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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul T. Fini; Shuji Nakamura

2005-01-01

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

On-line liquid phase micro-extraction based on drop-in-plug sequential injection lab-at-valve platform for metal determination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitani, Constantina [Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki 54124 (Greece); Anthemidis, Aristidis N., E-mail: anthemid@chem.auth.gr [Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki 54124 (Greece)

2013-04-10

Highlights: ► Drop-in-plug micro-extraction based on SI-LAV platform for metal preconcentration. ► Automatic liquid phase micro-extraction coupled with FAAS. ► Organic solvents with density higher than water are used. ► Lead determination in environmental water and urine samples. -- Abstract: A novel automatic on-line liquid phase micro-extraction method based on drop-in-plug sequential injection lab-at-valve (LAV) platform was proposed for metal preconcentration and determination. A flow-through micro-extraction chamber mounted at the selection valve was adopted without the need of sophisticated lab-on-valve components. Coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), the potential of this lab-at-valve scheme is demonstrated for trace lead determination in environmental and biological water samples. A hydrophobic complex of lead with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) was formed on-line and subsequently extracted into an 80 μL plug of chloroform. The extraction procedure was performed by forming micro-droplets of aqueous phase into the plug of the extractant. All critical parameters that affect the efficiency of the system were studied and optimized. The proposed method offered good performance characteristics and high preconcentration ratios. For 10 mL sample consumption an enhancement factor of 125 was obtained. The detection limit was 1.8 μg L{sup −1} and the precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) at 50.0 μg L{sup −1} of lead was 2.9%. The proposed method was evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials and applied for lead determination in natural waters and urine samples.

Metal-organic framework MIL-101 as sorbent based on double-pumps controlled on-line solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of flavonoids in environmental water samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yue; Hu, Jia; Li, Yan; Li, Xiao-Shuang; Wang, Zhong-Liang

2016-10-01

A novel method with high sensitivity for the rapid determination of chrysin, apigenin and luteolin in environment water samples was developed by double-pumps controlled on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the developed technique, metal organic framework MIL-101 was synthesized and applied as a sorbent for SPE. The as-synthesized MIL-101 was characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction spectrometry, thermal gravimetric analysis and micropore physisorption analysis. The MIL-101 behaved as a fast kinetics in the adsorption of chrysin, apigenin and luteolin. On-line SPE of chrysin, apigenin and luteolin was processed by loading a sample solution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min for 10 min. The extracted analytes were subsequently eluted into a ZORBAX Bonus-RP analytical column (25 cm long × 4.6 mm i.d.) for HPLC separation under isocratic condition with a mobile phase (MeOH: ACN: 0.02 M H 3 PO 4 = 35:35:30) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Experimental conditions, including ionic strength, sample pH, sample loading rates, sample loading time and desorption analytes time, were further optimized to obtain efficient preconcentration and high-precision determination of the analytes mentioned above. The method achieved the merits of simplicity, rapidity, sensitivity, wide linear range and high sample throughput. The possible mechanism for the adsorption of flavonoids on MIL-101 was proposed. The developed method has been applied to determine trace chrysin, apigenin and luteolin in a variety of environmental water samples. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electronic publishing of SPE papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perdue, J.M.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that the SPE is creating an electronic index to over 25,000 technical papers and will produce a CD-ROM as an initial product. This SPE CD-ROM Masterdisc will be available at the SPE Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 4-7, 1992. The SPE Board has appointed an Ad Hoc Committee on Electronic Publishing to coordinate and oversee this project and to recommend authoring standards for submitting SPE papers electronically in the future

Effect of Flow on Cultured Cell at Micro-Pattern of Ridge Lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruka Hino

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A flow channel with a micro-pattern of ridge lines of a scaffold has been designed to study quantitatively the effect of flow on an oriented cell in vitro. The lines of parallel micro ridges (0.001 mm height, 0.003 mm width, and 0.003 mm interval are made by the lithography technique on the lower surface of the channel as the scaffold to make orientation of each cell. Variation is made about the angle between the longitudinal direction of the ridge line and the direction of the flow: zero, 0.79 and 1.6 rad. The suspension of C2C12 (mouse myoblast cell line was injected to the channel, and incubated for two hours on the micro ridges before the flow test for four hours. The flow rate of 3/hour is controlled by a syringe pump to make variation of the wall shear stress of < 3 Pa. The action of each cell adhered on the micro pattern was analyzed at the time lapse images. The experimental results show that both the migration and the deformation of each myoblast along the micro ridge are restricted by the wall shear stress higher than 3 Pa.

Micro-PIXE line-scan measurements of the yellow eel's otolith

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Y. [Applied Ion Beam Physics Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Guo, H.; Tang, W.; Wei, K. [Laboratory of Ichthyology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306 (China); Shen, H., E-mail: haoshen@fudan.edu.cn [Applied Ion Beam Physics Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Yang, M.; Mi, Y. [Applied Ion Beam Physics Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2011-10-15

Anguilla japonica has a high economic value. The abundance had decreased significantly due to excessive fishing and change in the aquatic ecology. Life history patterns of A. japonica have been studied to prevent excessive fishing and make management plans. Strontium (Sr)-calcium (Ca) ratio along a line down the long axis from the core to the edge of the yellow eel's otolith was measured using micro proton induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE). An efficient and precise method was proposed to locate the core where an otolith begins to grow, based on Sr concentration and distribution. Using this method, life history patterns of the yellow eels collected from Jingjiang River in China were investigated. In general, there are two types, river eels and estuarine eels.

Glufosinate ammonium clean-up procedure from water samples using SPE

Science.gov (United States)

Tayeb M., A.; Ismail B., S.; Mardiana-Jansar, K.; Ta, Goh Choo; Agustar, Hani Kartini

2015-09-01

For the determination of glufosinate ammonium residue in soil and water samples, different solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbent efficiency was studied. Four different SPE sorbents i.e.: CROMABOND PS-H+, CROMABOND PS-OH-, ISOLUTE ENV+, Water Sep-Pak and OASIS HLB were used. Sample clean-up performance was evaluated using high performance liquid chromatography (Agilent 1220 infinity LC) with fluorescence detector. Detection of FMO-derivatives was done at λ ex = 260 nm and λ em= 310 nm. OASIS HLB column was the most suitable for the clean-up in view of the overall feasibility of the analysis.

Characterization and analysis of weld lines on micro-injection moulded parts using atomic force microscopy (AFM)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Gava, Alberto; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2009-01-01

In recent years plastic moulding techniques, such as injection moulding, have been developed to fulfil the needs of micro-components fabrication. Micro-injection moulding (SLIM) is the process which enables the mass production of polymer micro-systems such as micro-mechanical parts, micro...... the two original flows will generate and a weld line is formed on the surface of the micro-moulded part. This phenomenon has to be avoided or at least reduced, since in the weld line area the mechanical properties are poorer than in the bulk part, creating strength problems on the final part. Although...... injection moulding parameters on the weld lines' dimensions is presented, using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Depth and width of weld lines were chosen as parameters to be optimized....

WDM compatible and electrically tunable SPE-OCDMA system based on the temporal self-imaging effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Tainta, S; Amaya, W; Erro, M J; Garde, M J; Sales, S; Muriel, M A

2011-02-01

A coding/decoding setup for a spectral phase encoding optical code-division multiple access (SPE-OCDMA) system has been developed. The proposal is based on the temporal self-imaging effect and the use of an easily tunable electro-optic phase modulator to achieve line-by-line coding of the transmitted signal, thus assuring compatibility with WDM techniques. Modulation of the code is performed at the same rate as the data, avoiding the use of high-bandwidth electro-optic modulators. As proof of concept of the technique, experimental results are presented for a back-to-back coder/decoder setup transmitting a 10 GHz unmodulated optical pulse train within an 80 GHz optical window and using 8-chip Hadamard codes.

Novel approach to microwave-assisted extraction and micro-solid-phase extraction from soil using graphite fibers as sorbent.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Li; Lee, Hian Kee

2008-05-30

A single-step extraction-cleanup procedure involving microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and micro-solid-phase extraction (micro-SPE) has been developed for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil samples. Micro-SPE is a relatively new extraction procedure that makes use of a sorbent enclosed within a sealed polypropylene membrane envelope. In the present work, for the first time, graphite fiber was used as a sorbent material for extraction. MAE-micro-SPE was used to cleanup sediment samples and to extract and preconcentrate five PAHs in sediment samples prepared as slurries with addition of water. The best extraction conditions comprised of microwave heating at 50 degrees C for a duration of 20 min, and an elution (desorption) time of 5 min using acetonitrile with sonication. Using gas chromatography (GC)-flame ionization detection (FID), the limits of detection (LODs) of the PAHs ranged between 2.2 and 3.6 ng/g. With GC-mass spectrometry (MS), LODs were between 0.0017 and 0.0057 ng/g. The linear ranges were between 0.1 and 50 or 100 microg/g for GC-FID analysis, and 1 and 500 or 1000 ng/g for GC-MS analysis. Granular activated carbon was also used for the micro-SPE device but was found to be not as efficient in the PAH extraction. The MAE-micro-SPE method was successfully used for the extraction of PAHs in river and marine sediments, demonstrating its applicability to real environmental solid matrixes.

An on-line monitoring system for a micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Y S; Chang, T Y; Chuang, T J

2008-01-01

A pulse-type discriminating system to monitor the process of micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) is developed and implemented. The specific features are extracted and the pulses from a RC-type power source are classified into normal, effective arc, transient short circuit and complex types. An approach to discriminate the pulse type according to three durations measured at three pre-determined voltage levels of a pulse is proposed. The developed system is verified by using simulated signals. Discrimination of the pulse trains in actual machining processes shows that the pulses are mainly the normal type for micro wire-EDM and micro-EDM milling. The pulse-type distribution varies during the micro-EDM drilling process. The percentage of complex-type pulse increases monotonically with the drilling depth. It starts to drop when the gap condition is seriously deteriorated. Accordingly, an on-line monitoring strategy for the micro-EDM drilling process is proposed

On-line SPE-UHPLC method using fused core columns for extraction and separation of nine illegal dyes in chilli-containing spices.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalikova, Maria A; Satínský, Dalibor; Smidrkalová, Tereza; Solich, Petr

2014-12-01

The presented work describes the development of a simple, fast and effective on-line SPE-UHPLC-UV/vis method using fused core particle columns for extraction, separation and quantitative analysis of the nine illegal dyes, most frequently found in chilli-containing spices. The red dyes Sudan I-IV, Sudan Red 7B, Sudan Red G, Sudan Orange G, Para Red, and Methyl Red were separated and analyzed in less than 9 min without labor-consuming pretreatment procedure. The chromatographic separation was performed on Ascentis Express RP-Amide column with gradient elution using mixture of acetonitrile and water, as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1) and 55°C of temperature. As SPE sorbent for cleanup and pre-concentration of illegal dyes short guard fused core column Ascentis Express F5 was used. The applicability of proposed method was proven for three different chilli-containing commercial samples. Recoveries for all compounds were between 90% and 108% and relative standard deviation ranged from 1% to 4% for within- and from 2% to 6% for between-day. Limits of detection showed lower values than required by European Union regulations and were in the range of 3.3-10.3 µg L(-1) for standard solutions, 5.6-235.6 µg kg(-1) for chilli-containing spices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An On-Line Solid Phase Extraction-Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Drinking and Surface Waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michela Mazzoni

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An UHPLC-MS/MS multiresidue method based on an on-line solid phase extraction (SPE procedure was developed for the simultaneous determination of 9 perfluorinated carboxylates (from 4 to 12 carbon atoms and 3 perfluorinated sulphonates (from 4 to 8 carbon atoms. This work proposes using an on-line solid phase extraction before chromatographic separation and analysis to replace traditional methods of off-line SPE before direct injection to LC-MS/MS. Manual sample preparation was reduced to sample centrifugation and acidification, thus eliminating several procedural errors and significantly reducing time-consuming and costs. Ionization suppression between target perfluorinated analytes and their coeluting SIL-IS were detected for homologues with a number of carbon atoms less than 9, but the quantitation was not affected. Total matrix effect corrected by SIL-IS, inclusive of extraction efficacy, and of ionization efficiency, ranged between −34 and +39%. The percentage of recoveries, between 76 and 134%, calculated in different matrices (tap water and rivers impacted by different pollutions was generally satisfactory. LODs and LOQs of this on-line SPE method, which also incorporate recovery losses, ranged from 0.2 to 5.0 ng/L and from 1 to 20 ng/L, respectively. Validated on-line SPE-LC/MS/MS method has been applied in a wide survey for the determination of perfluoroalkyl acids in Italian surface and ground waters.

An On-Line Solid Phase Extraction-Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Drinking and Surface Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzoni, Michela; Rusconi, Marianna; Valsecchi, Sara; Martins, Claudia P. B.; Polesello, Stefano

2015-01-01

An UHPLC-MS/MS multiresidue method based on an on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure was developed for the simultaneous determination of 9 perfluorinated carboxylates (from 4 to 12 carbon atoms) and 3 perfluorinated sulphonates (from 4 to 8 carbon atoms). This work proposes using an on-line solid phase extraction before chromatographic separation and analysis to replace traditional methods of off-line SPE before direct injection to LC-MS/MS. Manual sample preparation was reduced to sample centrifugation and acidification, thus eliminating several procedural errors and significantly reducing time-consuming and costs. Ionization suppression between target perfluorinated analytes and their coeluting SIL-IS were detected for homologues with a number of carbon atoms less than 9, but the quantitation was not affected. Total matrix effect corrected by SIL-IS, inclusive of extraction efficacy, and of ionization efficiency, ranged between −34 and +39%. The percentage of recoveries, between 76 and 134%, calculated in different matrices (tap water and rivers impacted by different pollutions) was generally satisfactory. LODs and LOQs of this on-line SPE method, which also incorporate recovery losses, ranged from 0.2 to 5.0 ng/L and from 1 to 20 ng/L, respectively. Validated on-line SPE-LC/MS/MS method has been applied in a wide survey for the determination of perfluoroalkyl acids in Italian surface and ground waters. PMID:25834752

Study of alkylphenols, indol and pyridinic nucleus of HPAN compounds by SPE/SI and SPE/C{sub 18}/NEC: application of SPE/Si phase to oils from the Alagoas sub-basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reboucas, L.M.C.; Nogueira, F.A.R.; Sabino, A.R.; Araujo, O.R.P.; Sant' Ana, A.E.G. [Universidade Federal de Alagoas (LABIS/UFAL), Maceio, AL (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica e Biotecnologia. Lab. de Analise de Biomarcadores e Semioquimicos], E-mail: lmcr@qui.ufal.br

2008-10-15

Alkylphenols (AP) and hydrocarbon polycyclic aromatic nitrogen (HPAN) compounds are important to study secondary migrations of petroleum. The behavior of AP and HPAN standards was investigated by solid phase extraction (SPE) on silica gel (SPE/Si) and C{sub 18}/NEC (SPE/C{sub 18}) stationary phases. The AP standards were eluted with dichloromethane (DCM) in the F2 fraction, on both SPE/Si and SPE/C{sub 18} phases. The basic and neutral HPAN compounds were eluted together with DCM, in F2 fraction, when a SPE/C18 column was used. However in the SPE/Si column the HPAN compounds were separated by their basic and neutral character in two different fractions. The neutral HPAN compounds were eluted with DCM, F2 fraction, and the HPAN basic compounds were eluted with the mixture DCM:isopropanol 5%, F3 fraction. In general, the quantity of recovered AP and HPAN compounds was higher with SPE/Si than SPE/C{sub 18}. The nine oil samples were analyzed by SPE/Si and the saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon were separated from the polar AP and HPAN. (author)

Accurate micro Hall effect measurements on scribe line pads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østerberg, Frederik Westergaard; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Wang, Fei

2009-01-01

Hall mobility and sheet carrier density are important parameters to monitor in advanced semiconductor production. If micro Hall effect measurements are done on small pads in scribe lines, these parameters may be measured without using valuable test wafers. We report how Hall mobility can...... be extracted from micro four-point measurements performed on a rectangular pad. The dimension of the investigated pad is 400 × 430 ¿m2, and the probe pitches range from 20 ¿m to 50 ¿m. The Monte Carlo method is used to find the optimal way to perform the Hall measurement and extract Hall mobility most...

Ultra-high efficiency, fast graphene micro-heater on silicon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Siqi; Zhu, Xiaolong; Frandsen, Lars Hagedorn

2017-01-01

We demonstrate an ultra-high efficiency and fast graphene microheater on silicon photonic crystal waveguide. By taking advantage of slow-light effect, a tuning efficiency of 1.07 nm/mW and power consumption per free spectral range of 3.99 mW. A fast rise and decay times (10% to 90%) of only 750 ns...

Micro-Injection Moulding In-Line Quality Assurance Based on Product and Process Fingerprints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baruffi, Federico; Calaon, Matteo; Tosello, Guido

2018-01-01

significant dimensional features of the micro part were measured using a focus variation microscope. Their dependency on the variation of µIM process parameters was studied with a Design of Experiments (DoE) statistical approach. A correlation study allowed the identification of the product fingerprint, i...... of the study showed that the dimensional quality of the micro component could be effectively controlled in-line by combining the two fingerprints, thus opening the door for future µIM in-line process optimization and quality assessment.......Micro-injection moulding (μIM) is a replication-based process enabling the cost-effective production of complex and net-shaped miniaturized plastic components. The micro-scaled size of such parts poses great challenges in assessing their dimensional quality and often leads to time...

Influence of process parameters on the weld lines of a micro injection molded component

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Gava, Alberto; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2007-01-01

The insufficient entanglement of the molecular chains and the stress amplification at the v-notch of a weld line compromise the mechanical strength of a plastic product, also in the micro scale. To investigate the influence of process parameters on the weld lines formation, a special micro cavity...... was designed and manufactured by µEDM (Electro Discharge Machining). Weld lines were quantitatively characterized both in the two-dimensional (direction and position) and three-dimensional range (surface topography characterization). Results showed that shape and position of weld lines are mainly influenced...

Micro-machinable polymer-derived ceramic sensors for high-temperature applications

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jian; Xu, Chengying; An, Linan

2010-04-01

Micro-sensors are highly desired for on-line temperature/pressure monitoring in turbine engines to improve their efficiency and reduce pollution. The biggest challenge for developing this type of sensors is that the sensors have to sustain at extreme environments in turbine engine environments, such as high-temperatures (>800 °C), fluctuated pressure and oxidation/corrosion surroundings. In this paper, we describe a class of sensors made of polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) for such applications. PDCs have the following advantages over conventional ceramics, making them particularly suitable for these applications: (i) micromachining capability, (ii) tunable electric properties, and (iii) hightemperature capability. Here, we will discuss the materials and their properties in terms of their applications for hightemperature micro-sensors, and microfabrication technologies. In addition, we will also discuss the design of a heat-flux sensor based on polymer-derived ceramics.

The determination of organochlorine pesticides based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line solid-phase extraction of high-performance liquid chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Ligang; Ding Lan; Jin Haiyan; Song Daqian; Zhang Huarong; Li Jiantao; Zhang Kun; Wang Yutang; Zhang Hanqi

2007-01-01

A rapid technique based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line solid-phase extraction of high-performance liquid chromatography (DMAE-SPE-HPLC) has been developed. A TM 010 microwave resonance cavity built in the laboratory was applied to concentrate the microwave energy. The sample placed in the zone of microwave irradiation was extracted with 95% acetonitrile (ACN) aqueous solution which was driven by a peristaltic pump at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min -1 . The extraction can be completed in a recirculating system in 10 min. When a number of extraction cycles were completed, the extract (1 mL) was diluted on-line with water. Then the extract was loaded into an SPE column where the analytes were retained while the unretained matrix components were washed away. Subsequently, the analytes were automatically transferred from the SPE column to the analytical column and determined by UV detector at 238 nm. The technique was used for determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in grains, including wheat, rice, corn and bean. The limits of detection of OCPs are in the range of 19-37 ng g -1 . The recoveries obtained by analyzing the four spiked grain samples are in the range of 86-105%, whereas the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) values are <8.7% ranging from 1.2 to 8.7%. Our method was demonstrated to be fast, accurate, and precise. In addition, only small quantities of solvent and sample were required

Sulfonated nanocellulose for the efficient dispersive micro solid-phase extraction and determination of silver nanoparticles in food products.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz-Palomero, Celia; Soriano, M Laura; Valcárcel, Miguel

2016-01-08

This paper reports a simple approach to Analytical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (AN&N) that integrates the nanotool, sulfonated nanocellulose (s-NC), and nanoanalyte, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), in the same analytical process by using an efficient, environmentally friendly dispersive micro solid-phase extraction (D-μSPE) capillary electrophoresis (CE) method with s-NC as sorbent material. Introducing negatively charged sulfate groups onto the surface of cellulose enhances its surface chemistry and enables the extraction and preconcentration of AgNPs of variable diameter (10, 20 and 60nm) and shell composition (citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone coatings) from complex matrices into a cationic surfactant. In this way, AgNPs of diverse nature were successfully extracted onto the s-NC sorbent and then desorbed into an aqueous solution containing thiotic acid (TA) prior to CE without the need for any labor-intensive cleanup. The ensuing eco-friendly D-μSPE method exhibited a linear response to AgNPs with a limit of detection (LOD) of 20μg/L. Its ability to specifically recognize AgNPs of different sizes was checked in orange juice and mussels, which afforded recoveries of 70.9-108.4%. The repeatability of the method at the limit of quantitation (LOQ) level was 5.6%. Based on the results, sulfonated nanocellulose provides an efficient, cost-effective analytical nanotool for the extraction of AgNPs from food products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pre-shot simulations of far-field ground motion for the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) Explosions at the Climax Stock, Nevada National Security Site: SPE2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mellors, R J; Rodgers, A; Walter, W; Ford, S; Xu, H; Matzel, E; Myers, S; Petersson, N A; Sjogreen, B; Hauk, T; Wagoner, J

2011-10-18

The Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is planning a 1000 kg (TNT equivalent) shot (SPE2) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in a granite borehole at a depth (canister centroid) of 45 meters. This shot follows an earlier shot of 100 kg in the same borehole at a depth 60 m. Surrounding the shotpoint is an extensive array of seismic sensors arrayed in 5 radial lines extending out 2 km to the north and east and approximately 10-15 to the south and west. Prior to SPE1, simulations using a finite difference code and a 3D numerical model based on the geologic setting were conducted, which predicted higher amplitudes to the south and east in the alluvium of Yucca Flat along with significant energy on the transverse components caused by scattering within the 3D volume along with some contribution by topographic scattering. Observations from the SPE1 shot largely confirmed these predictions although the ratio of transverse energy relative to the vertical and radial components was in general larger than predicted. A new set of simulations has been conducted for the upcoming SPE2 shot. These include improvements to the velocity model based on SPE1 observations as well as new capabilities added to the simulation code. The most significant is the addition of a new source model within the finite difference code by using the predicted ground velocities from a hydrodynamic code (GEODYN) as driving condition on the boundaries of a cube embedded within WPP which provides a more sophisticated source modeling capability linked directly to source site materials (e.g. granite) and type and size of source. Two sets of SPE2 simulations are conducted, one with a GEODYN source and 3D complex media (no topography node spacing of 5 m) and one with a standard isotropic pre-defined time function (3D complex media with topography, node spacing of 5 m). Results were provided as time series at specific points corresponding to sensor locations for both translational (x,y,z) and rotational

Automated 2D peptide separation on a 1D nano-LC-MS system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taylor, Paul; Nielsen, Peter A; Trelle, Morten Beck

2009-01-01

the on-line separation of highly complex peptide mixtures directly coupled with mass spectrometry-based identification. Here, we present a variation of the traditional MudPIT protocol, combining highly sensitive chromatography using a nanoflow liquid chromatography system (nano-LC) with a two...

High-Throughput Proteomics Using High Efficiency Multiple-Capillary Liquid Chromatography With On-Line High-Performance ESI FTICR Mass Spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Yufeng (BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)); Tolic, Nikola (BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)); Zhao, Rui (ASSOC WESTERN UNIVERSITY); Pasa Tolic, Ljiljana (BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)); Li, Lingjun (Illinois Univ Of-Urbana/Champa); Berger, Scott J.(ASSOC WESTERN UNIVERSITY); Harkewicz, Richard (BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)); Anderson, Gordon A.(BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)); Belov, Mikhail E.(BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)); Smith, Richard D.(BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB))

2000-12-01

We report on the design and application of a high-efficiency multiple-capillary liquid chromatography (LC) system for high-throughput proteome analysis. The multiple-capillary LC system was operated at the pressure of 10,000 psi using commercial LC pumps to deliver the mobile phase and newly developed passive feedback valves to switch the mobile phase flow and introduce samples. The multiple-capillary LC system was composed of several serially connected dual-capillary column devices. The dual-capillary column approach was designed to eliminate the time delay for regeneration (or equilibrium) of the capillary column after its use under the mobile phase gradient condition (i.e. one capillary column was used in separation and the other was washed using mobile phase A). The serially connected dual-capillary columns and ESI sources were operated independently, and could be used for either''backup'' operation or with other mass spectrometer(s). This high-efficiency multiple-capillary LC system uses switching valves for all operations and is highly amenable to automation. The separations efficiency of dual-capillary column device, optimal capillary dimensions (column length and packed particle size), suitable mobile phases for electrospray, and the capillary re-generation were investigated. A high magnetic field (11.5 tesla) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer was coupled on-line with this high-efficiency multiple-capillary LC system through an electrospray ionization source. The capillary LC provided a peak capacity of {approx}600, and the 2-D capillary LC-FTICR provided a combined resolving power of > 6 x 10 7 polypeptide isotopic distributions. For yeast cellular tryptic digests, > 100,000 polypeptides were typically detected, and {approx}1,000 proteins can be characterized in a single run.

A novel molybdenum disulfide nanosheet self-assembled flower-like monolithic sorbent for solid-phase extraction with high efficiency and long service life.

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Fanpeng; Liu, Hongmei; Wang, Xiaoqi; Guo, Yong

2017-07-21

A novel material consisting of molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) nanosheet that self-assemble into flower-like microspheres which aggregate to form a monolithic matrix with a micro or nano-scaled mesopore structure was successfully synthesized and used as an efficient sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) due to its large specific adsorption area and good stability. The extraction properties of the as-prepared sorbent were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography with variable wavelength detection (HPLC-VWD) by analyzing four flavonoids (apigenin, quercetin, luteolin, and kaempferol). Under optimal conditions, the LODs and LOQs were found to be in the ranges of 0.1-0.25 and 0.4-0.5μgL -1 , respectively, and wide linear ranges were obtained with correlation coefficients (R) ranging from 0.9991 to 0.9996. Compared with commercial C18 and Alumina-N sorbents, the as-prepared sorbent showed high extraction efficiency at different concentrations of flavonoids. After 100 uses, the extraction ability of the self-assembled MoS 2 nanosheet monolithic sorbent had no evident decline, denoting a long service life. Finally, the SPE-HPLC-VWD method using the as-prepared sorbent was applied to flavonoid analysis in beverage samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of on-line nanoLC-IT-TOF in the identification of serum β-catenin complex in mice scald model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-cai Huang

Full Text Available Severe burn shock remains an unresolved clinical problem with an urgent need to explore novel therapeutic treatments. Intracellular β-catenin, through interaction with other proteins, has been reported to be able to regulate the size of cutaneous wounds. Higher expression of β-catenin is associated with larger sized wounds. However, the identification of serum β-catenin complex is difficult and has been rarely reported. The exploitation of more binding partners can contribute to uncovering the exact mechanisms behind serum β-catenin mediated biological effects. Here, we describe a method that consists of immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE, in-gel digestion, and nanoLC coupled to LCMS-IT-TOF for the investigation of serum β-catenin complex in mice scald model. Among selected gel bands obtained from the protein gels, a total of 31 peptides were identified and sequenced with high statistical significance (p<0.01. Three proteins (alpha-2-marcoglobulin, serine protease inhibitor A3K, and serine protease inhibitor A1A were identified and validated with high reliability and high reproducibility. It was inferred that these proteins might interact with serum β-catenin, which could affect the wound healing resulting from burn shock. Our study demonstrated that the on-line coupling of nano-LC with a LCMS-IT-TOF mass spectrometer was capable of sensitive and automated characterization of the serum β-catenin complex in mice scald model.

Evaluation of width and width uniformity of near-field electrospinning printed micro and sub-micrometer lines based on optical image processing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Libo; Xia, Yong; Hebibul, Rahman; Wang, Jiuhong; Zhou, Xiangyang; Hu, Yingjie; Li, Zhikang; Luo, Guoxi; Zhao, Yulong; Jiang, Zhuangde

2018-03-01

This paper presents an experimental study using image processing to investigate width and width uniformity of sub-micrometer polyethylene oxide (PEO) lines fabricated by near-filed electrospinning (NFES) technique. An adaptive thresholding method was developed to determine the optimal gray values to accurately extract profiles of printed lines from original optical images. And it was proved with good feasibility. The mechanism of the proposed thresholding method was believed to take advantage of statistic property and get rid of halo induced errors. Triangular method and relative standard deviation (RSD) were introduced to calculate line width and width uniformity, respectively. Based on these image processing methods, the effects of process parameters including substrate speed (v), applied voltage (U), nozzle-to-collector distance (H), and syringe pump flow rate (Q) on width and width uniformity of printed lines were discussed. The research results are helpful to promote the NFES technique for fabricating high resolution micro and sub-micro lines and also helpful to optical image processing at sub-micro level.

Simultaneous determination of seven synthetic colorants in wine by dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction coupled with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yun; Zhou, Hua; Wang, Yougang; Wu, Xianglun; Zhao, Yonggang

2015-02-01

A novel and effective dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (d-µ-SPE) using ethanediamine-functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 polymer (EDA-MP) as an efficient adsorbent in wine sample was developed. Based on this, a simple and time-saving analytical method for the simultaneous determination of seven synthetic colorants (i.e., tartrazine, amaranth, carmine, sunset yellow, allura red, brilliant blue and erythrosine) in wine by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector was established. The experimental parameters, including the chromatographic retention behavior of studied synthetic colorants, the effect of the usage amount of cross-linking monomer, the effect of the usage amount of EDA-MP on the recovery and the recyclability of the adsorbents, were studied in detail. The results showed that the EDA-MP could be reused efficiently at least six times. Under optimized conditions, the recoveries for all analytes were in the range of 88.6-105.2%, with the intraday relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 2.1 to 8.2% and the interday RSDs ranging from 3.4 to 8.7%, and all the analytes had good linearities in the tested ranges with correlation coefficients (r(2)) >0.9995. The limits of quantification for seven synthetic colorants were between 0.12 and 0.45 mg L(-1). The developed method was successfully applied to wine samples, and it was confirmed that the EDA-MP particles were highly effective d-µ-SPE materials. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Performance comparison of digital microRNA profiling technologies applied on human breast cancer cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Knutsen

Full Text Available MicroRNA profiling represents an important first-step in deducting individual RNA-based regulatory function in a cell, tissue, or at a specific developmental stage. Currently there are several different platforms to choose from in order to make the initial miRNA profiles. In this study we investigate recently developed digital microRNA high-throughput technologies. Four different platforms were compared including next generation SOLiD ligation sequencing and Illumina HiSeq sequencing, hybridization-based NanoString nCounter, and miRCURY locked nucleic acid RT-qPCR. For all four technologies, full microRNA profiles were generated from human cell lines that represent noninvasive and invasive tumorigenic breast cancer. This study reports the correlation between platforms, as well as a more extensive analysis of the accuracy and sensitivity of data generated when using different platforms and important consideration when verifying results by the use of additional technologies. We found all the platforms to be highly capable for microRNA analysis. Furthermore, the two NGS platforms and RT-qPCR all have equally high sensitivity, and the fold change accuracy is independent of individual miRNA concentration for NGS and RT-qPCR. Based on these findings we propose new guidelines and considerations when performing microRNA profiling.

An on-line coupling of nanofibrous extraction with column-switching high performance liquid chromatography - A case study on the determination of bisphenol A in environmental water samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Háková, Martina; Chocholoušová Havlíková, Lucie; Chvojka, Jiří; Solich, Petr; Šatínský, Dalibor

2018-02-01

Polyamide 6 nanofiber polymers were used as modern sorbents for on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography. The on-line SPE system was tested for the determination of bisphenol A in river water samples. Polyamide nanofibers were prepared using needleless electrospinning, inserted into a mini-column cartridge (5 × 4.6mm) and coupled with HPLC. The effect of column packing and the amount of polyamide 6 on extraction efficiency was tested and the packing process was optimized. The proposed method was performed using a 50-µL sample injection followed by an on-line nanofibrous extraction procedure. The influence of the washing mobile phase on the retention of bisphenol A during the extraction procedure was evaluated. Ascentis ® Express C18 (10cm × 4.6mm) core-shell column was used as an analytical column. Fluorescence detection wavelengths (λ ex = 225nm and λ em = 320nm) were used for identification and quantification of Bisphenol A in river waters. The linearity was tested in the range from 2 to 500µgL -1 (using nine calibration points). The limits of detection and quantification were 0.6 and 2µgL -1 , respectively. The developed method was successfully used for the determination of bisphenol A in various samples of river waters in the Czech Republic (The Ohře, Labe, Nisa, Úpa, and Opava Rivers). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microscope self-calibration based on micro laser line imaging and soft computing algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Apolinar Muñoz Rodríguez, J.

2018-06-01

A technique to perform microscope self-calibration via micro laser line and soft computing algorithms is presented. In this technique, the microscope vision parameters are computed by means of soft computing algorithms based on laser line projection. To implement the self-calibration, a microscope vision system is constructed by means of a CCD camera and a 38 μm laser line. From this arrangement, the microscope vision parameters are represented via Bezier approximation networks, which are accomplished through the laser line position. In this procedure, a genetic algorithm determines the microscope vision parameters by means of laser line imaging. Also, the approximation networks compute the three-dimensional vision by means of the laser line position. Additionally, the soft computing algorithms re-calibrate the vision parameters when the microscope vision system is modified during the vision task. The proposed self-calibration improves accuracy of the traditional microscope calibration, which is accomplished via external references to the microscope system. The capability of the self-calibration based on soft computing algorithms is determined by means of the calibration accuracy and the micro-scale measurement error. This contribution is corroborated by an evaluation based on the accuracy of the traditional microscope calibration.

Highly specific purification of N-glycans using phosphate-based derivatization as an affinity tag in combination with Ti{sup 4+}-SPE enrichment for mass spectrometric analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Ying [Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research Ministry of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Peng, Ye; Bin, Zhichao [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Wang, Huijie [Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Lu, Haojie, E-mail: luhaojie@fudan.edu.cn [Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research Ministry of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China)

2016-08-31

N-linked protein glycosylation is involved in regulation of a wide variety of cellular processes and associated with numerous diseases. Highly specific identification of N-glycome remains a challenge while its biological significance is acknowledged. The relatively low abundance of glycan in complex biological mixtures, lack of basic sites for protonation, and suppression by other highly abundant proteins/peptides lead to the particularly poor detection sensitivity of N-glycans in the MS analysis. Therefore, the highly specific purification procedure becomes a crucial step prior to MS analysis of the N-glycome. Herein, a novel N-glycans enrichment approach based on phosphate derivatization combined with Ti{sup 4+}-SPE (solid phase extraction) was developed. Briefly, in this strategy, N-glycans were chemically labeled with a phospho-group at their reducing ends, such that the Ti{sup 4+}-SPE microspheres were able to capture the phospho-containing glycans. The enrichment method was developed and optimized using model oligosaccharides (maltoheptaose DP7 and sialylated glycan A1) and also glycans from a standard glycoprotein (asialofetuin, ASF). This method experimentally showed high derivatization efficiency (almost 100%), excellent selectivity (analyzing DP7 in the digests of bovine serum albumin at a mass ratio of 1:100), high enriching recovery (90%), good reproducibility (CV<15%) as well as high sensitivity (LOD at fmol level). At last, the proposed method was successfully applied in the profiling of N-glycome in human serum, in which a total of 31 N-glycan masses were identified. - Graphical abstract: A selective enrichment method for the N-glycome is reported. N-glycans were chemically labeled with a phosphate derivatization reagent (AMS), then the phospho-containing glycans were enriched using Ti{sup 4+}-microspheres. - Highlights: • A highly specific N-glycans purification method based on phosphate derivatization combined with Ti{sup 4+}-SPE was developed

Monitoring gradient profile on-line in micro- and nano-high performance liquid chromatography using conductivity detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min; Chen, Apeng; Lu, Joann J; Cao, Chengxi; Liu, Shaorong

2016-08-19

In micro- or nano-flow high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), flow-splitters and gradient elutions are commonly used for reverse phase HPLC separations. When a flow splitter was used at a high split-ratio (e.g., 1000:1 or higher), the actual gradient may deviate away from the programmed gradient. Sometimes, mobile phase concentrations can deviate by as much as 5%. In this work, we noticed that the conductivity (σ) of a gradient decreased with the increasing organic-solvent fraction (φ). Based on the relationship between σ and φ, a method was developed for monitoring gradient profile on-line to record any deviations in these HPLC systems. The conductivity could be measured by a traditional conductivity detector or a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector (C(4)D). The method was applied for assessing the performance of an electroosmotic pump (EOP) based nano-HPLC. We also observed that σ value of the gradient changed with system pressure; a=0.0175ΔP (R(2)=0.964), where a is the percentage of the conductivity increase and ΔP is the system pressure in bar. This effect was also investigated. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Study of process parameters effect on the filling phase of micro injection moulding using weld lines as flow markers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Gava, Alberto; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2010-01-01

, the relationships between the filling pattern and the different process parameter settings have to be established. In this paper, a novel approach based on the use of weld lines as flow markers to trace the development of the flow front during the filling is proposed. The effects on the filling stage of process......Micro-injection moulding (micro-moulding) is a process which enables the mass production of polymer microproducts. In order to produce high-quality injection moulded micro-parts, a crucial aspect to be fully understood and optimised is the filling of the cavity by the molten polymer. As a result...... manufactured by micro-electrodischarge machining. A commercially available polystyrene grade polymer has been moulded using a high-speed injection moulding machine. The design of experiment technique was employed to determine the effect of the process parameters on the filling phase of the micro...

The Effect of High Frequency Pulse on the Discharge Probability in Micro EDM

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.; Qu, Y.; Zhang, W.; Ma, F.; Sha, Z.; Wang, Y.; Rolfe, B.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

High frequency pulse improves the machining efficiency of micro electric discharge machining (micro EDM), while it also brings some changes in micro EDM process. This paper focuses on the influence of skin-effect under the high frequency pulse on energy distribution and transmission in micro EDM, based on which, the rules of discharge probability of electrode end face are also analysed. On the basis of the electrical discharge process under the condition of high frequency pulse in micro EDM, COMSOL Multiphysics software is used to establish energy transmission model in micro electrode. The discharge energy distribution and transmission within tool electrode under different pulse frequencies, electrical currents, and permeability situation are studied in order to get the distribution pattern of current density and electric field intensity in the electrode end face under the influence of electrical parameters change. The electric field intensity distribution is regarded as the influencing parameter of discharge probability on the electrode end. Finally, MATLAB is used to fit the curve and obtain the distribution of discharge probability of electrode end face.

Analysis of xanthines in beverages using a fully automated SPE-SPC-DAD hyphenated system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Medvedovici, A. [Bucarest Univ., Bucarest (Romania). Faculty of Chemistry, Dept. of Analytical Chemistry; David, F.; David, V.; Sandra, P. [Research Institute of Chromatography, Kortrijk (Belgium)

2000-08-01

Analysis of some xanthines (caffeine, theophylline and theobromine) in beverages has been achieved by a fully automated on-line Solid Phase Extraction - Supercritical Fluid Chromatography - Diode Array Detection (Spe - Sofc - Dad). Three adsorbents have been tested for the Spe procedure: octadecyl modified silicagel (ODS) and two types of styrene-divinylbenzen copolymer based materials, from which Porapack proved to be the most suitable adsorbent. Optimisation and correlation of both Spe and Sofc operational parameters are also discussed. By this technique, caffeine was determined in ice tea and Coca-Cola in a concentration of 0.15 ppm, theobromine - 1.5 ppb, and theophylline - 0.15 ppb. [Italian] Si e' realizzata l'analis di alcune xantine (caffeina, teofillina e teobromina) mediante un sistema, in linea, completamente automatizzato basato su Estrazione in Fase Solida - Cromatografia in Fase Supercritica - Rivelazione con Diode Array (Spe - Sfc - Dad). Per la procedura Spe sono stati valutati tre substrati: silice ottadecilica (ODS) e due tipi di materiali polimerici a base stirene-divinilbenzene, di cui, quello denominato PRP-1, e' risultato essere il piu' efficiente. Sono discusse sia l'ottimizzazione che la correlazione dei parametri operazionali per la Spe e la Sfc. Con questa tecnica sono state determinate, in te' ghiacciato e Coca-Cola, la caffeina, la teobromina e la teofillina alle concentrazini di 0.15, 1.5 e 0.15 ppm.

Recent developments in automated determinations of trace level concentrations of elements and on-line fractionations schemes exploiting the micro-sequential injection - lab-on-valve approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Elo Harald; Miró, Manuel; Long, Xiangbao

2006-01-01

The determination of trace level concentrations of elements, such as metal species, in complex matrices by atomic absorption or emission spectrometric methods often require appropriate pretreatments comprising separation of the analyte from interfering constituents and analyte preconcentration...... are presented as based on the exploitation of micro-sequential injection (μSI-LOV) using hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic bead materials. The examples given comprise the presentation of a universal approach for SPE-assays, front-end speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in a fully automated and enclosed set...

Weld line optimization on thermoplastic elastomer micro injection moulded components using 3D focus variation optical microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasnaes, F.B.; Elsborg, R.; Tosello, G.

2015-01-01

The presented study investigates weld line depth development across a micro suspension ring. A focus variation microscope was used to obtain 3D images of the weld line area. Suspension rings produced with different micro injection moulding process parameters were examined to identify the correlat......The presented study investigates weld line depth development across a micro suspension ring. A focus variation microscope was used to obtain 3D images of the weld line area. Suspension rings produced with different micro injection moulding process parameters were examined to identify...

High-efficiency cavity-dumped micro-chip Yb:YAG laser

Science.gov (United States)

Nishio, M.; Maruko, A.; Inoue, M.; Takama, M.; Matsubara, S.; Okunishi, H.; Kato, K.; Kyomoto, K.; Yoshida, T.; Shimabayashi, K.; Morioka, M.; Inayoshi, S.; Yamagata, S.; Kawato, S.

2014-09-01

High-efficiency cavity-dumped ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG) laser was developed. Although the high quantum efficiency of ytterbium-doped laser materials is appropriate for high-efficiency laser oscillation, the efficiency is decreased by their quasi-three/four laser natures. High gain operation by high intensity pumping is suitable for high efficiency oscillation on the quasi-three/four lasers without extremely low temperature cooling. In our group, highest efficiency oscillations for continuous wave, nanosecond to picosecond pulse lasers were achieved at room temperature by the high gain operation in which pump intensities were beyond 100 kW/cm2.

High-efficiency single cell encapsulation and size selective capture of cells in picoliter droplets based on hydrodynamic micro-vortices.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamalakshakurup, Gopakumar; Lee, Abraham P

2017-12-05

Single cell analysis has emerged as a paradigm shift in cell biology to understand the heterogeneity of individual cells in a clone for pathological interrogation. Microfluidic droplet technology is a compelling platform to perform single cell analysis by encapsulating single cells inside picoliter-nanoliter (pL-nL) volume droplets. However, one of the primary challenges for droplet based single cell assays is single cell encapsulation in droplets, currently achieved either randomly, dictated by Poisson statistics, or by hydrodynamic techniques. In this paper, we present an interfacial hydrodynamic technique which initially traps the cells in micro-vortices, and later releases them one-to-one into the droplets, controlled by the width of the outer streamline that separates the vortex from the flow through the streaming passage adjacent to the aqueous-oil interface (d gap ). One-to-one encapsulation is achieved at a d gap equal to the radius of the cell, whereas complete trapping of the cells is realized at a d gap smaller than the radius of the cell. The unique feature of this technique is that it can perform 1. high efficiency single cell encapsulations and 2. size-selective capturing of cells, at low cell loading densities. Here we demonstrate these two capabilities with a 50% single cell encapsulation efficiency and size selective separation of platelets, RBCs and WBCs from a 10× diluted blood sample (WBC capture efficiency at 70%). The results suggest a passive, hydrodynamic micro-vortex based technique capable of performing high-efficiency single cell encapsulation for cell based assays.

Autism and urinary exogenous neuropeptides: development of an on-line SPE-HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry method to test the opioid excess theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Dettmer, K; Hanna, D; Whetstone, P; Hansen, R; Hammock, B D

2007-08-01

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown etiology. One hypothesis regarding etiology in autism is the "opioid peptide excess" theory that postulates that excessive amounts of exogenous opioid-like peptides derived from dietary proteins are detectable in urine and that these compounds may be pathophysiologically important in autism. A selective LC-MS/MS method was developed to analyze gliadinomorphin, beta-casomorphin, deltorphin 1, and deltorphin 2 in urine. The method is based on on-line SPE extraction of the neuropeptides from urine, column switching, and subsequent HPLC analysis. A limit of detection of 0.25 ng/mL was achieved for all analytes. Analyte recovery rates from urine ranged between 78% and 94%, with relative standard deviations of 0.2-6.8%. The method was used to screen 69 urine samples from children with and without autism spectrum disorders for the occurrence of neuropeptides. The target neuropeptides were not detected above the detection limit in either sample set.

Micro-relay technology for energy-efficient integrated circuits

CERN Document Server

Kam, Hei

2015-01-01

This book describes the design of relay-based circuit systems from device fabrication to circuit micro-architectures. This book is ideal for both device engineers as well as circuit system designers and highlights the importance of co-design across design hierarchies when optimizing system performance (in this case, energy-efficiency). This book is ideal for researchers and engineers focused on semiconductors, integrated circuits, and energy efficient electronics. This book also: ·         Covers microsystem fabrication, MEMS device design, circuit design, circuit micro-architecture, and CAD ·         Describes work previously done in the field and also lays the groundwork and criteria for future energy-efficient device and system design ·         Maximizes reader insights into the design and modeling of micro-relay, micro-relay reliability, integrated circuit design with micro-relays, and more

Ultra-trace levels analysis of microcystins and nodularin in surface water by on-line solid-phase extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Balest, Lydia; Murgolo, Sapia; Sciancalepore, Lucia; Montemurro, Patrizia; Abis, Pier Paolo; Pastore, Carlo; Mascolo, Giuseppe

2016-06-01

An on-line solid phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry (on-line SPE/HPLC/MS-MS) method for the determination of five microcystins and nodularin in surface waters at submicrogram per liter concentrations has been optimized. Maximum recoveries were achieved by carefully optimizing the extraction sample volume, loading solvent, wash solvent, and pH of the sample. The developed method was also validated according to both UNI EN ISO IEC 17025 and UNICHIM guidelines. Specifically, ten analytical runs were performed at three different concentration levels using a reference mix solution containing the six analytes. The method was applied for monitoring the concentrations of microcystins and nodularin in real surface water during a sampling campaign of 9 months in which the ELISA method was used as standard official method. The results of the two methods were compared showing good agreement when the highest concentration values of MCs were found. Graphical abstract An on-line SPE/HPLC/MS-MS method for the determination of five microcystins and nodularin in surface waters at sub μg L(-1) was optimized and compared with ELISA assay method for real samples.

Mechanical properties of the weld line defect in micro injection molding for various nano filled polypropylene composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Lei; Ziegmann, Gerhard

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → PP/CNFs and PP/TiO 2 composites with relative high loading fractions (10, 20, 30 and 35 wt%) were fabricated by inner melt mixing process. Micro tensile test samples were formed by injection molding combined with variotherm process for all composites. → The morphological properties of all nano composites were characterized by WXRD, whose results imply the adding nano fillers did not change the crystal form of PP, but the crystallites size and distance between lattices of crystals were changed with various nano fillers and loading fractions. → DSC analysis show that due to the nucleating function of nano fillers, the peak temperature of crystallization was increased and the peak temperature of crystallization melting was decreased by adding the nanofillers. → The flow ability of nano composites was tested by high pressure single capillary rheometer and the results demonstrate that nano fillers increased the viscosity of PP matrix. → Based on these significant information and analysis foundation of the nano filled composites, the micro weld line samples were formed by injection molding process and characterized by tensile test method. From the achieved results, it can be found that in general, for functional nano filled polymer composites, the mechanical property of micro weld lines were obviously influenced by nano fillers' shape and loading fractions. → The E modulus of micro weld line was increased due to loading CNFs in PP matrix, while the elongation of the micro tensile samples with weld line is considerably decreased comparing with those of unfilled PP samples. The detrimental tensile strength of micro weld lines were observed when CNFs contents increasing, except for at a 10 wt%. → For TiO 2 nano particles filled PP, due to the poor dispersion of nano particles, at low loading fraction of 10 wt%, the E modulus and tensile strength of micro weld lines were decreased by filling nano particles, but when the loading fraction

In-line phase contrast micro-CT reconstruction for biomedical specimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jian; Tan, Renbo

2014-01-01

X-ray phase contrast micro computed tomography (micro-CT) can non-destructively provide the internal structure information of soft tissues and low atomic number materials. It has become an invaluable analysis tool for biomedical specimens. Here an in-line phase contrast micro-CT reconstruction technique is reported, which consists of a projection extraction method and the conventional filter back-projection (FBP) reconstruction algorithm. The projection extraction is implemented by applying the Fourier transform to the forward projections of in-line phase contrast micro-CT. This work comprises a numerical study of the method and its experimental verification using a biomedical specimen dataset measured at an X-ray tube source micro-CT setup. The numerical and experimental results demonstrate that the presented technique can improve the imaging contrast of biomedical specimens. It will be of interest for a wide range of in-line phase contrast micro-CT applications in medicine and biology.

Consolidation and Disclosure of SPE

OpenAIRE

中野, 貴之

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to discuss what kinds of information are demanded by the users of financial statements and what kinds of problems plague the companies using SPE (special purpose equity), while considering the actual situations of the consolidation and disclosure of SPE in Japan. At present, there is the trend of consolidating a broad range of SPE in Japan, etc., but some users of financial statements point out that it became difficult to understand consolidated financial stat...

Flow injection microfluidic device with on-line fluorescent derivatization for the determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in water samples after solid phase extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Guilong [Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045 (China); Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China); He, Qiang, E-mail: heqiang0980@163.com [Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045 (China); Lu, Ying [Department of Mathematics and Physics, Armed Police College, Chengdu, 610213 (China); Huang, Jing [Research Center for Advanced Computation, College of Science, Xihua University, Chengdu, 610039 (China); Lin, Jin-Ming, E-mail: jmlin@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China)

2017-02-22

In this paper, a rapid and simple method using magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTS), as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent, was successfully developed for extraction and preconcentration trace amounts of Cr(III) in water samples. The synthesized magnetic-MWCNTs nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A rhodamine derivative (R1) was synthesized and characterized as a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent derivatizing agent for Cr(III). After SPE procedure, Cr(III) analysis was performed by flow injection microfluidic chip with on-line fluorescent derivatization and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy detection. The parameters, which affected the efficiency of the developed method were investigated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the method exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0–10.0 nM, with a detection limit of 0.094 nM and an enrichment factor of 38. Furthermore, real water samples were analyzed and good recoveries were obtained from 91.0 to 101.6%. - Graphical abstract: Flow injection microfluidic device with on-line fluorescent derivatization and detection coupled to LIF. - Highlights: • A highly selective and sensitive derivatizing reagent for Cr(III) was synthesized and characterized. • The magnetic-MWCNTs nanocomposite as a SPE sorbent was successfully synthesized and characterized. • A new portable detection system was developed for microfluidic chip FIA platform.

High-performance nanostructured thermoelectric generators for micro combined heat and power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yanliang; Wang, Xiaowei; Cleary, Martin; Schoensee, Luke; Kempf, Nicholas; Richardson, Joseph

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A TEG is fabricated using high-efficiency nanostructured thermoelectric materials. • The TEG produces high power density of 2.1 W/cm"2 with 5.3% electrical efficiency. • A micro-CHP system is demonstrated by integrating the TEG into a gas-fired boiler. - Graphical Abstract: - Abstract: Micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems are promising pathways to increase power generation efficiencies. Here a new class of micro-CHP system without moving parts is experimentally demonstrated by integrating high-temperature thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and residential gas-fired boilers, thus enabling wide applications. The TEGs fabricated using high-efficiency nanostructured bulk half-Heusler alloys generate ultrahigh power density of 2.1 W/cm"2 with 5.3% electrical efficiency under 500 °C temperature differences between the hot and cold sides. The TEG system harnesses the untapped exergy between the combustion gas and water, and converts thermal energy into electric power with 4% heat-to-electricity efficiency based on the total heat input into the TEGs. The high-performance TEGs open lots of opportunities to transform power generation technologies and improve energy efficiency.

Characterization of the microDNA through the response to chemotherapeutics in lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pamela Mehanna

Full Text Available Recently, a new class of extrachromosomal circular DNA, called microDNA, was identified. They are on average 100 to 400 bp long and are derived from unique non-repetitive genomic regions with high gene density. MicroDNAs are thought to arise from DNA breaks associated with RNA metabolism or replication slippage. Given the paucity of information on this entirely novel phenomenon, we aimed to get an additional insight into microDNA features by performing the microDNA analysis in 20 independent human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs prior and after treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs. The results showed non-random genesis of microDNA clusters from the active regions of the genome. The size periodicity of 190 bp was observed, which matches DNA fragmentation typical for apoptotic cells. The chemotherapeutic drug-induced apoptosis of LCLs increased both number and size of clusters further suggesting that part of microDNAs could result from the programmed cell death. Interestingly, proportion of identified microDNA sequences has common loci of origin when compared between cell line experiments. While compatible with the original observation that microDNAs originate from a normal physiological process, obtained results imply complementary source of its production. Furthermore, non-random genesis of microDNAs depicted by redundancy between samples makes these entities possible candidates for new biomarker generation.

Determination of 18 veterinary antibiotics in environmental water using high-performance liquid chromatography-q-orbitrap combined with on-line solid-phase extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chansik; Ryu, Hong-Duck; Chung, Eu Gene; Kim, Yongseok

2018-05-01

The use of antibiotics and their occurrence in the environment have received significant attention in recent years owing to the generation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic residues in water near livestock farming areas should be monitored to establish effective strategies for reducing the use of veterinary antibiotics. However, environmental water contamination resulting from veterinary antibiotics has not been studied extensively. In this work, we developed an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of multiple classes of veterinary antibiotic residues in environmental water using on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE)-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Eighteen popular antibiotics (eight classes) were selected as target analytes based on veterinary antibiotics sales in South Korea in 2015. The developed method was validated by calibration-curve linearities, precisions, relative recoveries, and method detection limits (MDLs)/limits of quantification (LOQs) of the selected antibiotics, and applied to the analysis of environmental water samples (groundwater, river water, and wastewater-treatment-plant effluent). All calibration curves exhibited r 2  > 0.995 with MDLs ranging from 0.2 to 11.9 ng/L. Relative recoveries were between 50 and 150% with coefficients of variation below 20% for all analytes (spiked at 500 ng/L) in groundwater and river water samples. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) of standard-spiked samples were lower than 7% for all antibiotics. The on-line SPE system eliminates human-based SPE errors and affords excellent method reproducibility. Amoxicillin, ampicillin, clopidol, fenbendazole, flumequine, lincomycin, sulfadiazine, and trimethoprim were detected in environmental water samples in concentrations ranging from 1.26 to 127.49 ng/L. The developed method is a reliable analytical technique for the potential routine monitoring of veterinary antibiotics

New Insights into the Explosion Source from SPE

Science.gov (United States)

Patton, H. J.

2015-12-01

Phase I of the Source Physics Experiments (SPE) is a series of chemical explosions at varying depths and yields detonated in the same emplacement hole on Climax stock, a granitic pluton located on the Nevada National Security Site. To date, four of the seven planned tests have been conducted, the last in May 2015, called SPE-4P, with a scaled depth of burial of 1549 m/kt1/3 in order to localize the source in time and space. Surface ground motions validated that the source medium did not undergo spallation, and a key experimental objective was achieved where SPE-4P is the closest of all tests in the series to a pure monopole source and will serve as an empirical Green's function for analysis against other SPE tests. A scientific objective of SPE is to understand mechanisms of rock damage for generating seismic waves, particularly surface and S waves, including prompt damage under compressive stresses and "late-time" damage under tensile stresses. Studies have shown that prompt damage can explain ~75% of the seismic moment for some SPE tests. Spallation is a form of late-time damage and a facilitator of damage mechanisms under tensile stresses including inelastic brittle deformation and shear dilatancy on pre-existing faults or joints. As an empirical Green's function, SPE-4P allows the study of late-time damage mechanisms on other SPE tests that induce spallation and late-time damage, and I'll discuss these studies. The importance for nuclear monitoring cannot be overstated because new research shows that damage mechanisms can affect surface wave magnitude Ms more than tectonic release, and are a likely factor related to anomalous mb-Ms behavior for North Korean tests.

High-Efficiency Food Production in a Renewable Energy Based Micro-Grid

Science.gov (United States)

Bubenheim, David L.

2017-01-01

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems can be used to produce high-quality, desirable food year round, and the fresh produce can positively contribute to the health and well being of residents in communities with difficult supply logistics. While CEA has many positive outcomes for a remote community, the associated high electric demands have prohibited widespread implementation in what is typically already a fully subscribed power generation and distribution system. Recent advances in CEA technologies as well as renewable power generation, storage, and micro-grid management are increasing system efficiency and expanding the possibilities for enhancing community supporting infrastructure without increasing demands for outside supplied fuels. We will present examples of how new lighting, nutrient delivery, and energy management and control systems can enable significant increases in food production efficiency while maintaining high yields in CEA.Examples from Alaskan communities where initial incorporation of renewable power generation, energy storage and grid management techniques have already reduced diesel fuel consumption for electric generation by more than 40 and expanded grid capacity will be presented. We will discuss how renewable power generation, efficient grid management to extract maximum community service per kW, and novel energy storage approaches can expand the food production, water supply, waste treatment, sanitation and other community support services without traditional increases of consumable fuels supplied from outside the community. These capabilities offer communities with a range of choices to enhance their communities. The examples represent a synergy of technology advancement efforts to develop sustainable community support systems for future space-based human habitats and practical implementation of infrastructure components to increase efficiency and enhance health and well-being in remote communities today and tomorrow.

Cathare2 V1.3E post-test computations of SPE-1 and SPE-2 experiments at PMK-NVH facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belliard, M.; Laugier, E.

1994-01-01

This paper presents the first CATHARE2 V1.3E simulations of the SPE-2 transients at PMK-NVH loop. Concerning the SPE-1 and the SPE-2 experimentations at PMK-NVH, it contains a description of the facilities and the transient, as well as different conditions of use. The paper includes also a presentation of the CATHARE2 model and different type of computation, such as the steady state computation or SPE-1 and SPE-2 transient (TEC). 4 refs., 12 figs., 4 tabs

Optimization of Rear Local Al-Contacts on High Efficiency Commercial PERC Solar Cells with Dot and Line Openings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peisheng Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Crystalline silicon PERCs with dot or line openings on rear surface were studied here. By measuring the minor carrier lifetimes of the PERCs with dot and line openings, passivation effects of rear surface with dot and line openings were discussed. The performance affected by dot and line openings was analyzed in detail by testing the open-circuit voltages, short-circuit current densities, fill factors, and conversion efficiencies of the PERCs. The results show that the wider space resulted in better minor carrier lifetimes on the rear surface. And the cells with a line opening space of 0.5 mm had an average of 0.22% improvement of conversion efficiency, compared with the cells with full-area Al-BSF. On the other hand, the dot opening PERCs exhibited only a conversion efficiency of 17.4%, although there had been good rear surface reflectivity. The bad Al-Si alloy layer and large hollow densities in dot Al-contacts resulted in bad performance of the PERCs with dot openings.

Analysis of micro-failure behaviors in artificial muscles based on fishing line and sewing thread

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, J. B.; Cheng, K. F.; Tu, S. L.; He, X. M.; Ma, C.; Jin, Y. Z.; Kang, X. N.; Sun, T.; Zhang, Y.

2017-06-01

The aim of the present study was to discuss a new and effective method for testing artificial muscles based on micro-failure behaviors analysis. Thermo-mechanical actuators based on fishing line and sewing thread, also, the capability of responding to ambient temperature variations producing a large amount of shrinkage ratio of a resulting variation in longitudinal length. The minimum micro-failure value is 0.02μm and the maximum value is 1.72μm with nylon twist pattern. The discovery of an innovative effective testing of artificial muscles based on polymeric fibers specimens on micro-failure, rupture, slippage, etc. This research finds out a micro-failure behavior analysis of thermo-mechanical actuators based on fishing line and sewing thread. The specimens show large deformations when heated together with warping performance in terms of shrinkage of energy and densities. With the purpose of providing useful analysis data for the further technology applications, we attempt micrometre-sized artificial muscles which were also tested was readily accessible and also can be applied to other polymeric fibers. Effective use of this technique achievement relies on rotate speed, temperature and tensile direction. The results of the tensile testing experiments were outstanding with respect to some important issues related to the response of micro-structure, twisted polymeric fibers and shrinkage ratio.

Measurement of trace levels of antibiotics in river water using on-line enrichment and triple-quadrupole LC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinh, Quoc Tuc; Alliot, Fabrice; Moreau-Guigon, Elodie; Eurin, Joëlle; Chevreuil, Marc; Labadie, Pierre

2011-09-15

This study presents the development of an automated on-line solid phase extraction (SPE)-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of 23 antibiotics in environmental water samples. After optimisation of LC-MS/MS conditions, SPE parameters such as sorbent type, sample pH or sample volume were optimised. Antibiotic recoveries ranged from 64% to 98% and compared favourably with those achieved using off-line SPE. Limits of detection were in the range 0.5-13.7 ng L(-1). This on-line SPE-LC-MS/MS procedure was applied to the analysis of water samples taken in three rivers within the Seine River basin, near Paris (France). The obtained results revealed the occurrence of 12 antibiotics, including tylosin, erythromycin, tetracycline, amoxicillin, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, oxolinic acid, flumequine, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and vancomycin (2-1435 ng L(-1)). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of Radical Scavenging Compounds in Rhaponticum carthamoides by Means of LC-DAD-SPE-NMR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miliauskas, G.; Beek, van T.A.; Waard, de P.; Venskutonis, R.P.; Sudhölter, E.J.R.

2005-01-01

A hyphenated LC-DAD-SPE-NMR setup in combination with on-line radical scavenging detection has been applied for the identification of radical scavenging compounds in extracts of Rhaponticum carthamoides. After NMR measurements, the pure compounds were infused into a mass spectrometer. The technique

Generation of micro-sized conductive lines on glass fibre fabrics by inkjet printing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balda Irurzun, Unai; Dutschk, Victoria; Calvimontes, Alfredo; Akkerman, Remko

2012-01-01

Micro-sized lines were inkjet printed on glass fibre fabrics using different droplet spacing. A conductive ink containing silver nanoparticles was used in this study. Glass fibre fabrics were differently pre-treated to avoid spontaneous spreading of the ink dispersion. The sample topography was

Identification of dental root canals and their medial line from micro-CT and cone-beam CT records

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benyó Balázs

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Shape of the dental root canal is highly patient specific. Automated identification methods of the medial line of dental root canals and the reproduction of their 3D shape can be beneficial for planning endodontic interventions as severely curved root canals or multi-rooted teeth may pose treatment challenges. Accurate shape information of the root canals may also be used by manufacturers of endodontic instruments in order to make more efficient clinical tools. Method Novel image processing procedures dedicated to the automated detection of the medial axis of the root canal from dental micro-CT and cone-beam CT records are developed. For micro-CT, the 3D model of the root canal is built up from several hundred parallel cross sections, using image enhancement, histogram based fuzzy c-means clustering, center point detection in the segmented slice, three dimensional inner surface reconstruction, and potential field driven curve skeleton extraction in three dimensions. Cone-beam CT records are processed with image enhancement filters and fuzzy chain based regional segmentation, followed by the reconstruction of the root canal surface and detecting its skeleton via a mesh contraction algorithm. Results The proposed medial line identification and root canal detection algorithms are validated on clinical data sets. 25 micro-CT and 36 cone-beam-CT records are used in the validation procedure. The overall success rate of the automatic dental root canal identification was about 92% in both procedures. The algorithms proved to be accurate enough for endodontic therapy planning. Conclusions Accurate medial line identification and shape detection algorithms of dental root canal have been developed. Different procedures are defined for micro-CT and cone-beam CT records. The automated execution of the subsequent processing steps allows easy application of the algorithms in the dental care. The output data of the image processing procedures

Conversion efficiency of implanted ions by confocal micro-luminescence mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshko, Y.; Huang, Mengbing; Gorokhovsky, A.A.

2013-01-01

We report on the further development of the statistical approach to determine the conversion efficiency of implanted ions into emitting centers and present the measurement method based on the confocal micro-luminescence mapping. It involves the micro-luminescence mapping with a narrow-open confocal aperture, followed by the statistical analysis of the photoluminescence signal from an ensemble of emitting centers. The confocal mapping method has two important advantages compared to the recently discussed aperture-free method (J. Lumin. 131 (2011) 489): it is less sensitive to errors in the laser spot size and has a well defined useful area. The confocal mapping has been applied to the Xe center in diamond. The conversion efficiency has been found to be about 0.28, which is in good agreement with the results of the aperture-free method. - Highlights: ► Conversion efficiency of implanted ions into emitting centers – statistical approach. ► Micro-luminescence mapping with open and narrow confocal aperture – comparison. ► Advantages of the confocal micro-luminescence mapping. ► Confocal micro-luminescence mapping has been applied to the Xe center in diamond. ► The conversion efficiency has been found to be about 0.28.

An absorbing microwave micro-solid-phase extraction device used in non-polar solvent microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ziming; Zhao Xin; Xu Xu; Wu Lijie; Su Rui; Zhao Yajing; Jiang Chengfei; Zhang Hanqi; Ma Qiang; Lu Chunmei; Dong Deming

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► An absorbing microwave μ-SPE device packed with activated carbon was used. ► Absorbing microwave μ-SPE device was made and used to enrich the analytes. ► Absorbing microwave μ-SPE device was made and used to heat samples directly. ► MAE-μ-SPE was applied to the extraction of OPPs with non-polar solvent only. - Abstract: A single-step extraction-cleanup method, including microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE), was developed for the extraction of ten organophosphorus pesticides in vegetable and fruit samples. Without adding any polar solvent, only one kind of non-polar solvent (hexane) was used as extraction solvent in the whole extraction step. Absorbing microwave μ-SPE device, was prepared by packing activated carbon with microporous polypropylene membrane envelope, and used as not only the sorbent in μ-SPE, but also the microwave absorption medium. Some experimental parameters effecting on extraction efficiency was investigated and optimized. 1.0 g of sample, 8 mL of hexane and three absorbing microwave μ-SPE devices were added in the microwave extraction vessel, the extraction was carried out under 400 W irradiation power at 60 °C for 10 min. The extracts obtained by MAE-μ-SPE were directly analyzed by GC–MS without any clean-up process. The recoveries were in the range of 93.5–104.6%, and the relative standard deviations were lower than 8.7%.

Determination of six microcystins and nodularin in surface and drinking waters by on-line solid phase extraction-ultra high pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrán, Eduardo; Ibáñez, María; Sancho, Juan Vicente; Hernández, Félix

2012-11-30

Microcystins and nodularin are cyclic peptides hepatotoxins produced by cyanobacterial genera (blue-green algae). Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are a worldwide problem, as reported in several countries, like China, Australia, or the United States. Therefore, it is necessary to develop sensitive and reliable analytical methodology to determine this type of toxins in water at parts per billion levels, or even lower. In this work, the potential of solid-phase extraction coupled on-line to ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS) has been investigated for the efficient quantification and confirmation of microcystins LR, RR, YR, LY, LW, LF and nodularin in surface and drinking water samples, at sub-ppb levels. The method developed involves the injection of only 1 mL of water sample into the on-line SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS system and allows the rapid determination of the compounds selected (8 min of chromatographic run), avoiding laborious sample treatment. The method was validated in surface and drinking water by means of recovery experiments at 0.25 and 1 μg L(-1). Average recoveries (n=5) ranged from 71 to 116%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 15%. For microcystins LR, RR, YR and nodularin, a third level was also assayed (0.1 μg L(-1)) obtaining satisfactory data too. Limits of detection between 0.002 and 0.0405 μg L(-1) were estimated (0.0005 μg L(-1) for nodularin). The developed method was applied to the analysis of water samples collected in the province of Castellón (Spain). The acquisition of three MS/MS transitions for each compound allowed the unequivocal confirmation of positive samples, which was supported by the accomplishment of ion intensity ratios and retention time when compared with reference standards. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stir-bar supported micro-solid-phase extraction for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in serum samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Sajid, Muhammad; Basheer, Chanbasha

2016-07-15

In present work, a new configuration of micro-solid phase extraction was introduced and termed as stir-bar supported micro-solid-phase extraction (SB-μ-SPE). A tiny stir-bar was packed inside the porous polypropylene membrane along with sorbent material and the edges of membrane sheet were heat sealed to secure the contents. The packing of stir-bar inside the μ-SPE device does not allow the device to stick with the wall or any corner of the sample vial during extraction, which is, however, a frequent observation in routine μ-SPE. Moreover, it enhances effective surface area of the sorbent exposed to sample solution through continuous agitation (motion and rotation). It also completely immerses the SB-μ-SPE device in the sample solution even for non-polar sorbents. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were selected as model compounds and the method performance was evaluated in human serum samples. After extraction, samples were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The factors that affect extraction efficiency of SB-μ-SPE were optimized. Under optimum conditions, a good linearity (0.1-100ngmL(-1)) with coefficients of determinations ranging from 0.9868 to 0.9992 was obtained. Limits of detections were ranged between 0.003 and 0.047ngmL(-1). Acceptable values for inter-day (3.2-9.1%) and intra-day (3.1-7.2%) relative standard deviations were obtained. The optimized method was successfully applied to determine the concentration of PCB congeners in human serum samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High efficiency and flexible working distance digital in-line holographic microscopy based on Fresnel zone plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, Peng; Yang, Fan; Li, Fanxing; Hu, Song; Yan, Wei; Hua, Yilei

2017-01-01

Traditional digital in-line holography suffers from twin-image noise problems and extremely short working distances between the object and light source. Here, we propose lensless Fourier transform digital in-line holographic microscopy based on a single optical element. A Fresnel zone plate is used to split the incident light into two parts: one is scattered along the original direction, the other is gathered at a focal point and the sample is put behind the focus. The interference fringe pattern, formed by the two beams, is recorded digitally by a CCD camera. A novel reconstruction algorithm is proposed to present the object image. The proof-of-concept experiments demonstrate that the proposed technique can eliminate the twin-image noise problem, improving the image contrast with high efficiency, and increasing the flexibility of the working distance. Furthermore, a wide field of view and no contact make it a promising tool for the study of materials science, biology and microelectronics. (paper)

Waveguide-loaded silica fibers for coupling to high-index micro-resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Latawiec, P.; Burek, M. J.; Venkataraman, V.; Lončar, M.

2016-01-01

Tapered silica fibers are often used to rapidly probe the optical properties of micro-resonators. However, their low refractive index precludes phase-matching when coupling to high-index micro-resonators, reducing efficiency. Here, we demonstrate efficient optical coupling from tapered fibers to high-index micro-resonators by loading the fibers with an ancillary adiabatic waveguide-coupler fabricated via angled-etching. We demonstrate greatly enhanced coupling to a silicon multimode micro-resonator when compared to coupling via the bare fiber only. Signatures of resonator optical bistability are observed at high powers. This scheme can be applied to resonators of any size and material, increasing the functional scope of fiber coupling.

An absorbing microwave micro-solid-phase extraction device used in non-polar solvent microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ziming; Zhao, Xin; Xu, Xu; Wu, Lijie; Su, Rui; Zhao, Yajing; Jiang, Chengfei; Zhang, Hanqi; Ma, Qiang; Lu, Chunmei; Dong, Deming

2013-01-14

A single-step extraction-cleanup method, including microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE), was developed for the extraction of ten organophosphorus pesticides in vegetable and fruit samples. Without adding any polar solvent, only one kind of non-polar solvent (hexane) was used as extraction solvent in the whole extraction step. Absorbing microwave μ-SPE device, was prepared by packing activated carbon with microporous polypropylene membrane envelope, and used as not only the sorbent in μ-SPE, but also the microwave absorption medium. Some experimental parameters effecting on extraction efficiency was investigated and optimized. 1.0 g of sample, 8 mL of hexane and three absorbing microwave μ-SPE devices were added in the microwave extraction vessel, the extraction was carried out under 400 W irradiation power at 60°C for 10 min. The extracts obtained by MAE-μ-SPE were directly analyzed by GC-MS without any clean-up process. The recoveries were in the range of 93.5-104.6%, and the relative standard deviations were lower than 8.7%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effective application of freezing lipid precipitation and SCX-SPE for determination of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in high lipid foodstuffs by LC-ESI-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Soo Hwan; Kim, Min-Sun; Kim, Sang Hoon; Park, Hyun Mee; Pyo, Heesoo; Lee, Yong Moon; Lee, Kyung-Tae; Hong, Jongki

2015-06-15

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are naturally occurring plant toxins associated with serious hepatic disease in humans and animals. In this study, rapid and sensitive analytical method was developed for the determination of 9 toxic PAs in popularly high lipid foodstuffs by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). PAs in lipid foodstuff were effectively purified by freezing lipid precipitation (FLP) and strong cation exchange (SCX)-solid-phase extraction (SPE). Especially, FLP could easily remove the large amounts of triacylglycerols in the lipid sample extract and effectively combine with SPE cleanup. During the FLP procedure, over 77% of the lipids in the foodstuff extracts were rapidly eliminated without any significant loss of the PAs with over 81% recovery. The elimination efficiency of lipids by FLP was tested with LC-atmospheric chemical ionization (APCI)-MS. For further purification, SCX-SPE cartridge could successfully purify PAs from the remaining interfering substances by the variation pH with 5% NH4OH in methanol. For precise quantification and confirmation of PAs in complicate sample matrices, appropriate transition ions in LC-MS/MS-multiple-ion reaction monitoring (MRM) mode were selected on the basis of MS/MS fragmentation pathways of PAs. The established analytical method was validated in terms of the linearity, limits of detection (LOD), and quantification (LOQ), precision, and accuracy. The method was deemed satisfactory by inter- and intra-day validation and exhibited both high accuracy and precision (relative standard deviation<11.06%). Overall limits of detection and quantitation of PAs were approximately 0.06-0.60ng/mL at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3 and were about 0.20-1.99ng/mL at a S/N of 10 for all foodstuffs. The established method was successfully applied for the monitoring of toxic PAs in several types of high lipid foodstuffs such as soybeans, seed oil, milk, and margarine. Copyright �

Characterization of plasma protein binding dissociation with online SPE-HPLC

OpenAIRE

Li, Ping; Fan, Yiran; Wang, Yunlong; Lu, Yaxin; Yin, Zheng

2015-01-01

A novel parameter of relative recovery (Rre) was defined and determined by online SPE-HPLC to characterize plasma protein binding (PPB) kinetics of highly plasma binding drugs. The proportional relationship of Rre with koff of PPB has been established with a new SPE model. A rapid, easy to use method could potentially be used to categorize PK properties of the drug candidates in the decision process of drug discovery and development.

A Simplified Control Method for Tie-Line Power of DC Micro-Grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanbo Che

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Compared with the AC micro-grid, the DC micro-grid has low energy loss and no issues of frequency stability, which makes it more accessible for distributed energy. Thus, the DC micro-grid has good potential for development. A variety of renewable energy is included in the DC micro-grid, which is easily affected by the environment, causing fluctuation of the DC voltage. For grid-connected DC micro-grid with droop control strategy, the tie-line power is affected by fluctuations in the DC voltage, which sets higher requirements for coordinated control of the DC micro-grid. This paper presents a simplified control method to maintain a constant tie-line power that is suitable for the DC micro-grid with the droop control strategy. By coordinating the designs of the droop control characteristics of generators, energy storage units and grid-connected inverter, a dead band is introduced to the droop control to improve the system performance. The tie-line power in the steady state is constant. When a large disturbance occurs, the AC power grid can provide power support to the micro-grid in time. The simulation example verifies the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

High precision micro-scale Hall Effect characterization method using in-line micro four-point probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Hansen, Ole; Lin, Rong

2008-01-01

Accurate characterization of ultra shallow junctions (USJ) is important in order to understand the principles of junction formation and to develop the appropriate implant and annealing technologies. We investigate the capabilities of a new micro-scale Hall effect measurement method where Hall...... effect is measured with collinear micro four-point probes (M4PP). We derive the sensitivity to electrode position errors and describe a position error suppression method to enable rapid reliable Hall effect measurements with just two measurement points. We show with both Monte Carlo simulations...... and experimental measurements, that the repeatability of a micro-scale Hall effect measurement is better than 1 %. We demonstrate the ability to spatially resolve Hall effect on micro-scale by characterization of an USJ with a single laser stripe anneal. The micro sheet resistance variations resulting from...

Optimization Strategy for Improving the Energy Efficiency of Irrigation Systems by Micro Hydropower: Practical Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Modesto Pérez-Sánchez

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Analyses of possible synergies between energy recovery and water management are essential for achieving sustainable advances in the performance of pressurized irrigation networks. Nowadays, the use of micro hydropower in water systems is being analysed to improve the overall energy efficiency. In this line, the present research is focused on the proposal and development of a novel optimization strategy for increasing the energy efficiency in pressurized irrigation networks by energy recovering. The recovered energy is maximized considering different objective functions, including feasibility index: the best energy converter must be selected, operating in its best efficiency conditions by variation of its rotational speed, providing the required flow in each moment. These flows (previously estimated through farmers’ habits are compared with registered values of flow in the main line with very suitable calibration results, getting a Nash–Sutcliffe value above 0.6 for different time intervals, and a PBIAS index below 10% in all time interval range. The methodology was applied to a Vallada network obtaining a maximum recovered energy of 58.18 MWh/year (41.66% of the available energy, improving the recovered energy values between 141 and 184% when comparing to energy recovery considering a constant rotational speed. The proposal of this strategy shows the real possibility of installing micro hydropower machines to improve the water–energy nexus management in pressurized systems.

An absorbing microwave micro-solid-phase extraction device used in non-polar solvent microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Ziming, E-mail: wangziming@jlu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012 (China); College of Environment and Resources, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012 (China); Zhao Xin; Xu Xu; Wu Lijie; Su Rui; Zhao Yajing; Jiang Chengfei; Zhang Hanqi [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012 (China); Ma Qiang [Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing 100123 (China); Lu Chunmei [College of Technology Center, Jilin Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Changchun 130062 (China); Dong Deming [College of Environment and Resources, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012 (China)

2013-01-14

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An absorbing microwave {mu}-SPE device packed with activated carbon was used. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Absorbing microwave {mu}-SPE device was made and used to enrich the analytes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Absorbing microwave {mu}-SPE device was made and used to heat samples directly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MAE-{mu}-SPE was applied to the extraction of OPPs with non-polar solvent only. - Abstract: A single-step extraction-cleanup method, including microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and micro-solid-phase extraction ({mu}-SPE), was developed for the extraction of ten organophosphorus pesticides in vegetable and fruit samples. Without adding any polar solvent, only one kind of non-polar solvent (hexane) was used as extraction solvent in the whole extraction step. Absorbing microwave {mu}-SPE device, was prepared by packing activated carbon with microporous polypropylene membrane envelope, and used as not only the sorbent in {mu}-SPE, but also the microwave absorption medium. Some experimental parameters effecting on extraction efficiency was investigated and optimized. 1.0 g of sample, 8 mL of hexane and three absorbing microwave {mu}-SPE devices were added in the microwave extraction vessel, the extraction was carried out under 400 W irradiation power at 60 Degree-Sign C for 10 min. The extracts obtained by MAE-{mu}-SPE were directly analyzed by GC-MS without any clean-up process. The recoveries were in the range of 93.5-104.6%, and the relative standard deviations were lower than 8.7%.

High-Efficiency Food Production in a Renewable Energy Based Micro-Grid Power System

Science.gov (United States)

Bubenheim, David; Meiners, Dennis

2016-01-01

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems can be used to produce high-quality, desirable food year round, and the fresh produce can positively contribute to the health and well being of residents in communities with difficult supply logistics. While CEA has many positive outcomes for a remote community, the associated high electric demands have prohibited widespread implementation in what is typically already a fully subscribed power generation and distribution system. Recent advances in CEA technologies as well as renewable power generation, storage, and micro-grid management are increasing system efficiency and expanding the possibilities for enhancing community supporting infrastructure without increasing demands for outside supplied fuels. We will present examples of how new lighting, nutrient delivery, and energy management and control systems can enable significant increases in food production efficiency while maintaining high yields in CEA. Examples from Alaskan communities where initial incorporation of renewable power generation, energy storage and grid management techniques have already reduced diesel fuel consumption for electric generation by more than 40% and expanded grid capacity will be presented. We will discuss how renewable power generation, efficient grid management to extract maximum community service per kW, and novel energy storage approaches can expand the food production, water supply, waste treatment, sanitation and other community support services without traditional increases of consumable fuels supplied from outside the community. These capabilities offer communities with a range of choices to enhance their communities. The examples represent a synergy of technology advancement efforts to develop sustainable community support systems for future space-based human habitats and practical implementation of infrastructure components to increase efficiency and enhance health and well being in remote communities today and tomorrow.

Efficient and secure comparison for on-line auctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Damgard, Ivan; Geisler, M.; Kroigaard, M.; Pieprzyk, J.; Ghodosi, H.; Dawson, E.

2007-01-01

We propose a protocol for secure comparison of integers based on homomorphic encryption. We also propose a homomorphic encryption scheme that can be used in our protocol and makes it more efficient than previous solutions. Our protocol is well-suited for application in on-line auctions, both with

Improvement of the design and generation of highly specific plant knockdown lines using primary synthetic microRNAs (pri-smiRNAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alves Leonardo

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background microRNAs (miRNAs are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. In plants, they typically show high complementarity to a single sequence motif within their target mRNAs and act by catalyzing specific mRNA cleavage and degradation. miRNAs are processed from much longer primary transcripts via precursor miRNAs containing fold-back structures. Leaving these secondary structures intact, miRNAs can be re-designed experimentally to target mRNAs of choice. Results We designed primary synthetic miRNAs (pri-smiRNAs on the basis of the primary transcript of the Arabidopsis MIR159A gene by replacing the original miR159a and the corresponding miR159a* with novel sequences, keeping the overall secondary structure as predicted by the program RNAfold. We used the program RNAhybrid to optimize smiRNA design and to screen the complete Arabidopsis transcriptome for potential off-targets. To improve the molecular cloning of the pri-smiRNA we inserted restriction sites in the original MIR159A primary transcript to easily accommodate the smiRNA/smiRNA* DNA fragment. As a proof-of-concept, we targeted the single gene encoding chalcone synthase (CHS in Arabidopsis. We demonstrate smiRNA(CHS expression and CHS mRNA cleavage in different transgenic lines. Phenotypic changes in these lines were observed for seed color and flavonol derivatives, and quantified with respect to anthocyanin content. We also tested the effect of mismatches and excess G:U base pairs on knockdown efficiency. Conclusions RNAhybrid-assisted design of smiRNAs and generation of pri-smiRNAs using a novel vector containing restriction sites greatly improves specificity and speed of the generation of stable knockdown lines for functional analyses in plants.

Inorganic arsenic –spe hg–aas method for rice tested in-house and collaboratively

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Rie Romme; Qian, Yiting; Sloth, Jens Jørgen

2013-01-01

and is one of the major contributors to the iAs exposure in many countries. The work presented here describes the development, validation and application of a simple and inexpensive method for inorganic arsenic (iAs) determination in rice samples. The separation of iAs from organoarsenic compounds (MA...... sample extracts (pH 6±1) followed by selective elution of arsenate from a strong anion exchange SPE cartridge enabled the selective iAs quantification by HG-AAS, measuring total arsenic (As) in the SPE eluate. The in-house validation gave mean recoveries of 101–106 % for spiked rice samples and in two...... and DMA) was done by off-line solidphase extraction (SPE) followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) detection. Water bath heating (90 °C, 60 min) of samples with dilute nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide solubilised and oxidized all iAs to arsenate (AsV). Loading of buffered...

The development of the microcomputer controlling system for micro uranium on-line analyser

CERN Document Server

Ye Guo Qiang

2002-01-01

The author presents the microcomputer controlling system for micro uranium on-line analyser under Windows 3.2 system (Chinese). The user program is designed with Visual Basic 4.0, the program of controlling the hardware interface with Windows Dynamic Linking Library (DLL) which is programmed by Borland C sup + sup + 4.5, and the date processing is with Access 2.0 database

In-line measurement of transparent micro membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fugl, Jimmy; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; De Chiffre, Leonardo

2007-01-01

The purpose of this work has been to develop a new measuring principle to bring down the time for quality assurance, and obtain larger uniformity of the end product, in a specific production line. The production concerns thin transparent micro membranes (approx 35 micron thickness) dispensed...... in micro cavities, each membrane consisting of several membrane layers. A quality control should be performed every time a new layer is dispensed. The paper describes a new way of measuring membrane thickness. The method was achieved through the use of a vision system, whereby the thickness of the thin...... transparent micro membrane is determined in terms of the light absorbance of the membrane substrate. The new and faster measuring method makes is possible to measure the thickness of individual membranes and perform a 100% quality control....

Relationship between Structural Characteristics of Activated Carbons and Their Concentrating Efficiency with Respect to Nitroorganics.

Science.gov (United States)

Leboda, R.; Gun'ko, V. M.; Tomaszewski, W.; Trznadel, B. J.

2001-07-15

The relationships between structural properties of activated microporous, micro-mesoporous, mesoporous, and graphitized carbons determined on the basis of nitrogen adsorption at 77.4 K and the efficiency of concentrating (solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique) several nitroorganic compounds from polar solvents were investigated. Microporosity, mesoporosity, fractality, and other characteristics of adsorbents were analyzed to evaluate the dependence of the effectiveness of the SPE technique with respect to nitrate esters, cyclic nitroamines, and nitroaromatics on the origin and texture of carbons. The values of the free energy of solvation and dipole moment of nitroorganic compounds in polar liquids computed with the SM5.42/PM3 method with consideration of geometry relaxation in solution were utilized to elucidate features of their concentration of carbon adsorbents. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Determination of 90Sr from aqueous solutions using SPE extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dulanska, S.; Rajec, P.; Matel, L.

2008-01-01

Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) is widely used technique for the isolation and concentration of analytes from liquid samples to achieve increased sensitivity in the analytical process. Three commercial sorbents produced by three different manufacturers were tested. 3M Empore TM Strontium Rad Disks, Sr resin and AnaLig Sr-01 were used to efficiently isolate strontium from aqueous samples. (authors)

Micro-Spec: An Ultracompact, High-sensitivity Spectrometer for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Cataldo, Giuseppe; Hsieh, Wen-Ting; Huang, Wei-Chung; Moseley, S. Harvey; Stevenson, Thomas R.; Wollack, Edward J.

2014-01-01

High-performance, integrated spectrometers operating in the far-infrared and submillimeter ranges promise to be powerful tools for the exploration of the epochs of reionization and initial galaxy formation. These devices, using high-efficiency superconducting transmission lines, can achieve the performance of a meter-scale grating spectrometer in an instrument implemented on a 4 inch silicon wafer. Such a device, when combined with a cryogenic telescope in space, provides an enabling capability for studies of the early universe. Here, the optical design process for Micro-Spec (micron-Spec) is presented, with particular attention given to its two-dimensional diffractive region, where the light of different wavelengths is focused on the different detectors. The method is based on the stigmatization and minimization of the light path function in this bounded region, which results in an optimized geometrical configuration. A point design with an efficiency of (is) approximately 90% has been developed for initial demonstration and can serve as the basis for future instruments. Design variations on this implementation are also discussed, which can lead to lower efficiencies due to diffractive losses in the multimode region.

SPE (tm) regenerative hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells for extraterrestrial surface and microgravity applications

Science.gov (United States)

Mcelroy, J. F.

1990-01-01

Viewgraphs on SPE regenerative hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells for extraterrestrial surface and microgravity applications are presented. Topics covered include: hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell energy storage system; electrochemical cell reactions; SPE cell voltage stability; passive water removal SPE fuel cell; fuel cell performance; SPE water electrolyzers; hydrophobic oxygen phase separator; hydrophilic/electrochemical hydrogen phase separator; and unitized regenerative fuel cell.

Preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of Bacillus subtilis SpeA protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xiao-Yan; Lei, Jian; Liu, Xiang; Su, Xiao-Dong; Li, Lanfen

2009-01-01

In order to further illustrate the catalytic mechanism of arginine decarboxylase by determining the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme the speA gene was amplified from B. subtilis genomic DNA and cloned. The enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by nickel-chelation chromatography followed by size-exclusion chromatography. High-quality crystals were obtained using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method at 298 K. The speA gene in Bacillus subtilis encodes arginine decarboxylase, which catalyzes the conversion of arginine to agmatine. Arginine decarboxylase is an important enzyme in polyamine metabolism in B. subtilis. In order to further illustrate the catalytic mechanism of arginine decarboxylase by determining the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme, the speA gene was amplified from B. subtilis genomic DNA and cloned into the expression vector pET-28a(+). SpeA was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by nickel-chelation chromatography followed by size-exclusion chromatography. High-quality crystals were obtained using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method at 289 K. The best crystal diffracted to 2.0 Å resolution and belonged to space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 86.4, b = 63.3 c = 103.3 Å, β = 113.9°

Micro-SPE in pipette tips as a tool for analysis of small-molecule drugs in serum

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vlčková, H.; Pilařová, V.; Novák, Ondřej; Solich, P.; Nováková, L.

2017-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 11 (2017), s. 887-901 ISSN 1757-6180 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1204 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : pipette tips * sample preparation * statin * uhplc-ms/ms * μ-SPE-PT Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry Impact factor: 2.673, year: 2016

Rapid and automated on-line solid phase extraction HPLC-MS/MS with peak focusing for the determination of ochratoxin A in wine samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Campone, Luca; Piccinelli, Anna Lisa; Celano, Rita; Pagano, Imma; Russo, Mariateresa; Rastrelli, Luca

2018-04-01

This study reports a fast and automated analytical procedure based on an on-line SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method for the automatic pre-concentration, clean up and sensitive determination of OTA in wine. The amount of OTA contained in 100μL of sample (pH≅5.5) was retained and concentrated on an Oasis MAX SPE cartridge. After a washing step to remove matrix interferents, the analyte was eluted in back-flush mode and the eluent from the SPE column was diluted through a mixing Tee, using an aqueous solution before the chromatographic separation achieved on a monolithic column. The developed method has been validated according to EU regulation N. 519/2014 and applied for the analysis of 41 red and 17 white wines. The developed method features minimal sample handling, low solvent consumption, high sample throughput, low analysis cost and provides an accurate and highly selective results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A naturally occurring mutation in ropB suppresses SpeB expression and reduces M1T1 group A streptococcal systemic virulence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Hollands

Full Text Available Epidemiological studies of group A streptococcus (GAS have noted an inverse relationship between SpeB expression and invasive disease. However, the role of SpeB in the course of infection is still unclear. In this study we utilize a SpeB-negative M1T1 clinical isolate, 5628, with a naturally occurring mutation in the gene encoding the regulator RopB, to elucidate the role of RopB and SpeB in systemic virulence. Allelic exchange mutagenesis was used to replace the mutated ropB allele in 5628 with the intact allele from the well characterized isolate 5448. The inverse allelic exchange was also performed to replace the intact ropB in 5448 with the mutated allele from 5628. An intact ropB was found to be essential for SpeB expression. While the ropB mutation was shown to have no effect on hemolysis of RBC's, extracellular DNase activity or survival in the presence of neutrophils, strains with the mutated ropB allele were less virulent in murine systemic models of infection. An isogenic SpeB knockout strain containing an intact RopB showed similarly reduced virulence. Microarray analysis found genes of the SpeB operon to be the primary target of RopB regulation. These data show that an intact RopB and efficient SpeB production are necessary for systemic infection with GAS.

SPE5 Sub-Scale Test Series Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vandersall, Kevin S. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Reeves, Robert V. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); DeHaven, Martin R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Strickland, Shawn L. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-01-14

A series of 2 SPE5 sub-scale tests were performed to experimentally confirm that a booster system designed and evaluated in prior tests would properly initiate the PBXN-110 case charge fill. To conduct the experiments, a canister was designed to contain the nominally 50 mm diameter booster tube with an outer fill of approximately 150 mm diameter by 150 mm in length. The canisters were filled with PBXN-110 at NAWS-China Lake and shipped back to LLNL for testing in the High Explosives Applications Facility (HEAF). Piezoelectric crystal pins were placed on the outside of the booster tube before filling, and a series of piezoelectric crystal pins along with Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) probes were placed on the outer surface of the canister to measure the relative timing and magnitude of the detonation. The 2 piezoelectric crystal pins integral to the booster design were also utilized along with a series of either piezoelectric crystal pins or piezoelectric polymer pads on the top of the canister or outside case that utilized direct contact, gaps, or different thicknesses of RTV cushions to obtain time of arrival data to evaluate the response in preparation for the large-scale SPE5 test. To further quantify the margin of the booster operation, the 1st test (SPE5SS1) was functioned with both detonators and the 2nd test (SPE5SS2) was functioned with only 1 detonator. A full detonation of the material was observed in both experiments as observed by the pin timing and PDV signals. The piezoelectric pads were found to provide a greater measured signal magnitude during the testing with an RTV layer present, and the improved response is due to the larger measurement surface area of the pad. This report will detail the experiment design, canister assembly for filling, final assembly, experiment firing, presentation of the diagnostic results, and a discussion of the results.

Micro-Spec: An Ultra-Compact, High-Sensitivity Spectrometer for Far-Infrared and Sub-Millimeter Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Cataldo, Giuseppe; Hsieh, Wen-Ting; Huang, Wei-Chung; Moseley, S. Harvey; Stevenson, Thomas R.; Wollack, Edward J.

2013-01-01

High-performance, integrated spectrometers operating in the far-infrared and sub-millimeter promise to be powerful tools for the exploration of the epochs of reionization and initial galaxy formation. These devices, using high-efficiency superconducting transmission lines, can achieve the performance of a meter-scale grating spectrometer in an instrument implemented on a four-inch silicon wafer. Such a device, when combined with a cryogenic telescope in space, provides an enabling capability for studies of the early universe. Here, the optical design process for Micro-Spec (mu-Spec) is presented, with particular attention given to its two-dimensional diffractive region, where the light of different wavelengths is focused on the different detectors. The method is based on the stigmatization and minimization of the light path function in this bounded region, which results in an optimized geometrical configuration. A point design with an efficiency of approx. 90% has been developed for initial demonstration, and can serve as the basis for future instruments. Design variations on this implementation are also discussed, which can lead to lower efficiencies due to diffractive losses in the multimode region.

Low-cost and high-speed optical mark reader based on an intelligent line camera

Science.gov (United States)

Hussmann, Stephan; Chan, Leona; Fung, Celine; Albrecht, Martin

2003-08-01

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) is thoroughly reliable and highly efficient provided that high standards are maintained at both the planning and implementation stages. It is necessary to ensure that OMR forms are designed with due attention to data integrity checks, the best use is made of features built into the OMR, used data integrity is checked before the data is processed and data is validated before it is processed. This paper describes the design and implementation of an OMR prototype system for marking multiple-choice tests automatically. Parameter testing is carried out before the platform and the multiple-choice answer sheet has been designed. Position recognition and position verification methods have been developed and implemented in an intelligent line scan camera. The position recognition process is implemented into a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), whereas the verification process is implemented into a micro-controller. The verified results are then sent to the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for answers checking and statistical analysis. At the end of the paper the proposed OMR system will be compared with commercially available system on the market.

Data Release Report for Source Physics Experiments 2 and 3 (SPE-2 and SPE-3) Nevada National Security Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Townsend, Margaret [National Security Technologies, LLC. (NSTec), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Obi, Curtis [National Security Technologies, LLC. (NSTec), Las Vegas, NV (United States)

2015-04-30

The second Source Physics Experiment shot (SPE-2) was conducted in Nevada on October 25, 2011, at 1900:00.011623 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The explosive source was 997 kilograms (kg) trinitrotoluene (TNT) equivalent of sensitized heavy ammonium fuel oil (SHANFO) detonated at a depth of 45.7 meters (m). The third Source Physics Experiment shot (SPE-3) was conducted in Nevada on July 24, 2012, at 1800:00.44835 GMT. The explosive source was 905 kg TNT equivalent of SHANFO detonated at a depth of 45.8 m. Both shots were recorded by an extensive set of instrumentation that includes sensors both at near-field (less than 100 m) and far-field (100 m or greater) distances. The near-field instruments consisted of three-component accelerometers deployed in boreholes at 15, 46, and 55 m depths around the shot and a set of single-component vertical accelerometers on the surface. The far-field network was composed of a variety of seismic and acoustic sensors, including short-period geophones, broadband seismometers, three-component accelerometers, and rotational seismometers at distances of 100 m to 25 kilometers. This report coincides with the release of these data for analysts and organizations that are not participants in this program. This report describes the second and third Source Physics Experiment shots and the various types of near-field and farfield data that are available.This revised document includes reports on baseline shift corrections for the SPE-2 and SPE-3 shots that were missing from the original January 2015 version.

Derivative spectrum chromatographic method for the determination of trimethoprim in honey samples using an on-line solid-phase extraction technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchiyama, Kazuhisa; Kondo, Mari; Yokochi, Rika; Takeuchi, Yuri; Yamamoto, Atsushi; Inoue, Yoshinori

2011-07-01

A simple, selective and rapid analytical method for determination of trimethoprim (TMP) in honey samples was developed and validated. This method is based on a SPE technique followed by HPLC with photodiode array detection. After dilution and filtration, aliquots of 500 μL honey samples were directly injected to an on-line SPE HPLC system. TMP was extracted on an RP SPE column, and separated on a hydrophilic interaction chromatography column during HPLC analysis. At the first detection step, the noise level of the photodiode array data was reduced with two-dimensional equalizer filtering, and then the smoothed data were subjected to derivative spectrum chromatography. On the second-derivative chromatogram at 254 nm, the limit of detection and the limit of quantification of TMP in a honey sample were 5 and 10 ng/g, respectively. The proposed method showed high accuracy (60-103%) with adequate sensitivity for TMP monitoring in honey samples. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A high efficiency Ku-band radial line relativistic klystron amplifier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dang, Fangchao; Zhang, Xiaoping, E-mail: zhangxiaoping@nudt.edu.cn; Zhong, Huihuang; Zhang, Jun; Ju, Jinchuan [College of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073 (China)

2016-07-15

To achieve the gigawatt-level microwave amplification output at Ku-band, a radial-line relativistic klystron amplifier is proposed and investigated in this paper. Different from the annular electron beam in conventional axial relativistic klystron amplifiers, a radial-radiated electron beam is employed in this proposed klystron. Owing to its radially spreading speciality, the electron density and space charge effect are markedly weakened during the propagation in the radial line drift tube. Additionally, the power capacity, especially in the output cavity, is enhanced significantly because of its large volume, which is profitable for the long pulse operation. Particle-in-cell simulation results demonstrate that a high power microwave with the power of 3 GW and the frequency of 14.25 GHz is generated with a 500 kV, 12 kA electron beam excitation and the 30 kW radio-frequency signal injection. The power conversion efficiency is 50%, and the gain is about 50 dB. Meanwhile, there is insignificant electron beam self-excitation in the proposed structure by the adoption of two transverse electromagnetic reflectors. The relative phase difference between the injected signals and output microwaves keeps stable after the amplifier saturates.

Inhibitory effect of SPE-39 due to tyrosine phosphorylation and ubiquitination on the function of Vps33B in the EGF-stimulated cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Ayumi; Kamimori, Kanae; Hiyoshi, Mineyoshi; Kido, Hiroshi; Ohta, Takeshi; Konishi, Hiroaki

2012-07-30

Although SPE-39 is a binding protein to Vps33B that is one of the subunit in the mammalian HOPS complex, the elements of SPE-39 function remain unknown. Here, we show that tyrosine phosphorylation of SPE-39 following EGF stimulation plays a role in the stability of SPE-39 itself. Ubiquitination of the C-terminal region of SPE-39 was also elevated in response to EGF stimulation, and this process was regulated by the phosphorylation of Tyr-11 in SPE-39. However, association of Vps33B with SPE-39 inhibited the elevation of ubiquitination of SPE-39 following EGF stimulation, which might be responsible for the stabilization of SPE-39. Furthermore, an opposing functional relationship between SPE-39 and Vps33B on the downregulation of the EGF receptor was observed in EGF-stimulated COS-7 cells. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-speed micro electrode tool fabrication by a twin-wire EDM system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheu, Dong-Yea

2008-01-01

This paper describes a new machining process which combines twin-electro-wire together with two electro discharge circuits to rapidly fabricate micro electrode tools. The results show that transistor electro discharge and RC electro discharge circuits coexist to fabricate micro tools with rough and finish machining both on the same machine. Compared to conventional wire electro discharge grinding (WEDG) technology, a twin-wire EDM system that combines rough and finish machining into one process allows the efficient fabrication of micro tools. This high-speed micro tool fabrication process can be applied not only to micro electrode machining but also to micro punching tool and micro probing tips machining

Efficient production of a gene mutant cell line through integrating TALENs and high-throughput cell cloning.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Changhong; Fan, Yu; Li, Juan; Wang, Gancheng; Zhang, Hanshuo; Xi, Jianzhong Jeff

2015-02-01

Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are becoming powerful DNA-targeting tools in a variety of mammalian cells and model organisms. However, generating a stable cell line with specific gene mutations in a simple and rapid manner remains a challenging task. Here, we report a new method to efficiently produce monoclonal cells using integrated TALE nuclease technology and a series of high-throughput cell cloning approaches. Following this method, we obtained three mTOR mutant 293T cell lines within 2 months, which included one homozygous mutant line. © 2014 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

SPE-GC/FTD determination of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and its metabolites in urine.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubota, Ryuichi; Endo, Yoko; Takeuchi, Akito; Inoue, Yoshinori; Ogata, Hiroko; Ogawa, Masanori; Nakagawa, Tomoo; Onda, Nobuhiko; Endo, Ginji

2007-07-01

An analytical method using a combination of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography with a flame thermionic detector (GC/FTD) was developed for determination of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N-methylsuccinimide (MSI), and 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide (2-HMSI) in human urine. The SPE cartridge of poly(divinylbenzene/hydroxymethacrylate) used was directly loaded with urine sample, followed by elution with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) and subsequent centrifugation, and the supernatant was injected into the capillary GC using a DB1701. This method allowed efficient separation of NMP, MSI, and 2-HMSI, which were nearly free of interference by other GC peaks arising from urine. Recoveries of NMP, MSI, and 2-HMSI from the SPE cartridge were about 98, 101, and 67%, respectively, with limits of detection of 0.04, 0.02, and 0.06 mg/L, respectively, which met the regulatory requirements. The present method was used for assay in biological monitoring of workers exposed to NMP in their occupational environment.

Measurement of X-ray emission efficiency for K-lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Procop, M

2004-08-01

Results for the X-ray emission efficiency (counts per C per sr) of K-lines for selected elements (C, Al, Si, Ti, Cu, Ge) and for the first time also for compounds and alloys (SiC, GaP, AlCu, TiAlC) are presented. An energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) of known detection efficiency (counts per photon) has been used to record the spectra at a takeoff angle of 25 degrees determined by the geometry of the secondary electron microscope's specimen chamber. Overall uncertainty in measurement could be reduced to 5 to 10% in dependence on the line intensity and energy. Measured emission efficiencies have been compared with calculated efficiencies based on models applied in standardless analysis. The widespread XPP and PROZA models give somewhat too low emission efficiencies. The best agreement between measured and calculated efficiencies could be achieved by replacing in the modular PROZA96 model the original expression for the ionization cross section by the formula given by Casnati et al. (1982) A discrepancy remains for carbon, probably due to the high overvoltage ratio.

A shape-adaptive thin-film-based approach for 50% high-efficiency energy generation through micro-grating sliding electrification.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Guang; Zhou, Yu Sheng; Bai, Peng; Meng, Xian Song; Jing, Qingshen; Chen, Jun; Wang, Zhong Lin

2014-06-18

Effectively harvesting ambient mechanical energy is the key for realizing self-powered and autonomous electronics, which addresses limitations of batteries and thus has tremendous applications in sensor networks, wireless devices, and wearable/implantable electronics, etc. Here, a thin-film-based micro-grating triboelectric nanogenerator (MG-TENG) is developed for high-efficiency power generation through conversion of mechanical energy. The shape-adaptive MG-TENG relies on sliding electrification between complementary micro-sized arrays of linear grating, which offers a unique and straightforward solution in harnessing energy from relative sliding motion between surfaces. Operating at a sliding velocity of 10 m/s, a MG-TENG of 60 cm(2) in overall area, 0.2 cm(3) in volume and 0.6 g in weight can deliver an average output power of 3 W (power density of 50 mW cm(-2) and 15 W cm(-3)) at an overall conversion efficiency of ∼ 50%, making it a sufficient power supply to regular electronics, such as light bulbs. The scalable and cost-effective MG-TENG is practically applicable in not only harvesting various mechanical motions but also possibly power generation at a large scale. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Active load sharing technique for on-line efficiency optimization in DC microgrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanseverino, E. Riva; Zizzo, G.; Boscaino, V.

2017-01-01

Recently, DC power distribution is gaining more and more importance over its AC counterpart achieving increased efficiency, greater flexibility, reduced volumes and capital cost. In this paper, a 24-120-325V two-level DC distribution system for home appliances, each including three parallel DC......-DC converters, is modeled. An active load sharing technique is proposed for the on-line optimization of the global efficiency of the DC distribution network. The algorithm aims at the instantaneous efficiency optimization of the whole DC network, based on the on-line load current sampling. A Look Up Table......, is created to store the real efficiencies of the converters taking into account components tolerances. A MATLAB/Simulink model of the DC distribution network has been set up and a Genetic Algorithm has been employed for the global efficiency optimization. Simulation results are shown to validate the proposed...

Sensitive determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples by HPLC coupled with SPE based on graphene functionalized with triethoxysilane.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ke-Jing; Li, Jing; Liu, Yan-Ming; Wang, Lan

2013-02-01

The graphene functionalized with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal reaction and applied as SPE sorbents to extract trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from environmental water samples. These sorbents possess high adsorption capacity and extraction efficiency due to strong adsorption ability of carbon materials and large specific surface area of nanoparticles, and only 10 mg of sorbents are required to extract PAHs from 100 mL water samples. Several condition parameters, such as eluent and its volume, adsorbent amount, sample volume, sample pH, and sample flow rate, were optimized to achieve good sensitivity and precision. Under the optimized extraction conditions, the method showed good linearity in the range of 1-100 μg/L, repeatability of the extraction (the RSDs were between 1.8 and 2.9%, n = 6), and satisfactory detection limits of 0.029-0.1 μg/L. The recoveries of PAHs spiked in environmental water samples ranged from 84.6 to 109.5%. All these results demonstrated that this new SPE technique was a viable alternative to conventional enrichment techniques for the extraction and analysis of PAHs in complex samples. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Simultaneous analysis of multiple classes of antimicrobials in environmental water samples using SPE coupled with UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS and isotope dilution.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Ngoc Han; Chen, Hongjie; Do, Thanh Van; Reinhard, Martin; Ngo, Huu Hao; He, Yiliang; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong

2016-10-01

A robust and sensitive analytical method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of 21 target antimicrobials in different environmental water samples. Both single SPE and tandem SPE cartridge systems were investigated to simultaneously extract multiple classes of antimicrobials. Experimental results showed that good extraction efficiencies (84.5-105.6%) were observed for the vast majority of the target analytes when extraction was performed using the tandem SPE cartridge (SB+HR-X) system under an extraction pH of 3.0. HPLC-MS/MS parameters were optimized for simultaneous analysis of all the target analytes in a single injection. Quantification of target antimicrobials in water samples was accomplished using 15 isotopically labeled internal standards (ILISs), which allowed the efficient compensation of the losses of target analytes during sample preparation and correction of matrix effects during UHPLC-MS/MS as well as instrument fluctuations in MS/MS signal intensity. Method quantification limit (MQL) for most target analytes based on SPE was below 5ng/L for surface waters, 10ng/L for treated wastewater effluents, and 15ng/L for raw wastewater. The method was successfully applied to detect and quantify the occurrence of the target analytes in raw influent, treated effluent and surface water samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Line profiles of hydrogenic ions from high-temperature and high-density plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Qing; Li Jianming

1991-01-01

Applying the Hooper's first-order theory, the authors calculate the static micro-electric field distributions in plasmas containing various multiply-charged ions. The influences of the impurity concentrations on the micro electric field distributions and on the Lyman profiles (n→1) from hydrogenic ions are analysed. Based on the optical-thin line profiles, the radiation transfer equation in sphere plasmas with various optical depths is solved. The results confirm that the opacity-broadening of the line profiles has almost no effect on the separation of Lyman β splitted peaks. Such separation is determined by electric field at which the static micro-electric field distribution has a maximum. The separation can be utilized for spatially resolved and temporally resolved density diagnostic of fusion plasmas

Micro-structure Engineering of InGaN/GaN Quantum Wells for High Brightness Light Emitting Devices

KAUST Repository

Shen, Chao

2013-05-01

With experimental realization of micro-structures, the feasibility of achieving high brightness, low efficiency droop blue LED was implemented based on InGaN/GaN micro-LED-pillar design. A significantly high current density of 492 A/cm2 in a 20 μm diameter (D) micro-LED-pillar was achieved, compared to that of a 200 μm diameter LED (20 A/cm2), both at 10 V bias voltage. In addition, an increase in sustained quantum efficiency from 70.2% to 83.7% at high injection current density (200 A/cm2) was observed in micro-LED-pillars in conjunction with size reduction from 80 μm to 20 μm. A correlation between the strain relief and the electrical performance improvement was established for micro-LED-pillars with D < 50 μm, apart from current spreading effect. The degree of strain relief and its distribution were further studied in micro-LED-pillars with D ranging from 1 μm to 15 μm. Significant wavenumbers down-shifts for E2 and A1 Raman peaks, together with the blue shifted PL peak emission, were observed in as-prepared pillars, reflecting the degree of strain relief. A sharp transition from strained to relaxed epitaxy region was discernible from the competing E2 phonon peaks at 572 cm-1 and 568 cm-1, which were attributed to strain residue and strain relief, respectively. A uniform strain relief at the center of micro-pillars was achieved, i.e. merging of the competing phonon peaks, after Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) at 950℃ for 20 seconds, phenomenon of which was observed for the first time. The transition from maximum strain relief to a uniform strain relief was found along the narrow circumference (< 2.5 μm) of the pillars from the line-map of Raman spectroscopy. The extent of strain relief is also examined considering the height (L) of micro-LED-pillars fabricated using FIB micro-machining technique. The significant strain relief of up to 70% (from -1.4 GPa to -0.37 GPa), with a 71 meV PL peak blue shift, suggested that micro-LED-pillar with D < 3 μm and L

Comparison of Radiation Transport Codes, HZETRN, HETC and FLUKA, Using the 1956 Webber SPE Spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Heinbockel, John H.; Slaba, Tony C.; Blattnig, Steve R.; Tripathi, Ram K.; Townsend, Lawrence W.; Handler, Thomas; Gabriel, Tony A.; Pinsky, Lawrence S.; Reddell, Brandon; Clowdsley, Martha S.;

Surfactant-enhanced liquid-liquid microextraction coupled to micro-solid phase extraction onto highly hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giannoulis, Kiriakos M.; Giokas, Dimosthenis L.; Tsogas, George Z.; Vlessidis, Athanasios G.; Zhu, Qing; Pan, Qinmin

2013-01-01

We are presenting a simplified alternative method for dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) by resorting to the use of surfactants as emulsifiers and micro solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE). In this combined procedure, DLLME of hydrophobic components is initially accomplished in a mixed micellar/microemulsion extractant phase that is prepared by rapidly mixing a non-ionic surfactant and 1-octanol in aqueous medium. Then, and in contrast to classic DLLME, the extractant phase is collected by highly hydrophobic polysiloxane-coated core-shell Fe 2 O 3 (at)C magnetic nanoparticles. Hence, the sample components are the target analyte in the DLLME which, in turn, becomes the target analyte of the μ-SPE step. This 2-step approach represents a new and simple DLLME procedure that lacks tedious steps such as centrifugation, thawing, or delicate collection of the extractant phase. As a result, the analytical process is accelerated and the volume of the collected phase does not depend on the volume of the extraction solvent. The method was applied to extract cadmium in the form of its pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate chelate from spiked water samples prior to its determination by FAAS. Detection limits were brought down to the low μg L −1 levels by preconcentrating 10 mL samples with satisfactory recoveries (96.0–108.0 %). (author)

The Development and Optimization of Techniques for Monitoring Water Quality on-Board Spacecraft Using Colorimetric Solid-Phase Extraction (C-SPE)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hill, April Ann [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2007-12-01

The main focus of this dissertation is the design, development, and ground and microgravity validation of methods for monitoring drinking water quality on-board NASA spacecraft using clorimetric-solid phase extraction (C-SPE). The Introduction will overview the need for in-flight water quality analysis and will detail some of the challenges associated with operations in the absence of gravity. The ability of C-SPE methods to meet these challenges will then be discussed, followed by a literature review on existing applications of C-SPE and similar techniques. Finally, a brief discussion of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy theory, which provides a means for analyte identification and quantification in C-SPE analyses, is presented. Following the Introduction, four research chapters are presented as separate manuscripts. Chapter 1 reports the results from microgravity testing of existing C-SPE methods and procedures aboard NASA's C-9 microgravity simulator. Chapter 2 discusses the development of a C-SPE method for determining the total concentration of biocidal silver (i.e., in both dissolved and colloidal forms) in water samples. Chapter 3 presents the first application of the C-SPE technique to the determination of an organic analyte (i.e., formaldehyde). Chapter 4, which is a departure from the main focus of the thesis, details the results of an investigation into the effect of substrate rotation on the kinetics involved in the antigen and labeling steps in sandwich immunoassays. These research chapters are followed by general conclusions and a prospectus section.

Efficient algorithm for generating spectra using line-by-line methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonnad, V.; Iglesias, C.A.

2011-01-01

A method is presented for efficient generation of spectra using line-by-line approaches. The only approximation is replacing the line shape function with an interpolation procedure, which makes the method independent of the line profile functional form. The resulting computational savings for large number of lines is proportional to the number of frequency points in the spectral range. Therefore, for large-scale problems the method can provide speedups of two orders of magnitude or more. A method was presented to generate line-by-line spectra efficiently. The first step was to replace the explicit calculation of the profile by the Newton divided-differences interpolating polynomial. The second step is to accumulate the lines effectively reducing their number to the number of frequency points. The final step is recognizing the resulting expression as a convolution and amenable to FFT methods. The reduction in computational effort for a configuration-to-configuration transition array with large number of lines is proportional to the number of frequency points. The method involves no approximations except for replacing the explicit profile evaluation by interpolation. Specifically, the line accumulation and convolution are exact given the interpolation procedure. Furthermore, the interpolation makes the method independent of the line profile functional form contrary to other schemes using FFT methods to generate line-by-line spectra but relying on the analytic form of the profile Fourier transform. Finally, the method relies on a uniform frequency mesh. For non-uniform frequency meshes, however, the method can be applied by using a suitable temporary uniform mesh and the results interpolated onto the final mesh with little additional cost.

Isocratic Solid Phase Extraction-Liquid Chromatography (SPE-LC) Interfaced to High-Performance Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Protein Identification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hørning, Ole B; Kjeldsen, Frank; Theodorsen, Søren

2008-01-01

the isocratic solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography (SPE-LC) technology for rapid separation ( approximately 8 min) of simple peptide samples. We now extend these studies to demonstrate the potential of SPE-LC separation in combination with a hybrid linear ion trap-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometer...

A Simplified Control Method for Tie-Line Power of DC Micro-Grid

OpenAIRE

Yanbo Che; Jinhuan Zhou; Tingjun Lin; Wenxun Li; Jianmei Xu

2018-01-01

Compared with the AC micro-grid, the DC micro-grid has low energy loss and no issues of frequency stability, which makes it more accessible for distributed energy. Thus, the DC micro-grid has good potential for development. A variety of renewable energy is included in the DC micro-grid, which is easily affected by the environment, causing fluctuation of the DC voltage. For grid-connected DC micro-grid with droop control strategy, the tie-line power is affected by fluctuations in the DC voltag...

Micro-patterned agarose gel devices for single-cell high-throughput microscopy of E. coli cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Priest, David G; Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Tanaka, Yo; Taniguchi, Yuichi

2017-12-21

High-throughput microscopy of bacterial cells elucidated fundamental cellular processes including cellular heterogeneity and cell division homeostasis. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices provide advantages including precise positioning of cells and throughput, however device fabrication is time-consuming and requires specialised skills. Agarose pads are a popular alternative, however cells often clump together, which hinders single cell quantitation. Here, we imprint agarose pads with micro-patterned 'capsules', to trap individual cells and 'lines', to direct cellular growth outwards in a straight line. We implement this micro-patterning into multi-pad devices called CapsuleHotel and LineHotel for high-throughput imaging. CapsuleHotel provides ~65,000 capsule structures per mm 2 that isolate individual Escherichia coli cells. In contrast, LineHotel provides ~300 line structures per mm that direct growth of micro-colonies. With CapsuleHotel, a quantitative single cell dataset of ~10,000 cells across 24 samples can be acquired and analysed in under 1 hour. LineHotel allows tracking growth of > 10 micro-colonies across 24 samples simultaneously for up to 4 generations. These easy-to-use devices can be provided in kit format, and will accelerate discoveries in diverse fields ranging from microbiology to systems and synthetic biology.

On-line Analysis of Catalytic Reaction Products Using a High-Pressure Tandem Micro-reactor GC/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Atsushi; Kim, Young-Min; Hosaka, Akihiko; Watanabe, Chuichi; Teramae, Norio; Ohtani, Hajime; Kim, Seungdo; Park, Young-Kwon; Wang, Kaige; Freeman, Robert R

2017-01-01

When a GC/MS system is coupled with a pressurized reactor, the separation efficiency and the retention time are directly affected by the reactor pressure. To keep the GC column flow rate constant irrespective of the reaction pressure, a restrictor capillary tube and an open split interface are attached between the GC injection port and the head of a GC separation column. The capability of the attached modules is demonstrated for the on-line GC/MS analysis of catalytic reaction products of a bio-oil model sample (guaiacol), produced under a pressure of 1 to 3 MPa.

Solid-phase extraction of polar pesticides from environmental water samples on graphitized carbon and Empore-activated carbon disks and on-line coupling to octadecyl-bonded silica analytical columns.

Science.gov (United States)

Slobodník, J; Oztezkizan, O; Lingeman, H; Brinkman, U A

1996-10-25

The suitability of Empore-activated carbon disks (EACD), Envi-Carb graphitized carbon black (GCB) and CPP-50 graphitized carbon for the trace enrichment of polar pesticides from water samples was studied by means of off-line and on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE). In the off-line procedure, 0.5-2 l samples spiked with a test mixture of oxamyl, methomyl and aldicarb sulfoxide were enriched on EnviCarb SPE cartridges or 47 mm diameter EACD and eluted with dichloromethane-methanol. After evaporation, a sample was injected onto a C18-bonded silica column and analysed by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet (LC-UV) detection. EACD performed better than EnviCarb cartridges in terms of breakthrough volumes (> 2 l for all test analytes), reproducibility (R.S.D. of recoveries, 4-8%, n = 3) and sampling speed (100 ml/min); detection limits in drinking water were 0.05-0.16 microgram/l. In the on-line experiments, 4.6 mm diameter pieces cut from original EACD and stacked onto each other in a 9 mm long precolumn, and EnviCarb and CPP-50 packed in 10 x 2.0 mm I.D. precolumn, were tested, and 50-200 ml spiked water samples were preconcentrated. Because of the peak broadening caused by the strong sorption of the analytes on carbon, the carbon-packed precolumns were eluted by a separate stream of 0.1 ml/min acetonitrile which was mixed with the gradient LC eluent in front of the C18 analytical column. The final on-line procedure was also applied for the less polar propoxur, carbaryl and methiocarb. EnviCarb could not be used due to its poor pressure resistance. CPP-50 provided less peak broadening than EACD: peak widths were 0.1-0.3 min and R.S.D. of peak heights 4-14% (n = 3). In terms of analyte trapping efficiency on-line SPE-LC-UV with a CPP-50 precolumn also showed better performance than when Bondesil C18/OH or polymeric PLRP-S was used, but chromatographic resolution was similar. With the CPP-50-based system, detection limits of the test compounds were 0.05-1 microgram

High-efficiency terahertz polarization devices based on the dielectric metasurface

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jian; Wang, JingJing; Guo, Kai; Shen, Fei; Zhou, Qingfeng; Zhiping yin; Guo, Zhongyi

2018-02-01

Metasurfaces are composed of the subwavelength structures, which can be used to manipulate the amplitude, phase, and polarization of incident electromagnetic waves efficiently. Here, we propose a novel type of dielectric metasurface based on crystal Si for realizing to manipulate the terahertz wave, in which by varying the geometric sizes of the Si micro-bricks, the transmitting phase of the terahertz wave can almost span over the entire 2π range for both of the x-polarization and y-polarization simultaneously, while keeping the similarly high-transmission amplitudes (over 90%). At the frequency of 1.0 THz, we have successfully designed a series of controllable THz devices, such as the polarization-dependent beam splitter, polarization-independent beam deflector and the focusing lenses based on the designed metasurfaces. Our designs are easy to fabricate and can be promising in developing high-efficiency THz functional devices.

NEAR FIELD MODELING OF SPE1 EXPERIMENT AND PREDICTION OF THE SECOND SOURCE PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS (SPE2)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antoun, T; Xu, H; Vorobiev, O; Lomov, I

2011-10-20

launched in 2010, and the simulation results presented here will establish a baseline that will be used for gauging progress as planned modeling improvements are implemented during the remainder of the SPE program. The initial simulations were performed under 2D axisymmetric conditions assuming the geologic medium to be a homogeneous half space. However, logging data obtained from the emplacement hole reveal two major faults that intersect the borehole at two different depth intervals (NSTec report, 2011) and four major joint sets. To evaluate the effect of these discrete structures on the wave forms generated they have performed 2D and 3D analysis with a Lagrangian hydrocode, GEODYN-L that shares the same material models with GEODYN but can explicitly take joints and fault into consideration. They discuss results obtained using these two different approaches in this report.

Processing of Bi-2212 and Nb$_3$Sn studied in situ by high energy synchrotron diffraction and micro-tomography

CERN Document Server

Kadar, Julian

Next generation superconducting wires have been studied to obtain more information on the evolution of phase growth, crystallite size and strain state during wire processing. The high energy scattering beam line ID15 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility provides a very high flux of high energy photons for very fast in situ X-ray diffraction and micro-tomography studies of Bi-2212/Ag and Nb$_3$S/Cu wire samples. The typical wire processing conditions could be imitated in the X-ray transparent furnace at ID15 for diffraction and tomography studies. Efficient data analysis is mandatory in order to handle the very fast data acquisition rate. For this purpose an Excel-VBA based program was developed that allows a semi-automated fitting and tracking of peaks with pre-set constraints. With this method, more than one thousand diffraction patterns have been analysed to extract d-spacing, peak intensity and peak width values. X ray absorption micro tomograms were recorded simultaneously with the X-ray diffrac...

Design, fabrication, and evaluation of on-chip micro-supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Beidaghi, Majid; Chen, Wei; Wang, Chunlei

2011-06-01

Development of miniaturized electronic systems has stimulated the demand for miniaturized power sources that can be integrated into such systems. Among the different micro power sources micro electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices are particularly attractive because of their high efficiency and relatively high energy density. Electrochemical micro-capacitors or micro-supercapacitors offer higher power density compared to micro-batteries and micro-fuel cells. In this paper, development of on-chip micro-supercapacitors based on interdigitated C-MEMS electrode microarrays is introduced. C-MEMS electrodes are employed both as electrode material for electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) or as three dimensional (3D) current collectors of EDLC or pseudo-capacitive materials. Recent advancements in fabrication methods of C-MEMS based micro-supercapacitors are discussed and electrochemical properties of C-MEMS electrodes and it composites are reviewed.

Locating S-wave sources for the SPE-5 explosion using time reversal methods and a close-in, 1000 sensor network

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, S. C.; Pitarka, A.; Mellors, R. J.

2016-12-01

The Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is producing new data to study the generation of seismic waves from explosive sources. Preliminary results show that far-field S-waves are generated both within the non-elastic volume surrounding explosive sources and by P- to S-wave scattering. The relative contribution of non-elastic phenomenology and elastic-wave scattering to far-field S-waves has been debated for decades, and numerical simulations based on the SPE experiments are addressing this question. The match between observed and simulated data degrades with event-station distance and with increasing time in each seismogram. This suggests that a more accurate model of subsurface elastic properties could result in better agreement between observed and simulated seismograms. A detailed model of subsurface structure has been developed using geologic maps and the extensive database of borehole logs, but uncertainty in structural details remains high. The large N instrument deployment during the SPE-5 experiment offers an opportunity to use time-reversal techniques to back project the wave field into the subsurface to locate significant sources of scattered energy. The large N deployment was nominally 1000, 5 Hz sensors (500 Z and 500 3C geophones) deployed in a roughly rectangular array to the south and east of the SPE-5 shot. Sensor spacing was nominally 50 meters in the interior portion of the array and 100 meters in the outer region, with two dense lines at 25 m spacing. The array covers the major geologic boundary between the Yucca Flat basin and the granitic Climax Stock in which the SPE experiments have been conducted. Improved mapping of subsurface scatterers is expected to result in better agreement between simulated and observed seismograms and aid in our understanding of S-wave generation from explosions. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

High-efficiency integrated piezoelectric energy harvesting systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hande, Abhiman; Shah, Pradeep

2010-04-01

This paper describes hierarchically architectured development of an energy harvesting (EH) system that consists of micro and/or macro-scale harvesters matched to multiple components of remote wireless sensor and communication nodes. The micro-scale harvesters consist of thin-film MEMS piezoelectric cantilever arrays and power generation modules in IC-like form to allow efficient EH from vibrations. The design uses new high conversion efficiency thin-film processes combined with novel cantilever structures tuned to multiple resonant frequencies as broadband arrays. The macro-scale harvesters are used to power the collector nodes that have higher power specifications. These bulk harvesters can be integrated with efficient adaptive power management circuits that match transducer impedance and maximize power harvested from multiple scavenging sources with very low intrinsic power consumption. Texas MicroPower, Inc. is developing process based on a composition that has the highest reported energy density as compared to other commercially available bulk PZT-based sensor/actuator ceramic materials and extending it to thin-film materials and miniature conversion transducer structures. The multiform factor harvesters can be deployed for several military and commercial applications such as underground unattended sensors, sensors in oil rigs, structural health monitoring, supply chain management, and battlefield applications such as sensors on soldier apparel, equipment, and wearable electronics.

Spatial and Temporal Control of Cavitation Allows High In Vitro Transfection Efficiency in the Absence of Transfection Reagents or Contrast Agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Chettab, Kamel; Roux, Stéphanie; Mathé, Doriane; Cros-Perrial, Emeline; Lafond, Maxime; Lafon, Cyril; Dumontet, Charles; Mestas, Jean-Louis

2015-01-01

Sonoporation using low-frequency high-pressure ultrasound (US) is a non-viral approach for in vitro and in vivo gene delivery. In this study, we developed a new sonoporation device designed for spatial and temporal control of ultrasound cavitation. The regulation system incorporated in the device allowed a real-time control of the cavitation level during sonoporation. This device was evaluated for the in vitro transfection efficiency of a plasmid coding for Green Fluorescent Protein (pEGFP-C1) in adherent and non-adherent cell lines. The transfection efficiency of the device was compared to those observed with lipofection and nucleofection methods. In both adherent and non-adherent cell lines, the sonoporation device allowed high rate of transfection of pEGFP-C1 (40-80%), as determined by flow cytometry analysis of GFP expression, along with a low rate of mortality assessed by propidium iodide staining. The transfection efficiency and toxicity of sonoporation on the non-adherent cell lines Jurkat and K562 were similar to those of nucleofection, while these two cell lines were resistant to transfection by lipofection. Moreover, sonoporation was used to produce three stably transfected human lymphoma and leukemia lines. Significant transfection efficiency was also observed in two fresh samples of human acute myeloid leukemia cells. In conclusion, we developed a user-friendly and cost-effective ultrasound device, well adapted for routine in vitro high-yield transfection experiments and which does not require the use of any transfection reagent or gas micro-bubbles.

Efficient and Secure Comparison for On-Line Auctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgård, Ivan Bjerre; Krøigaard, Mikkel; Geisler, Martin Joakim

2007-01-01

We propose a protocol for secure comparison of integers based on homomorphic encryption. We also propose a homomorphic encryption scheme that can be used in our protocol and makes it more efficient than previous solutions. Our protocol is well-suited for application in on-line auctions, both...... with respect to functionality and performance. It minimizes the amount of information bidders need to send, and for comparison of 16 bit numbers with security based on 1024 bit RSA (executed by two parties), our implementation takes 0.28 seconds including all computation and communication. Using precomputation...

Analytical method for the determination of trace levels of steroid hormones and corticosteroids in soil, based on PLE/SPE/LC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Gineys, N; Giroud, B; Vulliet, E

2010-07-01

The aim of this study was to develop an efficient, sensitive and reliable analytical method for the determination of traces of steroid hormones (including oestrogen, androgens and progestagens) and corticosteroids in soil. A method of sample preparation involving pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) was developed for the determination of six steroids and five corticosteroids in soils, followed by analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The conditions employed for PLE involved acetone/methanol (50:50) as the extracting solvent, a temperature of 80 degrees C, two cycles and a static time of 5 min. The extraction was followed by a SPE clean-up based on a polymeric phase. With use of protocol, a residual matrix effect was, however, highlighted. The limit of detection in soil was 0.08-0.89 ng/g for steroids and 0.09-2.84 ng/g for corticosteroids.

MIL-101(Cr)@GO for dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction of pharmaceutical residue in chicken breast used in microwave-assisted coupling with HPLC-MS/MS detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yudan; Dai, Xinpeng; He, Xi; Chen, Lin; Hou, Xiaohong

2017-10-25

In this work, MIL-101(Cr)@GO (Graphite Oxide) was synthesized using a hydrothermal synthesis method and was applied as a dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (D-μ-SPE) sorbent for the efficient concentration of four residual drugs (metronidazole, MNZ; tinidazole, TNZ; chloramphenicol, CAP; sulfamethoxazole, SMX). Meanwhile, the extraction process was optimized by combining it with microwave-assisted extraction. Factors affecting the D-μ-SPE efficiency, such as selection of sorbent materials, pH of the sample solution, salting-out effect, amount of used material, extraction time, desorption solvent and desorption time, were studied. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the linearity ranged from 10 to 1000ngkg -1 and 1-100ngkg -1 (r 2 ≥0.9928) for the target analytes. The limits of detection were between 0.08 and 1.02ngkg -1 , and the limits of quantitation were between 0.26 and 3.40ngkg -1 . Additionally, the developed method also exhibited good precision (RSD≤2.5%), repeatability (RSD≤4.3%), high recoveries (88.9%-102.3%) and low matrix effects (78.2%-95.1%). The proposed method proved to be an efficient and reliable approach for the determination of the analytes. Finally, we successfully detected the four drugs in chicken breast. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On-line micro-volume introduction system developed for lower density than water extraction solvent and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anthemidis, Aristidis N.; Mitani, Constantina; Balkatzopoulou, Paschalia; Tzanavaras, Paraskevas D.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A dispersive liquid–liquid micro extraction method for lead and copper determination. ► A micro-volume transportation system for extractant solvent lighter than water. ► Analysis of natural water samples. - Abstract: A simple and fast preconcentration/separation dispersive liquid–liquid micro extraction (DLLME) method for metal determination based on the use of extraction solvent with lower density than water has been developed. For this purpose a novel micro-volume introduction system was developed enabling the on-line injection of the organic solvent into flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed system were demonstrated for lead and copper preconcentration in environmental water samples using di-isobutyl ketone (DBIK) as extraction solvent. Under the optimum conditions the enhancement factor for lead and copper was 187 and 310 respectively. For a sample volume of 10 mL, the detection limit (3 s) and the relative standard deviation were 1.2 μg L −1 and 3.3% for lead and 0.12 μg L −1 and 2.9% for copper respectively. The developed method was evaluated by analyzing certified reference material and it was applied successfully to the analysis of environmental water samples.

Hardware-Efficient On-line Learning through Pipelined Truncated-Error Backpropagation in Binary-State Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hesham Mostafa

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Artificial neural networks (ANNs trained using backpropagation are powerful learning architectures that have achieved state-of-the-art performance in various benchmarks. Significant effort has been devoted to developing custom silicon devices to accelerate inference in ANNs. Accelerating the training phase, however, has attracted relatively little attention. In this paper, we describe a hardware-efficient on-line learning technique for feedforward multi-layer ANNs that is based on pipelined backpropagation. Learning is performed in parallel with inference in the forward pass, removing the need for an explicit backward pass and requiring no extra weight lookup. By using binary state variables in the feedforward network and ternary errors in truncated-error backpropagation, the need for any multiplications in the forward and backward passes is removed, and memory requirements for the pipelining are drastically reduced. Further reduction in addition operations owing to the sparsity in the forward neural and backpropagating error signal paths contributes to highly efficient hardware implementation. For proof-of-concept validation, we demonstrate on-line learning of MNIST handwritten digit classification on a Spartan 6 FPGA interfacing with an external 1Gb DDR2 DRAM, that shows small degradation in test error performance compared to an equivalently sized binary ANN trained off-line using standard back-propagation and exact errors. Our results highlight an attractive synergy between pipelined backpropagation and binary-state networks in substantially reducing computation and memory requirements, making pipelined on-line learning practical in deep networks.

Hardware-Efficient On-line Learning through Pipelined Truncated-Error Backpropagation in Binary-State Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafa, Hesham; Pedroni, Bruno; Sheik, Sadique; Cauwenberghs, Gert

2017-01-01

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) trained using backpropagation are powerful learning architectures that have achieved state-of-the-art performance in various benchmarks. Significant effort has been devoted to developing custom silicon devices to accelerate inference in ANNs. Accelerating the training phase, however, has attracted relatively little attention. In this paper, we describe a hardware-efficient on-line learning technique for feedforward multi-layer ANNs that is based on pipelined backpropagation. Learning is performed in parallel with inference in the forward pass, removing the need for an explicit backward pass and requiring no extra weight lookup. By using binary state variables in the feedforward network and ternary errors in truncated-error backpropagation, the need for any multiplications in the forward and backward passes is removed, and memory requirements for the pipelining are drastically reduced. Further reduction in addition operations owing to the sparsity in the forward neural and backpropagating error signal paths contributes to highly efficient hardware implementation. For proof-of-concept validation, we demonstrate on-line learning of MNIST handwritten digit classification on a Spartan 6 FPGA interfacing with an external 1Gb DDR2 DRAM, that shows small degradation in test error performance compared to an equivalently sized binary ANN trained off-line using standard back-propagation and exact errors. Our results highlight an attractive synergy between pipelined backpropagation and binary-state networks in substantially reducing computation and memory requirements, making pipelined on-line learning practical in deep networks.

Strain relief InGaN/GaN MQW micro-pillars for high brightness LEDs

KAUST Repository

Shen, Chao

2013-01-01

Micro-structured group-III-nitrides are considered as promising strain relief structures for high efficiency solid state lighting. In this work, the strain field in InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) micro-pillars is investigated using micro-Raman spectroscopy and the design of micro-pillars were studied experimentally. We distinguished the strained and strain-relieved signatures of the GaN layer from the E2 phonon peak split from the Raman scattering signatures at 572 cm-1 and 568 cm-1, respectively. The extent of strain relief is examined considering the height and size of micro-pillars fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) micro-machining technique. A significant strain relief can be achieved when one micro-machined through the entire epi-layers, 3 μm in our study. The dependence of strain relief on micro-pillar diameter (D) suggested that micro-pillar with D < 3 μm showed high degree of strain relief. Our results shed new insights into designing strain-relieved InGaN/GaN microstructures for high brightness light emitting diode arrays. © 2013 IEEE.

Efficient on-line setup correction strategies using plan-intent functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keller, Harry; Jaffray, David A.; Rosewall, Tara; White, Elizabeth

2006-01-01

With the introduction of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) delivery systems on-line set-up correction strategies have gained in popularity. Usually, the correction workload of these strategies is high compared to off-line strategies as daily setup corrections have to be performed based on a predefined action level. In this work, it is proposed that on-line strategies must not only be judged in terms of workload but also in terms of efficacy. While workload can be easily predicted for such strategies, the efficacy must ultimately reflect the efficiency with which the original treatment plan intent is met. The purpose of this work is to investigate the tradeoff between workload and efficacy of three different on-line set-up correction strategies: The common fixed action level strategy and two novel on-line setup correction strategies, i.e., a dose-volume histogram (DVH) constraint and an equivalent uniform dose (EUD) score strategy that aim directly for better compliance with original treatment plan intent. All strategies were reformulated in terms of a score function that reflected treatment plan intent. A retrospective study was conducted on 5 prostate patients (7-field conformal, 79.8 Gy, 42 fractions). PTV margins were 10 mm except in the posterior direction (7 mm). The original treatment plan intent for these patients was defined using a set of DVH constraints. The results show that the on-line setup correction strategy based on a fixed action level of 3 mm resulted in a considerable correction workload. For larger action levels, a dose benefit (in terms of EUD) in the rectum and bladder was observed for all patients which is clinically ''fortuitous'' but difficult to take advantage of. In contrast, the application of the two novel strategies generally resulted in a controlled decrease of the dose to the rectum and the bladder with a smaller workload. It is concluded that using information about target anatomy and the planned dose distribution allows the

A maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic-SPE system using a maximum current controller

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muhida, Riza [Osaka Univ., Dept. of Physical Science, Toyonaka, Osaka (Japan); Osaka Univ., Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Park, Minwon; Dakkak, Mohammed; Matsuura, Kenji [Osaka Univ., Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Tsuyoshi, Akira; Michira, Masakazu [Kobe City College of Technology, Nishi-ku, Kobe (Japan)

2003-02-01

Processes to produce hydrogen from solar photovoltaic (PV)-powered water electrolysis using solid polymer electrolysis (SPE) are reported. An alternative control of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in the PV-SPE system based on the maximum current searching methods has been designed and implemented. Based on the characteristics of voltage-current and theoretical analysis of SPE, it can be shown that the tracking of the maximum current output of DC-DC converter in SPE side will track the MPPT of photovoltaic panel simultaneously. This method uses a proportional integrator controller to control the duty factor of DC-DC converter with pulse-width modulator (PWM). The MPPT performance and hydrogen production performance of this method have been evaluated and discussed based on the results of the experiment. (Author)

Study of novel plasma devices generated by high power lasers coupled with a micro-pulse power technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, A; Chen, Z L; Jin, Z; Kondo, K; Nakagawa, M; Kodama, R; Arima, H; Yoneda, H

2008-01-01

The authors have proposed introducing a micro pulse power technology in high power laser plasma experiments to boost up the return current, resulting in efficiently guiding of energetic electrons. High current pulse power generators with a pulse laser trigger system generate high-density plasma that is well conductor. To efficiently guiding by using a micro pulse power, we estimated parameter of a micro pulse power system that is voltage of rise time, current, charging voltage and capacitance

Signal processing to evaluate parameters affecting SPE for multi-residue analysis of personal care products.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrogrande, Maria Chiara; Basaglia, Giulia; Dondi, Francesco

2009-05-01

This paper discusses the development of a comprehensive method for the simultaneous analysis of personal care products (PCPs) based on SPE and GC-MS. The method was developed on 29 target compounds to represent PCPs belonging to different chemical classes: surfactants in detergents (alkyl benzenes), fragrances in cosmetics (nitro and polycyclic musks), antioxidants and preservatives (phenols), plasticizers (phthalates) displaying a wide range of volatility, polarity, water solubility. In addition to the conventional C(18) stationary phase, a surface modified styrene divinylbenzene polymeric phase (Strata X SPE cartridge) has been investigated as suitable for the simultaneous extraction of several PCPs with polar and non-polar characteristics. For both sorbents different solvent compositions and eluting conditions were tested and compared in order to achieve high extraction efficiency for as many sample components as possible. Comparison of the behavior of the two cartridges reveals that, overall, Strata-X provides better efficiency with extraction recovery higher than 70% for most of the PCPs investigated. The best results were obtained under the following operative conditions: an evaporation temperature of 40 degrees C, elution on Strata-X cartridge using a volume of 15 mL of ethyl acetate (EA) as solvent and operating with slow flow rate (-10 KPa). In addition to the conventional method based on peak integration, a chemometric approach based on the computation of the experimental autocovariance function (EACVF(tot)) was applied to the complex GC-MS signal: the percentage recovery and information on peak abundance distribution can be evaluated for each procedure step. The PC-based signal processing proved very helpful in assisting the development of the analytical procedure, since it saves labor and time and increases result reliability in handling GC complex signals.

Quantitative in vivo micro-computed tomography for assessment of age-dependent changes in murine whole-body composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim L. Beaucage

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT is used routinely to quantify skeletal tissue mass in small animal models. Our goal was to evaluate repeated in vivo micro-CT imaging for monitoring whole-body composition in studies of growth and aging in mice. Male mice from 2 to 52 weeks of age were anesthetized and imaged using an eXplore Locus Ultra and/or eXplore speCZT scanner. Images were reconstructed into 3D volumes, signal-intensity thresholds were used to classify each voxel as adipose, lean or skeletal tissue, and tissue masses were calculated from known density values. Images revealed specific changes in tissue distribution with growth and aging. Quantification showed biphasic increases in total CT-derived body mass, lean and skeletal tissue masses, consisting of rapid increases to 8 weeks of age, followed by slow linear increases to 52 weeks. In contrast, bone mineral density increased rapidly to a stable plateau at ~14 weeks of age. On the other hand, adipose tissue mass increased continuously with age. A micro-CT-derived total mass was calculated for each mouse and compared with gravimetrically measured mass, which differed on average by <3%. Parameters were highly reproducible for mice of the same age, but variability increased slightly with age. There was also good agreement in parameters for the same group of mice scanned on the eXplore Locus Ultra and eXplore speCZT systems. This study provides reference values for normative comparisons; as well, it demonstrates the usefulness of in vivo single-energy micro-CT scans to quantify whole-body composition in high-throughput studies of growth and aging in mice. Keywords: Adipose tissue, Bone mineral content, Bone mineral density, Growth, Lean tissue, Skeletal tissue

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON RETRO-REFLECTIVE COATED PAPER BASED ON MICRO-GLASS BEADS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YulongWang; ChuanshanZhao; TaoZhang

2004-01-01

High-reflectivity micro-glass bead, as a kind ofretro-reflective material, is widely used in reflectivefabric or film and other reflective coatings. But it israrely used in coated paper. The retro-reflectivetheory of micro-bead is described. Also the effect ofsize of micro-bead, dosage of binder and differentcolor layers on reflective properties of coated paperare discussed in this article. The results show that itsretro-reflective efficiency is good, equally toreflective fabric or film when the micro-glass bead isused in coated paper.

Extração em fase sólida (SPE e micro extração em fase sólida (SPME de piretróides em água Solid-phase extraction (SPE and solid-phase microextraction of pyrethroids in water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilma Regina Barrionuevo

2001-04-01

Full Text Available The pyrethroids bifenthrin, permethrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE and solid phase microextraction (SPME. The analysis were performed on a gas chromatograph with electron capture detection (GC-ECD. Octadecil Silano-C18, Florisil and Silica stationary phases were studied for SPE. Better results were obtained for Florisil which gave recoveries from 80% to 108%. Pyrethroids extraction by SPME showed a linear response and a detection limit of 10 pg ml-1. Although the data showed that the two extraction methods were able to isolate the pesticide residues from water samples, the best results were obtained by using SPME which is more sensitive, faster, cheeper, being a more useful technique for the analysis of pyrethroids in drinking water.

Micro-Spec: A High Performance Compact Spectrometer for Submillimeter Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Wen-Ting; Moseley, Harvey; Stevenson, Thomas; Brown, Ari; Patel, Amil; U-Yen, Kongpop; Ehsan, Negar; Caltado, Giuseppe; Wollock, Edward

2012-01-01

We describe the micro-Spec, an extremely compact high performance spectrometer for the submillimeter and millimeter spectral ranges. We have designed a fully integrated submillimeter spectrometer based on superconducting microstrip technology and fabricated its critical elements. Using low loss transmission lines, we can produce a fully integrated high resolution submillimeter spectrometer on a single four inch Si wafer. A resolution of 500 can readily be achieved with standard fabrication tolerance, higher with phase trimming. All functions of the spectrometer are integrated - light is coupled to the micro strip circuit with a planar antenna, the spectra discrimination is achieved using a synthetic grating, orders are separated using a built-in planar filter, and the light is detected using photon counting Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKID). We will discus the design principle of the instrument, describe its technical advantages, and report the progress on the development of the instrument.

High-speed micro-electro-discharge machining.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandrasekar, Srinivasan Dr. (.School of Industrial Engineering, West Lafayette, IN); Moylan, Shawn P. (School of Industrial Engineering, West Lafayette, IN); Benavides, Gilbert Lawrence

2005-09-01

When two electrodes are in close proximity in a dielectric liquid, application of a voltage pulse can produce a spark discharge between them, resulting in a small amount of material removal from both electrodes. Pulsed application of the voltage at discharge energies in the range of micro-Joules results in the continuous material removal process known as micro-electro-discharge machining (micro-EDM). Spark erosion by micro-EDM provides significant opportunities for producing small features and micro-components such as nozzle holes, slots, shafts and gears in virtually any conductive material. If the speed and precision of micro-EDM processes can be significantly enhanced, then they have the potential to be used for a wide variety of micro-machining applications including fabrication of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) components. Toward this end, a better understanding of the impacts the various machining parameters have on material removal has been established through a single discharge study of micro-EDM and a parametric study of small hole making by micro-EDM. The main avenues for improving the speed and efficiency of the micro-EDM process are in the areas of more controlled pulse generation in the power supply and more controlled positioning of the tool electrode during the machining process. Further investigation of the micro-EDM process in three dimensions leads to important design rules, specifically the smallest feature size attainable by the process.

Spatial and Temporal Control of Cavitation Allows High In Vitro Transfection Efficiency in the Absence of Transfection Reagents or Contrast Agents

Science.gov (United States)

Chettab, Kamel; Roux, Stéphanie; Mathé, Doriane; Cros-Perrial, Emeline; Lafond, Maxime; Lafon, Cyril; Dumontet, Charles; Mestas, Jean-Louis

2015-01-01

Sonoporation using low-frequency high-pressure ultrasound (US) is a non-viral approach for in vitro and in vivo gene delivery. In this study, we developed a new sonoporation device designed for spatial and temporal control of ultrasound cavitation. The regulation system incorporated in the device allowed a real-time control of the cavitation level during sonoporation. This device was evaluated for the in vitro transfection efficiency of a plasmid coding for Green Fluorescent Protein (pEGFP-C1) in adherent and non-adherent cell lines. The transfection efficiency of the device was compared to those observed with lipofection and nucleofection methods. In both adherent and non-adherent cell lines, the sonoporation device allowed high rate of transfection of pEGFP-C1 (40–80%), as determined by flow cytometry analysis of GFP expression, along with a low rate of mortality assessed by propidium iodide staining. The transfection efficiency and toxicity of sonoporation on the non-adherent cell lines Jurkat and K562 were similar to those of nucleofection, while these two cell lines were resistant to transfection by lipofection. Moreover, sonoporation was used to produce three stably transfected human lymphoma and leukemia lines. Significant transfection efficiency was also observed in two fresh samples of human acute myeloid leukemia cells. In conclusion, we developed a user-friendly and cost-effective ultrasound device, well adapted for routine in vitro high-yield transfection experiments and which does not require the use of any transfection reagent or gas micro-bubbles. PMID:26274324

Spatial and Temporal Control of Cavitation Allows High In Vitro Transfection Efficiency in the Absence of Transfection Reagents or Contrast Agents.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamel Chettab

Full Text Available Sonoporation using low-frequency high-pressure ultrasound (US is a non-viral approach for in vitro and in vivo gene delivery. In this study, we developed a new sonoporation device designed for spatial and temporal control of ultrasound cavitation. The regulation system incorporated in the device allowed a real-time control of the cavitation level during sonoporation. This device was evaluated for the in vitro transfection efficiency of a plasmid coding for Green Fluorescent Protein (pEGFP-C1 in adherent and non-adherent cell lines. The transfection efficiency of the device was compared to those observed with lipofection and nucleofection methods. In both adherent and non-adherent cell lines, the sonoporation device allowed high rate of transfection of pEGFP-C1 (40-80%, as determined by flow cytometry analysis of GFP expression, along with a low rate of mortality assessed by propidium iodide staining. The transfection efficiency and toxicity of sonoporation on the non-adherent cell lines Jurkat and K562 were similar to those of nucleofection, while these two cell lines were resistant to transfection by lipofection. Moreover, sonoporation was used to produce three stably transfected human lymphoma and leukemia lines. Significant transfection efficiency was also observed in two fresh samples of human acute myeloid leukemia cells. In conclusion, we developed a user-friendly and cost-effective ultrasound device, well adapted for routine in vitro high-yield transfection experiments and which does not require the use of any transfection reagent or gas micro-bubbles.

An ultra low-power off-line APDM-based switchmode power supply with very high conversion efficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Nils

2001-01-01

This article describes the results from the research work on design of a ultra low power off-line power supply with very high conversion efficiency. The input voltage is 230 VAC nominal and output voltage is 5 VDC. By ultra low power levels, an output power level in the area ranging from 50 m......W and up to 1000 mW is meant. The small power supply is intended for use as a standby power supply in mains operated equipment, which requires a small amount of power in standby mode....

Micro-texturing into DLC/diamond coated molds and dies via high density oxygen plasma etching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunata Ersyzario Edo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD-diamond films have been widely utilized not only as a hard protective coating for molds and dies but also as a functional substrate for bio-MEMS/NEMS. Micro-texturing into these hard coated molds and dies provides a productive tool to duplicate the original mother micro-patterns onto various work materials and to construct any tailored micro-textures for sensors and actuators. In the present paper, the high density oxygen plasma etching method is utilized to make micro-line and micro-groove patterns onto the DLC and diamond coatings. Our developing oxygen plasma etching system is introduced together with characterization on the plasma state during etching. In this quantitative plasma diagnosis, both the population of activated species and the electron and ion densities are identified through the emissive light spectroscopy and the Langmuir probe method. In addition, the on-line monitoring of the plasmas helps to describe the etching process. DLC coated WC (Co specimen is first employed to describe the etching mechanism by the present method. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD diamond coated WC (Co is also employed to demonstrate the reliable capacity of the present high density oxygen plasma etching. This oxygen plasma etching performance is discussed by comparison of the etching rates.

Alignment of dipole magnet in micro-beam line of HIRFL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Shaoming; Chen Wenjun; Yang Shengli; Cai Guozhu; Guo Yizhen; Zhou Guangming; Man Kaidi; Song Mingtao

2010-01-01

Microbeam irradiation facility is an experiment platform, which can reduce the beam-spot on the irradiated sample to micrometer level, and can accurately locate and count the radioactive particles. It is a powerful research tool for the irradiation material science, irradiation biology, irradiation biomedicine and micro mechanical machining. The microbeam irradiation facility requires the precise work for installation and alignment. These conditions make magnet's change for directions and positions because the location space of dipole magnets in micro-beam line of HIRFL (Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou) is very small. It is a challenge for the installation and alignment work of magnets. It was solved by transforming coordinates of benchmarks of magnets, which controlled the error of magnet setup within error tolerance range. (authors)

Theoretical performance of hydrogen-bromine rechargeable SPE fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Savinell, Robert F.; Fritts, S. D.

1987-01-01

A mathematical model was formulated to describe the performance of a hydrogen-bromine fuel cell. Porous electrode theory was applied to the carbon felt flow-by electrode and was coupled to theory describing the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) system. Parametric studies using the numerical solution to this model were performed to determine the effect of kinetic, mass transfer, and design parameters on the performance of the fuel cell. The results indicate that the cell performance is most sensitive to the transport properties of the SPE membrane. The model was also shown to be a useful tool for scale-up studies.

Evaluation of graphene-based sorbent in the determination of polar environmental contaminants in water by micro-solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Naing, Nyi Nyi; Li, Sam Fong Yau; Lee, Hian Kee

2016-01-04

A facile method of extraction using porous membrane protected micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) with a graphene-based sorbent followed by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector was developed. The reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) (1mg), synthesized from graphite oxide, was enclosed in a polypropylene bag representing the μ-SPE device, which was used for the extraction of estrogens such as estrone, 17β-estradiol, 17α-ethynylestradiol and diethylstilbestrol in water. The r-GO obtained was identified and characterized by Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The sorbent was loaded with sodium dodecyl sulfate by sonication to prevent agglomeration in aqueous solution. With this method, low limits of detection of between 0.24 and 0.52 ng L(-1) were achieved. For estrogen analysis a linear calibration range of 0.01-100 μg L(-1) was obtained, with the coefficients of determination (r(2)) higher than 0.992. This proposed method was successfully applied to determine estrogens in water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cone-shaped membrane liquid phase micro extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Heng See; Sanagi, M.M.; Ibrahim, W.A.W.; Naim, A.A.

2008-01-01

A novel sample pre-treatment technique termed cone-shaped membrane liquid phase micro extraction (CSM-LPME) was developed and combined with micro-liquid chromatography (micro-LC) for the determination of selected pesticides in water samples. Several important extraction parameters such as types of extraction solvent, agitation rate, pH value, total exposure time and effect of salt and humic acids were investigated and optimized. Enrichment factors of >50 folds were easily achieved within 20 min of extraction. The new developed method demonstrated an excellent performance in terms of speed, cost effectiveness, reproducibility, as well as exceptional low detection limits. Current work provides a great interest to further investigate on the applicability of the CSM-LPME technique in analytical chemistry and explores the possibility of replacing conventional extraction techniques such as soxhlet, solid phase extraction (SPE) and solid phase micro extraction (SPME). (author)

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON RETRO-REFLECTIVE COATED PAPER BASED ON MICRO-GLASS BEADS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yulong Wang; Chuanshan Zhao; Tao Zhang

2004-01-01

High-reflectivity micro-glass bead, as a kind of retro-reflective material, is widely used in reflective fabric or film and other reflective coatings. But it is rarely used in coated paper. The retro-reflective theory of micro-bead is described. Also the effect of size of micro-bead, dosage of binder and different color layers on reflective properties of coated paper are discussed in this article. The results show that its retro-reflective efficiency is good, equally to reflective fabric or film when the micro-glass bead is used in coated paper.

On-line efficiency optimization of a synchronous reluctance motor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lubin, Thierry; Razik, Hubert; Rezzoug, Abderrezak [Groupe de Recherche en Electrotechnique et Electronique de Nancy, GREEN, CNRS-UMR 7037, Universite Henri Poincare, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex (France)

2007-04-15

This paper deals with an on-line optimum-efficiency control of a synchronous reluctance motor drive. The input power minimization control is implemented with a search controller using Fibonacci search algorithm. It searches the optimal reference value of the d-axis stator current for which the input power is minimum. The input power is calculated from the measured dc-bus current and dc-bus voltage of the inverter. A rotor-oriented vector control of the synchronous reluctance machine with the optimization efficiency controller is achieved with a DSP board (TMS302C31). Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed control methods. It is shown that stability problems can appear during the search process. (author)

Cogeneration. Energy efficiency - Micro-cogeneration; La Cogeneration. Efficacite Energetique - Micro-cogeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boudellal, M.

2010-07-01

Depletion of natural resources and of non-renewable energy sources, pollution, greenhouse effect, increasing energy needs: energy efficiency is a major topic implying a better use of the available primary energies. In front of these challenges, cogeneration - i.e. the joint production of electricity and heat, and, at a local or individual scale, micro-cogeneration - can appear as interesting alternatives. This book presents in a detailed manner: the present day and future energy stakes; the different types of micro-cogeneration units (internal combustion engines, Stirling engine, fuel cell..), and the available models or the models at the design stage; the different usable fuels (natural gas, wood, biogas..); the optimization rules of a facility; the costs and amortizations; and some examples of facilities. (J.S.)

Design of high efficiency and energy saving aeration device for aquaculture

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Sibo

2017-03-01

Energy efficient aeration device for aquaculture, in line with "by more than a generation, dynamic aeration" train of thought for technical design and improvement. Removable aeration terminal as the core, multi-level water to improve the method, the mobile fading pore aeration, intelligent mobile and open and close as the main function, aimed at solving the existing pond aeration efficiency, low energy consumption is high, the function of a single problem. From energy saving, efficiency, biological bacteria on the three directions, the aquaculture industry of energy conservation and emissions reduction. Device of the main advantages are: 1, original mobile fading aerator on the one hand, to expand the scope of work, playing a micro porous aeration of dissolved oxygen with high efficiency and to achieve "by more than a generation", on the other hand, through the sports equipment, stir the mixture of water, the water surface of photosynthesis of plants rich in dissolved oxygen input parts of the tank, compared to the stillness of the aerator can be more fully dissolved oxygen.2, through the opening of the pressure sensor indirect control device, can make the equipment timely and stop operation, convenient in use at the same time avoid the waste of energy.3, the biofilm suspension in aeration terminal, can be accomplished by nitration of microbial multi-level water improvement, still can make biofilm increase rate of netting in the movement process, the biological and mechanical aerobic promote each other, improve the efficiency of both. In addition, the device has small power consumption, low cost of characteristics. And have a certain degree of technical barriers, have their own intellectual property rights, and high degree of product market demand, easily accepted by customers, has a very high popularization value.

In-line characterization and identification of micro-droplets on-chip

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weber Emanuel

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We present an integrated optofluidic sensor system for in-line characterization of micro-droplets. The device provides information about the droplet generation frequency, the droplet volume, and the content of the droplet. Due to its simplicity this principle can easily be implemented with other microfluidic components on one and the same device. The sensor is based on total internal reflection phenomena. Droplets are pushed through a microfluidic channel which is hit by slightly diverging monochromatic light. At the solid-liquid interface parts of the rays experience total internal reflection while another part is transmitted. The ratio of reflected to transmitted light depends on the refractive index of the solution. Both signals are recorded simultaneously and provide a very stable output signal for the droplet characterization. With the proposed system passing droplets were counted up to 320 droplets per second and droplets with different volumes could be discriminated. In a final experiment droplets with different amounts of dissolved CaCl2 were distinguished based on their reflected and transmitted light pattern. This principle can be applied for the detection of any molecules in microdroplets which significantly influence the refractive index of the buffer solution.

Simple and accurate measurement of carbamazepine in surface water by use of porous membrane-protected micro-solid-phase extraction coupled with isotope dilution mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teo, Hui Ling [Chemical Metrology Division, Applied Sciences Group, Health Sciences Authority, 1 Science Park Road, #01-05/06, The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528 (Singapore); Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543 (Singapore); Wong, Lingkai [Chemical Metrology Division, Applied Sciences Group, Health Sciences Authority, 1 Science Park Road, #01-05/06, The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528 (Singapore); Liu, Qinde, E-mail: liu_qinde@hsa.gov.sg [Chemical Metrology Division, Applied Sciences Group, Health Sciences Authority, 1 Science Park Road, #01-05/06, The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528 (Singapore); Teo, Tang Lin; Lee, Tong Kooi [Chemical Metrology Division, Applied Sciences Group, Health Sciences Authority, 1 Science Park Road, #01-05/06, The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528 (Singapore); Lee, Hian Kee, E-mail: chmleehk@nus.edu.sg [Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543 (Singapore)

2016-03-17

To achieve fast and accurate analysis of carbamazepine in surface water, we developed a novel porous membrane-protected micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) method, followed by liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-IDMS/MS) analysis. The μ-SPE device (∼0.8 × 1 cm) was fabricated by heat-sealing edges of a polypropylene membrane sheet to devise a bag enclosing the sorbent. The analytes (both carbamazepine and isotope-labelled carbamazepine) were first extracted by μ-SPE device in the sample (10 mL) via agitation, then desorbed in an organic solvent (1 mL) via ultrasonication. Several parameters such as organic solvent for pre-conditioning of μ-SPE device, amount of sorbent, adsorption time, and desorption solvent and time were investigated to optimize the μ-SPE efficiency. The optimized method has limits of detection and quantitation estimated to be 0.5 ng L{sup −1} and 1.6 ng L{sup −1}, respectively. Surface water samples spiked with different amounts of carbamazepine (close to 20, 500, and 1600 ng L{sup −1}, respectively) were analysed for the validation of method precision and accuracy. Good precision was obtained as demonstrated by relative standard deviations of 0.7% for the samples with concentrations of 500 and 1600 ng kg{sup −1}, and 5.8% for the sample with concentration of 20 ng kg{sup −1}. Good accuracy was also demonstrated by the relative recoveries in the range of 96.7%–103.5% for all samples with uncertainties of 1.1%–5.4%. Owing to the same chemical properties of carbamazepine and isotope-labelled carbamazepine, the isotope ratio in the μ-SPE procedure was accurately controlled. The use of μ-SPE coupled with IDMS analysis significantly facilitated the fast and accurate measurement of carbamazepine in surface water. - Highlights: • μ-SPE coupled with IDMS for the measurement of carbamazepine. • The method is the first report of coupling μ-SPE with IDMS. • μ-SPE is fast, time

Solid-phase extraction of polar pesticides from environmental water samples on graphitized carbon and Empore-activated carbon disks and on-line coupling to octadecyl-bonded silica analytical columns.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slobodník, J.; Oztekizan, O.; Lingeman, H.; Brinkman, U.A.T.

1996-01-01

The suitability of Empore-activated carbon disks (EACD), Envi-Carb graphitized carbon black (GCB) and CPP-50 graphitized carbon for the trace enrichment of polar pesticides from water samples was studied by means of off-line and on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE). In the off-line procedure, 0.5-2

Solvent-assisted dispersive micro-SPE by using aminopropyl-functionalized magnetite nanoparticle followed by GC-PID for quantification of parabens in aqueous matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasghorbani, Maryam; Attaran, Abdolmohammad; Payehghadr, Mahmood

2013-01-01

In this research, solvent-assisted dispersive micro-SPE was introduced as a simple modified technique for the determination of parabens in water and cosmetic samples. Aminopropyl-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) were successfully synthesized and applied. GC with photoionization detector was used for the separation and detection of parabens. In this method, hexylacetate (15 μL) as a solvent and aminopropyl-functionalized MNPs (5 μg) as a sorbent were added to an aqueous sample (10 mL) and then the sample was sonicated. Dispersed magnetite was collected in the bottom of the conical tube by using a strong magnet and then ACN was added as a desorption solvent. Forty microliters of this solvent was transferred into a microvial and then acetic anhydride and pyridine were added, thus derivatization was performed by acetic anhydride. After evaporation, 1 μL of derivatized sample was injected into a gas chromatograph for analysis. Several important parameters, such as kind of organic solvent, desorption solvent and volume, amount of aminopropyl-functionalized MNPs and effect of salt addition were investigated. Under optimum conditