherapy high energy surface dose measurements: effects of chamber polarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, T.; Yu, P.K.N.; Butson, M.J.; Cancer Services, Wollongong, NSW

2004-01-01

Full text: The effects of chamber polarity have been investigated for the measurement of 6MV and 18MV x-ray surface dose using a parallel plate ionization chamber. Results have shown that a significant difference in measured ionization is recorded between to polarities at 6MV and 18MV at the phantom surface. A polarity ratio ranging from 1 062 to 1 005 is seen for 6MV x-rays at the phantom surface for field sizes 5cm x 5cm to 40cm x 40cm when comparing positive to negative polarity. These ratios range from 1.024 to 1.004 for 18MV x-rays with the same field sizes. When these charge reading are compared to the D max readings of the same polarity it is found that these polarity effects are minimal for the calculation of percentage dose results with variations being less than 1% of maximum. Copyright (2004) Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine

Aspirin degradation in surface-charged TEMPO-oxidized mesoporous crystalline nanocellulose.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsson, Daniel O; Hua, Kai; Forsgren, Johan; Mihranyan, Albert

2014-01-30

TEMPO-mediated surface oxidation of mesoporous highly crystalline Cladophora cellulose was used to introduce negative surface charges onto cellulose nanofibrils without significantly altering other structural characteristics. This enabled the investigation of the influence of mesoporous nanocellulose surface charges on aspirin chemical stability to be conducted. The negative surface charges (carboxylate content 0.44±0.01 mmol/g) introduced on the mesoporous crystalline nanocellulose significantly accelerated aspirin degradation, compared to the starting material which had significantly less surface charge (0.06±0.01 mmol/g). This effect followed from an increased aspirin amorphisation ability in mesopores of the oxidized nanocellulose. These results highlight the importance of surface charges in formulating nanocellulose for drug delivery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

False negative rate and other performance measures of a sponge-wipe surface sampling method for low contaminant concentrations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Einfeld, Wayne; Krauter, Paula A.; Boucher, Raymond M.; Tezak, Mathew; Amidan, Brett G. (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA); Piepel, Greg F. (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA)

2011-05-01

Recovery of spores from environmental surfaces is known to vary due to sampling methodology, techniques, spore size and characteristics, surface materials, and environmental conditions. A series of tests were performed to evaluate a new, validated sponge-wipe method. Specific factors evaluated were the effects of contaminant concentrations and surface materials on recovery efficiency (RE), false negative rate (FNR), limit of detection (LOD) - and the uncertainties of these quantities. Ceramic tile and stainless steel had the highest mean RE values (48.9 and 48.1%, respectively). Faux leather, vinyl tile, and painted wood had mean RE values of 30.3, 25.6, and 25.5, respectively, while plastic had the lowest mean RE (9.8%). Results show a roughly linear dependence of surface roughness on RE, where the smoothest surfaces have the highest mean RE values. REs were not influenced by the low spore concentrations tested (3 x 10{sup -3} to 1.86 CFU/cm{sup 2}). The FNR data were consistent with RE data, showing a trend of smoother surfaces resulting in higher REs and lower FNRs. Stainless steel generally had the lowest mean FNR (0.123) and plastic had the highest mean FNR (0.479). The LOD{sub 90} varied with surface material, from 0.015 CFU/cm{sup 2} on stainless steel up to 0.039 on plastic. Selecting sampling locations on the basis of surface roughness and using roughness to interpret spore recovery data can improve sampling. Further, FNR values, calculated as a function of concentration and surface material, can be used pre-sampling to calculate the numbers of samples for statistical sampling plans with desired performance, and post-sampling to calculate the confidence in characterization and clearance decisions.

Surfaces for high heat dissipation with no Leidenfrost limit

Science.gov (United States)

Sajadi, Seyed Mohammad; Irajizad, Peyman; Kashyap, Varun; Farokhnia, Nazanin; Ghasemi, Hadi

2017-07-01

Heat dissipation from hot surfaces through cooling droplets is limited by the Leidenfrost point (LFP), in which an insulating vapor film prevents direct contact between the cooling droplet and the hot surface. A range of approaches have been developed to raise this limit to higher temperatures, but the limit still exists. Recently, a surface architecture, decoupled hierarchical structure, was developed that allows the suppression of LFP completely. However, heat dissipation by the structure in the low superheat region was inferior to other surfaces and the structure required an extensive micro/nano fabrication procedure. Here, we present a metallic surface structure with no LFP and high heat dissipation capacity in all temperature ranges. The surface features the nucleate boiling phenomenon independent of the temperature with an approximate heat transfer coefficient of 20 kW m-2 K-1. This surface is developed in a one-step process with no micro/nano fabrication. We envision that this metallic surface provides a unique platform for high heat dissipation in power generation, photonics/electronics, and aviation systems.

High-brightness negative-hydrogen linear accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadlinger, E.A.; Farrell, J.A.; Dogliani, H.O.

1982-01-01

We have designed a linear accelerator to accelerate negative hydrogen ions to 50 MeV with an instantaneous output current of 100 mA and a normalized rms emittance in both transverse planes of 0.02 π cm mrad. The design and results obtained to date with a 2-MeV prototype are presented

Modelling Periglacial Processes on Low-Relief High-Elevation Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jane Lund; Knudsen, Mads Faurschou; Egholm, D.L.

history in many regions of the world. The glacial buzzsaw concept suggests that intense glacial erosion focused at the equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) leads to a concentration in surface area close to the ELA. However, even in predominantly glacial landscapes, such as the Scandinavian Mountains, the high...... as a function of mean annual air temperature and sediment thickness. This allows us to incorporate periglacial processes into a long-term landscape evolution model where surface elevation, sediment thickness, and climate evolve over time. With this model we are able to explore the slow feedbacks between...... evolution model can be used for obtaining more insight into the conditions needed for formation of low-relief surfaces at high elevation. Anderson, R. S. Modeling the tor-dotted crests, bedrock edges, and parabolic profiles of high alpine surfaces of the Wind River Range, Wyoming. Geomorphology, 46, 35...

Surface ionization ion source with high current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Jinqing; Lin Zhizhou; Yu Lihua; Zhan Rongan; Huang Guojun; Wu Jianhua

1986-04-01

The working principle and structure of a surface ionization ion source with high current is described systematically. Some technological keypoints of the ion source are given in more detail, mainly including: choosing and shaping of the material of the surface ionizer, heating of the ionizer, distributing of working vapour on the ionizer surface, the flow control, the cooling problem at the non-ionization surface and the ion optics, etc. This ion source has been used since 1972 in the electromagnetic isotope separator with 180 deg angle. It is suitable for separating isotopes of alkali metals and rare earth metals. For instance, in the case of separating Rubidium, the maximum ion current of Rbsup(+) extracted from the ion source is about 120 mA, the maximum ion current accepted by the receiver is about 66 mA, the average ion current is more than 25 mA. The results show that our ion source have advantages of high ion current, good characteristics of focusing ion beam, working stability and structure reliability etc. It may be extended to other fields. Finally, some interesting phenomena in the experiment are disccused briefly. Some problems which should be investigated are further pointed out

Daylight-driven photocatalytic degradation of ionic dyes with negatively surface-charged In{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanoflowers: dye charge-dependent roles of reactive species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ge, Suxiang [Xuchang University, Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province, Institute of Surface Micro and Nano Materials, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China); Cai, Lejuan, E-mail: 494169965@qq.com [Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry (China); Li, Dapeng, E-mail: lidapengabc@126.com; Fa, Wenjun; Zhang, Yange; Zheng, Zhi [Xuchang University, Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province, Institute of Surface Micro and Nano Materials, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China)

2015-12-15

Even though dye degradation is a successful application of semiconductor photocatalysis, the roles of reactive species in dye degradation have not received adequate attention. In this study, we systematically investigated the degradation of two cationic dyes (rhodamine B and methylene blue) and two anionic dyes (methyl orange and orange G) over negatively surface-charged In{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanoflowers synthesized at 80 °C under indoor daylight lamp irradiation. It is notable to find In{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanoflowers were more stable in anionic dyes degradation compared to that in cationic dyes removal. The active species trapping experiments indicated photogenerated electrons were mainly responsible for cationic dyes degradation, but holes were more important in anionic dyes degradation. A surface-charge-dependent role of reactive species in ionic dye degradation was proposed for revealing such interesting phenomenon. This study would provide a new insight for preparing highly efficient daylight-driven photocatalyst for ionic dyes degradation.

High Surface Area Tunnels in Hexagonal WO₃.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wanmei; Yeung, Michael T; Lech, Andrew T; Lin, Cheng-Wei; Lee, Chain; Li, Tianqi; Duan, Xiangfeng; Zhou, Jun; Kaner, Richard B

2015-07-08

High surface area in h-WO3 has been verified from the intracrystalline tunnels. This bottom-up approach differs from conventional templating-type methods. The 3.67 Å diameter tunnels are characterized by low-pressure CO2 adsorption isotherms with nonlocal density functional theory fitting, transmission electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. These open and rigid tunnels absorb H(+) and Li(+), but not Na(+) in aqueous electrolytes without inducing a phase transformation, accessing both internal and external active sites. Moreover, these tunnel structures demonstrate high specific pseudocapacitance and good stability in an H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. Thus, the high surface area created from 3.67 Å diameter tunnels in h-WO3 shows potential applications in electrochemical energy storage, selective ion transfer, and selective gas adsorption.

Influence of expander components on the processes at the negative plates of lead-acid cells on high-rate partial-state-of-charge cycling. Part II. Effect of carbon additives on the processes of charge and discharge of negative plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlov, D.; Nikolov, P.; Rogachev, T. [Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Street, bl. 10, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria)

2010-07-15

Lead-acid batteries operated in the high-rate partial-state-of-charge (HRPSoC) duty rapidly lose capacity on cycling, because of sulfation of the negative plates. As the battery operates from a partially discharged state, the small PbSO{sub 4} crystals dissolve and precipitate onto the bigger crystals. The latter have low solubility and hence PbSO{sub 4} accumulates progressively in the negative plates causing capacity loss. In order to suppress this process, the rate of the charge process should be increased. In a previous publication of ours we have established that reduction of Pb{sup 2+} ions to Pb may proceed on the surface of both Pb and carbon black particles. Hence, the reversibility of the charge-discharge processes improves, which leads to improved cycle life performance of the batteries in the HRPSoC mode. However, not all carbon forms accelerate the charge processes. The present paper discusses the electrochemical properties of two groups of carbon blacks: Printex and active carbons. The influence of Vaniseprse A and BaSO{sub 4} (the other two components of the expander added to the negative plates) on the reversibility of the charge-discharge processes on the negative plates is also considered. It has been established that lignosulfonates are adsorbed onto the lead surface and retard charging of the battery. BaSO{sub 4} has the opposite effect, which improves the reversibility of the processes on cycling and hence prolongs battery life in the HRPSoC duty. It has been established that the cycle life of lead-acid cells depends on the type of carbon black or active carbon added to the negative plates. When the carbon particles are of nano-sizes (<180 nm), the HRPSoC cycle life is between 10,000 and 20,000 cycles. Lignosulfonates suppress this beneficial effect of carbon black and activated carbon additives to about 10,000 cycles. Cells with active carbons have the longest cycle life when they contain also BaSO{sub 4} but no lignosulfonate. A summary of

MgO-templated carbon as a negative electrode material for Na-ion capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kado, Yuya; Soneda, Yasushi

2016-12-01

In this study, MgO-templated carbon with different pore structures was investigated as a negative electrode material for Na-ion capacitors. With increasing the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, the irreversible capacity increased, and the coulombic efficiency of the 1st cycle decreased because of the formation of solid electrolyte interface layers. MgO-templated carbon annealed at 1000 °C exhibited the highest capacity and best rate performance, suggesting that an appropriate balance between surface area and crystallinity is imperative for fast Na-ion storage, attributed to the storage mechanism: combination of non-faradaic electric double-layer capacitance and faradaic Na intercalation in the carbon layers. Finally, a Na-ion capacitor cell using MgO-templated carbon and activated carbon as the negative and positive electrodes, respectively, exhibited an energy density at high power density significantly greater than that exhibited by the cell using a commercial hard carbon negative electrode.

Adhesion of osteoblasts to a nanorough titanium implant surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gongadze E

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Ekaterina Gongadze1, Doron Kabaso2, Sebastian Bauer3, Tomaž Slivnik2, Patrik Schmuki3, Ursula van Rienen1, Aleš Iglič21Institute of General Electrical Engineering, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany; 2Laboratory of Biophysics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Department of Materials Science, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurenberg, Erlangen, GermanyAbstract: This work considers the adhesion of cells to a nanorough titanium implant surface with sharp edges. The basic assumption was that the attraction between the negatively charged titanium surface and a negatively charged osteoblast is mediated by charged proteins with a distinctive quadrupolar internal charge distribution. Similarly, cation-mediated attraction between fibronectin molecules and the titanium surface is expected to be more efficient for a high surface charge density, resulting in facilitated integrin mediated osteoblast adhesion. We suggest that osteoblasts are most strongly bound along the sharp convex edges or spikes of nanorough titanium surfaces where the magnitude of the negative surface charge density is the highest. It is therefore plausible that nanorough regions of titanium surfaces with sharp edges and spikes promote the adhesion of osteoblasts.Keywords: osteoblasts, nanostructures, adhesion, titanium implants, osteointegration

Characteristics of a high-power RF source of negative hydrogen ions for neutral beam injection into controlled fusion devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdrashitov, G. F.; Belchenko, Yu. I.; Gusev, I. A.; Ivanov, A. A.; Kondakov, A. A.; Sanin, A. L.; Sotnikov, O. Z., E-mail: O.Z.Sotnikov@inp.nsk.su; Shikhovtsev, I. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch (Russian Federation)

2017-01-15

An injector of hydrogen atoms with an energy of 0.5–1 MeV and equivalent current of up to 1.5 A for purposes of controlled fusion research is currently under design at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Within this project, a multiple-aperture RF surface-plasma source of negative hydrogen ions is designed. The source design and results of experiments on the generation of a negative ion beam with a current of >1 A in the long-pulse mode are presented.

[One example of false negative hepatitis B surface antigen (EIA) result due to variant S area strain and reagment reactiveness related to hepatitis B surface antigen].

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, Chikashi; Moriyama, Hidehiko; Taketani, Takeshi; Shibata, Hiroshi; Nagai, Atsushi

2011-01-01

The presence in serum of the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), the outer envelope of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), indicates viral infection, used in laboratory tests to confirm this. We report a case of discrepancy among HBsAg test results detected between measurements in a subject with HB infection. Gene analysis demonstrated several S region gene mutations, not detected previously. We tested 12 measurements e.g., EIA, CLIA, CLEIA, F-EIA, MAT, and IC for whether they could detect our subject's HBsAg and found that it was not recognized by a method using only a single monoclonal antibody to detect HBsAg in two detection processes, in contrast to the 11 other measurements, which used two different antibodies. This case shows that amino acid substitution may cause a false negative result for HBsAg. Gene mutations known to occur in HBV, should thus trigger an awareness of the need to keep in mind that false negative results can happen in case such as ours.

Passivation of phosphorus diffused silicon surfaces with Al2O3: Influence of surface doping concentration and thermal activation treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, Armin; Benick, Jan; Kimmerle, Achim; Hermle, Martin; Glunz, Stefan W.

2014-01-01

Thin layers of Al 2 O 3 are well known for the excellent passivation of p-type c-Si surfaces including highly doped p + emitters, due to a high density of fixed negative charges. Recent results indicate that Al 2 O 3 can also provide a good passivation of certain phosphorus-diffused n + c-Si surfaces. In this work, we studied the recombination at Al 2 O 3 passivated n + surfaces theoretically with device simulations and experimentally for Al 2 O 3 deposited with atomic layer deposition. The simulation results indicate that there is a certain surface doping concentration, where the recombination is maximal due to depletion or weak inversion of the charge carriers at the c-Si/Al 2 O 3 interface. This pronounced maximum was also observed experimentally for n + surfaces passivated either with Al 2 O 3 single layers or stacks of Al 2 O 3 capped by SiN x , when activated with a low temperature anneal (425 °C). In contrast, for Al 2 O 3 /SiN x stacks activated with a short high-temperature firing process (800 °C) a significant lower surface recombination was observed for most n + diffusion profiles without such a pronounced maximum. Based on experimentally determined interface properties and simulation results, we attribute this superior passivation quality after firing to a better chemical surface passivation, quantified by a lower interface defect density, in combination with a lower density of negative fixed charges. These experimental results reveal that Al 2 O 3 /SiN x stacks can provide not only excellent passivation on p + surfaces but also on n + surfaces for a wide range of surface doping concentrations when activated with short high-temperature treatments

Charging of dust grains in a plasma with negative ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Shukla, P.K.

2003-01-01

The role of negative ions on the charging of dust grains in a plasma is examined. Two models for negative ion distributions are considered. These are streaming negative ions and Boltzmannian negative ions. It is found that the effects of the negative ion number density, negative ion charge, and negative ion streaming speed significantly affect the dust grain surface potential or the dust grain charge

Negative Attitudes, Network and Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennett, Patrick; la Cour, Lisbeth; Larsen, Birthe

We consider the impact of negative attitudes against immigrants and immigration on educational choice in a search and wage bargaining model including networking. We consider two cases in terms of the importance of negative attitudes againts immigrants for high and low educated individuals and find...... that more negative attitudes against immigrants has a positive impact on education in one case and a negative impact in the other and has no impact on natives. Immigration improves employment perspectives for immigrants and thereby increases immigrant education whereas endogenous negative attitudes lead...... use Danish register data to find a signficant positive correlation between negative attitudes towards immigrants and high school attendance and find a positive impact of networking on high school attendance. In both the macro and the micro-econometric analysis we run the same regressions for natives...

HIGH VELOCITY THERMAL GUN FOR SURFACE PREPARATION AND TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.A. Gorlach

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Many surface preparation and treatment processes utilise compressed air to propel particles against surfaces in order to clean and treat them. The effectiveness of the processes depends on the velocity of the particles, which in turn depends on the pressure of the compressed air. This paper describes a thermal gun built on the principles of High Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF and High Velocity Oxy Fuel (HVOF processes. The designed apparatus can be used for abrasive blasting, coating of surfaces, cutting of rocks, removing rubber from mining equipment, cleaning of contaminations etc.

High-capacity FeTiO3/C negative electrode for sodium-ion batteries with ultralong cycle life

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Changsheng; Nohira, Toshiyuki; Hagiwara, Rika

2018-06-01

The development of electrode materials which improve both the energy density and cycle life is one of the most challenging issues facing the practical application of sodium-ion batteries today. In this work, FeTiO3/C nanoparticles are synthesized as negative electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries. The electrochemical performance and charge-discharge mechanism of the FeTiO3/C negative electrode are investigated in an ionic liquid electrolyte at 90 °C. The FeTiO3/C negative electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 403 mAh g-1 at a current rate of 10 mA g-1, and exhibits high rate capability and excellent cycling stability for up to 2000 cycles. The results indicate that FeTiO3/C is a promising negative electrode material for sodium-ion batteries.

New chemical approach to obtain dense layer phosphate-based ionic conductor coating on negative electrode material surface: Synthesis way, outgassing and improvement of C-rate capability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fleutot, Benoit, E-mail: benoit.fleutot@u-picardie.fr [Laboratoire de Réactivité et Chimie des Solides, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, CNRS UMR 7314, 33 rue Saint Leu, 80039 Amiens (France); Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l’Energie (RS2E), CNRS FR3459 (France); Davoisne, Carine; Gachot, Grégory; Cavalaglio, Sébastien; Grugeon, Sylvie; Viallet, Virginie [Laboratoire de Réactivité et Chimie des Solides, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, CNRS UMR 7314, 33 rue Saint Leu, 80039 Amiens (France); Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l’Energie (RS2E), CNRS FR3459 (France)

2017-04-01

Highlights: • Dense layer coating of based-phosphate ionic conductor obtained by spray-drying. • Influence of dense ionic conductor at the negative surface material on performances. • Impact of dense ionic conductor coating on outgassing phenomena. - Abstract: Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} (LTO) based batteries have severe gassing behavior during charge/discharge and storage process, due to interfacial reactions between active material and electrolyte solution. In the same time, the electronic and ionic conductivity of pristine LTO is very poor and induces the use of nanoparticles which increase the outgassing phenomena. The coating of LTO particles could be a solution. For this the LTO spinel particles are modified with ionic conductor Li{sub 3}PO{sub 4} coating using a spray-drying method. For the first time a homogeneous thin dense layer phosphate based conductor is obtained without nanoparticles, as a thin film material. It is so possible to study the influence of ionic conductor deposited on the negative electrode material on performances by the controlled layer thickness. This coating was characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS and TEM. The electrochemical performance of Li{sub 3}PO{sub 4} coated Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} is improved at high C-rate by the surface modification (improvement of 30 mAh g{sup −1} at 5 C-rate compared to pristine LTO for 5 nm of coating), inducing by a modification of surface energy. An optimum coating thickness was studied. This type of coating allows a significant decrease of outgassing phenomena due the conformal coating and opens the way to a great number of studies and new technologies.

New chemical approach to obtain dense layer phosphate-based ionic conductor coating on negative electrode material surface: Synthesis way, outgassing and improvement of C-rate capability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleutot, Benoit; Davoisne, Carine; Gachot, Grégory; Cavalaglio, Sébastien; Grugeon, Sylvie; Viallet, Virginie

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Dense layer coating of based-phosphate ionic conductor obtained by spray-drying. • Influence of dense ionic conductor at the negative surface material on performances. • Impact of dense ionic conductor coating on outgassing phenomena. - Abstract: Li_4Ti_5O_1_2 (LTO) based batteries have severe gassing behavior during charge/discharge and storage process, due to interfacial reactions between active material and electrolyte solution. In the same time, the electronic and ionic conductivity of pristine LTO is very poor and induces the use of nanoparticles which increase the outgassing phenomena. The coating of LTO particles could be a solution. For this the LTO spinel particles are modified with ionic conductor Li_3PO_4 coating using a spray-drying method. For the first time a homogeneous thin dense layer phosphate based conductor is obtained without nanoparticles, as a thin film material. It is so possible to study the influence of ionic conductor deposited on the negative electrode material on performances by the controlled layer thickness. This coating was characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS and TEM. The electrochemical performance of Li_3PO_4 coated Li_4Ti_5O_1_2 is improved at high C-rate by the surface modification (improvement of 30 mAh g"−"1 at 5 C-rate compared to pristine LTO for 5 nm of coating), inducing by a modification of surface energy. An optimum coating thickness was studied. This type of coating allows a significant decrease of outgassing phenomena due the conformal coating and opens the way to a great number of studies and new technologies.

Negative beliefs about low back pain are associated with persistent high intensity low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Sin Ki; Cicuttini, Flavia M; Wang, Yuanyuan; Wluka, Anita E; Fitzgibbon, Bernadette; Urquhart, Donna M

2017-08-01

While previous cross-sectional studies have found that negative beliefs about low back pain are associated with pain intensity, the relationship between back beliefs and persistent low back pain is not well understood. This cohort study aimed to examine the role of back beliefs in persistent low back pain in community-based individuals. A hundred and ninety-two participants from a previous musculoskeletal health study were invited to take part in a two-year follow-up study. Beliefs about back pain were assessed by the Back Beliefs Questionnaire (BBQ) at baseline and low back pain intensity was measured by the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire at baseline and follow-up. Of the 150 respondents (78.1%), 16 (10.7%) reported persistent high intensity low back pain, 12 (8.0%) developed high intensity low back pain, in 16 (10.7%) their high intensity low back pain resolved and 106 (70.7%) experienced no high intensity low back pain. While participants were generally positive about low back pain (BBQ mean (SD) = 30.2 (6.4)), those with persistent high intensity pain reported greater negativity (BBQ mean (SD) = 22.6 (4.9)). Negative beliefs about back pain were associated with persistent high intensity low back pain after adjusting for confounders (M (SE) = 23.5 (1.6) vs. >30.1 (1.7), p back beliefs were associated with persistent high intensity low back pain over 2 years in community-based individuals. While further longitudinal studies are required, these findings suggest that targeting beliefs in programs designed to treat and prevent persistent high intensity low back pain may be important.

The highly efficient photocatalytic and light harvesting property of Ag-TiO2 with negative nano-holes structure inspired from cicada wings.

Science.gov (United States)

Zada, Imran; Zhang, Wang; Zheng, Wangshu; Zhu, Yuying; Zhang, Zhijian; Zhang, Jianzhong; Imtiaz, Muhammad; Abbas, Waseem; Zhang, Di

2017-12-08

The negative replica of biomorphic TiO 2 with nano-holes structure has been effectively fabricated directly from nano-nipple arrays structure of cicada wings by using a simple, low-cost and highly effective sol-gel ultrasonic method. The nano-holes array structure was well maintained after calcination in air at 500 °C. The Ag nanoparticles (10 nm-25 nm) were homogeneously decorated on the surface and to the side wall of nano-holes structure. It was observed that the biomorphic Ag-TiO 2 showed remarkable photocatalytic activity by degradation of methyl blue (MB) under UV-vis light irradiation. The biomorphic Ag-TiO 2 with nano-holes structure showed superior photocatalytic activity compared to the biomorphic TiO 2 and commercial Degussa P25. This high-performance photocatalytic activity of the biomorphic Ag-TiO 2 may be attributed to the nano-holes structure, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property of the Ag nanoparticles, and enhanced electron-hole separation. Moreover, the biomorphic Ag-TiO 2 showed more absorption capability in the visible wavelength range. This work provides a new insight to design such a structure which may lead to a range of novel applications.

A study on negative and depressive symptom prevalence in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Azar, Marleine; Pruessner, Marita; Baer, Lawrence H; Iyer, Srividya; Malla, Ashok K; Lepage, Martin

2016-09-21

Negative symptoms are known to be present in the prodromal stage of psychotic disorders, yet little is known about their prevalence. Studies examining the presence of negative symptoms in ultra-high risk (UHR) populations have shown some limitations, notably failing to control depression. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of negative symptoms in the presence of significant levels of depression and in the absence of such symptoms (primary negative symptoms) over 1 year and to examine differences in negative symptoms in psychosis converters and non-converters. Participants were 123 individuals at UHR for the development of psychosis receiving follow-up for a period of 2 years. Negative symptoms and depression were measured using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale at baseline, 6 and 12 months post-admission. At baseline, the prevalence of negative symptoms and primary negative symptoms was 76.4% and 32.7%, respectively. Whereas the prevalence of negative symptoms was significantly decreased at 6 months, the prevalence of primary negative symptoms was similar at all time points. Negative symptoms at baseline were not different between later converters and non-converters to psychosis. Our findings confirm the presence of secondary and primary negative symptoms in individuals at UHR, but suggest a differential trajectory of both measures over time. Future studies should include larger UHR groups and focus on the investigation of intra-individual changes in primary negative symptoms over time and further explore their potential role for psychosis conversion. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Improving surface acousto-optical interaction by high aspect ratio electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dühring, Maria Bayard; Laude, Vincent; Khelif, Abdelkrim

2009-01-01

The acousto-optical interaction of an optical wave confined inside a waveguide and a surface acoustic wave launched by an interdigital transducer (IDT) at the surface of a piezoelectric material is considered. The IDT with high aspect ratio electrodes supports several acoustic modes that are stro......The acousto-optical interaction of an optical wave confined inside a waveguide and a surface acoustic wave launched by an interdigital transducer (IDT) at the surface of a piezoelectric material is considered. The IDT with high aspect ratio electrodes supports several acoustic modes...

Smooth surfaces from bilinear patches: Discrete affine minimal surfaces

KAUST Repository

Kä ferbö ck, Florian; Pottmann, Helmut

2013-01-01

Motivated by applications in freeform architecture, we study surfaces which are composed of smoothly joined bilinear patches. These surfaces turn out to be discrete versions of negatively curved affine minimal surfaces and share many properties

High speed surface cleaning by a high repetition rated TEA-CO2 laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsunemi, Akira; Hirai, Ryo; Hagiwara, Kouji; Nagasaka, Keigo; Tashiro, Hideo

1994-01-01

We demonstrated the feasibility of high speed cleaning of solid surfaces by the laser ablation technique using a TEA-CO 2 laser. The laser pulses with the repetition rate of 1 kHz were applied to paint, rust, moss and dirt attached on the surfaces. The attachments were effectively removed without the damage of bulk surfaces by the irradiation of line-focused sequential pulses with an energy of 300 mJ/pulse. A cleaning rate reached to 17 m 2 /hour for the case of paint removal from iron surfaces. (author)

On the feasibility of a negative polarity electric sail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Janhunen

2009-04-01

Full Text Available An electric solar wind sail is a recently introduced propellantless space propulsion method whose technical development has also started. In its original version, the electric sail consists of a set of long, thin, centrifugally stretched and conducting tethers which are charged positively and kept in a high positive potential of 20 kV by an onboard electron gun. The positively charged tethers deflect solar wind protons, thus tapping momentum from the solar wind stream and producing thrust. Here we consider a variant of the idea with negatively charged tethers. The negative polarity electric sail seems to be more complex to implement than the positive polarity variant since it needs an ion gun instead of an electron gun as well as a more complex tether structure to keep the electron field emission current in check with the tether surface. However, since this first study of the negative polarity electric sail does not reveal any fundamental issues, more detailed studies would be warranted.

The relationship of social function to depressive and negative symptoms in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Corcoran, C M; Kimhy, D; Parrilla-Escobar, M A; Cressman, V L; Stanford, A D; Thompson, J; David, S Ben; Crumbley, A; Schobel, S; Moore, H; Malaspina, D

2011-02-01

Social dysfunction is a hallmark symptom of schizophrenia which commonly precedes the onset of psychosis. It is unclear if social symptoms in clinical high-risk patients reflect depressive symptoms or are a manifestation of negative symptoms. We compared social function scores on the Social Adjustment Scale-Self Report between 56 young people (aged 13-27 years) at clinical high risk for psychosis and 22 healthy controls. The cases were also assessed for depressive and 'prodromal' symptoms (subthreshold positive, negative, disorganized and general symptoms). Poor social function was related to both depressive and negative symptoms, as well as to disorganized and general symptoms. The symptoms were highly intercorrelated but linear regression analysis demonstrated that poor social function was primarily explained by negative symptoms within this cohort, particularly in ethnic minority patients. Although this study demonstrated a relationship between social dysfunction and depressive symptoms in clinical high-risk cases, this association was primarily explained by the relationship of each of these to negative symptoms. In individuals at heightened risk for psychosis, affective changes may be related to a progressive decrease in social interaction and loss of reinforcement of social behaviors. These findings have relevance for potential treatment strategies for social dysfunction in schizophrenia and its risk states and predict that antidepressant drugs, cognitive behavioral therapy and/or social skills training may be effective.

Negative refraction imaging of solid acoustic waves by two-dimensional three-component phononic crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jing; Liu Zhengyou; Qiu Chunyin

2008-01-01

By using of the multiple scattering methods, we study the negative refraction imaging effect of solid acoustic waves by two-dimensional three-component phononic crystals composed of coated solid inclusions placed in solid matrix. We show that localized resonance mechanism brings on a group of flat single-mode bands in low-frequency region, which provides two equivalent frequency surfaces (EFS) close to circular. The two constant frequency surfaces correspond to two Bloch modes, a right-handed and a left-handed, whose leading mode are respectively transverse (T) and longitudinal (L) modes. The negative refraction behaviors of the two kinds of modes have been demonstrated by simulation of a Gaussian beam through a finite system. High-quality far-field imaging by a planar lens for transverse or longitudinal waves has been realized separately. This three-component phononic crystal may thus serve as a mode selector in negative refraction imaging of solid acoustic waves

H- production from non-cesiated converter-type negative ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Os, C.F.A.; Leung, K.N.; Lietzke, A.F.; Stearns, J.W.; Kunkel, W.B.

1989-11-01

Recent results of surface produced negative ions are presented. Two low work function metal surfaces have been studied, barium and magnesium, in combination with several plasma generators; rf- and dc-filament discharges. The negative ion yield for barium is about 5 to 6 times larger than magnesium. This ratio is confirmed by model calculations on resonant charge exchange. 32 refs., 9 figs

A digital controlled negative high voltage power source for LINAC of HLS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Hui; Chen Jun; Hong Jun; Wang Weibing

2005-01-01

This paper introduces the working principle of a 10-80 kV negative high voltage power source for the electronic gun of the 200 MeV LINAC of NSRL, especially how to realize the switch power, voltage/current sampling, feedback control and microcontroller module. The firmware design for the SOC microcontroller of ADuC8xx and the application software design for PC are also presented. (authors)

High flux and antifouling properties of negatively charged membrane for dyeing wastewater treatment by membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

An, Alicia Kyoungjin

2016-07-25

This study investigated the applicability of membrane distillation (MD) to treat dyeing wastewater discharged by the textile industry. Four different dyes containing methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), acid red 18 (AR), and acid yellow 36 (AY) were tested. Two types of hydrophobic membranes made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were used. The membranes were characterized by testing against each dye (foulant-foulant) and the membrane–dye (membrane-foulant) interfacial interactions and their mechanisms were identified. The MD membranes possessed negative charges, which facilitated the treatment of acid and azo dyes of the same charge and showed higher fluxes. In addition, PTFE membrane reduced the wettability with higher hydrophobicity of the membrane surface. The PTFE membrane evidenced especially its resistant to dye absorption, as its strong negative charge and chemical structure caused a flake-like (loose) dye–dye structure to form on the membrane surface rather than in the membrane pores. This also enabled the recovery of flux and membrane properties by water flushing (WF), thereby direct-contact MD with PTFE membrane treating 100 mg/L of dye mixtures showed stable flux and superior color removal during five days operation. Thus, MD shows a potential for stable long-term operation in conjunction with a simple membrane cleaning process, and its suitability in dyeing wastewater treatment.

Confinement improvement in high-ion temperature plasmas heated with high-energy negative-NBI in LHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeiri, Y.; Morita, S.; Ikeda, K.

2006-10-01

The increase in the ion temperature due to transport improvement has been observed in plasmas heated with high-energy negative-NBI, in which electrons are dominantly heated, in Large Helical Device (LHD). When the centrally focused ECRH is superposed on the NBI plasma, the ion temperature is observed to rise, accompanied by formation of the electron-ITB. This is ascribed to the ion transport improvement with the transition to the neoclassical electron root with a positive radial electric field. In high-Z plasmas, the ion temperature is increased with an increase in the ion heating power, and reaches 13.5keV. The central ion temperature increases with an increase in a gradient of the electron temperature in an outer plasma region of ρ=0.8, suggesting the ion transport improvement in the outer plasma region induced by the neoclassical electron root. These results indicate the effectiveness of the electron-root scenario for obtaining high-ion temperature plasmas in helical systems. (author)

Utility of high-resolution computed tomography for predicting risk of sputum smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakanishi, Masanori; Demura, Yoshiki; Ameshima, Shingo; Kosaka, Nobuyuki; Chiba, Yukio; Nishikawa, Satoshi; Itoh, Harumi; Ishizaki, Takeshi

2010-01-01

Background: To diagnose sputum smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is difficult and the ability of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for diagnosing PTB has remained unclear in the sputum smear-negative setting. We retrospectively investigated whether or not this imaging modality can predict risk for sputum smear-negative PTB. Methods: We used HRCT to examine the findings of 116 patients with suspected PTB despite negative sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). We investigated their clinical features and HRCT-findings to predict the risk for PTB by multivariate analysis and a combination of HRCT findings by stepwise regression analysis. We then designed provisional HRCT diagnostic criteria based on these results to rank the risk of PTB and blinded observers assessed the validity and reliability of these criteria. Results: A positive tuberculin skin test alone among clinical laboratory findings was significantly associated with an increase of risk of PTB. Multivariate regression analysis showed that large nodules, tree-in-bud appearance, lobular consolidation and the main lesion being located in S1, S2, and S6 were significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB. Stepwise regression analysis showed that coexistence of the above 4 factors was most significantly associated with an increase in the risk for PTB. Ranking of the results using our HRCT diagnostic criteria by blinded observers revealed good utility and agreement for predicting PTB risk. Conclusions: Even in the sputum smear-negative setting, HRCT can predict the risk of PTB with good reproducibility and can select patients having a high probability of PTB.

Utility of high-resolution computed tomography for predicting risk of sputum smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakanishi, Masanori [Departments of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, 23 Shimoaizuki Eiheizi-cho, Fukui 910-1193 (Japan)], E-mail: mnakanishi@nifty.ne.jp; Demura, Yoshiki; Ameshima, Shingo [Departments of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, 23 Shimoaizuki Eiheizi-cho, Fukui 910-1193 (Japan); Kosaka, Nobuyuki [Departments of Radiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, 23 Shimoaizuki Eiheizi-cho, Fukui 910-1193 (Japan); Chiba, Yukio [Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization, Fukui Hospital, Tsuruga, Fukui 914-0195 (Japan); Nishikawa, Satoshi [Department of Radiology, National Hospital Organization, Fukui Hospital, Tsuruga, Fukui 914-0195 (Japan); Itoh, Harumi [Departments of Radiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, 23 Shimoaizuki Eiheizi-cho, Fukui 910-1193 (Japan); Ishizaki, Takeshi [Departments of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, 23 Shimoaizuki Eiheizi-cho, Fukui 910-1193 (Japan)

2010-03-15

Background: To diagnose sputum smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is difficult and the ability of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for diagnosing PTB has remained unclear in the sputum smear-negative setting. We retrospectively investigated whether or not this imaging modality can predict risk for sputum smear-negative PTB. Methods: We used HRCT to examine the findings of 116 patients with suspected PTB despite negative sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). We investigated their clinical features and HRCT-findings to predict the risk for PTB by multivariate analysis and a combination of HRCT findings by stepwise regression analysis. We then designed provisional HRCT diagnostic criteria based on these results to rank the risk of PTB and blinded observers assessed the validity and reliability of these criteria. Results: A positive tuberculin skin test alone among clinical laboratory findings was significantly associated with an increase of risk of PTB. Multivariate regression analysis showed that large nodules, tree-in-bud appearance, lobular consolidation and the main lesion being located in S1, S2, and S6 were significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB. Stepwise regression analysis showed that coexistence of the above 4 factors was most significantly associated with an increase in the risk for PTB. Ranking of the results using our HRCT diagnostic criteria by blinded observers revealed good utility and agreement for predicting PTB risk. Conclusions: Even in the sputum smear-negative setting, HRCT can predict the risk of PTB with good reproducibility and can select patients having a high probability of PTB.

A Facile All-Solution-Processed Surface with High Water Contact Angle and High Water Adhesive Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mei; Hu, Wei; Liang, Xiao; Zou, Cheng; Li, Fasheng; Zhang, Lanying; Chen, Feiwu; Yang, Huai

2017-07-12

A series of sticky superhydrophobicity surfaces with high water contact angle and high water adhesive force is facilely prepared via an all-solution-processed method based on polymerization-induced phase separation between liquid crystals (LCs) and epoxy resin, which produces layers of epoxy microspheres (EMSs) with nanofolds on the surface of a substrate. The morphologies and size distributions of EMSs are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Results reveal that the obtained EMS coated-surface exhibits high apparent contact angle of 152.0° and high water adhesive force up to 117.6 μN. By varying the composition of the sample or preparing conditions, the sizes of the produced EMSs can be artificially regulated and, thus, control the wetting properties and water adhesive behaviors. Also, the sticky superhydrophobic surface exhibits excellent chemical stability, as well as long-term durability. Water droplet transportation experiments further prove that the as-made surface can be effectively used as a mechanical hand for water transportation applications. Based on this, it is believed that the simple method proposed in this paper will pave a new way for producing a sticky superhydrophobic surface and obtain a wide range of use.

Deterministic ion beam material adding technology for high-precision optical surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Wenlin; Dai, Yifan; Xie, Xuhui; Zhou, Lin

2013-02-20

Although ion beam figuring (IBF) provides a highly deterministic method for the precision figuring of optical components, several problems still need to be addressed, such as the limited correcting capability for mid-to-high spatial frequency surface errors and low machining efficiency for pit defects on surfaces. We propose a figuring method named deterministic ion beam material adding (IBA) technology to solve those problems in IBF. The current deterministic optical figuring mechanism, which is dedicated to removing local protuberances on optical surfaces, is enriched and developed by the IBA technology. Compared with IBF, this method can realize the uniform convergence of surface errors, where the particle transferring effect generated in the IBA process can effectively correct the mid-to-high spatial frequency errors. In addition, IBA can rapidly correct the pit defects on the surface and greatly improve the machining efficiency of the figuring process. The verification experiments are accomplished on our experimental installation to validate the feasibility of the IBA method. First, a fused silica sample with a rectangular pit defect is figured by using IBA. Through two iterations within only 47.5 min, this highly steep pit is effectively corrected, and the surface error is improved from the original 24.69 nm root mean square (RMS) to the final 3.68 nm RMS. Then another experiment is carried out to demonstrate the correcting capability of IBA for mid-to-high spatial frequency surface errors, and the final results indicate that the surface accuracy and surface quality can be simultaneously improved.

Arc-textured metal surfaces for high thermal emittance space radiators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banks, B.A.; Rutledge, S.K.; Mirtich, M.J.; Behrend, T.; Hotes, D.; Kussmaul, M.; Barry, J.; Stidham, C.; Stueber, T.; DiFilippo, F.

1994-01-01

Carbon arc electrical discharges struck across the surfaces of metals such as Nb-1% Zr, alter the morphology to produce a high thermal emittance surface. Metal from the surface and carbon from the arc electrode vaporize during arcing, and then condense on the metal surface to produce a microscopically rough surface having a high thermal emittance. Quantitative spectral reflectance measurements from 0.33 to 15 μm were made on metal surfaces which were carbon arc treated in an inert gas environment. The resulting spectral reflectance data were then used to calculate thermal emittance as a function of temperature for various methods of arc treatment. The results of arc treatment on various metals are presented for both ac and dc arcs. Surface characterization data, including thermal emittance as a function of temperature, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic oxygen durability, are also presented. Ac arc texturing was found to increase the thermal emittance at 800 K from 0.05. to 0.70

High-frequency shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Branch, Darren W

2013-05-07

A Love wave sensor uses a single-phase unidirectional interdigital transducer (IDT) on a piezoelectric substrate for leaky surface acoustic wave generation. The IDT design minimizes propagation losses, bulk wave interferences, provides a highly linear phase response, and eliminates the need for impedance matching. As an example, a high frequency (.about.300-400 MHz) surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer enables efficient excitation of shear-horizontal waves on 36.degree. Y-cut lithium tantalate (LTO) giving a highly linear phase response (2.8.degree. P-P). The sensor has the ability to detect at the pg/mm.sup.2 level and can perform multi-analyte detection in real-time. The sensor can be used for rapid autonomous detection of pathogenic microorganisms and bioagents by field deployable platforms.

Influence of incoherent scattering on stochastic deflection of high-energy negative particle beams in bent crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirillin, I.V. [Akhiezer Institute for Theoretical Physics, National Science Center ' ' Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology' ' , Kharkov (Ukraine); Shul' ga, N.F. [Akhiezer Institute for Theoretical Physics, National Science Center ' ' Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology' ' , Kharkov (Ukraine); V.N. Karazin Kharkov National University, Kharkov (Ukraine); Bandiera, L. [INFN Sezione di Ferrara, Ferrara (Italy); Guidi, V.; Mazzolari, A. [INFN Sezione di Ferrara, Ferrara (Italy); Universita degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Ferrara (Italy)

2017-02-15

An investigation on stochastic deflection of high-energy negatively charged particles in a bent crystal was carried out. On the basis of analytical calculation and numerical simulation it was shown that there is a maximum angle at which most of the beam is deflected. The existence of a maximum, which is taken in the correspondence of the optimal radius of curvature, is a novelty with respect to the case of positively charged particles, for which the deflection angle can be freely increased by increasing the crystal length. This difference has to be ascribed to the stronger contribution of incoherent scattering affecting the dynamics of negative particles that move closer to atomic nuclei and electrons. We therefore identified the ideal parameters for the exploitation of axial confinement for negatively charged particle beam manipulation in future high-energy accelerators, e.g., ILC or muon colliders. (orig.)

An in situ vapour phase hydrothermal surface doping approach for fabrication of high performance Co3O4 electrocatalysts with an exceptionally high S-doped active surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Zhijin; Liu, Porun; Zhang, Haimin; Wang, Yun; Al-Mamun, Mohammad; Yang, Hua Gui; Wang, Dan; Tang, Zhiyong; Zhao, Huijun

2015-04-04

A facile in situ vapour phase hydrothermal (VPH) surface doping approach has been developed for fabrication of high performance S-doped Co3O4 electrocatalysts with an unprecedentedly high surface S content (>47%). The demonstrated VPH doping approach could be useful for enrichment of surface active sites for other metal oxide electrocatalysts.

X-ray emission in slow highly charged ion-surface collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, H; Abe, T; Fujita, Y; Sun, J; Takahashi, S; Tona, M; Yoshiyasu, N; Nakamura, N; Sakurai, M; Yamada, C; Ohtani, S

2007-01-01

X-rays emitted in the collisions of highly charged ions with a surface have been measured to investigate dissipation schemes of their potential energies. While 8.1% of the potential energy was dissipated in the collisions of He-like I ions with a W surface, 29.1% has been dissipated in the case of He-like Bi ions. The x-ray emissions play significant roles in the dissipation of the potential energies in the interaction of highly charged heavy ions with the surface

On the benefit of the negative-spherical-aberration imaging technique for quantitative HRTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, C.L.; Houben, L.; Thust, A.; Barthel, J.

2010-01-01

Employing an aberration corrector in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope, the spherical aberration C S can be tuned to negative values, resulting in a novel imaging technique, which is called the negative C S imaging (NCSI) technique. The image contrast obtained with the NCSI technique is compared quantitatively with the image contrast formed with the traditional positive C S imaging (PCSI) technique. For the case of thin objects negative C S images are superior to positive C S images concerning the magnitude of the obtained contrast, which is due to constructive rather than destructive superposition of fundamental contrast contributions. As a consequence, the image signal obtained with a negative spherical aberration is significantly more robust against noise caused by amorphous surface layers, resulting in a measurement precision of atomic positions which is by a factor of 2-3 better at an identical noise level. The quantitative comparison of the two alternative C S -corrected imaging modes shows that the NCSI mode yields significantly more precise results in quantitative high-resolution transmission electron microscopy of thin objects than the traditional PCSI mode.

Affective processing within 1/10th of a second: High arousal is necessary for early facilitative processing of negative but not positive words.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, Markus J; Kuchinke, Lars; Tamm, Sascha; Võ, Melissa L-H; Jacobs, Arthur M

2009-12-01

Lexical decisions to high- and low-arousal negative words and to low-arousal neutral and positive words were examined in an event-related potentials (ERP) study. Reaction times to positive and high-arousal negative words were shorter than those to neutral (low-arousal) words, whereas those to low-arousal negative words were longer. A similar pattern was observed in an early time window of the ERP response: Both positive and high-arousal negative words elicited greater negative potentials in a time frame of 80 to 120 msec after stimulus onset. This result suggests that arousal has a differential impact on early lexical processing of positive and negative words. Source localization in the relevant time frame revealed that the arousal effect in negative words is likely to be localized in a left occipito-temporal region including the middle temporal and fusiform gyri. The ERP arousal effect appears to result from early lexico-semantic processing in high-arousal negative words.

Direct quantification of negatively charged functional groups on membrane surfaces

KAUST Repository

Tiraferri, Alberto; Elimelech, Menachem

2012-01-01

groups at the surface of dense polymeric membranes. Both techniques consist of associating the membrane surface moieties with chemical probes, followed by quantification of the bound probes. Uranyl acetate and toluidine blue O dye, which interact

30 CFR 75.705-2 - Repairs to energized surface high-voltage lines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Repairs to energized surface high-voltage lines... Repairs to energized surface high-voltage lines. An energized high-voltage surface line may be repaired... on power circuits with a phase-to-phase nominal voltage no greater than 15,000 volts; (3) Such...

Numerical modelling of negative discharges in air with experimental validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, T N; Golosnoy, I O; Lewin, P L; Georghiou, G E

2011-01-01

Axisymmetric finite element models have been developed for the simulation of negative discharges in air without and with the presence of dielectrics. The models are based on the hydrodynamic drift-diffusion approximation. A set of continuity equations accounting for the movement, generation and loss of charge carriers (electrons, positive and negative ions) is coupled with Poisson's equation to take into account the effect of space and surface charges on the electric field. The model of a negative corona discharge (without dielectric barriers) in a needle-plane geometry is analysed first. The results obtained show good agreement with experimental observations for various Trichel pulse characteristics. With dielectric barriers introduced into the discharge system, the surface discharge exhibits some similarities and differences to the corona case. The model studies the dynamics of volume charge generation, electric field variations and charge accumulation over the dielectric surface. The predicted surface charge density is consistent with experimental results obtained from the Pockels experiment in terms of distribution form and magnitude.

A low-cost, high-efficiency and high-flexibility surface modification technology for a black bisphenol A polycarbonate board

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Suhuan; Liu, Jianguo, E-mail: Liujg@mail.hust.edu.cn; Lv, Ming; Zeng, Xiaoyan

2014-09-30

Highlights: • A low-cost, high-efficiency, high-flexibility surface modification technology was achieved. • Different laser modification parameters resulted in different surface microstructures. • These special microstructures played a deciding role in the surface properties. • After the modification, the surface energy was found to have a significant increase. • The technology would be advantageous to fabricate high-quality micro devices and systems. - Abstract: In this paper, a low-cost, high-efficiency and high-flexibility surface modification technology for polymer materials was achieved at high laser scanning speeds (600–1000 mm s{sup −1}) and using an all-solid state, Q-switched, high-average power, and nanosecond pulse ultraviolet (355 nm wavelength) laser. During the surface modification of a very important engineering plastic, i.e., black bisphenol A polycarbonate (BAPC) board, it was found that different laser parameters (e.g., laser fluence and pulse frequency) were able to result in different surface microstructures (e.g., many tiny protuberances or a porous microstructure with periodical V-type grooves). After the modification, although the total relative content of the oxygen-containing groups (e.g., C-O and COO{sup −}) on the BAPC surface increased, however, the special microstructures played a deciding role in the surface properties (e.g., contact angle and surface energy) of the BAPC. The change trend of the water contact angle on the BAPC surface was with an obvious increase, that of the diiodomethane contact angle was with a most decrease, and that of the ethylene glycol contact angle was between the above two. It showed that the wetting properties of the three liquids on the modified BAPC surface were different. Basing on the measurements of the contact angles of the three liquids, and according to the Young equation and the Lifshitz van der Waals and Lewis acid–base theory, the BAPC surface energy after the modification was

A low-cost, high-efficiency and high-flexibility surface modification technology for a black bisphenol A polycarbonate board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Suhuan; Liu, Jianguo; Lv, Ming; Zeng, Xiaoyan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A low-cost, high-efficiency, high-flexibility surface modification technology was achieved. • Different laser modification parameters resulted in different surface microstructures. • These special microstructures played a deciding role in the surface properties. • After the modification, the surface energy was found to have a significant increase. • The technology would be advantageous to fabricate high-quality micro devices and systems. - Abstract: In this paper, a low-cost, high-efficiency and high-flexibility surface modification technology for polymer materials was achieved at high laser scanning speeds (600–1000 mm s −1 ) and using an all-solid state, Q-switched, high-average power, and nanosecond pulse ultraviolet (355 nm wavelength) laser. During the surface modification of a very important engineering plastic, i.e., black bisphenol A polycarbonate (BAPC) board, it was found that different laser parameters (e.g., laser fluence and pulse frequency) were able to result in different surface microstructures (e.g., many tiny protuberances or a porous microstructure with periodical V-type grooves). After the modification, although the total relative content of the oxygen-containing groups (e.g., C-O and COO − ) on the BAPC surface increased, however, the special microstructures played a deciding role in the surface properties (e.g., contact angle and surface energy) of the BAPC. The change trend of the water contact angle on the BAPC surface was with an obvious increase, that of the diiodomethane contact angle was with a most decrease, and that of the ethylene glycol contact angle was between the above two. It showed that the wetting properties of the three liquids on the modified BAPC surface were different. Basing on the measurements of the contact angles of the three liquids, and according to the Young equation and the Lifshitz van der Waals and Lewis acid–base theory, the BAPC surface energy after the modification was calculated

Growth of porous anodized alumina on the sputtered aluminum films with 2D-3D morphology for high specific surface area

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, M. W.; Chung, C. K.

2014-08-01

The porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with high-aspect-ratio pore channels is widely used as a template for fabricating nanowires or other one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. The high specific surface area of AAO can also be applied to the super capacitor and the supporting substrate for catalysis. The rough surface could be helpful to enhance specific surface area but it generally results in electrical field concentration even to ruin AAO. In this article, the aluminum (Al) films with the varied 2D-3D morphology on Si substrates were prepared using magnetron sputtering at a power of 50 W-185 W for 1 h at a working pressure of 2.5 × 10-1 Pa. Then, AAO was fabricated from the different Al films by means of one-step hybrid pulse anodizing (HPA) between the positive 40 V and the negative -2 V (1 s:1 s) for 3 min in 0.3 M oxalic acid at a room temperature. The microstructure and morphology of Al films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, respectively. Some hillocks formed at the high target power could be attributed to the grain texture growth in the normal orientation of Al(1 1 1). The 3D porous AAO structure which is different from the conventional 2D planar one has been successfully demonstrated using HPA on the film with greatly rough hillock-surface formed at the highest power of 185 W. It offers a potential application of the new 3D AAO to high specific surface area devices.

High quality broadband spatial reflections of slow Rayleigh surface acoustic waves modulated by a graded grooved surface

KAUST Repository

Xu, Yanlong

2015-01-21

We report high quality broadband spatial reflections of Rayleigh surface acoustic waves (SAWs) through a graded grooved surface. High quality means that no wave is allowed to transmit and the incident wave is nearly all reflected to the input side. The graded grooved surface is structured by drilling one dimensional array of graded grooves with increased depths on a flat surface. We investigate SAW dispersion relations, wave field distribution at several typical SAW wavelengths, and time evolution of a Gaussian pulse through the graded grooved surface. Results show that the input broadband Rayleigh SAWs can be slowed, spatially enhanced and stopped, and finally reflected to the input side. The study suggests that engraving the flat surface can be used as an efficient and economical way to manipulate Rayleigh SAWs, which has potential application in novel SAW devices such as filters, reflectors, sensors, energy harvesters, and diodes.

The relevance of goal-orientation for motivation in high versus low proneness to negative symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlier, Björn; Engel, Maike; Fladung, Anne-Katharina; Fritzsche, Anja; Lincoln, Tania M

2017-06-01

The psychological mechanisms of why individuals with negative symptoms fail to initiate and perform goal-directed behavior are not well understood. Drawing on the reward-sensitivity and expectancy-value theories, we investigate whether negative symptom-like experiences (NSLE) are associated with generating less approach goals (aimed at reaching a positive outcome) and more avoidance goals (aimed at avoiding a negative outcome) and whether this type of goal-orientation explains motivational deficits (i.e., perceiving goals as less feasible and important and being less committed to them). Based on the continuum model of negative symptoms, we identified two parallelized extreme groups with high and low levels of NSLE (n = 37, respectively) in an ad-hoc online-sample of healthy individuals (N = 262) using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences. In an online study, these participants were instructed to generate approach and avoidance goals and to rate each goal in terms of feasibility, importance and goal-commitment. Participants with low levels of NSLE generated more approach than avoidance goals. Participants with high levels of NSLE showed no such difference due to increased numbers of avoidance goals. Furthermore, avoidance goal-orientation predicted reduced subjective feasibility and importance of goals and less goal-commitment. Results are based on a healthy sample rather than people with psychosis. No longitudinal or behavioral data for goal-striving was collected. People with NSLE generate more avoidance goals than controls. This is dysfunctional because it correlates with feeling less committed to reach one's goals. Optimizing goal-setting could be a promising starting-point for psychological interventions aimed at reducing negative symptoms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanofabrication on a Si surface by slow highly charged ion impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tona, Masahide; Watanabe, Hirofumi; Takahashi, Satoshi; Nakamura, Nobuyuki; Yoshiyasu, Nobuo; Sakurai, Makoto; Terui, Toshifumi; Mashiko, Shinro; Yamada, Chikashi; Ohtani, Shunsuke

2007-01-01

We have observed surface chemical reactions which occur at the impact sites on a Si(1 1 1)-(7 x 7) surface and a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface bombarded by highly charged ions (HCIs) by using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Crater structures are formed on the Si(1 1 1)-(7 x 7) surface by single I 50+ -impacts. STM-observation for the early step of oxidation on the surface suggests that the impact site is so active that dangling bonds created by HCI impacts are immediately quenched by reaction with residual gas molecules. We show also the selective adsorption of organic molecules at a HCI-induced impact site on the HOPG surface

SM-1 negative ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Zhenjun; Wang Jianzhen

1987-01-01

The working principle and characteristics of SM-1 Negative Ion Source is mainly introduced. In the instrument, there is a device to remove O 3 . This instrument can keep high density of negative ions which is generated by the electrical coronas setting out electricity at negative high voltage and can remove the O 3 component which is harmful to the human body. The density of negative ions is higher than 2.5 x 10 6 p./cm 3 while that of O 3 components is less than 1 ppb at the distance of 50 cm from the panel of the instrument. The instrument sprays negative ions automatically without the help of electric fan, so it works noiselessly. It is widely used in national defence, industry, agriculture, forestry, stock raising, sidelines and in the places with an equipment of low density of negative ion or high concentration of O 3 components. Besides, the instrument may also be used to treat diseases, to prevent against rot, to arrest bacteria, to purify air and so on

High resolution imaging of surface patterns of single bacterial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greif, Dominik; Wesner, Daniel; Regtmeier, Jan; Anselmetti, Dario

2010-01-01

We systematically studied the origin of surface patterns observed on single Sinorhizobium meliloti bacterial cells by comparing the complementary techniques atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Conditions ranged from living bacteria in liquid to fixed bacteria in high vacuum. Stepwise, we applied different sample modifications (fixation, drying, metal coating, etc.) and characterized the observed surface patterns. A detailed analysis revealed that the surface structure with wrinkled protrusions in SEM images were not generated de novo but most likely evolved from similar and naturally present structures on the surface of living bacteria. The influence of osmotic stress to the surface structure of living cells was evaluated and also the contribution of exopolysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by imaging two mutant strains of the bacterium under native conditions. AFM images of living bacteria in culture medium exhibited surface structures of the size of single proteins emphasizing the usefulness of AFM for high resolution cell imaging.

High-negative effective refractive index of silver nanoparticles system in nanocomposite films

Science.gov (United States)

Altunin, Konstantin K.; Gadomsky, Oleg N.

2012-03-01

We have proved on the basis of the experimental optical reflection and transmission spectra of the nanocomposite film of poly(methyl methacrylate) with silver nanoparticles that (PMMA + Ag) nanocomposite films have quasi-zero refractive indices in the optical wavelength range. We show that to achieve quasi-zero values of the complex index of refraction of composite materials is necessary to achieve high-negative effective refractive index in the system of spherical silver nanoparticles.

Hydrogen evolution at the negative electrode of the all-vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Che-Nan; Delnick, Frank M.; Baggetto, Loïc; Veith, Gabriel M.; Zawodzinski, Thomas A.

2014-02-01

This work demonstrates a quantitative method to determine the hydrogen evolution rate occurring at the negative carbon electrode of the all vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Two carbon papers examined by buoyancy measurements yield distinct hydrogen formation rates (0.170 and 0.005 μmol min-1 g-1). The carbon papers have been characterized using electron microscopy, nitrogen gas adsorption, capacitance measurement by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We find that the specific electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of the carbon material has a strong influence on the hydrogen generation rate. This is discussed in light of the use of high surface area material to obtain high reaction rates in the VRFB.

High Surface Area of Porous Silicon Drives Desorption of Intact Molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Northen, Trent R.; Woo, Hin-Koon; Northen, Michael T.; Nordström, Anders; Uritboonthail, Winnie; Turner, Kimberly L.; Siuzdak, Gary

2007-01-01

The surface structure of porous silicon used in desorption/ionization on porous silicon (DIOS) mass analysis is known to play a primary role in the desorption/ionization (D/I) process. In this study, mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to examine the correlation between intact ion generation with surface ablation, and surface morphology. The DIOS process is found to be highly laser energy dependent and correlates directly with the appearance of surface ions (Sin+ and OSiH+). A threshold laser energy for DIOS is observed (10 mJ/cm2), which supports that DIOS is driven by surface restructuring and is not a strictly thermal process. In addition, three DIOS regimes are observed which correspond to surface restructuring and melting. These results suggest that higher surface area silicon substrates may enhance DIOS performance. A recent example which fits into this mechanism is silicon nanowires surface which have a high surface energy and concomitantly requires lower laser energy for analyte desorpton. PMID:17881245

Image Analysis of a Negatively Curved Graphitic Sheet Model for Amorphous Carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Bursill, L. A.; Bourgeois, Laure N.

High-resolution electron micrographs are presented which show essentially curved single sheets of graphitic carbon. Image calculations are then presented for the random surface schwarzite-related model of Townsend et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 921-924, 1992). Comparison with experimental images does not rule out the contention that such models, containing surfaces of negative curvature, may be useful for predicting some physical properties of specific forms of nanoporous carbon. Some difficulties of the model predictions, when compared with the experimental images, are pointed out. The range of application of this model, as well as competing models, is discussed briefly.

High-ion temperature experiments with negative-ion-based NBI in LHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeiri, Y.; Morita, S.; Tsumori, K.; Ikeda, K.; Oka, Y.; Osakabe, M.; Nagaoka, K.; Goto, M.; Miyazawa, J.; Masuzaki, S.; Ashikawa, N.; Yokoyama, M.; Narihara, K.; Yamada, I.; Kubo, S.; Shimozuma, T.; Inagaki, S.; Tanaka, K.; Peterson, B.J.; Ida, K.; Kaneko, O.; Komori, A.; Murakami, S.

2005-01-01

High-Z plasmas have been produced with Ar- and/or Ne-gas fuelling to increase the ion temperature in the LHD plasmas heated with the high-energy negative-ion-based NBI. Although the electron heating is dominant in the high-energy NBI heating, the direct ion heating power is much enhanced effectively in low-density plasmas due to both an increase in the beam absorption (ionisation) power and a reduction of the ion density in the high-Z plasmas. Intensive Ne- and/or Ar-glow discharge cleaning works well to suppress dilution of the high-Z plasmas with the wall-absorbed hydrogen. As a result, the ion temperature increases with an increase in the ion heating power normalized by the ion density, and reaches 10 keV. An increase in the ion temperature is also observed with an addition of the centrally focused ECRH to the low-density and high-Z NBI plasma, suggesting improvement of the ion transport. The results obtained in the high-Z plasma experiments with the high-energy NBI heating indicate that an increase in the direct ion heating power and improvement of the ion transport are essential to the ion temperature rise, and that a high-ion temperature would be obtained as well in hydrogen plasmas with low-energy positive-NBI heating which is planed in near future in LHD. (author)

Computational Studies of Positive and Negative Streamers in Bubbles Suspended in Distilled Water

KAUST Repository

Sharma, Ashish

2017-01-05

We perform computational studies of nanosecond streamers generated in helium bubbles immersed in distilled water under high pressure conditions. The model takes into account the presence of water vapor in the gas bubble for an accurate description of the chemical kinetics of the discharge. We apply positive and negative trigger voltages much higher than the breakdown voltage and study the dynamic characteristics of the resulting discharge. We observe that, for high positive trigger voltages, the streamer moves along the surface of the gas bubble during the initial stages of the discharge. We also find a considerable difference in the evolution of the streamer discharge for positive and negative trigger voltages with more uniform volumetric distribution of species in the streamer channel for negative trigger voltages due to formation of multiple streamers. We also observe that the presence of water vapor does not influence the breakdown voltage of the discharge but greatly affects the composition of dominant species in the trail of the streamer channel.

The influence of organizational culture on negative work-home interference among highly educated employees in the hospitality industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blomme, R.J.; Sok, J.; Tromp, D.M.

2013-01-01

An issue which has recently come to the fore in studies conducted among hospitality industry employees is the effect of negative work-home interference on the turnover of highly educated employees. This article examines the role of organizational culture with regard to negative work-home

Negative velocity fluctuations and non-equilibrium fluctuation relation for a driven high critical current vortex state.

Science.gov (United States)

Bag, Biplab; Shaw, Gorky; Banerjee, S S; Majumdar, Sayantan; Sood, A K; Grover, A K

2017-07-17

Under the influence of a constant drive the moving vortex state in 2H-NbS 2 superconductor exhibits a negative differential resistance (NDR) transition from a steady flow to an immobile state. This state possesses a high depinning current threshold ([Formula: see text]) with unconventional depinning characteristics. At currents well above [Formula: see text], the moving vortex state exhibits a multimodal velocity distribution which is characteristic of vortex flow instabilities in the NDR regime. However at lower currents which are just above [Formula: see text], the velocity distribution is non-Gaussian with a tail extending to significant negative velocity values. These unusual negative velocity events correspond to vortices drifting opposite to the driving force direction. We show that this distribution obeys the Gallavotti-Cohen Non-Equilibrium Fluctuation Relation (GC-NEFR). Just above [Formula: see text], we also find a high vortex density fluctuating driven state not obeying the conventional GC-NEFR. The GC-NEFR analysis provides a measure of an effective energy scale (E eff ) associated with the driven vortex state. The E eff corresponds to the average energy dissipated by the fluctuating vortex state above [Formula: see text]. We propose the high E eff value corresponds to the onset of high energy dynamic instabilities in this driven vortex state just above [Formula: see text].

Modification of Ultra-High Vacuum Surfaces Using Free Radicals

CERN Document Server

Vorlaufer, G

2002-01-01

In ultra-high vacuum systems outgassing from vacuum chamber walls and desorption of surface adsorbates are usually the factors which determine pressure and residual gas composition. In particular in beam vacuum systems of accelerators like the LHC, where surfaces are exposed to intense synchrotron radiation and bombardment by energetic ions and electrons, surface properties like the molecular desorption yield or secondary electron yield can strongly influence the performance of the accelerator. Well-established treatment methods like vacuum bake-out or glow-discharge cleaning have been successfully applied in the past to condition ultra-high vacuum surfaces, but these methods are sometimes difficult to carry out, for example if the vacuum chambers are not accessible. In this work, an alternative treatment method is investigated. This method is based on the strong chemical reactivity of free radicals, electrically neutral fragments of molecules. Free radicals (in the case of this work, nitrogen and oxygen radi...

Negative interference by rheumatoid factor in alpha-fetoprotein chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui; Bi, Xiaohui; Xu, Lei; Li, Yirong

2017-01-01

Background Rheumatoid factor causes positive interference in multiple immunoassays. Recently, negative interference has also been found in immunoassays in the presence of rheumatoid factor. The chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay is widely used to determine serum alpha-fetoprotein. However, it is not clear whether the presence of rheumatoid factor in the serum causes interference in the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay of alpha-fetoprotein. Methods Serum alpha-fetoprotein was determined using the ARCHITECT alpha-fetoprotein assay. The estimation of alpha-fetoprotein recovery was carried out in samples prepared by diluting high-concentration alpha-fetoprotein serum with rheumatoid factor-positive or rheumatoid factor-negative serum. Paramagnetic microparticles coated with hepatitis B surface antigen-anti-HBs complexes were used to remove rheumatoid factor from the serum. Results The average recovery of alpha-fetoprotein was 88.4% and 93.8% in the rheumatoid factor-positive and rheumatoid factor-negative serum samples, respectively. The recovery of alpha-fetoprotein was significantly lower in the rheumatoid factor-positive serum samples than in the rheumatoid factor-negative serum samples. In two of five rheumatoid factor-positive samples, a large difference was found (9.8%) between the average alpha-fetoprotein recoveries in the serially diluted and initial recoveries. Fourteen rheumatoid factor-positive serum samples were pretreated with hepatitis B surface antigen-anti-HBs complex-coated paramagnetic microparticles. The alpha-fetoprotein concentrations measured in the pretreated samples increased significantly. Conclusions It was concluded that the alpha-fetoprotein chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay is susceptible to interference by rheumatoid factor, leading to significantly lower results. Eliminating the incidence of negative interference from rheumatoid factor should be an important goal for immunoassay providers. In the meantime

Surface treatment of ceramic articles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komvopoulos, K.; Brown, I.G.; Wei, B.; Anders, S.; Anders, A.; Bhatia, C.S.

1998-01-01

A process is disclosed for producing an article with improved ceramic surface properties including providing an article having a ceramic surface, and placing the article onto a conductive substrate holder in a hermetic enclosure. Thereafter a low pressure ambient is provided in the hermetic enclosure. A plasma including ions of solid materials is produced the ceramic surface of the article being at least partially immersed in a macroparticle free region of the plasma. While the article is immersed in the macroparticle free region, a bias of the substrate holder is biased between a low voltage at which material from the plasma condenses on the surface of the article and a high negative voltage at which ions from the plasma are implanted into the article. 15 figs

Surface-finish effects on the high-cycle fatigue of Alloy 718

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korth, G.E.

1981-06-01

Alloy 718 us a precipitation-hardening nickel-base superalloy that is being specified for various components for liquid-meal fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs). This alloy maintains high strength at elevated temperatures making it a desirable structural material. But the property that justifies most LMFBR applications is the alloy's resistance to thermal striping damage due to its high fatigue endurance strength. Thermal striping is a high-cycle fatigue phenomenon caused by thermal stresses from the fluctuating mixing action of sodium streams of differing temperatures impinging on the metal surfaces. Most of the design data is generated from laboratory fatigue specimens with carefully controlled surface finishes prepared with a low-stress grind and buffed to a surface finish 8--12 in. Since Alloy 718 has been shown to be quite notch sensitive under cyclic loading, the detrimental effect on the high-cycle fatigue properties caused by shop surface finishes of actual components has been questioned. This report examines some of the surface finishes that could be produced in a commercial shop on an actual component

Preparation and High-temperature Anti-adhesion Behavior of a Slippery Surface on Stainless Steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Pengfei; Huawei, Chen; Liu, Guang; Zhang, Liwen; Zhang, Deyuan

2018-03-29

Anti-adhesion surfaces with high-temperature resistance have a wide application potential in electrosurgical instruments, engines, and pipelines. A typical anti-wetting superhydrophobic surface easily fails when exposed to a high-temperature liquid. Recently, Nepenthes-inspired slippery surfaces demonstrated a new way to solve the adhesion problem. A lubricant layer on the slippery surface can act as a barrier between the repelled materials and the surface structure. However, the slippery surfaces in previous studies rarely showed high-temperature resistance. Here, we describe a protocol for the preparation of slippery surfaces with high-temperature resistance. A photolithography-assisted method was used to fabricate pillar structures on stainless steel. By functionalizing the surface with saline, a slippery surface was prepared by adding silicone oil. The prepared slippery surface maintained the anti-wetting property for water, even when the surface was heated to 300 °C. Also, the slippery surface exhibited great anti-adhesion effects on soft tissues at high temperatures. This type of slippery surface on stainless steel has applications in medical devices, mechanical equipment, etc.

Porous silicon structures with high surface area/specific pore size

Science.gov (United States)

Northrup, M.A.; Yu, C.M.; Raley, N.F.

1999-03-16

Fabrication and use of porous silicon structures to increase surface area of heated reaction chambers, electrophoresis devices, and thermopneumatic sensor-actuators, chemical preconcentrates, and filtering or control flow devices. In particular, such high surface area or specific pore size porous silicon structures will be useful in significantly augmenting the adsorption, vaporization, desorption, condensation and flow of liquids and gases in applications that use such processes on a miniature scale. Examples that will benefit from a high surface area, porous silicon structure include sample preconcentrators that are designed to adsorb and subsequently desorb specific chemical species from a sample background; chemical reaction chambers with enhanced surface reaction rates; and sensor-actuator chamber devices with increased pressure for thermopneumatic actuation of integrated membranes. Examples that benefit from specific pore sized porous silicon are chemical/biological filters and thermally-activated flow devices with active or adjacent surfaces such as electrodes or heaters. 9 figs.

Negative binomial multiplicity distributions, a new empirical law for high energy collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Hove, L.; Giovannini, A.

1987-01-01

For a variety of high energy hadron production reactions, recent experiments have confirmed the findings of the UA5 Collaboration that charged particle multiplicities in central (pseudo) rapidity intervals and in full phase space obey negative binomial (NB) distributions. The authors discuss the meaning of this new empirical law on the basis of new data and they show that they support the interpretation of the NB distributions in terms of a cascading mechanism of hardron production

Data Assimilation of the High-Resolution Sea Surface Temperature Obtained from the Aqua-Terra Satellites (MODIS-SST Using an Ensemble Kalman Filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuji Waseda

2013-06-01

Full Text Available We develop an assimilation method of high horizontal resolution sea surface temperature data, provided from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS-SST sensors boarded on the Aqua and Terra satellites operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, focusing on the reproducibility of the Kuroshio front variations south of Japan in February 2010. Major concerns associated with the development are (1 negative temperature bias due to the cloud effects, and (2 the representation of error covariance for detection of highly variable phenomena. We treat them by utilizing an advanced data assimilation method allowing use of spatiotemporally varying error covariance: the Local Ensemble Transformation Kalman Filter (LETKF. It is found that the quality control, by comparing the model forecast variable with the MODIS-SST data, is useful to remove the negative temperature bias and results in the mean negative bias within −0.4 °C. The additional assimilation of MODIS-SST enhances spatial variability of analysis SST over 50 km to 25 km scales. The ensemble spread variance is effectively utilized for excluding the erroneous temperature data from the assimilation process.

Midinfrared Surface Waves on a High Aspect Ratio Nanotrench Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Takayama, Osamu; Shkondin, Evgeniy; Bodganov, Andrey

2017-01-01

ameliorate surface wave propagation and even generate new types of waves. Here, we demonstrate that high aspect ratio (1:20) grating structures with plasmonic lamellas in deep nanoscale trenches, whose pitch is 1/10 – 1/35 of a wavelength, function as a versatile platform supporting both surface and guided...... bulk infrared waves. The surface waves exhibit a unique combination of properties: directionality, broadband existence (from 4 µm to at least 14 μm and beyond) and high localization, making them an attractive tool for effective control of light in an extended range of infrared frequencies....

High surface area fibrous silica nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek; Basset, Jean-Marie

2014-01-01

Disclosed are high surface area nanoparticles that have a fibrous morphology. The nanoparticles have a plurality of fibers, wherein each fiber is in contact with one other fiber and each fiber has a length of between about 1 nm and about 5000 nm. Also disclosed are applications of the nanoparticles of the present invention, and methods of fabrication of the nanoparticles of the present invention.

High surface area fibrous silica nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek

2014-11-11

Disclosed are high surface area nanoparticles that have a fibrous morphology. The nanoparticles have a plurality of fibers, wherein each fiber is in contact with one other fiber and each fiber has a length of between about 1 nm and about 5000 nm. Also disclosed are applications of the nanoparticles of the present invention, and methods of fabrication of the nanoparticles of the present invention.

Decommissioning high-level waste surface facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-04-01

The protective storage, entombment and dismantlement options of decommissioning a High-Level Waste Surface Facility (HLWSF) was investigated. A reference conceptual design for the facility was developed based on the designs of similar facilities. State-of-the-art decommissioning technologies were identified. Program plans and cost estimates for decommissioning the reference conceptual designs were developed. Good engineering design concepts were on the basis of this work identified

Growth of porous anodized alumina on the sputtered aluminum films with 2D–3D morphology for high specific surface area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liao, M.W.; Chung, C.K., E-mail: ckchung@mail.ncku.edu.tw

2014-08-01

The porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with high-aspect-ratio pore channels is widely used as a template for fabricating nanowires or other one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. The high specific surface area of AAO can also be applied to the super capacitor and the supporting substrate for catalysis. The rough surface could be helpful to enhance specific surface area but it generally results in electrical field concentration even to ruin AAO. In this article, the aluminum (Al) films with the varied 2D–3D morphology on Si substrates were prepared using magnetron sputtering at a power of 50 W–185 W for 1 h at a working pressure of 2.5 × 10⁻¹ Pa. Then, AAO was fabricated from the different Al films by means of one-step hybrid pulse anodizing (HPA) between the positive 40 V and the negative -2 V (1 s:1 s) for 3 min in 0.3 M oxalic acid at a room temperature. The microstructure and morphology of Al films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, respectively. Some hillocks formed at the high target power could be attributed to the grain texture growth in the normal orientation of Al(1 1 1). The 3D porous AAO structure which is different from the conventional 2D planar one has been successfully demonstrated using HPA on the film with greatly rough hillock-surface formed at the highest power of 185 W. It offers a potential application of the new 3D AAO to high specific surface area devices.

A comprehensive iterative approach is highly effective in diagnosing individuals who are exome negative.

Science.gov (United States)

Shashi, Vandana; Schoch, Kelly; Spillmann, Rebecca; Cope, Heidi; Tan, Queenie K-G; Walley, Nicole; Pena, Loren; McConkie-Rosell, Allyn; Jiang, Yong-Hui; Stong, Nicholas; Need, Anna C; Goldstein, David B

2018-06-15

Sixty to seventy-five percent of individuals with rare and undiagnosed phenotypes remain undiagnosed after exome sequencing (ES). With standard ES reanalysis resolving 10-15% of the ES negatives, further approaches are necessary to maximize diagnoses in these individuals. In 38 ES negative patients an individualized genomic-phenotypic approach was employed utilizing (1) phenotyping; (2) reanalyses of FASTQ files, with innovative bioinformatics; (3) targeted molecular testing; (4) genome sequencing (GS); and (5) conferring of clinical diagnoses when pathognomonic clinical findings occurred. Certain and highly likely diagnoses were made in 18/38 (47%) individuals, including identifying two new developmental disorders. The majority of diagnoses (>70%) were due to our bioinformatics, phenotyping, and targeted testing identifying variants that were undetected or not prioritized on prior ES. GS diagnosed 3/18 individuals with structural variants not amenable to ES. Additionally, tentative diagnoses were made in 3 (8%), and in 5 individuals (13%) candidate genes were identified. Overall, diagnoses/potential leads were identified in 26/38 (68%). Our comprehensive approach to ES negatives maximizes the ES and clinical data for both diagnoses and candidate gene identification, without GS in the majority. This iterative approach is cost-effective and is pertinent to the current conundrum of ES negatives.

Atmospheric summer teleconnections and Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass variations: insights from MERRA-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Schubert, Siegfried D; Molod, Andrea M; Cullather, Richard I; Zhao, Bin; Nowicki, Sophie M J; Lee, Jae N; Velicogna, Isabella

2016-01-01

The relationship between leading atmospheric teleconnection patterns and Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) temperature, precipitation, and surface mass balance (SMB) are investigated for the last 36 summers (1979–2014) based on Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 reanalyses. The results indicate that the negative phase of both the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation, associated with warm and dry conditions for the GrIS, lead to SMB decreases within 0–1 months. Furthermore, the positive phase of the East Atlantic (EA) pattern often lags the negative NAO, reflecting a dynamical linkage between these modes that acts to further enhance the warm and dry conditions over the GrIS, leading to a favorable environment for enhanced surface mass loss. The development of a strong negative NAO in combination with a strong positive EA in recent years leads to significantly larger GrIS warming compared to when the negative NAO occurs in combination with a negative or weak positive EA (0.69 K versus 0.13 K anomaly). During 2009 and 2011, weakened (as compared to conditions during the severe surface melt cases of 2010 and 2012) local high pressure blocking produced colder northerly flow over the GrIS inhibiting warming despite the occurrence of a strong negative NAO, reflecting an important role for the EA during those years. In particular, the EA acts with the NAO to enhance warming in 2010 and 2012, and weaken high pressure blocking in 2009 and 2011. In general, high pressure blocking primarily impacts the western areas of the GrIS via advective temperature increases, while changes in net surface radiative fluxes account for both western and eastern GrIS temperature changes. (letter)

Negative charging effect of traps on the gate leakage current of an AlGaN/GaN HEMT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J. J.; Lim, J. H.; Yang, J. W. [Chonbuk National University, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of); Stanchina, W. [University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2014-08-15

The negative charging effect of surface traps on the gate leakage current of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) was investigated. The gate leakage current could be decreased by two orders of magnitude by using a photo-electrochemical process to treat of the source and the drain region, but current flowed into the gate even at a negative voltage in a limited region when the measurement was executed with a gate voltage sweep from negative to positive voltage. Also the electrical characteristics of the HEMT were degraded by pulsed operation of the gate. Traps newly generated on the surface were regarded as sources for the current that flowed against the applied voltage, and the number of traps was estimated. Also, a slow transient in the drain current was confirmed based on the results of delayed sweep measurements.

High Correlated Paternity Leads to Negative Effects on Progeny Performance in Two Mediterranean Shrub Species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofia Nora

Full Text Available Anthropogenic habitat deterioration can promote changes in plant mating systems that subsequently may affect progeny performance, thereby conditioning plant recruitment for the next generation. However, very few studies yet tested mating system parameters other than outcrossing rates; and the direct effects of the genetic diversity of the pollen received by maternal plants (i.e. correlated paternity has often been overlooked. In this study, we investigated the relation between correlated paternity and progeny performance in two common Mediterranean shrubs, Myrtus communis and Pistacia lentiscus. To do so, we collected open-pollinated progeny from selected maternal plants, calculated mating system parameters using microsatellite genotyping and conducted sowing experiments under greenhouse and field conditions. Our results showed that some progeny fitness components were negatively affected by the high correlated paternity of maternal plants. In Myrtus communis, high correlated paternity had a negative effect on the proportion and timing of seedling emergence in the natural field conditions and in the greenhouse sowing experiment, respectively. In Pistacia lentiscus, seedling emergence time under field conditions was also negatively influenced by high correlated paternity and a progeny survival analysis in the field experiment showed greater mortality of seedlings from maternal plants with high correlated paternity. Overall, we found effects of correlated paternity on the progeny performance of Myrtus communis, a self-compatible species. Further, we also detected effects of correlated paternity on the progeny emergence time and survival in Pistacia lentiscus, an obligate outcrossed species. This study represents one of the few existing empirical examples which highlight the influence that correlated paternity may exert on progeny performance in multiple stages during early seedling growth.

Plasma–Surface Interactions Under High Heat and Particle Fluxes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory De Temmerman

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The plasma-surface interactions expected in the divertor of a future fusion reactor are characterized by extreme heat and particle fluxes interacting with the plasma-facing surfaces. Powerful linear plasma generators are used to reproduce the expected plasma conditions and allow plasma-surface interactions studies under those very harsh conditions. While the ion energies on the divertor surfaces of a fusion device are comparable to those used in various plasma-assited deposition and etching techniques, the ion (and energy fluxes are up to four orders of magnitude higher. This large upscale in particle flux maintains the surface under highly non-equilibrium conditions and bring new effects to light, some of which will be described in this paper.

Surface Acting and Job-Related Affective Wellbeing: Preventing Resource Loss Spiral and Resource Loss Cycle for Sustainable Workplaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seongwook Ha

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This study empirically examines the synergistic negative effect of two kinds of job demand on job-related affective wellbeing (JAW and the accelerating effects of cynicism in the negative relationships between job demands and JAW using a sample of 299 employees in the Chinese banking industry. Job demands include quantitative role overload and surface acting to represent the quantitative and qualitative aspects of job demands. Cynicism is introduced as a state where one’s energy resource is lost. The results of this study show that surface acting has a negative relationship with JAW, but quantitative role overload has no relationship with JAW. High levels of quantitative role overload exacerbate the negative relationship between surface acting and JAW. Cynicism also exacerbates the negative relationship between surface acting and JAW but does not have any moderating effect in the relationship between quantitative role overload and JAW. These results are consistent with the relationships predicted by resource loss spiral and resource loss cycle. The resource loss spiral means that resource loss, caused by handling with a quantitative role overload, lessens the employee’s ability to cope with surface acting. The resource loss cycle represents a vicious circle that amplifies the resource loss caused by surface acting. Surface acting reduces the level of one’s resources. Furthermore, surface acting reduces JAW and resources more strongly when an individual has low levels of previous energy resources than it reduces JAW and resources when he or she has high levels of previous energy resources.

Mobile natural gas leak surveys indicate that two utilities have high false negative rates

Science.gov (United States)

von Fischer, J. C.; Brewer, P. E.; Chamberlain, S.; Gaylord, A.; von Fischer, J.

2016-12-01

In the distribution systems that carry natural gas to consumers, leaks need to be discovered for safety reasons and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, few utilities have adopted newer laser-based technologies that have greater sensitivity and precision, and instead rely on "industry standard" equipment that is far less sensitive. In partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund and Google, we mapped natural gas leaks in the domains of two anonymous utilities (Utility "A" and "B") using high sensitivity Picarro methane analyzers in Google Street View Cars. Surprisingly, when we shared these results with utilities, their survey crews were unable to find most of the leaks that our survey indicated (84% in A and 80% in B). To investigate this phenomenon, our team visited a subset of the leaks in each utility domain (n=32 in A and n=30 in B), and worked alongside utility surveyors to search the leak indication area, using a Los Gatos Research ultraportable methane analyzer to pinpoint leak locations. We found evidence of natural gas leaks at 69% and 68% of the locations in Utilities A and B respectively where survey crews had found nothing. We describe this as a "false negative" rate for the utility because the utility survey falsely indicated that there was no leak at these locations. Of these false negatives, 7% (n=2 of 32 in A, n=2 of 30 in B) were determined to be Grade 1 leaks requiring immediate repair due to high safety risk. Instrument sensitivity appears to explain some of the false negative rates. In particular, use of some industry standard equipment appears to have created a false sense of confidence among utility surveyors that leaks were not present. However, there was also evidence of communication failures and that surveyors did not use optimal approaches in their search. Based on these findings, we suggest that: 1) mobile deployment of high-precision methane analyzers can help find more natural gas leaks, and 2) use of some hand-held survey

Surface modification of lignocellulosic fibers using high-frequency ultrasound

Science.gov (United States)

Jayant B. Gadhe; Ram B. Gupta; Thomas Elder

2005-01-01

Enzymatic and chemical oxidation of fiber surfaces has been reported in the literature as a method for producing medium density fiberboards without using synthetic adhesives. This work focuses on modifying the surface properties of wood fibers by the generation of free radicals using high-frequency ultrasound. A sonochemical reactor operating at 610 kHz is used to...

Influence of surface topography on the surface durability of steam oxidised sintered iron

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Daniel Biasoli de Mello

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Durability of surfaces has been reported as the main factor affecting tribological behavior of steam oxidised sintered iron. The presence of surface pores and their negative influence on load bearing capacity, suggest that surface topography might play an important role on the durability of the oxide layer. In this paper, the influence of compaction pressure and powder grade on surface topography, and as a consequence, its effect on the tribological behavior of steam oxidised sintered iron has been analysed. Specimens prepared from atomised iron powders with different sizes were compacted using 4 different pressures, sintered, and then subjected to steam treatment. Tribological characterisation was carried out in a reciprocating sliding wear test. Although the processing parameters affected the surface topography to a considerable extent, the main influence may be attributed to powder grade. A strong influence of surface topography on the durability distance, evaluated in terms of the evolution of contact resistance with total sliding distance, has been highlighted. Surfaces which were smoother and had high load-carrying capacity were always associated with a higher durability distance.

High ALK mRNA expression has a negative prognostic significance in rhabdomyosarcoma

Science.gov (United States)

Bonvini, P; Zin, A; Alaggio, R; Pawel, B; Bisogno, G; Rosolen, A

2013-01-01

Background: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase aberrantly expressed in cancer, but its clinical and functional importance remain controversial. Mutation or amplification of ALK, as well as its expression levels assessed by conventional immunohistochemistry methods, has been linked to prognosis in cancer, although with potential bias because of the semi-quantitative approaches. Herein, we measured ALK mRNA expression in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and determined its clinical impact on patients' stratification and outcome. Methods: Specimens were obtained from RMS patients and cell lines, and ALK expression was analysed by quantitative RT–PCR, western blotting, IHC, and copy number analysis. Results: High ALK mRNA expression was detected in the vast majority of PAX3/7-FOXO1-positive tumours, whereas PAX3/7-FOXO1-negative RMS displayed considerably lower amounts of both mRNA and protein. Notably, ALK mRNA distinguished unfavourable PAX3/7-FOXO1-positive tumours from PAX3/7-FOXO1-negative RMS (Ptumour size (PALK mRNA levels were of prognostic relevance by Cox univariate regression analysis and correlated with increased risk of relapse (P=0.001) and survival (P=0.01), whereas by multivariate analysis elevated ALK mRNA expression resulted a negative prognostic marker when clinical stage was not included. Conclusion: Quantitative assessment of ALK mRNA expression helps to improve risk stratification of RMS patients and identifies tumours with adverse biological characteristics and aggressive behaviour. PMID:24149177

Reversible low adhesive to high adhesive superhydrophobicity transition on ZnO nanoparticle surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jian; Jing, Zhijiao; Yang, Yaoxia; Zha, Fei; Yan, Long; Lei, Ziqiang

2014-01-01

Superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces with water contact angle of 162° and sliding angle of 2° were fabricated successfully by spraying hydrophobic ZnO nanoparticle suspensions without limitations the shape and size of substrates. The as-prepared superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces are low adhesive and a water droplet easily rolls off with the surface slightly tilted. However, after being irradiated by UV light through a photomask, it becomes highly adhesive, on which a water droplet is firmly pinned without any movement. Further annealing the irradiated film, water droplets can roll off the surface again. Reversible transition between the low adhesive rolling state and high adhesive pinning state can be realized simply by UV illumination and heat treatment alternately. At the same time, the maximum adhesive force between the superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces and the water droplet changes from extreme low (∼5.1 μN) to very high (∼136.1 μN). When irradiated without a photomask, the surface became hydrophilic. Additionally, a water droplet can be transfered from the low adhesive superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces to the hydrophilic ZnO surfaces using the high adhesive superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces as a mechanical hand.

Vacuum surface flashover and high pressure gas streamers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizondo, J.M.; Krogh, M.L.; Smith, D.; Stolz, D.; Wright, S.N.

1997-07-01

Pre-breakdown current traces obtained during high pressure gas breakdown and vacuum surface flashover show similar signatures. The initial pre-breakdown current spike, a flat constant current phase, and the breakdown phase with voltage collapse and current surge differ mostly in magnitude. Given these similarities, a model, consisting of the initial current spike corresponding to a fast precursor streamer (ionization wave led by a photoionizing front), the flat current stage as the heating or glow phase, and the terminal avalanche and gap closure, is applied to vacuum surface flashover. A simple analytical approximation based on the resistivity changes induced in the vacuum and dielectric surface is presented. The approximation yields an excellent fit to pre-breakdown time delay vs applied field for previously published experimental data. A detailed kinetics model that includes surface and gas contributions is being developed based in the initial approximation

Impact of high resolution land surface initialization in Indian summer ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The direct impact of high resolution land surface initialization on the forecast bias in a regional climate model in recent years ... surface initialization using a regional climate model. ...... ization of the snow field in a cloud model; J. Clim. Appl.

The development of the radio frequency driven negative ion source for neutral beam injectors (invited)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraus, W.; Fantz, U.; Franzen, P.; Froeschle, M.; Heinemann, B.; Riedl, R.; Wuenderlich, D.

2012-01-01

Large and powerful negative hydrogen ion sources are required for the neutral beam injection (NBI) systems of future fusion devices. Simplicity and maintenance-free operation favors RF sources, which are developed intensively at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik (IPP) since many years. The negative hydrogen ions are generated by caesium-enhanced surface conversion of atoms and positive ions on the plasma grid surface. With a small scale prototype the required high ion current density and the low fraction of co-extracted electrons at low pressure as well as stable pulses up to 1 h could be demonstrated. The modular design allows extension to large source dimensions. This has led to the decision to choose RF sources for the NBI of the international fusion reactor, ITER. As an intermediate step towards the full size ITER source at IPP, the development will be continued with a half-size source on the new ELISE testbed. This will enable to gain experience for the first time with negative hydrogen ion beams from RF sources of these dimensions.

Scanning Surface Potential Microscopy of Spore Adhesion on Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ida [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Chung, Eunhyea [Georgia Institute of Technology; Kweon, Hyojin [Georgia Institute of Technology; Yiacoumi, Sotira [Georgia Institute of Technology; Tsouris, Costas [ORNL

2012-01-01

The adhesion of spores of Bacillus anthracis - the cause of anthrax and a likely biological threat - to solid surfaces is an important consideration in cleanup after an accidental or deliberate release. However, because of safety concerns, directly studying B. anthracis spores with advanced instrumentation is problematic. As a first step, we are examining the electrostatic potential of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is a closely related species that is often used as a simulant to study B. anthracis. Scanning surface potential microscopy (SSPM), also known as Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), was used to investigate the influence of relative humidity (RH) on the surface electrostatic potential of Bt that had adhered to silica, mica, or gold substrates. AFM/SSPM side-by-side images were obtained separately in air, at various values of RH, after an aqueous droplet with spores was applied on each surface and allowed to dry before measurements. In the SSPM images, a negative potential on the surface of the spores was observed compared with that of the substrates. The surface potential decreased as the humidity increased. Spores were unable to adhere to a surface with an extremely negative potential, such as mica.

A novel MSCRAMM sub-family in Coagulase negative staphylococcal species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srishtee eArora

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Coagulase negative staphylococci are important opportunistic pathogens. Staphylococcus epidermidis, a coagulase negative staphylococcus, is the third leading cause of nosocomial infections in the US. Surface proteins like Microbial Surface Components Recognizing Adhesive Matrix Molecules (MSCRAMMs are major virulence factors of pathogenic gram positive bacteria. Here, we identified a new chimeric protein; SesJ in S. epidermidis, which represents a prototype of a new subfamily of MSCRAMMs. Structural predictions show that SesJ has structural features characteristic of a MSCRAMM along with a N-Terminal repeat region and an Aspartic acid containing repeat region, features that have not been previously observed in staphylococcal MSCRAMMs but have been found in other surface proteins from gram positive bacteria. We identified and analyzed structural homologs of SesJ in three other coagulase negative staphylococci. These homologs of SesJ have an identical structural organization but varying sequence identities within the domains. Using flow cytometry, we also show that SesJ is expressed constitutively on the surface of a representative S. epidermidis strain, from early exponential to stationary growth phase. Thus SesJ is positioned to interact with protein targets in the environment and play a role in S. epidermidis virulence.

Effect of acidic agents on surface roughness of dental ceramics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boonlert Kukiattrakoon

2011-01-01

Conclusion: Acidic agents used in this study negatively affected the surface of ceramic materials. This should be considered when restoring the eroded tooth with ceramic restorations in patients who have a high risk of erosive conditions.

Study on the surface sulfidization behavior of smithsonite at high temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Jin-fang; Tong, Xiong; Zheng, Yong-xing; Xie, Xian; Wang, Cong-bing

2018-04-01

Surface sulfidization behavior of smithsonite at high temperature was investigated by X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD) along with thermodynamic calculation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The XRD and thermodynamic analyses indicated that the smithsonite was decomposed into zincite at high temperatures. After introducing a small amount of pyrite, artificial sulfides were formed at surface of the obtained zincite. The XPS analyses revealed that the sulfide species including zinc sulfide and zinc disulfide were generated at the zincite surface. The EPMA analyses demonstrated that the film of sulfides was unevenly distributed at the zincite surface. The average concentration of elemental sulfur at the sample surface increased with increasing of pyrite dosage. A suitable mole ratio of FeS2 to ZnCO3 for the surface thermal modification was determined to be about 0.3. These findings can provide theoretical support for improving the process during which the zinc recovery from refractory zinc oxide ores is achieved by xanthate flotation.

Newtonian liquid jet impaction on a high-speed moving surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keshavarz, B.; Green, S.I.; Davy, M.H.; Eadie, D.T.

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► We studied experimentally the interaction of a liquid jet with a moving surface. ► Decreasing the Reynolds number reduced the incidence of splash. ► The Weber number had a much smaller impact on splash than the Reynolds number. ► The jet impingement angle had only a small effect on the splash. ► Increasing the surface roughness substantially decreased the splash threshold. - Abstract: In the railroad industry a friction modifying agent may be applied to the rail or wheel in the form of a liquid jet. In this mode of application the interaction between the high-speed liquid jet and a fast moving surface is important. Seven different Newtonian liquids with widely varying shear viscosities were tested to isolate the effect of viscosity from other fluid properties. Tests were also done on five surfaces of different roughness heights to investigate the effects of surface roughness. High-speed video imaging was employed to scrutinize the interaction between the impacting jet and the moving surface. For all surfaces, decreasing the Reynolds number reduced the incidence of splash and consequently enhanced the transfer efficiency. At the elevated Weber numbers of the testing, the Weber number had a much smaller impact on splash than the Reynolds number. The ratio of the surface velocity to the jet velocity has only a small effect on the splash, whereas increasing the roughness-height-to-jet-diameter ratio substantially decreased the splash threshold.

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.

Mechanism of action of electrochemically active carbons on the processes that take place at the negative plates of lead-acid batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlov, D.; Rogachev, T.; Nikolov, P.; Petkova, G. [Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Street, bl. 10, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria)

2009-06-01

It is known that negative plates of lead-acid batteries have low charge acceptance when cycled at high rates and progressively accumulate lead sulphate on high-rate partial-state-of-charge (HRPSoC) operation in hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) applications. Addition of some carbon or graphite forms to the negative paste mix improves the charge efficiency and slows down sulfation of the negative plates. The present investigation aims to elucidate the contribution of electrochemically active carbon (EAC) additives to the mechanism of the electrochemical reactions of charge of the negative plates. Test cells are assembled with four types of EAC added to the negative paste mix in five different concentrations. Through analysis of the structure of NAM (including specific surface and pore radius measurements) and of the electrochemical parameters of the test cells on HRPSoC cycling, it is established that the electrochemical reaction of charge Pb{sup 2+} + 2e{sup -} {yields} Pb proceeds at 300-400 mV lower over-potentials on negative plates doped with EAC additives as compared to the charge potentials of cells with no carbon additives. Hence, electrochemically active carbons have a highly catalytic effect on the charge reaction and are directly involved in it. Consequently, the reversibility of the charge/discharge processes is improved, which eventually leads to longer battery cycle life. Thus, charging of the negative plates proceeds via a parallel mechanism on the surfaces of both Pb and EAC particles, at a higher rate on the EAC phase. Cells with EAC in NAM have the longest cycle life when their NAM specific surface is up to 4 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} against 0.5 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} for the lead surface. The proposed parallel mechanism of charge is verified experimentally on model Pb/EAC/PbSO{sub 4} and Pb/EAC electrodes. During the charge and discharge cycles of the HRPSoC test, the EAC particles are involved in dynamic adsorption/desorption on the lead sulfate and lead

Surface charge compensation for a highly charged ion emission microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, J.W.; Hamza, A.V.; Newman, M.W.; Holder, J.P.; Schneider, D.H.G.; Schenkel, T.

2003-01-01

A surface charge compensation electron flood gun has been added to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) highly charged ion (HCI) emission microscope. HCI surface interaction results in a significant charge residue being left on the surface of insulators and semiconductors. This residual charge causes undesirable aberrations in the microscope images and a reduction of the Time-Of-Flight (TOF) mass resolution when studying the surfaces of insulators and semiconductors. The benefits and problems associated with HCI microscopy and recent results of the electron flood gun enhanced HCI microscope are discussed

Technology of surface wastewater purification, including high-rise construction areas

Science.gov (United States)

Tsyba, Anna; Skolubovich, Yury

2018-03-01

Despite on the improvements in the quality of high-rise construction areas and industrial wastewater treatment, the pollution of water bodies continues to increase. This is due to the organized and unorganized surface untreated sewage entry into the reservoirs. The qualitative analysis of some cities' surface sewage composition is carried out in the work. Based on the published literature review, the characteristic contamination present in surface wastewater was identified. The paper proposes a new technology for the treatment of surface sewage and presents the results of preliminary studies.

High prevalence of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from a university environment in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Seng, Rathanin; Leungtongkam, Udomluk; Thummeepak, Rapee; Chatdumrong, Wassana; Sitthisak, Sutthirat

2017-06-01

The present study was conducted to isolate and characterize the molecular epidemiology of the methicillin-resistant staphylococci in the general university environment, where all five locations; the library, restrooms, canteens, computer rooms and outdoor surfaces, are in common use by a large population of students. We used Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) supplemented with 4 μg/ml of oxacillin to screen the methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The species level was identified by PCR of rdr (Staphylococcus epidermidis), groESL (Staphylococcus haemolyticus) and nuc (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus warneri) genes and DNA sequencing of tuf and dnaJ genes. The susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined using the disk diffusion method. Antibiotic and disinfectant resistance genes, together with SCCmec types, were detected by the PCR method. The methicillin resistant-staphylococci were isolated from 41 of 200 samples (20.5%), and all of them were found to be methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS). The library had the highest percentage of contamination, with 43.3% of the samples found to be contaminated. All isolates belonged to 6 different species including S. haemolyticus, S. epidermidis, S. warneri, S. cohnii, S. saprophyticus and S. hominis. The antimicrobial resistance rates were highest against penicillin (100%), then cefoxitin (73.1%), erythromycin (73.1%) and oxacillin (68.3%). Altogether, the isolates were approximately 61.0% multidrug resistant (MDR), with the S. epidermidis isolates being the most multidrug resistant. The prevalence of the qacA/B gene was detected in 63.4% of the isolates, and SCCmec could be typed in 43.9% (18/41) of the isolates. The type range was: II (n = 1), IVd (n = 1), I (n = 2), V (n = 6), IVa (n = 8) and untypeable (n = 23). This result indicates that these university environments are contaminated with methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci that carry various SCCmec types and

Counting to ten milliseconds: low-anger, but not high-anger, individuals pause following negative evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Michael D; Wilkowski, Benjamin M; Meier, Brian P; Moeller, Sara K; Fetterman, Adam K

2012-01-01

Low-anger individuals are less reactive, both emotionally and behaviourally, to a large variety of situational primes to anger and aggression. Why this is so, from an affective processing perspective, has been largely conjectural. Four studies (total N=270) sought to link individual differences in anger to tendencies exhibited in basic affective processing tasks. On the basis of motivational factors and considerations, it was hypothesised that negative evaluations would differentially activate a psychological alarm system at low levels of anger, resulting in a pause that should be evident in the speed of making subsequent evaluations. Just such a pattern was evident in all studies. By contrast, high-anger individuals did not pause following their negative evaluations. In relation to this affective processing tendency, at least, dramatically different effects were observed among low- versus high-anger individuals. Implications for the personality-processing literature, theories of trait anger, and fast-acting regulatory processes are discussed.

Transport of negative hydrogen and deuterium ions in RF-driven ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutser, R; Wuenderlich, D; Fantz, U

2010-01-01

Negative hydrogen ion sources are major components of neutral beam injection systems for plasma heating in future large-scale fusion experiments such as ITER. In order to fulfill the requirements of the ITER neutral beam injection, a high-performance, large-area RF-driven ion source for negative ions is being developed at the MPI fuer Plasmaphysik. Negative hydrogen ions are mainly generated on a converter surface by impinging neutral particles and positive ions under the influence of magnetic fields and the plasma sheath potential. The 3D transport code TrajAn has been applied in order to obtain the total and spatially resolved extraction probabilities for H - and D - ions under identical plasma parameters and the realistic magnetic field topology of the ion source. A comparison of the isotopes shows a lower total extraction probability in the case of deuterium ions, caused by a different transport effect. The transport calculation shows that distortions of the spatial distributions of ion birth and extraction by the magnetic electron suppression field are present for both negative hydrogen and deuterium ions.

Smooth surfaces from bilinear patches: Discrete affine minimal surfaces

KAUST Repository

Käferböck, Florian

2013-06-01

Motivated by applications in freeform architecture, we study surfaces which are composed of smoothly joined bilinear patches. These surfaces turn out to be discrete versions of negatively curved affine minimal surfaces and share many properties with their classical smooth counterparts. We present computational design approaches and study special cases which should be interesting for the architectural application. 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Electrochemical formation and characterization of Au nanostructures on a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arroyo Gómez, José J.; Zubieta, Carolina; Ferullo, Ricardo M.; García, Silvana G.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The electrodeposition of Au on HOPG tends to follow the response predicted for a 3D instantaneous nucleation mechanism in the potential range considered. • By choosing suitable nucleation and growth pulses, one-dimensional deposits were possible, preferentially located on step edges of the HOPG substrate. • Quantum-mechanical calculations confirmed the tendency of Au atoms to join selectively on the HOPG step edges, at the early stages of Au electrodeposition. - Abstract: The electrochemical formation of Au nanoparticles on a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate using conventional electrochemical techniques and ex-situ AFM is reported. From the potentiostatic current transients studies, the Au electrodeposition process on HOPG surfaces was described, within the potential range considered, by a model involving instantaneous nucleation and diffusion controlled 3D growth, which was corroborated by the microscopic analysis. Initially, three-dimensional (3D) hemispherical nanoparticles distributed on surface defects (step edges) of the substrate were observed, with increasing particle size at more negative potentials. The double potential pulse technique allowed the formation of rounded deposits at low deposition potentials, which tend to form lines of nuclei aligned in defined directions leading to 3D ordered structures. By choosing suitable nucleation and growth pulses, one-dimensional (1D) deposits were possible, preferentially located on step edges of the HOPG substrate. Quantum-mechanical calculations confirmed the tendency of Au atoms to join selectively on surface defects, such as the HOPG step edges, at the early stages of Au electrodeposition.

Excellent Passivation of p-Type Si Surface by Sol-Gel Al2O3 Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hai-Qing, Xiao; Chun-Lan, Zhou; Xiao-Ning, Cao; Wen-Jing, Wang; Lei, Zhao; Hai-Ling, Li; Hong-Wei, Diao

2009-01-01

Al 2 O 3 films with a thickness of about 100 nm synthesized by spin coating and thermally treated are applied for field-induced surface passivation of p-type crystalline silicon. The level of surface passivation is determined by techniques based on photoconductance. An effective surface recombination velocity below 100 cm/s is obtained on 10Ω ·cm p-type c-Si wafers (Cz Si). A high density of negative fixed charges in the order of 10 12 cm −2 is detected in the Al 2 O 3 films and its impact on the level of surface passivation is demonstrated experimentally. Furthermore, a comparison between the surface passivation achieved for thermal SiO 2 and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition SiN x :H films on the same c-Si is presented. The high negative fixed charge density explains the excellent passivation of p-type c-Si by Al 2 O 3 . (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

When negation is not negation

OpenAIRE

Milicevic, Nataša

2008-01-01

In this paper I will discuss the formation of different types of yes/no questions in Serbian (examples in (1)), focusing on the syntactically and semantically puzzling example (1d), which involves the negative auxiliary inversion. Although there is a negative marker on the fronted auxiliary, the construction does not involve sentential negation. This coincides with the fact that the negative quantifying NPIs cannot be licensed. The question formation and sentential negation have similar synta...

Surfaces with Natural Ridges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brander, David; Markvorsen, Steen

2015-01-01

We discuss surfaces with singularities, both in mathematics and in the real world. For many types of mathematical surface, singularities are natural and can be regarded as part of the surface. The most emblematic example is that of surfaces of constant negative Gauss curvature, all of which...

Preparation, Surface and Pore Structure of High Surface Area Activated Carbon Fibers from Bamboo by Steam Activation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaojun Ma

2014-06-01

Full Text Available High surface area activated carbon fibers (ACF have been prepared from bamboo by steam activation after liquefaction and curing. The influences of activation temperature on the microstructure, surface area and porosity were investigated. The results showed that ACF from bamboo at 850 °C have the maximum iodine and methylene blue adsorption values. Aside from the graphitic carbon, phenolic and carbonyl groups were the predominant functions on the surface of activated carbon fiber from bamboo. The prepared ACF from bamboo were found to be mainly type I of isotherm, but the mesoporosity presented an increasing trend after 700 °C. The surface area and micropore volume of samples, which were determined by application of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET and t-plot methods, were as high as 2024 m2/g and 0.569 cm3/g, respectively. It was also found that the higher activation temperature produced the more ordered microcrystalline structure of ACF from bamboo.

Negative ion formation processes: A general review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.

1990-01-01

The principal negative ion formation processes will be briefly reviewed. Primary emphasis will be placed on the more efficient and universal processes of charge transfer and secondary ion formation through non-thermodynamic surface ionization. 86 refs., 20 figs

High Efficiency, High Temperature Foam Core Heat Exchanger for Fission Surface Power Systems, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Fission-based power systems with power levels of 30 to ≥100 kWe will be needed for planetary surface bases. Development of high temperature, high efficiency heat...

Demonstration of high performance negative central magnetic shear discharges on the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, B.W.; Burrell, K.H.; Lao, L.L.

1996-01-01

Reliable operation of discharges with negative central magnetic shear has led to significant increases in plasma performance and reactivity in both low confinement, L-mode, and high confinement, H-mode, regimes in the DIII-D tokamak. Using neutral beam injection early in the initial current ramp, a large range of negative shear discharges have been produced with durations lasting up to 3.2 s. The total non- inductive current (beam plus bootstrap) ranges from 50% to 80% in these discharges. In the region of shear reversal, significant peaking of the toroidal rotation [f φ ∼ 30-60 kHz] and ion temperature [T i (0) ∼ 15-22 keV] profiles are observed. In high power discharges with an L-mode edge, peaked density profiles are also observed. Confinement enhancement factors up to H ≡ τ E /τ ITER-89P ∼ 2.5 with an L-mode edge, and H ∼ 3.3 in an Edge Localized Mode (ELM)-free H-mode, are obtained. Transport analysis shows both ion thermal diffusivity and particle diffusivity to be near or below standard neoclassical values in the core. Large pressure peaking in L- mode leads to high disruptivity with Β N ≡ Β T /(I/aB) ≤ 2.3, while broader pressure profiles in H- mode gives low disruptivity with Β N ≤ 4.2

Integrability of Liouville system on high genus Riemann surface: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yixin; Gao Hongbo

1992-01-01

By using the theory of uniformization of Riemann-surfaces, we study properties of the Liouville equation and its general solution on a Riemann surface of genus g>1. After obtaining Hamiltonian formalism in terms of free fields and calculating classical exchange matrices, we prove the classical integrability of Liouville system on high genus Riemann surface

Sheath-lens probe for negative ion detection in reactive plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stamate, E.; Sugai, H.; Takai, O.; Ohe, K.

2004-01-01

A method that allows easy and inexpensive detection of negative ions is introduced. The method is based upon the electrostatic lens effect of the sheath layer evolving to a positively biased planar probe that focuses the negative charges to distinct regions on the surface. Trajectories of negative ions inside the sheath are obtained after computing the potential and electric field distribution by solving in three dimensions the nonlinear Poisson equation. The negative ions' flux to square and disk probes is developed in Ar/SF 6 and O 2 plasmas. The method allows negative ion detection with sensitivity higher than that of Langmuir probes

Field emission from the surface of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knápek, Alexandr, E-mail: knapek@isibrno.cz [Institute of Scientific Instruments of the ASCR, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, Brno (Czech Republic); Sobola, Dinara; Tománek, Pavel [Department of Physics, FEEC, Brno University of Technology, Technická 8, Brno (Czech Republic); Pokorná, Zuzana; Urbánek, Michal [Institute of Scientific Instruments of the ASCR, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, Brno (Czech Republic)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • HOPG shreds were created and analyzed in the UHV conditions. • Current-voltage measurements have been done to confirm electron tunneling, based on the Fowler-Nordheim theory. • Surface was characterized by other surface evaluation methods, in particular by: SNOM, SEM and AFM. - Abstract: This paper deals with the electrical characterization of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface based on field emission of electrons. The effect of field emission occurs only at disrupted surface, i.e. surface containing ripped and warped shreds of the uppermost layers of graphite. These deformations provide the necessary field gradients which are required for measuring tunneling current caused by field electron emission. Results of the field emission measurements are correlated with other surface characterization methods such as scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) or atomic force microscopy.

Field emission from the surface of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knápek, Alexandr; Sobola, Dinara; Tománek, Pavel; Pokorná, Zuzana; Urbánek, Michal

2017-01-01

Highlights: • HOPG shreds were created and analyzed in the UHV conditions. • Current-voltage measurements have been done to confirm electron tunneling, based on the Fowler-Nordheim theory. • Surface was characterized by other surface evaluation methods, in particular by: SNOM, SEM and AFM. - Abstract: This paper deals with the electrical characterization of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface based on field emission of electrons. The effect of field emission occurs only at disrupted surface, i.e. surface containing ripped and warped shreds of the uppermost layers of graphite. These deformations provide the necessary field gradients which are required for measuring tunneling current caused by field electron emission. Results of the field emission measurements are correlated with other surface characterization methods such as scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) or atomic force microscopy.

Positive Peer Support or Negative Peer Influence? the Role of Peers among Adolescents in Recovery High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Karakos, Holly L.

2014-01-01

Evidence from previous research suggests that peers at times exert negative influence and at other times exert positive influence on drug and alcohol use among adolescents in recovery. This study explores recovery high school staff members' perceptions of peer support among students in recovery high schools using qualitative interview data. Themes…

Surface-Casting Synthesis of Mesoporous Zirconia with a CMK-5-Like Structure and High Surface Area.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Dong; Schmidt, Wolfgang; Pichler, Christian M; Bongard, Hans-Josef; Spliethoff, Bernd; Asahina, Shunsuke; Cao, Zhengwen; Terasaki, Osamu; Schüth, Ferdi

2017-09-04

About 15 years ago, the Ryoo group described the synthesis of CMK-5, a material consisting of a hexagonal arrangement of carbon nanotubes. Extension of the surface casting synthesis to oxide compositions, however, was not possible so far, in spite of many attempts. Here it is demonstrated, that crystalline mesoporous hollow zirconia materials with very high surface areas up to 400 m 2  g -1 , and in selected cases in the form of CMK-5-like, are indeed accessible via such a surface casting process. The key for the successful synthesis is an increased interaction between the silica hard template surface and the zirconia precursor species by using silanol group-rich mesoporous silica as a hard template. The surface areas of the obtained zirconias exceed those of conventionally hard-templated ones by a factor of two to three. The surface casting process seems to be applicable also to other oxide materials. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mechanism of negative ion emission from surfaces of ferroelectrics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šroubek, Zdeněk

2012-01-01

Roč. 606, 15-16 (2012), s. 1327-1330 ISSN 0039-6028 Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Surface of ferroelectrics * Ion emission Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.838, year: 2012 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039602812001525#gts0005

High-resolution surface analysis for extended-range downscaling with limited-area atmospheric models

Science.gov (United States)

Separovic, Leo; Husain, Syed Zahid; Yu, Wei; Fernig, David

2014-12-01

High-resolution limited-area model (LAM) simulations are frequently employed to downscale coarse-resolution objective analyses over a specified area of the globe using high-resolution computational grids. When LAMs are integrated over extended time frames, from months to years, they are prone to deviations in land surface variables that can be harmful to the quality of the simulated near-surface fields. Nudging of the prognostic surface fields toward a reference-gridded data set is therefore devised in order to prevent the atmospheric model from diverging from the expected values. This paper presents a method to generate high-resolution analyses of land-surface variables, such as surface canopy temperature, soil moisture, and snow conditions, to be used for the relaxation of lower boundary conditions in extended-range LAM simulations. The proposed method is based on performing offline simulations with an external surface model, forced with the near-surface meteorological fields derived from short-range forecast, operational analyses, and observed temperatures and humidity. Results show that the outputs of the surface model obtained in the present study have potential to improve the near-surface atmospheric fields in extended-range LAM integrations.

Preliminary psychometric properties of the brief Negative Symptom Scale in youth at Clinical High-Risk for psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Gregory P; Chapman, Hannah C

2018-03-01

Preliminary psychometric properties of an adapted version of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) are reported in youth at Clinical High-Risk for psychosis (CHR). Participants included 29 CHR youth who met criteria for a prodromal syndrome on the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS). The adapted BNSS demonstrated excellent internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, suggesting that the BNSS has utility for assessing negative symptoms in a CHR population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Production of hydrogen and deuterium negative ions in an electron cyclotron resonance driven plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dougar-Jabon, V.D. [Industrial Univ. of Santander, Bucaramanga (Colombia)

2001-04-01

An electron cyclotron resonance source with driven plasma rings for hydrogen isotope ion production is studied. Extracted currents of positive and negative ions depending on gas pressure, microwave power value and extraction voltage are obtained. The study shows that the negative ion yield is an order of magnitude higher than the yield of positive particles when a driven ring is in contact with the surface of the plasma electrode. The production of negative ions of deuterium, D{sup -}, is close to the production of negative ions of light hydrogen isotope, H{sup -}. The comparison of the experimental data with the calculated ones shows that the most probable process of the H{sup -} and D{sup -} ion formation in the electron cyclotron driven plasma is dissociative attachment of electrons to molecules in high Rydberg states. For hydrogen ions and ions of deuterium, the negative current at a microwave power of 200 W through a 3-mm aperture and 8 kV extraction voltage are 4.7 mA and 3.1 mA respectively. (orig.)

Production of hydrogen and deuterium negative ions in an electron cyclotron resonance driven plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougar-Jabon, V.D.

2001-01-01

An electron cyclotron resonance source with driven plasma rings for hydrogen isotope ion production is studied. Extracted currents of positive and negative ions depending on gas pressure, microwave power value and extraction voltage are obtained. The study shows that the negative ion yield is an order of magnitude higher than the yield of positive particles when a driven ring is in contact with the surface of the plasma electrode. The production of negative ions of deuterium, D - , is close to the production of negative ions of light hydrogen isotope, H - . The comparison of the experimental data with the calculated ones shows that the most probable process of the H - and D - ion formation in the electron cyclotron driven plasma is dissociative attachment of electrons to molecules in high Rydberg states. For hydrogen ions and ions of deuterium, the negative current at a microwave power of 200 W through a 3-mm aperture and 8 kV extraction voltage are 4.7 mA and 3.1 mA respectively. (orig.)

Visualization of high speed liquid jet impaction on a moving surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yuchen; Green, Sheldon

2015-04-17

Two apparatuses for examining liquid jet impingement on a high-speed moving surface are described: an air cannon device (for examining surface speeds between 0 and 25 m/sec) and a spinning disk device (for examining surface speeds between 15 and 100 m/sec). The air cannon linear traverse is a pneumatic energy-powered system that is designed to accelerate a metal rail surface mounted on top of a wooden projectile. A pressurized cylinder fitted with a solenoid valve rapidly releases pressurized air into the barrel, forcing the projectile down the cannon barrel. The projectile travels beneath a spray nozzle, which impinges a liquid jet onto its metal upper surface, and the projectile then hits a stopping mechanism. A camera records the jet impingement, and a pressure transducer records the spray nozzle backpressure. The spinning disk set-up consists of a steel disk that reaches speeds of 500 to 3,000 rpm via a variable frequency drive (VFD) motor. A spray system similar to that of the air cannon generates a liquid jet that impinges onto the spinning disc, and cameras placed at several optical access points record the jet impingement. Video recordings of jet impingement processes are recorded and examined to determine whether the outcome of impingement is splash, splatter, or deposition. The apparatuses are the first that involve the high speed impingement of low-Reynolds-number liquid jets on high speed moving surfaces. In addition to its rail industry applications, the described technique may be used for technical and industrial purposes such as steelmaking and may be relevant to high-speed 3D printing.

Prototype inverted sputter source for negative heavy ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minehara, Eisuke; Kobayashi, Chiaki; Kikuchi, Shiroh

1977-10-01

A sputter source from which negative heavy ion beam is extracted through a tungsten wire and disc ionizer was built and tested. An alkali metal surface ionization gun with the ionizer is described, and also performance of the surface ionization gun and of the sputter source for negative heavy ions using the gun is reported. The gun was tested for three alkali metals, i.e. sodium, potassium and cesium. Total potassium beam current of 1-2mA was obtained at entrance aperture of the magnet. Sputtering materials and gases for producing negative heavy ions are carbon, copper, aluminium, molybdenum, oxygen and air. With carbon and leakage air, the beam intensities analyzed are: 2-5μA (at Faraday cup) and 4.6-11μA (at exit slit) for C - , 3-5μA (at Faraday cup) and 6.8-11μA (at exit slit) for 2C - , and 11-15μA (at Faraday cup) and 25-34μA (at exit slit) for O - . Total beam current at the entrance aperture was 200-400μA. (auth.)

Nano-scale surface modification of materials with slow, highly charged ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, M.; Tona, M.; Takahashi, S.; Watanabe, H.; Nakamura, N.; Yoshiyasu, N.; Yamada, C.; Ohtani, S.; Sakaue, H.A.; Kawase, Y.; Mitsumori, K.; Terui, T.; Mashiko, S.

2007-01-01

Some results on surface modification of Si and graphite with highly charged ions (HCIs) are presented. Modified surfaces were observed using scanning tunneling microscopy. Crater-like structure with a diameter in nm region is formed on a Si(1 1 1)-(7 x 7) surface by the incidence of a single HCI. The protrusion structure is formed on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface on the other hand, and the structure becomes an active site for molecular adsorption. A new, intense HCI source and an experimental apparatus are under development in order to process and observe aligned nanostructures created by the impact of collimated HCI beam

Tungsten and carbon surface change under high dose plasma exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martynenko, Y.V.; Khripunov, B.I.; Petrov, V.B.

2009-01-01

Study of surface composition dynamics has been made on the LENTA linear plasma simulator. Experiments have been made on tungsten and carbon materials subjected to steady-state plasma exposure. The achieved ion doses on the surface were 10 21 ion cm -2 . WL 10 tungsten containing 1% of La2O3 oxide and titanium-doped graphite RG-T were studied. The following experimental conditions were varied in these experiments: energy of ions, surface temperature, working gas. Irradiations of tungsten WL 10 were executed in deuterium plasma at low ion energies (about 20 eV) and at 200 eV for temperatures below 340 K. Graphite RG-T was exposed at 1300 K. Elevated surface temperature (about 1050K) was also characteristic of experiments on tungsten sample under nitrogen plasma impact (simulated inter-ELMs condition). Surface microstructure modification has been observed and surface composition changes were found on the materials showing influence of high dose plasma irradiations on element redistribution in the near surface layers. (author)

Assessment of engineered surfaces roughness by high-resolution 3D SEM photogrammetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gontard, L.C., E-mail: lionelcg@gmail.com [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real 11510 (Spain); López-Castro, J.D.; González-Rovira, L. [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Laboratorio de Corrosión, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real 11519 (Spain); Vázquez-Martínez, J.M. [Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica y Diseño Industrial, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real 11519 (Spain); Varela-Feria, F.M. [Servicio de Microscopía Centro de Investigación, Tecnología e Innovación (CITIUS), Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes 4b, 41012 Sevilla (Spain); Marcos, M. [Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica y Diseño Industrial, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real 11519 (Spain); and others

2017-06-15

Highlights: • We describe a method to acquire a high-angle tilt series of SEM images that is symmetrical respect to the zero tilt of the sample stage. The method can be applied in any SEM microscope. • Using the method, high-resolution 3D SEM photogrammetry can be applied on planar surfaces. • 3D models of three surfaces patterned with grooves are reconstructed with high resolution using multi-view freeware photogrammetry software as described in LC Gontard et al. Ultramicroscopy, 2016. • From the 3D models roughness parameters are measured • 3D SEM high-resolution photogrammetry is compared with two conventional methods used for roughness characetrization: stereophotogrammetry and contact profilometry. • It provides three-dimensional information with high-resolution that is out of reach for any other metrological technique. - Abstract: We describe a methodology to obtain three-dimensional models of engineered surfaces using scanning electron microscopy and multi-view photogrammetry (3DSEM). For the reconstruction of the 3D models of the surfaces we used freeware available in the cloud. The method was applied to study the surface roughness of metallic samples patterned with parallel grooves by means of laser. The results are compared with measurements obtained using stylus profilometry (PR) and SEM stereo-photogrammetry (SP). The application of 3DSEM is more time demanding than PR or SP, but it provides a more accurate representation of the surfaces. The results obtained with the three techniques are compared by investigating the influence of sampling step on roughness parameters.

Isolated Bacterial Spores at High-velocity Survive Surface Impacts in Vacuum

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Daniel; Barney, Brandon

We present experiments in which bacterial spores were found to survive being accelerated in vacuum to velocities in the range 30-120 m/s and impacted on a dense target. In these experiments, spores of Bacillus subtilis spores were charged using electrospray at atmospheric pressure, dried, and then introduced into high vacuum. Through choice of skimmers and beam tubes, different velocity ranges were achieved. An image-charge detector observed the charged spores, providing total charge and velocity. The spores then impacted a glass target within a collection vessel. After the experiment, the collection vessel contents were extracted and cultured. Several positive and negative controls were used, including the use of antibiotic-resistant spores and antibiotic-containing (rifampicin) agar for culturing. These impact velocities are of particular interest for possible transport of bacterial spores from Mars to Phobos, and may have implications for planetary protection in a Phobos sample return mission. In addition, bacteria may reach similar velocities during a spacecraft crash (e.g., within components, or from spacecraft to surface materials during impact, etc.), raising concerns about forward contamination. The velocities of interest to transport of life between planets (panspermia) are somewhat higher, but these results complement shock-based experiments and contribute to the general discussion of impact survivability of organisms.

Negative ion detachment cross sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Champion, R.L.; Doverspike, L.D.

1992-10-01

The authors have measured absolute cross sections for electron detachment and charge exchange for collision of O and S with atomic hydrogen, have investigated the sputtering and photodesorption of negative ions from gas covered surfaces, and have begun an investigation of photon-induced field emission of electrons from exotic structures. Brief descriptions of these activities as well as future plans for these projects are given below

Study of surface leakage current of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, YongHe; Zhang, Kai; Cao, MengYi; Zhao, ShengLei; Zhang, JinCheng; Hao, Yue; Ma, XiaoHua

2014-01-01

Temperature-dependent surface current measurements were performed to analyze the mechanism of surface conductance of AlGaN/GaN channel high-electron-mobility transistors by utilizing process-optimized double gate structures. Different temperatures and electric field dependence have been found in surface current measurements. At low electric field, the mechanism of surface conductance is considered to be two-dimensional variable range hopping. At elevated electric field, the Frenkel–Poole trap assisted emission governs the main surface electrons transportation. The extracted energy barrier height of electrons emitting from trapped state near Fermi energy level into a threading dislocations-related continuum state is 0.38 eV. SiN passivation reduces the surface leakage current by two order of magnitude and nearly 4 orders of magnitude at low and high electric fields, respectively. SiN also suppresses the Frenkel–Poole conductance at high temperature by improving the surface states of AlGaN/GaN. A surface treatment process has been introduced to further suppress the surface leakage current at high temperature and high field, which results in a decrease in surface current of almost 3 orders of magnitude at 476 K

High Stability Pentacene Transistors Using Polymeric Dielectric Surface Modifier.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaohong; Lin, Guangqing; Li, Peng; Lv, Guoqiang; Qiu, Longzhen; Ding, Yunsheng

2015-08-01

1,6-bis(trichlorosilyl)hexane (C6Cl), polystyrene (PS), and cross-linked polystyrene (CPS) were investigated as gate dielectric modified layers for high performance organic transistors. The influence of the surface energy, roughness and morphology on the charge transport of the organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) was investigated. The surface energy and roughness both affect the grain size of the pentacene films which will control the charge carrier mobility of the devices. Pentacene thin-film transistors fabricated on the CPS modified dielectric layers exhibited charge carrier mobility as high as 1.11 cm2 V-1 s-1. The bias stress stability for the CPS devices shows that the drain current only decays 1% after 1530 s and the mobility never decreases until 13530 s.

Thermophilic campylobacters in surface waters around Lancaster, UK: negative correlation with Campylobacter infections in the community.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, K; Betaieb, M; Telford, D R

1990-11-01

The incidence of campylobacter enteritis in Lancaster City Health Authority is three times the UK average for similar sizes of population and has marked seasonal peaks in May and June. Environmental monitoring of surface waters around Lancaster showed that thermophilic campylobacters were absent from drinking water from the fells and from the clean upper reaches of the River Conder but were present in the main rivers entering Morecambe Bay, the lower reaches of the River Conder, the Lancaster canal, and seawater from the Lune estuary and Morecambe Bay. All the surface waters tested showed the same seasonality, namely, higher numbers in the winter months and low numbers or none in May, June and July. The absence of thermophilic campylobacters in the summer months may be due to high sunshine levels because experiments on the effects of light showed that campylobacters in sewage effluent and seawater were eliminated within 60 and 30 min of daylight respectively but survived for 24 h in darkness. As the concentrations of campylobacters in surface waters were at their lowest precisely at the time of peak infections in the community it is unlikely that surface waters form Lancaster's reservoir of campylobacter infection for the community.

Frequency selective surfaces based high performance microstrip antenna

CERN Document Server

Narayan, Shiv; Jha, Rakesh Mohan

2016-01-01

This book focuses on performance enhancement of printed antennas using frequency selective surfaces (FSS) technology. The growing demand of stealth technology in strategic areas requires high-performance low-RCS (radar cross section) antennas. Such requirements may be accomplished by incorporating FSS into the antenna structure either in its ground plane or as the superstrate, due to the filter characteristics of FSS structure. In view of this, a novel approach based on FSS technology is presented in this book to enhance the performance of printed antennas including out-of-band structural RCS reduction. In this endeavor, the EM design of microstrip patch antennas (MPA) loaded with FSS-based (i) high impedance surface (HIS) ground plane, and (ii) the superstrates are discussed in detail. The EM analysis of proposed FSS-based antenna structures have been carried out using transmission line analogy, in combination with the reciprocity theorem. Further, various types of novel FSS structures are considered in desi...

High-surface-area active carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Grady, T.M.; Wennerberg, A.N.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the preparation and properties of a unique active carbon having exceptionally high surface areas, over 2500 m 2 /gm, and extraordinary adsorptive capacities. The carbon is made by a direct chemical activation route in which petroleum coke or other carbonaceous sources are reacted with excess potassium hydroxide at 400 0 to 500 0 C to an intermediate product that is subsequently pyrolyzed at 800 0 to 900 0 C to active carbon containing potassium salts. These are removed by water washing and the carbon is dried to produce a powdered product. A granular carbon can also be made by further processing the powdered carbon by using specialized granulation techniques. Typical properties of the carbon include Iodine Numbers of 3000 to 3600, methylene blue adsorption of 650 to 750 mg/gm, pore volumes of 2.0 to 2.6 cc/gm and less than 3.0% ash. This carbon's high adsorption capacities make it uniquely suited for numerous demanding applications in the medical area, purifications, removal of toxic substances, as catalyst carriers, etc

Recent advancements in sputter-type heavy negative ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.

1989-01-01

Significant advancement have been made in sputter-type negative ion sources which utilize direct surface ionization, or a plasma to form the positive ion beam used to effect sputtering of samples containing the material of interest. Typically, such sources can be used to generate usable beam intensities of a few μA to several mA from all chemically active elements, depending on the particular source and the electron affinity of the element in question. The presentation will include an introduction to the fundamental processes underlying negative ion formation by sputtering from a low work function surface and several sources will be described which reflect the progress made in this technology. 21 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab

High heat flux (HHF) elements for negative ion systems on ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milnes, J.; Chuilon, B.; Xue, Y.; Martin, D.; Waldon, C.

2007-01-01

Negative Ion Neutral Beam systems on ITER will require actively cooled scrapers and dumps to process and shape the beam before injection into the tokamak. The scale of the systems is much larger than any presently operating, bringing challenges for designers in terms of available sub cooling, total pressure drop, deflection and mandatory remote maintenance. High heat fluxes (∼15-20 MW/m 2 ), pulse lengths in excess of 3000 s and high number of cycles pose new challenges in terms of stress and fatigue life. The designs outlined in the Design Description Document for the ITER Neutral Beam System [N53 DDD 29 01-07-03 R 0.1. ITER Design Description Document, DDD 5.3, Neutral Beam H and CD system (including Appendices).], based on swirl tubes, have been reviewed as part of the design process and recommendations made. Additionally, alternative designs have been proposed based on the Hypervapotron high heat flux elements with modified geometry and drawing upon a vast background knowledge of large scale equipment procurement and integration. A full thermo-mechanical analysis of all HHF components has also been undertaken based on ITER design criteria and the limited material data available. The advantages and disadvantages of all designs are presented and recommendations for improvements discussed

NOAA High-Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Analysis Products

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This archive covers two high resolution sea surface temperature (SST) analysis products developed using an optimum interpolation (OI) technique. The analyses have a...

Dispersion characteristics of negative refraction sonic crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, L.-Y.; Chen, L.-W.; Wang, R.C.-C.

2008-01-01

Dispersion characteristics of negative refraction sonic crystals are investigated. The plane wave expansion method is used to calculate the equifrequency surface; the dependences of refractive direction on frequencies and incident angles for triangular lattices are shown. There exist the positive and negative refractive waves which include k.V g ≥0 and k.V g ≤0 in the second band for the triangular system. We also use the finite element method to demonstrate that the relative intensity of the transmitted acoustic waves is dependent on incident frequencies and angles. The positions of the partial band gaps obtained by the plane wave expansion method are in good agreement with those obtained by the finite element method. The sonic crystals with negative effective index are shown to have higher transmission intensities. By using the negative refraction behavior, we can design a sonic crystal plane lens to focus a sonic wave

Analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using high-sensitivity HBsAg assays in hepatitis B virus carriers in whom HBsAg seroclearance was confirmed by conventional assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozeki, Itaru; Nakajima, Tomoaki; Suii, Hirokazu; Tatsumi, Ryoji; Yamaguchi, Masakatsu; Kimura, Mutsuumi; Arakawa, Tomohiro; Kuwata, Yasuaki; Ohmura, Takumi; Hige, Shuhei; Karino, Yoshiyasu; Toyota, Joji

2018-02-01

We investigated the utility of high-sensitivity hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) assays compared with conventional HBsAg assays. Using serum samples from 114 hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers in whom HBsAg seroclearance was confirmed by conventional HBsAg assays (cut-off value, 0.05 IU/mL), the amount of HBsAg was re-examined by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays (cut-off value, 0.005 IU/mL). Cases negative for HBsAg in both assays were defined as consistent cases, and cases positive for HBsAg in the high-sensitivity HBsAg assay only were defined as discrepant cases. There were 55 (48.2%) discrepant cases, and the range of HBsAg titers determined by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays was 0.005-0.056 IU/mL. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of nucleos(t)ide analog therapy, liver cirrhosis, and negative anti-HBs contributed to the discrepancies between the two assays. Cumulative anti-HBs positivity rates among discrepant cases were 12.7%, 17.2%, 38.8%, and 43.9% at baseline, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively, whereas the corresponding rates among consistent cases were 50.8%, 56.0%, 61.7%, and 68.0%, respectively. Hepatitis B virus DNA negativity rates were 56.4% and 81.4% at baseline, 51.3% and 83.3% at 1 year, and 36.8% and 95.7% at 3 years, among discrepant and consistent cases, respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen reversion was observed only in discrepant cases. Re-examination by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays revealed that HBsAg was positive in approximately 50% of cases. Cumulative anti-HBs seroconversion rates and HBV-DNA seroclearance rates were lower in these cases, suggesting a population at risk for HBsAg reversion. © 2017 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

A high volume cost efficient production macrostructuring process. [for silicon solar cell surface treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Chitre, S. R.

1978-01-01

The paper presents an experimentally developed surface macro-structuring process suitable for high volume production of silicon solar cells. The process lends itself easily to automation for high throughput to meet low-cost solar array goals. The tetrahedron structure observed is 0.5 - 12 micron high. The surface has minimal pitting with virtually no or very few undeveloped areas across the surface. This process has been developed for (100) oriented as cut silicon. Chemi-etched, hydrophobic and lapped surfaces were successfully texturized. A cost analysis as per Samics is presented.

Therapeutic rationale to target highly expressed CDK7 conferring poor outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, Bo; Chonghaile, Triona Ni; Fan, Yue; Madden, Stephen F.; Klinger, Rut; O'Connor, Aisling E.; Walsh, Louise; O'Hurley, Gillian; Udupi, Girish Mallya; Joseph, Jesuchristopher; Tarrant, Finbarr; Conroy, Emer; Gaber, Alexander; Chin, Suet-Feung; Bardwell, Helen A; Provenzano, Elena; Crown, John; Dubois, Thierry; Linn, Sabine; Jirstrom, Karin; Caldas, Carlos; O'Connor, Darran P; Gallagher, William M

2017-01-01

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients commonly exhibit poor prognosis and high relapse after treatment, but there remains a lack of biomarkers and effective targeted therapies for this disease. Here, we report evidence highlighting the cell-cycle–related kinase CDK7 as a driver and candidate

Development of high performance negative ion sources and accelerators for MeV class neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniguchi, M.; Hanada, M.; Iga, T.

2003-01-01

Operation of accelerator at low pressure is an essential requirement to reduce stripping loss of the negative ions, which in turn results in high efficiency of the NB systems. For this purpose, a vacuum insulated beam source (VIBS) has been developed at JAERI, which reduces the gas pressure in the accelerator by enhanced gas conductance through the accelerator. The VIBS achieves the high voltage insulation of 1 MV by immersing the whole structure of accelerator in vacuum with long (∼ 1.8 m) insulation distance. Results of the voltage holding test using a long vacuum gap of 1.8 m indicate that a transition from vacuum discharge to gas discharge occurs at around 0.2 Pa m in the long vacuum gap. So far, the VIBS succeeded in acceleration of 20 mA (H - ) beam up to 970 keV for 1 s. The high voltage holding capability of the VIBS was drastically improved by installing a new large stress ring, which reduces electric field concentration at the triple junction of the accelerator column. At present the VIBS sustains 1 MV stably for more than 1200 s. Acceleration of ampere class H- beams at high current density is to be started soon to demonstrate ITER relevant beam optics. Operation of negative ion source at low pressure is also essential to reduce the stripping loss. However, it was not so easy to attain high current density H - ions at low pressure, since destruction cross section of the negative ions becomes large if the electron temperature is > 1 eV, in low pressure discharge. Using strong magnetic filter to lower the electron temperature, and putting higher arc discharge power to compensate reduction of plasma density through the filter, an H - ion beam of 310 A/m 2 was extracted at very low pressure of 0.1Pa. This satisfies the ITER requirement of current density at 1/3 of the ITER design pressure (0.3 Pa). (author)

Encoding negative events under stress: high subjective arousal is related to accurate emotional memory despite misinformation exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoscheidt, Siobhan M; LaBar, Kevin S; Ryan, Lee; Jacobs, W Jake; Nadel, Lynn

2014-07-01

Stress at encoding affects memory processes, typically enhancing, or preserving, memory for emotional information. These effects have interesting implications for eyewitness accounts, which in real-world contexts typically involve encoding an aversive event under stressful conditions followed by potential exposure to misinformation. The present study investigated memory for a negative event encoded under stress and subsequent misinformation endorsement. Healthy young adults participated in a between-groups design with three experimental sessions conducted 48 h apart. Session one consisted of a psychosocial stress induction (or control task) followed by incidental encoding of a negative slideshow. During session two, participants were asked questions about the slideshow, during which a random subgroup was exposed to misinformation. Memory for the slideshow was tested during the third session. Assessment of memory accuracy across stress and no-stress groups revealed that stress induced just prior to encoding led to significantly better memory for the slideshow overall. The classic misinformation effect was also observed - participants exposed to misinformation were significantly more likely to endorse false information during memory testing. In the stress group, however, memory accuracy and misinformation effects were moderated by arousal experienced during encoding of the negative event. Misinformed-stress group participants who reported that the negative slideshow elicited high arousal during encoding were less likely to endorse misinformation for the most aversive phase of the story. Furthermore, these individuals showed better memory for components of the aversive slideshow phase that had been directly misinformed. Results from the current study provide evidence that stress and high subjective arousal elicited by a negative event act concomitantly during encoding to enhance emotional memory such that the most aversive aspects of the event are well remembered and

Electrokinetics on superhydrophobic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadopoulos, Periklis; Deng Xu; Vollmer, Doris; Butt, Hans-Jürgen

2012-01-01

On a superhydrophobic surface a liquid is exposed to a large air-water interface. The reduced wall friction is expected to cause a higher electro-osmotic mobility. On the other hand, the low charge density of a superhydrophobic surface reduces the electro-osmotic mobility. Due to a lack of experimental data it has not been clear so far whether the reduced wall friction or the reduced charge density dominate the electrokinetic mobilities. To separate the relative contributions of electrophoresis and electro-osmosis, the mobilities of colloids on a negatively charged hydrophilic, a superhydrophobic (Cassie) and a partially hydrophilized superhydrophobic (Cassie composite) coating were measured. To vary the charge density as well as its sign with respect to those of the colloids the partially hydrophilized surfaces were coated with polyelectrolytes. We analyzed the electrokinetic mobilities of negatively charged polystyrene colloids dispersed in aqueous medium on porous hydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces by confocal laser scanning electron microscopy. In all cases, the external electric field was parallel to the surface. The total electrokinetic mobilities on the superhydrophobic (Cassie) and negatively charged partially hydrophilized (Cassie composite) surfaces were similar, showing that electro-osmosis is small compared to electrophoresis. The positively charged Cassie composite surfaces tend to ‘trap’ the colloids due to attracting electrostatic interactions and rough morphology, reducing the mobility. Thus, either the charge density of the coatings in the Cassie composite state or its slip length is too low to enhance electro-osmosis.

NTERACTION BETWEEN SURFACE CHARGE PHENOMENA AND MULTI-SPECIES DIFFUSION IN CEMENT BASED MATERIALS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannesson, Björn

2008-01-01

Measurements strongly indicate that the ‘inner’ surface of the microscopic structure of cement based materials has a fixed negative charge. This charge contributes to the formation of so-called electrical double layers. In the case of cement based materials the ionic species located in such layers...... are typically potassium -, sodium - and calcium ions. Due to the high specific surface area of hydrated cement, a large amount of ions can be located in theses double layers even if the surface charge is relatively low. The attraction force, caused by the fixed surface charge on ions located close to surfaces......, is one possible explanation for the observed low global diffusion rates in the pore system of positively charged ions compared to the negatively charged ones. Here it is of interest to simulate the multi ionic diffusion behavior when assigning positively charged ions a comparably lower diffusion constant...

Quantitative XPS analysis of high Tc superconductor surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jablonski, A.; Sanada, N.; Suzuki, Y.; Fukuda, Y.; Nagoshi, M.

1993-01-01

The procedure of quantitative XPS analysis involving the relative sensitivity factors is most convenient to apply to high T c superconductor surfaces because this procedure does not require standards. However, a considerable limitation of such an approach is its relatively low accuracy. In the present work, a proposition is made to use for this purpose a modification of the relative sensitivity factor approach accounting for the matrix and the instrumental effects. The accuracy of this modification when applied to the binary metal alloys is 2% or better. A quantitative XPS analysis was made for surfaces of the compounds Bi 2 Sr 2 CuO 6 , Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 , and YBa 2 Cu 3 O Y . The surface composition determined for the polycrystalline samples corresponds reasonably well to the bulk stoichiometry. Slight deficiency of oxygen was found for the Bi-based compounds. The surface exposed on cleavage of the Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 single crystal was found to be enriched with bismuth, which indicates that the cleavage occurs along the BiO planes. This result is in agreement with the STM studies published in the literature

High-frequency EPR of surface impurities on nanodiamond

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Zaili; Stepanov, Viktor; Takahashi, Susumu

Diamond is a fascinating material, hosting nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect centers with unique magnetic and optical properties. There have been many reports that suggest the existence of paramagnetic impurities near surface of various kinds of diamonds. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigation of mechanically crushed nanodiamonds (NDs) as well as detonation NDs revealed g 2 like signals that are attributed to structural defects and dangling bonds near the diamond surface. In this presentation, we investigate paramagnetic impurities in various sizes of NDs using high-frequency (HF) continuous wave (cw) and pulsed EPR spectroscopy. Strong size dependence on the linewidth of HF cw EPR spectra reveals the existence of paramagnetic impurities in the vicinity of the diamond surface. We also study the size dependence of the spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times (T1 and T2) of single substitutional nitrogen defects in NDs Significant deviations from the temperature dependence of the phonon-assisted T1 process were observed in the ND samples, and were attributed to the contribution from the surface impurities. This work was supported by the Searle Scholars Program and the National Science Foundation (DMR-1508661 and CHE-1611134).

Negative exclamatives in Afrikaans: some initial thoughts1

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Kate H

Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, Vol. 48, 2017 ... clause-final nie is specifically sensitive to formal negation as it may, in colloquial Afrikaans, surface in structures ...... discussion and references).13 One interpretation of this fractal perspective ...

Development of micro-engineered textured tungsten surfaces for high heat flux applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharafat, Shahram, E-mail: shahrams@ucla.edu [University of California Los Angeles, CA (United States); Aoyama, Aaron [University of California Los Angeles, CA (United States); Williams, Brian, E-mail: brian.williams@ultramet.com [Ultramet Inc., Pacoima, CA (United States); Ghoniem, Nasr [University of California Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2013-11-15

Surface micro-engineering can enhance the thermo-mechanical performance of plasma facing components (PFCs). For example, castellation of a surface can reduce thermal stress due to high heat loads and thus provide higher thermo-mechanical resilience. Recently, fabrication of a variety of micro-sized refractory dendrites with reproducible geometric characteristics (e.g., density, length, height, and aspect ratio) has been demonstrated. In contrast to flat surfaces exposed to high heat loads, dendrites deform independently to minimize near-surface thermal stress, which results in improved thermo-mechanical performance. Thus, the use of dendrites offers a unique micro-engineering approach to enhance the performance of PFC structures. A brief overview of W, Re, and Mo dendritic structures is given along with micrographs that show dendrite-coated surfaces. The thermal responses of representative dendrite structures are analyzed as a function of aspect ratios and dendrite geometry. The heat-management capability of needle-like dendrites exposed to a surface energy of up to 1 MJ/m{sup 2} is analyzed and compared to a flat surface. It is concluded that dendrite structures can significantly reduce thermal stress in the substrate when compared to flat surfaces. Implications of dendritic surfaces on sputter erosion rates are also discussed briefly.

High-energy acceleration of an intense negative ion beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeiri, Y.; Ando, A.; Kaneko, O.

1995-02-01

A high-current H - ion beam has been accelerated with the two-stage acceleration. A large negative hydrogen ion source with an external magnetic filter produces more than 10 A of the H - ions from the grid area of 25cm x 50cm with the arc efficiency of 0.1 A/kW by seeding a small amount of cesium. The H - ion current increases according to the 3/2-power of the total beam energy. A 13.6 A of H - ion beam has been accelerated to 125 keV at the operational gas pressure of 3.4 mTorr. The optimum beam acceleration is achieved with nearly the same electric fields in the first and the second acceleration gaps on condition that the ratio of the first acceleration to the extraction electric fields is adjusted for an aspect ratio of the extraction gap. The ratio of the acceleration drain current to the H - ion current is more than 1.7. That is mainly due to the secondary electron generated by the incident H - ions on the extraction grid and the electron suppression grid. The neutralization efficiency was measured and agrees with the theoretical calculation result. (author)

Design methodology to enhance high impedance surfaces performances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Grelier

2014-04-01

Full Text Available A methodology is introduced for designing wideband, compact and ultra-thin high impedance surfaces (HIS. A parametric study is carried out to examine the effect of the periodicity on the electromagnetic properties of an HIS. This approach allows designers to reach the best trade-off for HIS performances.

Surface potential measurement of the insulator with secondary electron caused by negative ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, Hiroshi; Toyota, Yoshitaka; Nagumo, Syoji; Gotoh, Yasuhito; Ishikawa, Junzo; Sakai, Shigeki; Tanjyo, Masayasu; Matsuda, Kohji.

1994-01-01

Ion implantation has the merit of the good controllability of implantation profile and low temperature process, and has been utilized for the impurity introduction in LSI production. However, positive ion implantation is carried out for insulator or insulated conductor substrates, their charged potential rises, which is a serious problem. As the requirement for them advanced, charge compensation method is not the effective means for resolving it. The negative ion implantation in which charging is little was proposed. When the experiment on the negative ion implantation into insulated conductors was carried out, it was verified that negative ion implantation is effective as the implantation process without charging. The method of determining the charged potential of insulators at the time of negative ion implantation by paying attention to the energy distribution of the secondary electrons emitted from substrates at the time was devised. The energy analyzer for measuring the energy distribution of secondary electrons was made, and the measurement of the charged potential of insulators was carried out. The principle of the measurement, the measuring system and the experimental results are reported. (K.I.)

Near field evidence of backward surface plasmon polaritons on negative index material boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuevas, Mauro; Grunhut, Vivian; Depine, Ricardo A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Electromagnetic scattering from a localized defect on a NIM surface is presented. • The electromagnetic response strongly depends on the SPPs excited. • Near field distribution reveals the forward or backward character of SPPs excited. - Abstract: We present a detailed analysis about the electromagnetic response of a metamaterial surface with a localized defect. The excitation of electromagnetic surface waves leads to a near-field distribution showing a periodic dependence along the metamaterial surface. We find that this periodic pattern provides a direct demonstration of the forward or backward surface wave propagation.

Near field evidence of backward surface plasmon polaritons on negative index material boundaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuevas, Mauro, E-mail: cuevas@df.uba.ar [Facultad de Ingeniería y Tecnología Informática, Universidad de Belgrano, Villanueva 1324, C1426BMJ, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); Grunhut, Vivian [Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Austral (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); Depine, Ricardo A. [Grupo de Electromagnetismo Aplicado, Departamento de Física, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IFIBA, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón I, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina)

2016-12-09

Highlights: • Electromagnetic scattering from a localized defect on a NIM surface is presented. • The electromagnetic response strongly depends on the SPPs excited. • Near field distribution reveals the forward or backward character of SPPs excited. - Abstract: We present a detailed analysis about the electromagnetic response of a metamaterial surface with a localized defect. The excitation of electromagnetic surface waves leads to a near-field distribution showing a periodic dependence along the metamaterial surface. We find that this periodic pattern provides a direct demonstration of the forward or backward surface wave propagation.

Emulsion Electrospinning of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Nanofibrous Membranes for High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Pengfei; Soin, Navneet; Prashanthi, Kovur; Chen, Jinkai; Dong, Shurong; Zhou, Erping; Zhu, Zhigang; Narasimulu, Anand Arcot; Montemagno, Carlo D; Yu, Liyang; Luo, Jikui

2018-02-14

Electrospinning is a simple, versatile technique for fabricating fibrous nanomaterials with the desirable features of extremely high porosities and large surface areas. Using emulsion electrospinning, polytetrafluoroethylene/polyethene oxide (PTFE/PEO) membranes were fabricated, followed by a sintering process to obtain pure PTFE fibrous membranes, which were further utilized against a polyamide 6 (PA6) membrane for vertical contact-mode triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) measurements of the sintered electrospun PTFE membranes revealed the presence of both positive and negative surface charges owing to the transfer of positive charge from PEO which was further corroborated by FTIR measurements. To enhance the ensuing triboelectric surface charge, a facile negative charge-injection process was carried out onto the electrospun (ES) PTFE subsequently. The fabricated TENG gave a stabilized peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of up to ∼900 V, a short-circuit current density (J sc ) of ∼20 mA m -2 , and a corresponding charge density of ∼149 μC m -2 , which are ∼12, 14, and 11 times higher than the corresponding values prior to the ion-injection treatment. This increase in the surface charge density is caused by the inversion of positive surface charges with the simultaneous increase in the negative surface charge on the PTFE surface, which was confirmed by using EFM measurements. The negative charge injection led to an enhanced power output density of ∼9 W m -2 with high stability as confirmed from the continuous operation of the ion-injected PTFE/PA6 TENG for 30 000 operation cycles, without any significant reduction in the output. The work thus introduces a relatively simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly technique for fabricating fibrous fluoropolymer polymer membranes with high thermal/chemical resistance in TENG field and a direct ion-injection method which is able to dramatically improve the

High resistance rate against 15 different antibiotics in aerobic gram-negative bacteria isolates of cardiology intensive care unit patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Küçükates E

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Aerobic gram negative bacteria were isolated and examined microbiologically from various clinical samples of 602 patients hospitalized between January 1997 and December 2000 in surgical and coronary intensive care units (ICUs. A total of 827 isolates were obtained from 602 patients. The majority of microorganisms were isolated from the respiratory tract (50.3% and blood (39.9%. Pseudomonas spp. were the most frequently isolated gram negative species (32.7%, followed by Acinetobacter spp. (24.0% and Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.4%. High resistance rates to all antibiotics studied were observed. Imipenem and meropenem were the most effective antibiotics against gram negatives.

On-Surface Pseudo-High-Dilution Synthesis of Macrocycles: Principle and Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Qitang; Wang, Tao; Dai, Jingya; Kuttner, Julian; Hilt, Gerhard; Gottfried, J Michael; Zhu, Junfa

2017-05-23

Macrocycles have attracted much attention due to their specific "endless" topology, which results in extraordinary properties compared to related linear (open-chain) molecules. However, challenges still remain in their controlled synthesis with well-defined constitution and geometry. Here, we report the successful application of the (pseudo-)high-dilution method to the conditions of on-surface synthesis in ultrahigh vacuum. This approach leads to high yields (up to 84%) of cyclic hyperbenzene ([18]-honeycombene) via an Ullmann-type reaction from 4,4″-dibromo-meta-terphenyl (DMTP) as precursor on a Ag(111) surface. The mechanism of macrocycle formation was explored in detail using scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. We propose that the dominant pathway for hyperbenzene (MTP) 6 formation is the stepwise desilverization of an organometallic (MTP-Ag) 6 macrocycle, which forms via cyclization of (MTP-Ag) 6 chains under pseudo-high-dilution conditions. The high probability of cyclization on the stage of the organometallic phase results from the reversibility of the C-Ag bond. The case is different from that in solution, in which cyclization typically occurs on the stage of a covalently bonded open-chain precursor. This difference in the cyclization mechanism on a surface compared to that in solution stems mainly from the 2D confinement exerted by the surface template, which hinders the flipping of chain segments necessary for cyclization.

Effect of oxyfluorinated multi-walled carbon nanotube additives on positive temperature coefficient/negative temperature coefficient behavior in high-density polyethylene polymeric switches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Byong Chol; Kang, Seok Chang; Im, Ji Sun; Lee, Se Hyun; Lee, Young-Seak

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: The electrical properties of MWCNT-filled HDPE polymeric switches and their effect on oxyfluorination. Highlights: → Oxyfluorinated MWCNTs were used to reduce the PTC/NTC phenomenon in MWCNT-filled HDPE polymeric switches. → Electron mobility is difficult in MWCNT particles when the number of oxygen functional groups (C-O, C=O) increases by oxyfluorination. → A mechanism of improved electrical properties of oxyfluorinated MWCNT-filled HDPE polymeric switches was suggested. -- Abstract: Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were embedded into high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to improve the electrical properties of HDPE polymeric switches. The MWCNT surfaces were modified by oxyfluorination to improve their positive temperature coefficient (PTC) and negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behaviors in HDPE polymeric switches. HDPE polymeric switches exhibit poor electron mobility between MWCNT particles when the number of oxygen functional groups is increased by oxyfluorination. Thus, the PTC intensity of HDPE polymeric switches was increased by the destruction of the electrical conductivity network. The oxyfluorination of MWCNTs also leads to weak NTC behavior in the MWCNT-filled HDPE polymeric switches. This result is attributed to the reduction of the mutual attraction between the MWCNT particles at the melting temperature of HDPE, which results from a decrease in the surface free energy of the C-F bond in MWCNT particles.

Reliability-based design optimization via high order response surface method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hong Shuang

2013-01-01

To reduce the computational effort of reliability-based design optimization (RBDO), the response surface method (RSM) has been widely used to evaluate reliability constraints. We propose an efficient methodology for solving RBDO problems based on an improved high order response surface method (HORSM) that takes advantage of an efficient sampling method, Hermite polynomials and uncertainty contribution concept to construct a high order response surface function with cross terms for reliability analysis. The sampling method generates supporting points from Gauss-Hermite quadrature points, which can be used to approximate response surface function without cross terms, to identify the highest order of each random variable and to determine the significant variables connected with point estimate method. The cross terms between two significant random variables are added to the response surface function to improve the approximation accuracy. Integrating the nested strategy, the improved HORSM is explored in solving RBDO problems. Additionally, a sampling based reliability sensitivity analysis method is employed to reduce the computational effort further when design variables are distributional parameters of input random variables. The proposed methodology is applied on two test problems to validate its accuracy and efficiency. The proposed methodology is more efficient than first order reliability method based RBDO and Monte Carlo simulation based RBDO, and enables the use of RBDO as a practical design tool.

STS Observations of Landau Levels at Graphite Surfaces

OpenAIRE

Matsui, T.; Kambara, H.; Niimi, Y.; Tagami, K.; Tsukada, M.; Fukuyama, Hiroshi

2004-01-01

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements were made on surfaces of two different kinds of graphite samples, Kish graphite and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), at very low temperatures and in high magnetic fields. We observed a series of peaks in the tunnel spectra, which grow with increasing field, both at positive and negative bias voltages. These are associated with Landau quantization of the quasi two-dimensional electrons and holes in graphite in magnetic fields perpendicular...

Mechanics of curved surfaces, with application to surface-parallel cracks

Science.gov (United States)

Martel, Stephen J.

2011-10-01

The surfaces of many bodies are weakened by shallow enigmatic cracks that parallel the surface. A re-formulation of the static equilibrium equations in a curvilinear reference frame shows that a tension perpendicular to a traction-free surface can arise at shallow depths even under the influence of gravity. This condition occurs if σ11k1 + σ22k2 > ρg cosβ, where k1 and k2 are the principal curvatures (negative if convex) at the surface, σ11 and σ22 are tensile (positive) or compressive (negative) stresses parallel to the respective principal curvature arcs, ρ is material density, g is gravitational acceleration, and β is the surface slope. The curvature terms do not appear in equilibrium equations in a Cartesian reference frame. Compression parallel to a convex surface thus can cause subsurface cracks to open. A quantitative test of the relationship above accounts for where sheeting joints (prominent shallow surface-parallel fractures in rock) are abundant and for where they are scarce or absent in the varied topography of Yosemite National Park, resolving key aspects of a classic problem in geology: the formation of sheeting joints. Moreover, since the equilibrium equations are independent of rheology, the relationship above can be applied to delamination or spalling caused by surface-parallel cracks in many materials.

High surface area carbon and process for its production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romanos, Jimmy; Burress, Jacob; Pfeifer, Peter; Rash, Tyler; Shah, Parag; Suppes, Galen

2016-12-13

Activated carbon materials and methods of producing and using activated carbon materials are provided. In particular, biomass-derived activated carbon materials and processes of producing the activated carbon materials with prespecified surface areas and pore size distributions are provided. Activated carbon materials with preselected high specific surface areas, porosities, sub-nm (<1 nm) pore volumes, and supra-nm (1-5 nm) pore volumes may be achieved by controlling the degree of carbon consumption and metallic potassium intercalation into the carbon lattice during the activation process.

Surface morphology study in high speed milling of soda lime glass

Science.gov (United States)

Konneh, Mohamed; Bagum, Mst. Nasima; Ali, Mohammad Yeakub; Amin, A. K. M. Nurul

2018-05-01

Soda lime glass has a wide range of applications in optical, bio-medical and semi-conductor industries. It is undeniably a challenging task to produce micro finish surface on an amorphous brittle solid like soda lime glass due to its low fracture toughness. In order to obtain such a finish surface, ductile machining has been exploited, as this usually cause's plastic flow which control crack propagation. At sub-micro scale cutting parameters, researchers achieved nano finish surface in micro milling operation using coated tool. However it is possible to enhance the rate of material removal (RMR) of soda lime glass at flexible cutting condition. High speed cutting at micro meter level, extend of thermal softening might be prominent than the strain gradient strengthening. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of high cutting speed end milling parameters on the surface texture of soda lime glass using uncoated carbide tool. The spindle speed, depth of cut and feed rate were varied from 20,000 to 40,000 rpm, 10 to 30 mm/min and 30 to 50 µm respectively. Mathematical model of roughness has been developed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Experimental verification confirmed that surface roughness (Ra) 0.38 µm is possible to achieve at increased RMR, 4.71 mm3/min.

Generation of H-, D- ions on composite surfaces with application to surface/plasma ion source systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiskes, J.R.; Karo, A.M.; Wimmer, E.; Freeman, A.J.; Chubb, S.R.

1983-01-01

We review some salient features of the experimental and theoretical data pertaining to hydrogen negative ion generation on minimum-work-function composite surfaces consisting of Cs/transition metal substrates. Cesium or hydrogen ion bombardment of a cesium-activated negatively-biased electrode exposed to a cesium-hydrogen discharge results in the release of hydrogen negative ions. These ions originate through desorbtion of hydrogen particles by incident cesium ions, desorbtion by incident hydrogen ions, and by backscattering of incident hydrogen. Each process is characterized by a specific energy and angular distribution. The calculation of ion formation in the crystal selvage region is discussed for different approximations to the surface potential. An ab initio, all-electron, local density functional model for the composite surface electronics is discussed

Surface passivation of high purity granular metals: zinc, cadmium, lead

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pirozhenko L. A.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available For the high purity metals (99.9999%, such as zinc, cadmium, and lead, which are widely used as initial components in growing semiconductor and scintillation crystals (CdTe, CdZnTe, ZnSe, (Cd, Zn, Pb WO4, (Cd, Zn, Pb MoO4 et al., it is very important to ensure reliable protection of the surface from oxidation and adsorption of impurities from the atmosphere. The specific features of surface passivation of high purity cadmium, lead and zinc are not sufficiently studied and require specific methodologies for further studies. The use of organic solutions in the schemes of chemical passivation of the investigated metals avoids hydrolysis of the obtained protective films. The use of organic solvents with pure cation and anion composition as the washing liquid prevents chemisorption of ions present in the conventionally used distilled water. This keeps the original purity of the granular metals. Novel compositions of etchants and etching scheme providing simultaneous polishing and passivation of high purity granular Zn, Cd and Pb are developed. Chemical passivation allows storing metals in the normal atmospheric conditions for more than half a year for Zn and Cd and up to 30 days for Pb without changing the state of the surface. The use of the glycerol-DMF solution in the processes for obtaining Pb granules provides self-passivation of metal surfaces and eliminates the additional chemical processing while maintaining the quality of corrosion protection.

London forces in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.V. Poperenko

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite with terrace steps was studied using scanning tunneling microscopy with high spatial resolution. Spots with positive and negative charges were found in the vicinity of the steps. Values of the charges depended both on the microscope needle scan velocity and on its motion direction. The observed effect was theoretically explained with account of London forces that arise between the needle tip and the graphite surface. In this scheme, a terrace step works as a nanoscale diode for surface electric currents.

Facile method to stain the bacterial cell surface for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunsolus, Ian L.; Hu, Dehong; Mihai, Cosmin; Lohse, Samuel E.; Lee, Chang-Soo; Torelli, Marco; Hamers, Robert J.; Murphy, Catherine; Orr, Galya; Haynes, Christy L.

2014-01-01

A method to fluorescently stain the surfaces of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial cells compatible with super-resolution fluorescence microscopy is presented. This method utilizes a commercially-available fluorescent probe to label primary amines at the surface of the cell. We demonstrate efficient staining of two bacterial strains, the Gram-negative Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis 168. Using structured illumination microscopy and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, which require high quantum yield or specialized dyes, we show that this staining method may be used to resolve the bacterial cell surface with sub-diffraction-limited resolution. We further use this method to identify localization patterns of nanomaterials, specifically cadmium selenide quantum dots, following interaction with bacterial cells.

Daily Emotional Labor, Negative Affect State, and Emotional Exhaustion: Cross-Level Moderators of Affective Commitment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyewon Kong

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Employees’ emotional-labor strategies, experienced affects, and emotional exhaustion in the workplace may vary over time within individuals, even within the same day. However, previous studies on these relationships have not highlighted their dynamic properties of these relationships. In addition, although the effects of surface and deep acting on emotional exhaustion have been investigated in emotional-labor research, empirical studies on these relationships still report mixed results. Thus, we suggest that moderators may affect the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. Also, this study examines the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion within individuals by repeated measurements, and verifies the mediating effect of a negative affect state. Finally, our study confirms the moderating effects that affective commitment has on the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. Data was collected from tellers who had a high degree of interaction with clients at banks based in South Korea. A total of 56 tellers participated in the survey and responded for five working days. A total of 616 data entries were collected from the 56 respondents. We used a hierarchical linear model (HLM to examine our hypothesis. The results showed that surface-acting emotional labor increases emotional exhaustion; furthermore, the relationship between surface acting emotional labor and emotional exhaustion is mediated by a negative affect state within individuals. In addition, this study verified that affective commitment buffers the negative effects that surface acting emotional labor has on emotional exhaustion. These results suggest that emotional labor is a dynamic process within individuals, and that emotional exhaustion caused by emotional labor differs among individuals, and is dependent upon factors such as the individual’s level of affective commitment.

Bloch surface wave structures for high sensitivity detection and compact waveguiding

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad Umar; Corbett, Brian

2016-01-01

Resonant propagating waves created on the surface of a dielectric multilayer stack, called Bloch surface waves (BSW), can be designed for high sensitivity monitoring of the adjacent refractive index as an alternative platform to the metal-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing. The resonant wavelength and polarization can be designed by engineering of the dielectric layers unlike the fixed resonance of SPR, while the wide bandwidth low loss of dielectrics permits sharper resonances, longer propagation lengths and thus their use in waveguiding devices. The transparency of the dielectrics allows the excitation and monitoring of surface-bound fluorescent molecules. We review the recent developments in this technology. We show the advantages that can be obtained by using high index contrast layered structures. Operating at 1550 nm wavelengths will allow the BSW sensors to be implemented in the silicon photonics platform where active waveguiding can be used in the realization of compact planar integrated circuits for multi-parameter sensing.

Highly sensitive BTX detection using surface functionalized QCM sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bozkurt, Asuman Aşıkoğlu; Özdemir, Okan; Altındal, Ahmet, E-mail: altindal@yildiz.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Yildiz Technical University, Davutpasa, 34210 Istanbul (Turkey)

2016-03-25

A novel organic compound was designed and successfully synthesized for the fabrication of QCM based sensors to detect the low concentrations of BTX gases in indoor air. The effect of the long-range electron orbital delocalization on the BTX vapour sensing properties of azo-bridged Pcs based chemiresistor-type sensors have also been investigated in this work. The sensing behaviour of the film for the online detection of volatile organic solvent vapors was investigated by utilizing an AT-cut quartz crystal resonator. It was observed that the adsorption of the target molecules on the coating surface cause a reversible negative frequency shift of the resonator. Thus, a variety of solvent vapors can be detected by using the phthalocyanine film as sensitive coating, with sensitivity in the ppm range and response times in the order of several seconds depending on the molecular structure of the organic solvent.

Surface effects in metal oxide-based nanodevices

KAUST Repository

Lien, Der Hsien; Duran Retamal, Jose Ramon; Ke, Jr Jian; Kang, Chen Fang; He, Jr-Hau

2015-01-01

As devices shrink to the nanoscale, surface-to-volume ratio increases and the surface-environment interaction becomes a major factor for affecting device performance. The variation of electronic properties, including the surface band bending, gas chemisorption or photodesorption, native surface defects, and surface roughness, is called "surface effects". Such effects are ambiguous because they can be either negative or beneficial effects, depending on the environmental conditions and device application. This review provides an introduction to the surface effects on different types of nanodevices, offering the solutions to respond to their benefits and negative effects and provides an outlook on further applications regarding the surface effect. This review is beneficial for designing nano-enabled photodetectors, harsh electronics, memories, sensors and transistors via surface engineering.

Surface effects in metal oxide-based nanodevices

KAUST Repository

Lien, Der Hsien

2015-10-29

As devices shrink to the nanoscale, surface-to-volume ratio increases and the surface-environment interaction becomes a major factor for affecting device performance. The variation of electronic properties, including the surface band bending, gas chemisorption or photodesorption, native surface defects, and surface roughness, is called "surface effects". Such effects are ambiguous because they can be either negative or beneficial effects, depending on the environmental conditions and device application. This review provides an introduction to the surface effects on different types of nanodevices, offering the solutions to respond to their benefits and negative effects and provides an outlook on further applications regarding the surface effect. This review is beneficial for designing nano-enabled photodetectors, harsh electronics, memories, sensors and transistors via surface engineering.

Nanometer-size surface modification produced by single, low energy, highly charged ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stockli, M.P.

1994-01-01

Atomically flat surfaces of insulators have been bombarded with low energy, highly charged ions to search for nanometer-size surface modifications. It is expected that the high electron deficiency of highly charged ions will capture and/or remove many of the insulator's localized electrons when impacting on an insulating surface. The resulting local electron deficiency is expected to locally disintegrate the insulator through a open-quotes Coulomb explosionclose quotes forming nanometer-size craters. Xe ions with charge states between 10+ and 45+ and kinetic energies between 0 and 10 keV/q were obtained from the KSU-CRYEBIS, a CRYogenic Electron Beam Ion Source and directed onto various insulating materials. Mica was favored as target material as atomically flat surfaces can be obtained reliably through cleaving. However, the authors observations with an atomic force microscope have shown that mica tends to defoliate locally rather than disintegrate, most likely due to the small binding forces between adjacent layers. So far the authors measurements indicate that each ion produces one blister if the charge state is sufficiently high. The blistering does not seem to depend very much on the kinetic energy of the ions

Highly reversible lead-carbon battery anode with lead grafting on the carbon surface

KAUST Repository

Yin, Jian; Lin, Nan; Zhang, Wenli; Lin, Zheqi; Zhang, Ziqing; Wang, Yue; Shi, Jun; Bao, Jinpeng; Lin, Haibo

2018-01-01

A novel C/Pb composite has been successfully prepared by electroless plating to reduce the hydrogen evolution and achieve the high reversibility of the anode of lead-carbon battery (LCB). The deposited lead on the surface of C/Pb composite was found to be uniform and adherent to carbon surface. Because lead has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite, the embedded structure suppresses the hydrogen evolution of lead-carbon anode and strengthens the connection between carbon additive and sponge lead. Compared with the blank anode, the lead-carbon anode with C/Pb composite displays excellent charge–discharge reversibility, which is attributed to the good connection between carbon additives and lead that has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite during the preparation process. The addition of C/Pb composite maintains a solid anode structure with high specific surface area and power volume, and thereby, it plays a significant role in the highly reversible lead-carbon anode.

Highly reversible lead-carbon battery anode with lead grafting on the carbon surface

KAUST Repository

Yin, Jian

2018-03-27

A novel C/Pb composite has been successfully prepared by electroless plating to reduce the hydrogen evolution and achieve the high reversibility of the anode of lead-carbon battery (LCB). The deposited lead on the surface of C/Pb composite was found to be uniform and adherent to carbon surface. Because lead has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite, the embedded structure suppresses the hydrogen evolution of lead-carbon anode and strengthens the connection between carbon additive and sponge lead. Compared with the blank anode, the lead-carbon anode with C/Pb composite displays excellent charge–discharge reversibility, which is attributed to the good connection between carbon additives and lead that has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite during the preparation process. The addition of C/Pb composite maintains a solid anode structure with high specific surface area and power volume, and thereby, it plays a significant role in the highly reversible lead-carbon anode.

Surface expression and limited proteolysis of ADAM10 are increased by a dominant negative inhibitor of dynamin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slack Barbara E

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The amyloid precursor protein (APP is cleaved by β- and γ-secretases to generate toxic amyloid β (Aβ peptides. Alternatively, α-secretases cleave APP within the Aβ domain, precluding Aβ formation and releasing the soluble ectodomain, sAPPα. We previously showed that inhibition of the GTPase dynamin reduced APP internalization and increased release of sAPPα, apparently by prolonging the interaction between APP and α-secretases at the plasma membrane. This was accompanied by a reduction in Aβ generation. In the present study, we investigated whether surface expression of the α-secretase ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease10 is also regulated by dynamin-dependent endocytosis. Results Transfection of human embryonic kidney (HEK cells stably expressing M3 muscarinic receptors with a dominant negative dynamin I mutant (dyn I K44A, increased surface expression of both immature, and mature, catalytically active forms of co-expressed ADAM10. Surface levels of ADAM10 were unaffected by activation of protein kinase C (PKC or M3 receptors, indicating that receptor-coupled shedding of the ADAM substrate APP is unlikely to be mediated by inhibition of ADAM10 endocytosis in this cell line. Dyn I K44A strongly increased the formation of a C-terminal fragment of ADAM10, consistent with earlier reports that the ADAM10 ectodomain is itself a target for sheddases. The abundance of this fragment was increased in the presence of a γ-secretase inhibitor, but was not affected by M3 receptor activation. The dynamin mutant did not affect the distribution of ADAM10 and its C-terminal fragment between raft and non-raft membrane compartments. Conclusions Surface expression and limited proteolysis of ADAM10 are regulated by dynamin-dependent endocytosis, but are unaffected by activation of signaling pathways that upregulate shedding of ADAM substrates such as APP. Modulation of ADAM10 internalization could affect cellular behavior in two

Petunia × hybrida floral scent production is negatively affected by high-temperature growth conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cna'ani, Alon; Mühlemann, Joelle K; Ravid, Jasmin; Masci, Tania; Klempien, Antje; Nguyen, Thuong T H; Dudareva, Natalia; Pichersky, Eran; Vainstein, Alexander

2015-07-01

Increasing temperatures due to changing global climate are interfering with plant-pollinator mutualism, an interaction facilitated mainly by floral colour and scent. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analyses revealed that increasing ambient temperature leads to a decrease in phenylpropanoid-based floral scent production in two Petunia × hybrida varieties, P720 and Blue Spark, acclimated at 22/16 or 28/22 °C (day/night). This decrease could be attributed to down-regulation of scent-related structural gene expression from both phenylpropanoid and shikimate pathways, and up-regulation of a negative regulator of scent production, emission of benzenoids V (EOBV). To test whether the negative effect of increased temperature on scent production can be reduced in flowers with enhanced metabolic flow in the phenylpropanoid pathway, we analysed floral volatile production by transgenic 'Blue Spark' plants overexpressing CaMV 35S-driven Arabidopsis thaliana production of anthocyanin pigments 1 (PAP1) under elevated versus standard temperature conditions. Flowers of 35S:PAP1 transgenic plants produced the same or even higher levels of volatiles when exposed to a long-term high-temperature regime. This phenotype was also evident when analysing relevant gene expression as inferred from sequencing the transcriptome of 35S:PAP1 transgenic flowers under the two temperature regimes. Thus, up-regulation of transcription might negate the adverse effects of temperature on scent production. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Advanced surface ablation for presbyopia using the Nidek EC-5000 laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantú, Roberto; Rosales, Marco A; Tepichín, Eduardo; Curioca, Andrée; Montes, Victor; Bonilla, Julio

2004-01-01

To present 1 to 6-month follow-up results of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) using multizone presbyopic advanced surface ablation (PASA) with a peripheral near zone. LASIK was performed on 28 eyes of 17 patients (10 men and 7 women; mean age 49.8 years with a range of 37 to 62 years). Eyes had primary or enhancement treatments with the Nidek EC-5000 excimer laser. Three techniques were used: 1) total transepithelial ablation, 2) surface ablation for far vision ametropia correction, and 3) concentric peripheral near zone presbyopia correction (technique developed by Dr. A. Telandro with a modified nomogram by Dr. R. Cantú for surface ablation). One surgeon (RC) performed all surgery. We present the preoperative and postoperative measurements for far and near uncorrected visual acuity, total high order aberrations, spherical aberration (Z-12), asphericity Q index, eccentricity corneal shape factor, and total coma and trefoil aberrations. Increases occurred in negative spherical aberration, negative asphericity index, and positive eccentricity corneal shape factor. Advanced surface ablation for presbyopia with a concentric peripheral near zone is a promising approach for surgical correction of presbyopia and potentially could be used with any advanced surface ablation procedure. Increases in negative spherical aberration and asphericity/ eccentricity indices seemed to increase the depth of focus of the eye, improving the near vision.

Highly antibacterial UHMWPE surfaces by implantation of titanium ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delle Side, D., E-mail: domenico.delleside@le.infn.it [LEAS, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio de Giorgi”, Università del Salento, Lecce (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – Sezione di Lecce, Lecce (Italy); Nassisi, V.; Giuffreda, E.; Velardi, L. [LEAS, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio de Giorgi”, Università del Salento, Lecce (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – Sezione di Lecce, Lecce (Italy); Alifano, P.; Talà, A.; Tredici, S.M. [Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, Università del Salento, Lecce (Italy)

2014-07-15

The spreading of pathogens represents a serious threat for human beings. Consequently, efficient antimicrobial surfaces are needed in order to reduce risks of contracting severe diseases. In this work we present the first evidences of a new technique to obtain a highly antibacterial Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) based on a non-stoichiometric titanium oxide coating, visible-light responsive, obtained through ion implantation.

Highly antibacterial UHMWPE surfaces by implantation of titanium ions

Science.gov (United States)

Delle Side, D.; Nassisi, V.; Giuffreda, E.; Velardi, L.; Alifano, P.; Talà, A.; Tredici, S. M.

2014-07-01

The spreading of pathogens represents a serious threat for human beings. Consequently, efficient antimicrobial surfaces are needed in order to reduce risks of contracting severe diseases. In this work we present the first evidences of a new technique to obtain a highly antibacterial Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) based on a non-stoichiometric titanium oxide coating, visible-light responsive, obtained through ion implantation.

Powerful highly efficient KrF lamps excited by surface and barrier discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borisov, V M; Vodchits, V A; El'tsov, A V; Khristoforov, O B

1998-01-01

An investigation was made of the characteristics of KrF lamps with different types of excitation by surface and barrier discharges in which the dielectric material was sapphire. The conditions were determined for the attainment of an extremely high yield of the KrF* fluorescence with the internal efficiency η in ∼30 % and 22% for pulsed surface and barrier discharges, respectively. A homogeneous surface discharge was maintained without gas circulation when the pulse repetition rate was 5 x 10 4 Hz. Quasicontinuous excitation of a surface discharge at near-atmospheric pressure made it possible to reach a KrF* fluorescence power density of about 80 W cm -3 , which was close to the limit set by the kinetics of the gaseous medium. Under prolonged excitation conditions the intensity of the UV output radiation was limited by the permissible heating of the gas to a temperature above which the operating life of the gaseous mixture containing fluorine fell steeply. This was the reason for the advantage of surface over barrier discharges: the former were characterised by a high thermal conductivity of a thin (∼0.2 mm) plasma layer on the surface of the cooled dielectric, which made it possible to construct powerful highly efficient KrF and ArF lamps emitting UV radiation of up to 1 W cm -2 intensity. (laser system components)

Determination of the meniscus shape of a negative ion beam from an experimentally obtained beam profile

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, M.; Kojima, A.; Chitarin, G.; Agostinetti, P.; Aprile, D.; Baltador, C.; Barbisan, M.; Delogu, R.; Hiratsuka, J.; Marconato, N.; Nishikiori, R.; Pimazzoni, A.; Sartori, E.; Serianni, G.; Tobari, H.; Umeda, N.; Veltri, P.; Watanabe, K.; Yoshida, M.; Antoni, V.; Kashiwagi, M.

2017-08-01

In order to understand the physics mechanism of a negative ion extraction in negative ion sources, an emission surface of the negative ions around an aperture at a plasma grid, so-called a meniscus, has been analyzed by an inverse calculation of the negative ion trajectory in a two dimensional beam analysis code. In this method, the meniscus is defined as the final position of the negative ion trajectories which are inversely calculated from the measured beam profile to the plasma grid. In a case of the volume-produced negative ions, the calculated meniscus by the inverse calculation was similar to that obtained in conventional beam simulation codes for positive ion extractions such as BEAMORBT and SLACCAD. The negative ion current density was uniform along the meniscus. This indicates that the negative ions produced in the plasma are transported to the plasma grid uniformly as considered in the transportation of the positive ions. However, in a surface production case of negative ions, where the negative ions are generated near the plasma grid with lower work function by seeding cesium, the current density in the peripheral region of the meniscus close to the plasma grid surface was estimated to be 2 times larger than the center region, which suggested that the extraction process of the surface-produced negative ions was much different with that for the positive ions. Because this non-uniform profile of the current density made the meniscus shape strongly concave, the beam extracted from the peripheral region could have a large divergence angle, which might be one of origins of so-called beam halo. This is the first results of the determination of the meniscus based on the experiment, which is useful to improve the prediction of the meniscus shape and heat loads based on the beam trajectories including beam halo.

Effect of negative bias voltage on CrN films deposited by arc ion plating. I. Macroparticles filtration and film-growth characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qimin; Kim, Kwang Ho

2008-01-01

Chromium nitride (CrN) films were deposited on Si wafers by arc ion plating (AIP) at various negative bias voltages and several groups of N 2 /Ar gas flux ratios and chamber gas pressures. The authors systematically investigated the influence of negative bias voltage on the synthesis, composition, microstructure, and properties of the AIP CrN films. In this part (Part I), the investigations were mainly focused on the macroparticle distributions and film-growth characteristics. The results showed that macroparticle densities on the film surfaces decreased greatly by applying negative bias voltage, which can be affected by partial pressure of N 2 and Ar gases. From the statistical analysis of the experimental results, they proposed a new hybrid mechanism of ion bombardment and electrical repulsion. Also, the growth of the AIP CrN films was greatly altered by applying negative bias voltage. By increasing the bias voltage, the film surfaces became much smoother and the films evolved from apparent columnar microstructures to an equiaxed microstructure. The impinging high-energy Cr ions accelerated by negative bias voltages were deemed the inherent reason for the evolution of growth characteristics

Development of the work function monitoring method for a converter of a negative ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaoka, Hitoshi; Sasao, Mamiko; Wada, Motoi; Ramos, H.J.

1988-07-01

A method to monitor the change in the work function of the converter surface in a self-extraction negative ion source is developed. The photoelectron emission from the Cs-Mo surface in a plasma is detected by irradiating surface with laser lights. Negative ions produced at the surface shows a strong correlation with the photoelectron current from the surface in hydrogen and helium discharges. The photoelectron current induced by the Ar + laser is used to detect the change in the cesium coverage, or the work function, while that by the dye laser is found to be suitable to confirm the region of the work function minimum. (author)

Interactions of hydroxyapatite surfaces: conditioning films of human whole saliva.

Science.gov (United States)

Cárdenas, Marité; Valle-Delgado, Juan José; Hamit, Jildiz; Rutland, Mark W; Arnebrant, Thomas

2008-07-15

Hydroxyapatite is a very interesting material given that it is the main component in tooth enamel and because of its uses in bone implant applications. Therefore, not only the characterization of its surface is of high relevance but also designing reliable methods to study the interfacial properties of films adsorbed onto it. In this paper we apply the colloidal probe atomic force microscopy method to investigate the surface properties of commercially available hydroxyapatite surfaces (both microscopic particles and macroscopic discs) in terms of interfacial and frictional forces. In this way, we find that hydroxyapatite surfaces at physiological relevant conditions are slightly negatively charged. The surfaces were then exposed to human whole saliva, and the surface properties were re-evaluated. A thick film was formed that was very resistant to mechanical stress. The frictional measurements demonstrated that the film was indeed highly lubricating, supporting the argument that this system may prove to be a relevant model for evaluating dental and implant systems.

Deformation Study of Lean Methane-Air Premixed Spherically Expanding Flames under a Negative Direct Current Electric Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Li

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper compares numerical simulations with experiments to study the deformation of lean premixed spherically expanding flames under a negative direct current (DC electric field. The experiments, including the flame deformation and the ionic distribution on the flame surface were investigated in a mesh to mesh electric field. Besides, a numerical model of adding an electric body force to the positive ions on the flame surface was also established to perform a relevant simulation. Results show that the spherical flame will acquire an elliptical shape with a marked flame stretch in the horizontal direction and a slight inhibition in the vertical direction under a negative DC electric field. Meanwhile, a non-uniform ionic distribution on the flame surface was also detected by the Langmuir probe. The simulation results from the numerical model show good agreement with experimental data. According to the velocity field analysis in simulation, it was found the particular motion of positive ions and neutral molecules on the flame surface should be responsible for the special flame deformation. When a negative DC electric field was applied, the majority of positive ions and colliding neutral molecules will form an ionic flow along the flame surface by a superposition of the electric field force and the aerodynamic drag. The ionic flow was not uniform and mainly formed on the upper and lower sides, so it will lead to a non-uniform ionic distribution along the flame surface. What’s more, this ionic flow will also induce two vortexes both inside and outside of the flame surface due to viscosity effects. The external vortexes could produce an entraining effect on the premixed gas and take away the heat from the flame surface by forced convection, and then suppress the flame propagation in the vertical direction, while, the inner vortexes would scroll the burned zones and induce an inward flow at the horizontal center, which could be the reason for the

Serum ALT levels as a surrogate marker for serum HBV DNA levels in HBeAg-negative pregnant women.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangfelt, Per; Von Sydow, Madeleine; Uhnoo, Ingrid; Weiland, Ola; Lindh, Gudrun; Fischler, Björn; Lindgren, Susanne; Reichard, Olle

2004-01-01

In Stockholm, Sweden, the majority of pregnant women positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) negative. Newborns to HBeAg positive mothers receive vaccination and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg). Newborns to HBeAg negative mothers receive vaccine and HBIg only if the mothers have elevated ALT levels. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate ALT levels as a surrogate marker for HBV DNA levels in HBeAg negative carrier mothers. Altogether 8947 pregnant women were screened for HBV markers from 1999 to 2001 at the Virology Department, Karolinska Hospital. Among mothers screened 192 tested positive for HBsAg (2.2%). 13 of these samples could not be retrieved. Of the remaining 179 sera, 8 (4%) tested positive for HBeAg and 171 (95.5%) were HBeAg negative. Among the HBeAg negative mothers, 9 had HBV DNA levels > 10(5) copies/ml, and of these 7 had normal ALT levels indicating low sensitivity of an elevated ALT level as a surrogate marker for high HBV DNA level. Furthermore, no correlation was found between ALT and HBV DNA levels. Hence, it is concluded that the use of ALT as a surrogate marker for high viral replication in HBeAg negative mothers could be questioned.

Striking Distance Determined From High-Speed Videos and Measured Currents in Negative Cloud-to-Ground Lightning

Science.gov (United States)

Visacro, Silverio; Guimaraes, Miguel; Murta Vale, Maria Helena

2017-12-01

First and subsequent return strokes' striking distances (SDs) were determined for negative cloud-to-ground flashes from high-speed videos exhibiting the development of positive and negative leaders and the pre-return stroke phase of currents measured along a short tower. In order to improve the results, a new criterion was used for the initiation and propagation of the sustained upward connecting leader, consisting of a 4 A continuous current threshold. An advanced approach developed from the combined use of this criterion and a reverse propagation procedure, which considers the calculated propagation speeds of the leaders, was applied and revealed that SDs determined solely from the first video frame showing the upward leader can be significantly underestimated. An original approach was proposed for a rough estimate of first strokes' SD using solely records of current. This approach combines the 4 A criterion and a representative composite three-dimensional propagation speed of 0.34 × 106 m/s for the leaders in the last 300 m propagated distance. SDs determined under this approach showed to be consistent with those of the advanced procedure. This approach was applied to determine the SD of 17 first return strokes of negative flashes measured at MCS, covering a wide peak-current range, from 18 to 153 kA. The estimated SDs exhibit very high dispersion and reveal great differences in relation to the SDs estimated for subsequent return strokes and strokes in triggered lightning.

Frequency-Wavenumber (FK)-Based Data Selection in High-Frequency Passive Surface Wave Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Feng; Xia, Jianghai; Xu, Zongbo; Hu, Yue; Mi, Binbin

2018-04-01

Passive surface wave methods have gained much attention from geophysical and civil engineering communities because of the limited application of traditional seismic surveys in highly populated urban areas. Considering that they can provide high-frequency phase velocity information up to several tens of Hz, the active surface wave survey would be omitted and the amount of field work could be dramatically reduced. However, the measured dispersion energy image in the passive surface wave survey would usually be polluted by a type of "crossed" artifacts at high frequencies. It is common in the bidirectional noise distribution case with a linear receiver array deployed along roads or railways. We review several frequently used passive surface wave methods and derive the underlying physics for the existence of the "crossed" artifacts. We prove that the "crossed" artifacts would cross the true surface wave energy at fixed points in the f-v domain and propose a FK-based data selection technique to attenuate the artifacts in order to retrieve the high-frequency information. Numerical tests further demonstrate the existence of the "crossed" artifacts and indicate that the well-known wave field separation method, FK filter, does not work for the selection of directional noise data. Real-world applications manifest the feasibility of the proposed FK-based technique to improve passive surface wave methods by a priori data selection. Finally, we discuss the applicability of our approach.

Frequency-Wavenumber (FK)-Based Data Selection in High-Frequency Passive Surface Wave Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Feng; Xia, Jianghai; Xu, Zongbo; Hu, Yue; Mi, Binbin

2018-07-01

Passive surface wave methods have gained much attention from geophysical and civil engineering communities because of the limited application of traditional seismic surveys in highly populated urban areas. Considering that they can provide high-frequency phase velocity information up to several tens of Hz, the active surface wave survey would be omitted and the amount of field work could be dramatically reduced. However, the measured dispersion energy image in the passive surface wave survey would usually be polluted by a type of "crossed" artifacts at high frequencies. It is common in the bidirectional noise distribution case with a linear receiver array deployed along roads or railways. We review several frequently used passive surface wave methods and derive the underlying physics for the existence of the "crossed" artifacts. We prove that the "crossed" artifacts would cross the true surface wave energy at fixed points in the f- v domain and propose a FK-based data selection technique to attenuate the artifacts in order to retrieve the high-frequency information. Numerical tests further demonstrate the existence of the "crossed" artifacts and indicate that the well-known wave field separation method, FK filter, does not work for the selection of directional noise data. Real-world applications manifest the feasibility of the proposed FK-based technique to improve passive surface wave methods by a priori data selection. Finally, we discuss the applicability of our approach.

Negative-ion-beam generation with the ORNL SITEX source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dagenhart, W.K.; Stirling, W.L.; Kim, J.

1982-05-01

Parametric studies were made on a hot cathode reflex discharge H - Surface Ionization source with Transverse Extraction (SITEX) in both the pure hydrogen and the mixed hydrogen-cesium mode. Extraction current density, beam current, gas efficiency, extracted electron-to-H - current ratio, heavy negative ion impurities, optics, and long pulse operation were investigated as a function of time, arc voltage, arc current, converter voltage, H 2 gas flow, cesium feed rate, and plasma generator geometries. Initial results of the research were an extracted H - beam current density of 56 mA/cm 2 at 23 mA for 5 s pulses and, gas efficiency of 3%, theta/sub perpendicular/ (1/e) approx. 2 +- 1 0 , theta/sub parallel/ (1/e) approx. 1 +- 1 0 , at a beam energy of 25 keV. Negative heavy ion beam impurities were reduced to - ions are produced prinicpally by positive ion surface conversion using elemental cesium fractional monolayer coverage on a molybdenum converter substrate, which is biased negatively with respect to the anode

Chip formation and surface integrity in high-speed machining of hardened steel

Science.gov (United States)

Kishawy, Hossam Eldeen A.

Increasing demands for high production rates as well as cost reduction have emphasized the potential for the industrial application of hard turning technology during the past few years. Machining instead of grinding hardened steel components reduces the machining sequence, the machining time, and the specific cutting energy. Hard turning Is characterized by the generation of high temperatures, the formation of saw toothed chips, and the high ratio of thrust to tangential cutting force components. Although a large volume of literature exists on hard turning, the change in machined surface physical properties represents a major challenge. Thus, a better understanding of the cutting mechanism in hard turning is still required. In particular, the chip formation process and the surface integrity of the machined surface are important issues which require further research. In this thesis, a mechanistic model for saw toothed chip formation is presented. This model is based on the concept of crack initiation on the free surface of the workpiece. The model presented explains the mechanism of chip formation. In addition, experimental investigation is conducted in order to study the chip morphology. The effect of process parameters, including edge preparation and tool wear on the chip morphology, is studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The dynamics of chip formation are also investigated. The surface integrity of the machined parts is also investigated. This investigation focusses on residual stresses as well as surface and sub-surface deformation. A three dimensional thermo-elasto-plastic finite element model is developed to predict the machining residual stresses. The effect of flank wear is introduced during the analysis. Although residual stresses have complicated origins and are introduced by many factors, in this model only the thermal and mechanical factors are considered. The finite element analysis demonstrates the significant effect of the heat generated

Highly Hydrophilic Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membranes Functionalized with Surface-Tailored Nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Tiraferri, Alberto

2012-09-26

Thin-film composite polyamide membranes are state-of-the-art materials for membrane-based water purification and desalination processes, which require both high rejection of contaminants and high water permeabilities. However, these membranes are prone to fouling when processing natural waters and wastewaters, because of the inherent surface physicochemical properties of polyamides. The present work demonstrates the fabrication of forward osmosis polyamide membranes with optimized surface properties via facile and scalable functionalization with fine-tuned nanoparticles. Silica nanoparticles are coated with superhydrophilic ligands possessing functional groups that impart stability to the nanoparticles and bind irreversibly to the native carboxyl moieties on the membrane selective layer. The tightly tethered layer of nanoparticles tailors the surface chemistry of the novel composite membrane without altering the morphology or water/solute permeabilities of the membrane selective layer. Surface characterization and interfacial energy analysis confirm that highly hydrophilic and wettable membrane surfaces are successfully attained. Lower intermolecular adhesion forces are measured between the new membrane materials and model organic foulants, indicating the presence of a bound hydration layer at the polyamide membrane surface that creates a barrier for foulant adhesion. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

High mobility group protein DSP1 negatively regulates HSP70 transcription in Crassostrea hongkongensis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miao, Zongyu; Xu, Delin; Cui, Miao; Zhang, Qizhong, E-mail: zhangqzdr@126.com

2016-06-10

HSP70 acts mostly as a molecular chaperone and plays important roles in facilitating the folding of nascent peptides as well as the refolding or degradation of the denatured proteins. Under stressed conditions, the expression level of HSP70 is upregulated significantly and rapidly, as is known to be achieved by various regulatory factors controlling the transcriptional level. In this study, a high mobility group protein DSP1 was identified by DNA-affinity purification from the nuclear extracts of Crassostrea hongkongensis using the ChHSP70 promoter as a bait. The specific interaction between the prokaryotically expressed ChDSP1 and the FITC-labeled ChHSP70 promoter was confirmed by EMSA analysis. ChDSP1 was shown to negatively regulate ChHSP70 promoter expression by Luciferase Reporter Assay in the heterologous HEK293T cells. Both ChHSP70 and ChDSP1 transcriptions were induced by either thermal or CdCl{sub 2} stress, while the accumulated expression peaks of ChDSP1 were always slightly delayed when compared with that of ChHSP70. This indicates that ChDSP1 is involved, very likely to exert its suppressive role, in the recovery of the ChHSP70 expression from the induced level to its original state. This study is the first to report negative regulator of HSP70 gene transcription, and provides novel insights into the mechanisms controlling heat shock protein expression. -- Highlights: •HMG protein ChDSP1 shows affinity to ChHSP70 promoter in Crassostrea hongkongensis. •ChDSP1 negatively regulates ChHSP70 transcription. •ChHSP70 and ChDSP1 transcriptions were coordinately induced by thermal/Cd stress. •ChDSP1 may contribute to the recovery of the induced ChHSP70 to its original state. •This is the first report regarding negative regulator of HSP70 transcription.

Variability of Surface Reflection Amplitudes of GPR Horn Antenna Depending on Distance between Antenna and Surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Komačka Jozef

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The study focused on variability of surface reflections amplitudes of GPR horn antenna in relation to distance between an antenna and a surface is presented in the paper. The air-coupled antenna with the central frequency of 1 GHz was used in the investigation. Four types of surfaces (dry pavement, wet pavement, metal plate and composite layer from gypsum and wood were tested. The distance of antenna above the surfaces was changed in the range from 37.5 cm to 53.5 cm. The amplitudes of negative and positive peaks and their variability were analysed in relation to the distance of antenna above the surfaces. Moreover, the influence of changes in the peaks of negative and positive amplitudes on the total amplitudes was assessed. It was found out the amplitudes of negative peaks for all investigated surfaces were relatively consistent in the range from 40.5 cm to 48.5 cm and the moderate decline was identified in the case of amplitudes of positive peaks in the range of distances from 37.5 cm to 51.5 cm. This decline influences the tendency of total amplitudes. Based on the results of analysis it can be stated the distance of air-coupled antenna above the surface can influence the value of total amplitude and the differences depend on the type of surface.

Influence of expander components on the processes at the negative plates of lead-acid cells on high-rate partial-state-of-charge cycling. Part I: Effect of lignosulfonates and BaSO{sub 4} on the processes of charge and discharge of negative plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlov, D.; Nikolov, P.; Rogachev, T. [Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Street, bl. 10, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria)

2010-07-15

This study investigates the influence of the organic expander component (Vanisperse A) and of BaSO{sub 4} on the performance of negative lead-acid battery plates on high-rate partial-state-of-charge (HRPSoC) cycling. Batteries operating in the HRPSoC mode should be classified as a separate type of lead-acid batteries. Hence, the additives to the negative plates should differ from the conventional expander composition. It has been established that lignosulfonates are adsorbed onto the lead surface and thus impede the charge processes, which results in impaired reversibility of the charge-discharge processes and hence shorter cycle life on HRPSoC operation, limited by sulfation of the negative plates. BaSO{sub 4} exerts the opposite effect: it improves the reversibility of the processes in the HRPSoC mode and hence prolongs the cycle life of the cells. The most pronounced effect of BaSO{sub 4} has been registered when it is added in concentration of 1.0 wt.% versus the leady oxide (LO) used for paste preparation. It has also been established that BaSO{sub 4} lowers the overpotential of PbSO{sub 4} nucleation. The results of the present investigation indicate that BaSO{sub 4} affects also the crystallization process of Pb during cell charging. Thus, BaSO{sub 4} eventually improves the performance characteristics of lead-acid cells on HRPSoC cycling. (author)

Brief learning induces a memory bias for arousing-negative words: an fMRI study in high and low trait anxious persons.

Science.gov (United States)

Eden, Annuschka S; Dehmelt, Vera; Bischoff, Matthias; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Kugel, Harald; Keuper, Kati; Zwanzger, Peter; Dobel, Christian

2015-01-01

Persons suffering from anxiety disorders display facilitated processing of arousing and negative stimuli, such as negative words. This memory bias is reflected in better recall and increased amygdala activity in response to such stimuli. However, individual learning histories were not considered in most studies, a concern that we meet here. Thirty-four female persons (half with high-, half with low trait anxiety) participated in a criterion-based associative word-learning paradigm, in which neutral pseudowords were paired with aversive or neutral pictures, which should lead to a valence change for the negatively paired pseudowords. After learning, pseudowords were tested with fMRI to investigate differential brain activation of the amygdala evoked by the newly acquired valence. Explicit and implicit memory was assessed directly after training and in three follow-ups at 4-day intervals. The behavioral results demonstrate that associative word-learning leads to an explicit (but no implicit) memory bias for negatively linked pseudowords, relative to neutral ones, which confirms earlier studies. Bilateral amygdala activation underlines the behavioral effect: Higher trait anxiety is correlated with stronger amygdala activation for negatively linked pseudowords than for neutrally linked ones. Most interestingly, this effect is also present for negatively paired pseudowords that participants could not remember well. Moreover, neutrally paired pseudowords evoked higher amygdala reactivity than completely novel ones in highly anxious persons, which can be taken as evidence for generalization. These findings demonstrate that few word-learning trials generate a memory bias for emotional stimuli, indexed both behaviorally and neurophysiologically. Importantly, the typical memory bias for emotional stimuli and the generalization to neutral ones is larger in high anxious persons.

Brief learning induces a memory bias for arousing-negative words: An fMRI study in high and low trait anxious persons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annuschka Salima Eden

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Persons suffering from anxiety disorders display facilitated processing of arousing and negative stimuli, such as negative words. This memory bias is reflected in better recall and increased amygdala activity in response to such stimuli. However, individual learning histories were not considered in most studies, a concern that we meet here. Thirty-four female persons (half with high-, half with low trait anxiety participated in a criterion-based associative word-learning paradigm, in which neutral pseudowords were paired with aversive or neutral pictures, which should lead to a valence change for the negatively paired pseudowords. After learning, pseudowords were tested with fMRI to investigate differential brain activation of the amygdala evoked by the newly acquired valence. Explicit and implicit memory was assessed directly after training and in three follow-ups at four-day intervals. The behavioral results demonstrate that associative word-learning leads to an explicit (but no implicit memory bias for negatively linked pseudowords, relative to neutral ones, which confirms earlier studies. Bilateral amygdala activation underlines the behavioral effect: Higher trait anxiety is correlated with stronger amygdala activation for negatively linked pseudowords than for neutrally linked ones. Most interestingly, this effect is also present for negatively paired pseudowords that participants could not remember well. Moreover, neutrally paired pseudowords evoked higher amygdala reactivity than completely novel ones in highly anxious persons, which can be taken as evidence for generalization. These findings demonstrate that few word-learning trials generate a memory bias for emotional stimuli, indexed both behaviorally and neurophysiologically. Importantly, the typical memory bias for emotional stimuli and the generalization to neutral ones is larger in high anxious persons.

Bleaching and enamel surface interactions resulting from the use of highly-concentrated bleaching gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Grazioli, Guillermo; Valente, Lisia Lorea; Isolan, Cristina Pereira; Pinheiro, Helena Alves; Duarte, Camila Gonçalves; Münchow, Eliseu Aldrighi

2018-03-01

Tooth bleaching is considered a non-invasive treatment, although the use of highly-concentrated products may provoke increased surface roughness and enamel demineralization, as well as postoperative sensitivity. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) concentration would affect tooth bleaching effectiveness and the enamel surface properties. Enamel/dentin bovine specimens (6 × 4 mm) were immersed in coffee solution for 7 days and evaluated with a spectrophotometer (Easyshade; baseline), using the CIEL * a * b * color parameters. Hardness was measured using a hardness tester. The specimens were randomly assigned into four groups: one negative control, in which the specimens were not bleached, but they were irradiated with a laser-light source (Whitening Lase II, DMC Equipments); and three groups using distinct H 2 O 2 concentration, namely LP15% (15% Lase Peroxide Lite), LP25% (25% Lase Peroxide Sensy), and LP35% (35% Lase Peroxide Sensy), all products from DMC. The bleached specimens were also irradiated with the laser-light source. After bleaching, all specimens were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). pH kinetics and rate was monitored during bleaching. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's test (p bleaching gels produced similar color change (p > 0.05). Concerning hardness, only the LP25% and LP35% significantly reduced hardness after bleaching; also, there was a progressive tendency for a greater percentage reduction in hardness with increased H 2 O 2 concentration of the gel (R 2  = 0.9973, p bleaching effectiveness, and may increase the possibility for alteration of enamel hardness, surface morphology, and acidity of the medium. When using H 2 O 2 -based bleaching agents, dental practitioners should choose for less concentrated gels, e.g., around the 15% level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Jet-Surface Interaction - High Aspect Ratio Nozzle Test: Test Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Clifford A.

2016-01-01

The Jet-Surface Interaction High Aspect Ratio Nozzle Test was conducted in the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center in the fall of 2015. There were four primary goals specified for this test: (1) extend the current noise database for rectangular nozzles to higher aspect ratios, (2) verify data previously acquired at small-scale with data from a larger model, (3) acquired jet-surface interaction noise data suitable for creating verifying empirical noise models and (4) investigate the effect of nozzle septa on the jet-mixing and jet-surface interaction noise. These slides give a summary of the test with representative results for each goal.

Superhydrophobic Zr-based metallic glass surface with high adhesive force

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ning; Xia, Ting; Heng, Liping; Liu, Lin

2013-06-01

Micro/nano hierarchical structures were constructed on Zr35Ti30Be26.75Cu8.25 metallic glass surface by silicon moulding and subsequently chemical etching. The as-formed surface exhibited both superhydrophobicity and high adhesive force towards water. The superhydrophobicity is rationalized based on the modified Cassie-Baxter model [A. B. D. Cassie and S. Baxter, Trans. Faraday Soc. 40, 546 (1944)]. The origin of the robust adhesion is described in terms of intermolecular capillary forces. The present results not only provide a method to fabricate superhydrophobic metallic glasses surface but also explore an important industrial application as dry adhesives and transport of liquid microdroplets.

Cues of High and Low Body Weight Negatively Influence Adults' Perceptions and Ratings in the Hypothetical Adoption Paradigm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony A. Volk

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Infant and child facial cues influence perceptions and ratings in the Hypothetical Adoption Paradigm as well as actual parental care. A previous study demonstrated that infant and child facial cues of low body weight negatively influenced adults' ratings. The current study sought to replicate and expand on those results by presenting adults with normal faces as well as faces that were digitally altered to display high or low body weight. Cues of abnormal body weight significantly, and negatively, influenced adults’ ratings of adoption preference, health, and cuteness. Effect sizes were larger for cues of high body weight. Thus, infant and child facial cues of abnormal body weight may represent a relative risk factor to the quality of adult care obtained by children with abnormal body weight.

A high-throughput surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on differential interferometric imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Daqian; Ding, Lili; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Enyao; Yu, Xinglong; Luo, Zhaofeng; Ou, Huichao

2012-01-01

A new high-throughput surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on differential interferometric imaging is reported. The two SPR interferograms of the sensing surface are imaged on two CCD cameras. The phase difference between the two interferograms is 180°. The refractive index related factor (RIRF) of the sensing surface is calculated from the two simultaneously acquired interferograms. The simulation results indicate that the RIRF exhibits a linear relationship with the refractive index of the sensing surface and is unaffected by the noise, drift and intensity distribution of the light source. The affinity and kinetic information can be extracted in real time from continuously acquired RIRF distributions. The results of refractometry experiments show that the dynamic detection range of SPR differential interferometric imaging system can be over 0.015 refractive index unit (RIU). High refractive index resolution is down to 0.45 RU (1 RU = 1 × 10 −6 RIU). Imaging and protein microarray experiments demonstrate the ability of high-throughput detection. The aptamer experiments demonstrate that the SPR sensor based on differential interferometric imaging has a great capability to be implemented for high-throughput aptamer kinetic evaluation. These results suggest that this biosensor has the potential to be utilized in proteomics and drug discovery after further improvement. (paper)

Surface applicators for high dose rate brachytherapy in AIDS-related kaposi's sarcoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, Michael D.C.; Yassa, Mariam; Podgorsak, Ervin B.; Roman, Ted N.; Schreiner, L. John; Souhami, Luis

1997-01-01

Purpose: The development of commercially available surface applicators using high dose rate remote afterloading devices has enabled radiotherapy centers to treat selected superficial lesions using a remote afterloading brachytherapy unit. The dosimetric parameters of these applicators, the clinical implementation of this technique, and a review of the initial patient treatment regimes are presented. Methods and Materials: A set of six fixed-diameter (1, 2, and 3 cm), tungsten/steel surface applicators is available for use with a single stepping-source (Ir-192, 370 GBq) high dose rate afterloader. The source can be positioned either in a parallel or perpendicular orientation to the treatment plane at the center of a conical aperture that sits at an SSD of approximately 15 mm and is used with a 1-mm thick removable plastic cap. The surface dose rates, percent depth dose, and off-axis ratios were measured. A custom-built, ceiling-mounted immobilization device secures the applicator on the surface of the patient's lesion during treatment. Results: Between November 1994, and September 1996, 16 AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma patients having a total of 120 lesions have been treated with palliative intent. Treatment sites were distributed between the head and neck, extremity, and torso. Doses ranged from 8 to 20 Gy, with a median dose of 10 Gy delivered in a single fraction. Treatments were well tolerated with minimal skin reaction, except for patients with lesions treated to 20 Gy who developed moderate/severe desquamation. Conclusion: Radiotherapy centers equipped with a high dose rate remote afterloading unit may treat small selected surface lesions with commercially available surface applicators. These surface applicators must be used with a protective cap to eliminate electron contamination. The optimal surface dose appears to be either 10 or 15 Gy depending upon the height of the lesion

Recent progress of high-power negative ion beam development for fusion plasma heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Akino, Noboru; Aoyagi, Tetsuo [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan). Naka Fusion Research Establishment; and others

1997-03-01

A negative-ion-based neutral beam injector (N-NBI) has been constructed for JT-60U. The N-NBI is designed to inject 500 keV, 10 MW neutral beams using two ion sources, each producing a 500 keV, 22 A D{sup -} ion beam. Beam acceleration test started in July, 1995 using one ion source. In the preliminary experiment, D{sup -} ion beam of 13.5 A has been successfully accelerated with an energy of 400 keV (5.4 MW) for 0.12 s at an operating pressure of 0.22 Pa. This is the highest D{sup -} beam current and power in the world. Co-extracted electron current was effectively suppressed to the ratio of Ie/I{sub D}- <1. The highest energy beam of 460 keV, 2.4 A, 0.44 s has also been obtained. Neutral beam injection starts in March, 1996 using two ion sources. To realize 1 MeV class NBI system for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), demonstration of ampere class negative ion beam acceleration up to 1 MeV is an important mile stone. To achieve the mile stone, a high energy test facility called MeV Test Facility (MTF) was constructed. The system consists of a 1 MV, 1 A acceleration power supply and a 100 kW power supply system for negative ion production. Up to now, an H{sup -} ion beam was accelerated up to the energy of 805 keV with an acceleration drain current of 150 mA for 1 s in a five stage electrostatic multi-aperture accelerator. (author)

Microstructure and properties of high chrome steel roller after laser surface melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Meiyan; Wang Yong; Han Bin; Zhao Weimin; Han Tao

2009-01-01

Laser surface melting of high chrome steels was achieved by a 5 kW continuous wave CO 2 laser. The microstructure of the laser surface-melted steels was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry, and the hardness profiles were determined by a Vickers hardness tester. The corrosion behavior in 3.5% NaCl solution was studied by electrochemical corrosion equipment. The large carbides of high chrome steels are completely dissolved and ultrafine dendrites of austenite with submicroscopic M 23 C 6 carbides precipitation are formed in the melted zone. The austenite in the melted zone has a high tempering stability. The corrosion resistance of the laser surface-melted steels is significantly improved due to the dissolution of carbides and the increase of the alloying elements in the solid solution as well as the large amount of austenite.

Laser surface modification of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riveiro, A.; Soto, R.; Val, J. del; Comesaña, R.; Boutinguiza, M.; Quintero, F.; Lusquiños, F.; Pou, J.

2014-01-01

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a synthetic polymer used for biomedical applications because of its high impact resistance, ductility and stability in contact with physiological fluids. Therefore, this material is being used in human orthopedic implants such as total hip or knee replacements. Surface modification of this material relates to changes on its chemistry, microstructure, roughness, and topography, all influencing its biological response. Surface treatment of UHMWPE is very difficult due to its high melt viscosity. This work presents a systematic approach to discern the role of different laser wavelengths (λ = 1064, 532, and 355 nm) on the surface modification of carbon coated UHMWPE samples. Influence of laser processing conditions (irradiance, pulse frequency, scanning speed, and spot overlapping) on the surface properties of this material was determined using an advanced statistical planning of experiments. A full factorial design of experiments was used to find the main effects of the processing parameters. The obtained results indicate the way to maximize surface properties which largely influence cell–material interaction.

Laser surface modification of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riveiro, A., E-mail: ariveiro@uvigo.es [Applied Physics Department, University of Vigo, ETSII, Lagoas-Marcosende, 9, Vigo 36310 (Spain); Centro Universitario de la Defensa, Escuela Naval Militar, Plaza de España 2, 36920 Marín (Spain); Soto, R.; Val, J. del; Comesaña, R.; Boutinguiza, M.; Quintero, F.; Lusquiños, F.; Pou, J. [Applied Physics Department, University of Vigo, ETSII, Lagoas-Marcosende, 9, Vigo 36310 (Spain)

2014-05-01

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a synthetic polymer used for biomedical applications because of its high impact resistance, ductility and stability in contact with physiological fluids. Therefore, this material is being used in human orthopedic implants such as total hip or knee replacements. Surface modification of this material relates to changes on its chemistry, microstructure, roughness, and topography, all influencing its biological response. Surface treatment of UHMWPE is very difficult due to its high melt viscosity. This work presents a systematic approach to discern the role of different laser wavelengths (λ = 1064, 532, and 355 nm) on the surface modification of carbon coated UHMWPE samples. Influence of laser processing conditions (irradiance, pulse frequency, scanning speed, and spot overlapping) on the surface properties of this material was determined using an advanced statistical planning of experiments. A full factorial design of experiments was used to find the main effects of the processing parameters. The obtained results indicate the way to maximize surface properties which largely influence cell–material interaction.

Graphene as a high impedance surface for ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrigo, Martino; Costanzo, Alessandra [Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering “Guglielmo Marconi” – DEI, University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento, 2, 40132 Bologna (Italy); Dragoman, Mircea [National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnology (IMT), P.O. Box 38-160, 023573 Bucharest (Romania); Dragoman, Daniela [Department of Physics, University of Bucharest, P.O. Box MG-11, 077125 Bucharest (Romania)

2013-11-14

The metals are regularly used as reflectors of electromagnetic fields emitted by antennas ranging from microwaves up to THz. To enhance the reflection and thus the gain of the antenna, metallic high impedance surfaces (HIS) are used. HIS is a planar array of continuous metallic periodic cell surfaces able to suppress surface waves, which cause multipath interference and backward radiation in a narrow bandwidth near the cell resonance. Also, the image currents are reduced, and therefore the antenna can be placed near the HIS. We demonstrate that graphene is acting as a HIS surface in a very large bandwidth, from microwave to THz, suppressing the radiation leakages better than a metal.

Surface topography and roughness of high-speed milled AlMn1Cu

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenhua; Yuan, Juntang; Yin, Zengbin; Hu, Xiaoqiu

2016-10-01

The aluminum alloy AlMn1Cu has been broadly applied for functional parts production because of its good properties. But few researches about the machining mechanism and the surface roughness were reported. The high-speed milling experiments are carried out in order to improve the machining quality and reveal the machining mechanism. The typical topography features of machined surface are observed by scan electron microscope(SEM). The results show that the milled surface topography is mainly characterized by the plastic shearing deformation surface and material piling zone. The material flows plastically along the end cutting edge of the flat-end milling tool and meanwhile is extruded by the end cutting edge, resulting in that materials partly adhere to the machined surface and form the material piling zone. As the depth of cut and the feed per tooth increase, the plastic flow of materials is strengthened and the machined surface becomes rougher. However, as the cutting speed increases, the plastic flow of materials is weakened and the milled surface becomes smoother. The cutting parameters (e.g. cutting speed, feed per tooth and depth of cut) influencing the surface roughness are analyzed. It can be concluded that the roughness of the machined surface formed by the end cutting edge is less than that by the cylindrical cutting edge when a cylindrical flat-end mill tool is used for milling. The proposed research provides the typical topography features of machined surface of the anti-rust aluminum alloy AlMn1Cu in high speed milling.

Current Sharing inside a High Power IGBT Module at the Negative Temperature Coefficient Operating Region

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2084596; Papastergiou, Konstantinos; Bongiorno, M; Thiringer, T

2016-01-01

This work investigates the current sharing effect of a high power Soft Punch Through IGBT module in the Negative Temperature Coefficient region. The unbalanced current sharing between two of the substrates is demonstrated for different current and temperature levels and its impact on the thermal stressing of the device is evaluated. The results indicate that the current asymmetry does not lead to a significant thermal stressing unbalance between the substrates.

Investigation of multi-scale flash-weakening of rock surfaces during high speed slip

Science.gov (United States)

Barbery, M. R.; Saber, O.; Chester, F. M.; Chester, J. S.

2017-12-01

A significant reduction in the coefficient of friction of rock can occur if sliding velocity approaches seismic rates as a consequence of weakening of microscopic sliding contacts by flash heating. Using a high-acceleration and -speed biaxial apparatus equipped with a high-speed Infra-Red (IR) camera to capture thermographs of the sliding surface, we have documented the heterogeneous distribution of temperature on flash-heated decimetric surfaces characterized by linear arrays of high-temperature, mm-size spots, and streaks. Numerical models that are informed by the character of flash heated surfaces and that consider the coupling of changes in temperature and changes in the friction of contacts, supports the hypothesis that independent mechanisms of flash weakening operate at different contact scales. Here, we report on new experiments that provide additional constraints on the life-times and rest-times of populations of millimeter-scale contacts. Rock friction experiments conducted on Westerly granite samples in a double-direct shear configuration achieve velocity steps from 1 mm/s to 900 mm/s at 100g accelerations over 2 mm of displacement with normal stresses of 22-36 MPa and 30 mm of displacement during sustained high-speed sliding. Sliding surfaces are machined to roughness similar to natural fault surfaces and that allow us to control the characteristics of millimeter-scale contact populations. Thermographs of the sliding surface show temperatures up to 200 C on millimeter-scale contacts, in agreement with 1-D heat conduction model estimates of 180 C. Preliminary comparison of thermal modeling results and experiment observations demonstrate that we can distinguish the different life-times and rest-times of contacts in thermographs and the corresponding frictional weakening behaviors. Continued work on machined surfaces that lead to different contact population characteristics will be used to test the multi-scale and multi-mechanism hypothesis for flash

Experimental study of a high-efficiency low-emission surface combustor-heater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Tian-yu; Khinkis, M.J.; Fish, F.F.

1991-01-01

The surface combustor-heater is a combined combustion/heat-transfer device in which the heat-exchange surfaces are embedded in a stationary bed of refractory material where gaseous fuel is burned. Because of intensive heat radiation from the hot solid particles and enhanced heat convection from the gas flow to the heat-exchange tubes, heat transfer is significantly intensified. Removing heat simultaneously with the combustion process has the benefit of reducing the combustion temperature, which suppresses NO x formation. A basic experimental study was conducted on a 60-kW bench-scale surface combustor-heater with two rows of water-cooled tube coils to evaluate its performance and explore the mechanism of combined convective-radiative heat transfer and its interaction with combustion in the porous matrix. Combustion stability in the porous matrix, heat-transfer rates, emissions, and pressure drop through the unit have been investigated for the variable parameters of operation and unit configurations. Experimental results have demonstrated that high combustion intensity (up to 2.5 MW/m 2 ), high heat-transfer rates (up to 310 kW/m 2 ), high density of energy conversion (up to 8 MW/m 3 ), as well as ultra-low emissions (NO x and CO as low as 15 vppm*) have been achieved. The excellent performance of the test unit and the extensive data obtained from the present experimental study provide the basis for further development of high-efficiency and ultra low-emission water heaters, boilers, and process heaters based on the surface combustor-heater concept. 4 refs., 16 figs

Discrepant HPV/cytology cotesting results: Are there differences between cytology-negative versus HPV-negative cervical intraepithelial neoplasia?

Science.gov (United States)

Tracht, Jessica M; Davis, Antoinette D; Fasciano, Danielle N; Eltoum, Isam-Eldin A

2017-10-01

The objective of this study was to compare cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions subcategorized as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-3 (CIN-3)-positive after a negative cytology result but positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing to those with a negative HR-HPV test but positive cytology (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance [ASCUS]-positive/HPV-negative) and to assess reasons for discrepancies. The authors retrospectively analyzed women who underwent screening with cytology and HPV testing from 2010 through 2013. After a review of surgical specimens and cytology, discrepancies were classified as sampling or interpretation error. Clinical and pathologic findings were compared. In total, 15,173 women (age range, 25-95 years; 7.1% were aged ASCUS-positive/HPV-positive, 11 that tested negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM)/HPV-positive, 10 that tested ASCUS-positive/HPV-negative, 3 that tested NILM/HPV-negative, and 5 tests that were unsatisfactory. There was no significant difference between NILM/HPV-positive and ASCUS-positive/HPV-negative CIN-3 in terms of size, time to occurrence, the presence of a cytopathic effect, screening history, race, or age. Six of 11 NILM/HPV-positive cases were reclassified as ASCUS, indicating an interpreting error of 55% and a sampling error of 45%. No ASCUS-positive/HPV-negative cases were reclassified. Seven cases of CIN-3 with positive cytology were HPV-negative. There are no significant clinical or pathologic differences between NILM/HPV-positive and ASCUS-positive/HPV-negative CIN-3-positive specimens. Cytologic sampling or interpretation remains the main reason for discrepancies. However, HPV-negative CIN-3 with positive cytology exists and may be missed by primary HPV screening. Cancer Cytopathol 2017;125:795-805. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Transport and stability studies in negative central shear advanced tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayakumar, R.J.

2003-01-01

Achieving high performance for long duration is a key goal of Advanced Tokamak (AT) research around the world. To this end, tokamak experiments are focusing on obtaining (a) a high fraction of well-aligned non-inductive plasma current (b) wide internal transport barriers (ITBs) in the ion and electron transport channels to obtain high temperatures (c) control of resistive wall modes and neoclassical Tearing Modes which limit the achievable beta. A current profile that yields a negative central magnetic shear (NCS) in the core is consistent with the above focus; Negative central shear is conducive for obtaining internal transport barriers, for high degree of bootstrap current alignment and for reaching the second stability region for ideal ballooning modes, while being stable to ideal kink modes at high beta with wall stabilization. Much progress has been made in obtaining AT performance in several tokamaks through an increasing understanding of the stability and transport properties of tokamak plasmas. RF and neutral beam current drive scenarios are routinely developed and implemented in experiments to access new advanced regimes and control plasma profiles. Short duration and sustained Internal Transport Barriers (ITB) have been obtained in the ion and electron channels. The formation of an ITB is attributable to the stabilization of ion and electron temperature gradient (ITG and ETG) and trapped electron modes (TEM), enhancement of E x B flow shear rate and rarefaction of resonant surfaces near the rational q min values. (orig.)

Transport and stability studies in negative central shear advanced tokamak plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jayakumar, R.J. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (United States)

2003-07-01

Achieving high performance for long duration is a key goal of Advanced Tokamak (AT) research around the world. To this end, tokamak experiments are focusing on obtaining (a) a high fraction of well-aligned non-inductive plasma current (b) wide internal transport barriers (ITBs) in the ion and electron transport channels to obtain high temperatures (c) control of resistive wall modes and neoclassical Tearing Modes which limit the achievable beta. A current profile that yields a negative central magnetic shear (NCS) in the core is consistent with the above focus; Negative central shear is conducive for obtaining internal transport barriers, for high degree of bootstrap current alignment and for reaching the second stability region for ideal ballooning modes, while being stable to ideal kink modes at high beta with wall stabilization. Much progress has been made in obtaining AT performance in several tokamaks through an increasing understanding of the stability and transport properties of tokamak plasmas. RF and neutral beam current drive scenarios are routinely developed and implemented in experiments to access new advanced regimes and control plasma profiles. Short duration and sustained Internal Transport Barriers (ITB) have been obtained in the ion and electron channels. The formation of an ITB is attributable to the stabilization of ion and electron temperature gradient (ITG and ETG) and trapped electron modes (TEM), enhancement of E x B flow shear rate and rarefaction of resonant surfaces near the rational q{sub min} values. (orig.)

Prevalence and chemotherapy-induced reactivation of occult hepatitis B virus among hepatitis B surface antigen negative patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: Significance of hepatitis B core antibodies screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elbedewy, T.A.; Elashtokhy, H.A.; Rabee, E.S.; Kheder, G.E.

2015-01-01

Background: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is characterized by negative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and detectable hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA in the liver and/or serum, with or without hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc). Anti-HBc is the most sensitive marker of previous HBV. HBV reactivation in patients under immunosuppressive treatment is life-threatening, occurring in both overt and occult HBV especially in hematological malignancies. Aim of the work: To evaluate the prevalence and chemotherapy-induced reactivation of OBI among hepatitis B surface antigen negative patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients and to determine the significance of anti-HBc screening among this group of patients before receiving chemotherapy. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study included 72 DLBCL patients negative for HBsAg, HBsAb and hepatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCV). Patients were subjected to investigations including anti-HBc. All patients underwent alanine transaminase (ALT) monitoring before each cycle of chemotherapy and monthly for 12 months after the end of chemotherapy. Patients with suspected OBI were tested for HBV-DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Anti-HBc was detected in 10 of 72 HBsAg negative sera (13.89%) (95% confidence interval 6.9-22.2%). Five of the 10 anti-HBc positive patients in this study had OBI reactivation. Conclusion: The study concluded that anti-HBc screening is mandatory before chemotherapy. HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive patients should be closely observed for signs of HBV reactivation through the regular monitoring of ALT. Prophylaxis lamivudine is recommended for anti-HBc positive patients before chemotherapy.

The negative influence of high-glucose ambience on neurogenesis in developing quail embryos.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yao Chen

Full Text Available Gestational diabetes is defined as glucose intolerance during pregnancy and it is presented as high blood glucose levels during the onset pregnancy. This condition has an adverse impact on fetal development but the mechanism involved is still not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of high glucose on the developing quail embryo, especially its impact on the development of the nervous system. We established that high glucose altered the central nervous system mophologically, such that neural tube defects (NTDs developed. In addition, we found that high glucose impaired nerve differentiation at dorsal root ganglia and in the developing limb buds, as revealed by neurofilament (NF immunofluorescent staining. The dorsal root ganglia are normally derived from neural crest cells (NCCs, so we examine the delamination of NCCs from dorsal side of the neural tube. We established that high glucose was detrimental to the NCCs, in vivo and in vitro. High glucose also negatively affected neural differentiation by reducing the number and length of neurites emanating from neurons in culture. We established that high glucose exposure caused an increase in reactive oxidative species (ROS generation by primary cultured neurons. We hypothesized that excess ROS was the factor responsible for impairing neuron development and differentiation. We provided evidence for our hypothesis by showing that the addition of vitamin C (a powerful antioxidant could rescue the damaging effects of high glucose on cultured neurons.

Near-ground cooling efficacies of trees and high-albedo surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levinson, Ronnen Michael [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1997-05-01

Daytime summer urban heat islands arise when the prevalence of dark-colored surfaces and lack of vegetation make a city warmer than neighboring countryside. Two frequentlyproposed summer heat island mitigation measures are to plant trees and to increase the albedo (solar reflectivity) of ground surfaces. This dissertation examines the effects of these measures on the surface temperature of an object near the ground, and on solar heating of air near the ground. Near-ground objects include people, vehicles, and buildings. The variation of the surface temperature of a near-ground object with ground albedo indicates that a rise in ground albedo will cool a near-ground object only if the object’s albedo exceeds a critical value. This critical value of object albedo depends on wind speed, object geometry, and the height of the atmospheric thermal boundary layer. It ranges from 0.15 to 0.37 for a person. If an object has typical albedo of 0.3, increasing the ground albedo by 0.25 perturbs the object’s surface temperature by -1 to +2 K. Comparing a tree’s canopy-to-air convection to the reduction in ground-to-air convection induced by tree shading of the ground indicates that the presence of a tree can either increase or decrease solar heating of ground-level air. The tree’s net effect depends on the extent to which solar heating of the canopy is dissipated by evaporation, and on the fraction of air heated by the canopy that flows downward and mixes with the ground-level air. A two-month lysimeter (plant-weighing) experiment was conducted to measure instantaneous rates of water loss from a tree under various conditions of weather and soil-moisture. Calculations of canopy-to-air convection and the reduction of ground-to-air convection based on this data indicate that canopy-induced heating would negate shadowinduced cooling if approximately 45% of the canopy-heated air mixed with ground level air. This critical fraction is comparable to typical downward mixing

Self-imagery in individuals with high body dissatisfaction: the effect of positive and negative self-imagery on aspects of the self-concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrar, Stephanie; Stopa, Lusia; Turner, Hannah

2015-03-01

Cognitive behavioural models of eating disorders highlight low self-esteem as a maintaining factor. This study explored the impact of positive and negative self-imagery on aspects of the working self (implicit and explicit self-esteem and self-concept clarity) in individuals with high body dissatisfaction (an important aspect of eating disorders). The impact of these images on state body satisfaction and affect was also explored. A group of participants with high body dissatisfaction completed measures of explicit self-esteem, self-concept clarity, state body satisfaction and affect prior to completing a negative (n = 33) or positive (n = 33) self-imagery retrieval task. Following this they completed the baseline measures and a measure of implicit self-esteem. Holding a negative self-image in mind had a negative effect on explicit self-esteem, whilst holding a positive self-image had a beneficial effect. There were no effects of imagery on implicit self-esteem. Holding a negative image in mind led to a significant reduction in self-concept clarity; however, positive self-imagery did not affect self-concept clarity. Holding a negative self-image in mind led to a decrease in body satisfaction and state affect. The opposite was found for the positive self-imagery group. Implicit self-esteem was not measured at baseline. Imagery techniques which promote positive self-images may help improve aspects of the working self, body satisfaction and affect in individuals with high levels of body dissatisfaction. As such, these imagery techniques warrant further investigation in a clinical population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation of high-order oligomers is required for functional bioactivity of an African bat henipavirus surface glycoprotein.

Science.gov (United States)

Behner, Laura; Zimmermann, Louisa; Ringel, Marc; Weis, Michael; Maisner, Andrea

2018-05-01

Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are highly pathogenic henipaviruses originating from fruit bats in Australia and Asia that can cause severe infections in livestock and humans. In recent years, also African bat henipaviruses were identified at the nucleic acid level. To assess their potential to replicate in non-bat species, several studies were performed to characterize the two surface glycoproteins required for virus entry and spread by cell-cell fusion. It has been shown that surface expression and fusion-helper function of the receptor-binding G protein of Kumasi virus (KV), the prototypic Ghanaian bat henipavirus, is reduced compared to other non-African henipavirus G proteins. Immunostainings and pulse-chase analysis revealed a delayed export of KV G from the ER. As defects in oligomerization of viral glycoproteins can be responsible for limited surface transport thereby restricting the bioactivity, we analyzed the oligomerization pattern of KV G. In contrast to HeV and NiV whose G proteins are known to be expressed at a dimer-tetramer ratio of 1:1, KV G almost exclusively formed stable tetramers or higher oligomers. KV G also showed less stringent requirements for defined stalk cysteines to form dimers and tetramers. Interestingly, any changes in the oligomeric forms negatively affected the fusion-helper activity although surface expression and receptor binding was unchanged. This clearly indicates that the formation of mostly higher oligomeric KV G forms is not a deficiency responsible for ER retention, but is rather a basic structural feature essential for the bioactivity of this African bat henipavirus glycoprotein. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly efficient bioinspired molecular Ru water oxidation catalysts with negatively charged backbone ligands.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Lele; Wang, Lei; Li, Fusheng; Li, Fei; Sun, Licheng

2015-07-21

The oxygen evolving complex (OEC) of the natural photosynthesis system II (PSII) oxidizes water to produce oxygen and reducing equivalents (protons and electrons). The oxygen released from PSII provides the oxygen source of our atmosphere; the reducing equivalents are used to reduce carbon dioxide to organic products, which support almost all organisms on the Earth planet. The first photosynthetic organisms able to split water were proposed to be cyanobacteria-like ones appearing ca. 2.5 billion years ago. Since then, nature has chosen a sustainable way by using solar energy to develop itself. Inspired by nature, human beings started to mimic the functions of the natural photosynthesis system and proposed the concept of artificial photosynthesis (AP) with the view to creating energy-sustainable societies and reducing the impact on the Earth environments. Water oxidation is a highly energy demanding reaction and essential to produce reducing equivalents for fuel production, and thereby effective water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) are required to catalyze water oxidation and reduce the energy loss. X-ray crystallographic studies on PSII have revealed that the OEC consists of a Mn4CaO5 cluster surrounded by oxygen rich ligands, such as oxyl, oxo, and carboxylate ligands. These negatively charged, oxygen rich ligands strongly stabilize the high valent states of the Mn cluster and play vital roles in effective water oxidation catalysis with low overpotential. This Account describes our endeavors to design effective Ru WOCs with low overpotential, large turnover number, and high turnover frequency by introducing negatively charged ligands, such as carboxylate. Negatively charged ligands stabilized the high valent states of Ru catalysts, as evidenced by the low oxidation potentials. Meanwhile, the oxygen production rates of our Ru catalysts were improved dramatically as well. Thanks to the strong electron donation ability of carboxylate containing ligands, a seven

Immobilization of β-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis onto polymeric membrane surfaces: effect of surface characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Güleç, Hacı Ali

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of surface characteristics of plain and plasma modified cellulose acetate (CA) membranes on the immobilization yield of β-galactosidases from Kluyveromyces lactis (KLG) and its galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) yield, respectively. Low pressure plasma treatments involving oxygen plasma activation, plasma polymerization (PlsP) of ethylenediamine (EDA) and PlsP of 2-mercaptoethanol were used to modify plain CA membrane surfaces. KLG enzyme was immobilized onto plain and oxygen plasma treated membrane surfaces by simple adsorption. Oxygen plasma activation increased the hydrophylicity of CA membrane surfaces and it improved the immobilization yield of the enzyme by 42%. KLG enzyme was also immobilized onto CA membrane surfaces through amino groups created by PlsP of EDA via covalent binding. Plasma action at 60W plasma power and 15 min. exposure time improved the amount of membrane bounded enzyme by 3.5-fold. The enrichment of the amount of amino groups via polyethyleneimine (PEI) addition enhanced this increase from 3.5-fold to 4.5-fold. Although high enzyme loading was achived (65-83%), both of the methods dramatically decreased the enzyme activity (11-12%) and GOS yield due to probably negative effects of active amino groups. KLG enzyme was more effectively immobilized onto thiolated CA membrane surface created by PlsP of 2-mercaptoethanol with high immobilization yield (70%) and especially high enzyme activity (46%). Immobilized enzymes on the CA membranes treated by PlsP were successively reutilized for 5-8 cycles at 25°C and enzymatic derivatives retained approximately 75-80% of their initial activites at the end of the reactions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The motion of a vortex on a closed surface of constant negative curvature.

Science.gov (United States)

Ragazzo, C Grotta

2017-10-01

The purpose of this work is to present an algorithm to determine the motion of a single hydrodynamic vortex on a closed surface of constant curvature and of genus greater than one. The algorithm is based on a relation between the Laplace-Beltrami Green function and the heat kernel. The algorithm is used to compute the motion of a vortex on the Bolza surface. This is the first determination of the orbits of a vortex on a closed surface of genus greater than one. The numerical results show that all the 46 vortex equilibria can be explicitly computed using the symmetries of the Bolza surface. Some of these equilibria allow for the construction of the first two examples of infinite vortex crystals on the hyperbolic disc. The following theorem is proved: 'a Weierstrass point of a hyperellitic surface of constant curvature is always a vortex equilibrium'.

Highly multiplexed and quantitative cell-surface protein profiling using genetically barcoded antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollock, Samuel B; Hu, Amy; Mou, Yun; Martinko, Alexander J; Julien, Olivier; Hornsby, Michael; Ploder, Lynda; Adams, Jarrett J; Geng, Huimin; Müschen, Markus; Sidhu, Sachdev S; Moffat, Jason; Wells, James A

2018-03-13

Human cells express thousands of different surface proteins that can be used for cell classification, or to distinguish healthy and disease conditions. A method capable of profiling a substantial fraction of the surface proteome simultaneously and inexpensively would enable more accurate and complete classification of cell states. We present a highly multiplexed and quantitative surface proteomic method using genetically barcoded antibodies called phage-antibody next-generation sequencing (PhaNGS). Using 144 preselected antibodies displayed on filamentous phage (Fab-phage) against 44 receptor targets, we assess changes in B cell surface proteins after the development of drug resistance in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in adaptation to oncogene expression in a Myc-inducible Burkitt lymphoma model. We further show PhaNGS can be applied at the single-cell level. Our results reveal that a common set of proteins including FLT3, NCR3LG1, and ROR1 dominate the response to similar oncogenic perturbations in B cells. Linking high-affinity, selective, genetically encoded binders to NGS enables direct and highly multiplexed protein detection, comparable to RNA-sequencing for mRNA. PhaNGS has the potential to profile a substantial fraction of the surface proteome simultaneously and inexpensively to enable more accurate and complete classification of cell states. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Experimental Design for a Macrofoam-Swab Study Relating the Recovery Efficiency and False Negative Rate to Low Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates on Four Surface Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piepel, Gregory F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hutchison, Janine R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-12-05

This report describes the experimental design for a laboratory study to quantify the recovery efficiencies and false negative rates of a validated, macrofoam-swab sampling method for low concentrations of Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BAS) and Bacillus atrophaeus (BG) spores on four surface materials (stainless steel, glass, vinyl tile, plastic light cover panel). Two analytical methods (culture and polymerase chain reaction) will be used. Only one previous study has investigated how the false negative rate depends on test factors. The surrogates BAS and BG have not been tested together in the same study previously. Hence, this study will provide for completing gaps in the available information on the performance of macrofoam-swab sampling at low concentrations.

Experimental Design for a Macrofoam Swab Study Relating the Recovery Efficiency and False Negative Rate to Low Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates on Four Surface Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piepel, Gregory F.; Hutchison, Janine R.

2014-04-16

This report describes the experimental design for a laboratory study to quantify the recovery efficiencies and false negative rates of a validated, macrofoam swab sampling method for low concentrations of Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BAS) and Bacillus atrophaeus (BG) spores on four surface materials (stainless steel, glass, vinyl tile, plastic light cover panel). Two analytical methods (plating/counting and polymerase chain reaction) will be used. Only one previous study has investigated false negative as a function of affecting test factors. The surrogates BAS and BG have not been tested together in the same study previously. Hence, this study will provide for completing gaps in the available information on the performance of macrofoam swab sampling at low concentrations.

Microstructure and properties of high chrome steel roller after laser surface melting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Meiyan, E-mail: lmy_102411@163.com [College of Electromechanical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, 271 Bei' er Road, Dongying 257061 (China); Wang Yong; Han Bin; Zhao Weimin; Han Tao [College of Electromechanical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, 271 Bei' er Road, Dongying 257061 (China)

2009-06-15

Laser surface melting of high chrome steels was achieved by a 5 kW continuous wave CO{sub 2} laser. The microstructure of the laser surface-melted steels was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry, and the hardness profiles were determined by a Vickers hardness tester. The corrosion behavior in 3.5% NaCl solution was studied by electrochemical corrosion equipment. The large carbides of high chrome steels are completely dissolved and ultrafine dendrites of austenite with submicroscopic M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides precipitation are formed in the melted zone. The austenite in the melted zone has a high tempering stability. The corrosion resistance of the laser surface-melted steels is significantly improved due to the dissolution of carbides and the increase of the alloying elements in the solid solution as well as the large amount of austenite.

Sand Transport under Highly Turbulent Airflow on a Beach Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Baas, A. C. W.; Jackson, D. W. T.; Cooper, J. A. G.; Lynch, K.; Delgado-Fernandez, I.; Beyers, J. H. M.

2012-04-01

The past decade has seen a growing body of research on the relation between turbulence in the wind and the resultant transport of sediment over active sand surfaces. Widespread use of sonic anemometry and high-frequency sand transport sensors and traps have facilitated recent field studies over dunes and beach surfaces, to move beyond monitoring of mean wind speed and bulk transport to more detailed measurements at much higher spatio-temporal resolutions. In this paper we present results of a field study conducted in the recirculation flow and re-attachment zone on a beach behind a foredune at Magilligan Strand, Northern Ireland. The offshore winds over the foredune at this site are associated with flow separation and reversal located over the beach surface in the lee of the dune row, often strong enough to induce sand transport toward the toe of the foredune ('against' the overall offshore flow). The re-attachment and recirculation zone are associated with strongly turbulent fluid flow and complex streamlines that do not follow the underlying topography. High frequency (25 Hz) wind and sand transport data were collected at a grid of point locations distributed over the beach surface between 35 m to 55 m distance from the 10 m high dune crest, using ultrasonic anemometers at 0.5 m height and co-located load cell traps and Safires at the bed surface. The wind data are used to investigate the role of Reynolds shear stresses and quadrant analysis techniques for identifying burst-sweep events in relation to sand transport events. This includes an assessment of the issues involved with data rotations for yaw, pitch, and roll corrections relative to complex flow streamlines, and the subsequently derived turbulence parameters based on fluctuating vector components (u', v', w'). Results illustrate how transport may exist under threshold mean velocities because of the role played by coherent flow structures, and the findings corroborate previous findings that shear velocity

Numerical analysis of high-speed liquid lithium free-surface flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordeev, Sergej; Heinzel, Volker; Stieglitz, Robert

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The free surface behavior of a high speed lithium jet is investigated by means of a CFD LES analysis. ► The study is aiming to validate adequate LES technique. ► The Osaka University experiments with liquid lithium jet have been simulated. ► Four cases with jet flow velocities of 4, 9, 13 and 15 m/s are analyzed. ► Calculation results show a good qualitative and a quantitative agreement with the experimental data. - Abstract: The free-surface stability of the target of the International Fusion Material Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is one of the crucial issues, since the spatio-temporal behavior of the free-surface determines the neutron flux to be generated. This article investigates the relation between the evolution of a wall boundary layer in a convergent nozzle and the free surface shape of a high speed lithium jet by means of a CFD LES analysis using the Osaka University experiments. The study is aiming to validate adequate LES technique to analyze the individual flow phenomena observed. Four cases with jet flow velocities of 4, 9, 13 and 15 m/s are analyzed. First analyses of calculation results show that the simulation exhibits a good qualitative and a quantitative agreement with the experimental data, which allows in the future a more realistic prediction of the IFMIF target behavior.

Fractal Dimension of Fracture Surface in Rock Material after High Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Z. Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Experiments on granite specimens after different high temperature under uniaxial compression were conducted and the fracture surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM. The fractal dimensions of the fracture surfaces with increasing temperature were calculated, respectively. The fractal dimension of fracture surface is between 1.44 and 1.63. Its value approximately goes up exponentially with the increase of temperature. There is a quadratic polynomial relationship between the rockburst tendency and fractal dimension of fracture surface; namely, a fractal dimension threshold can be obtained. Below the threshold value, a positive correlativity shows between rockburst tendency and fractal dimension; when the fractal dimension is greater than the threshold value, it shows an inverse correlativity.

Design considerations for a negative ion source for dc operation of high-power, multi-megaelectron-volt neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, C.C.; Stirling, W.L.; Akerman, M.A.; Becraft, W.R.; Dagenhart, W.K.; Haselton, H.H.; Ryan, P.M.; Schechter, D.E.; Whealton, J.H.

1988-03-01

A dc negative hydrogen and/or deuterium ion source is needed to prouce high-power, high-energy neutral beams for alpha diagnostics and current drive applicatiosn in fusion devices. The favorable beam particle energy for such applications extends to 1.5 MeV/amu. Continuous-wave (cw) radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerators have been proposed to accelerate negative ions effeciently to this energy range. In this paper, the desired beam properties for ion beams injected into cw RFQ accelerators are summariezed. A number of candidate ion sources being developed at Culham, JAERI, LBL, and ORNL may prove useful for these applications. The properties of the Volume Ionization with Transverse Extraction (VITEX) ion sources being developed at ORNL are presented. Scaling such a dc ion source to produce ampere beams is discussed. 53 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Design considerations for a negative ion source for dc operation of high-power, multi-megaelectron-volt neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, C.C.; Stirling, W.L.; Akerman, M.A.; Becraft, W.R.; Dagenhart, W.K.; Haselton, H.H.; Ryan, P.M.; Schechter, D.E.; Whealton, J.H.

1987-01-01

A dc negative hydrogen and/or deuterium ion source is needed to produce high-power, high-energy neutral beams for alpha diagnostics and current drive applications in fusion devices. The favorable beam particle energy for such applications extends to 1.5 MeV/amu. Continuous-wave (cw) radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerators have been proposed to accelerate negative ions efficiently to this energy range. In this paper, the desired beam properties for ion beams injected into cw RFQ accelerators are summarized. A number of candidate ion sources being developed at Culham, JAERI, LBL, and ORNL may prove useful for these applications. The properties of the Volume Ionization with Transverse Extraction (VITEX) ion sources being developed at ORNL are presented. Scaling such a dc ion source to produce ampere beams is discussed. 53 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs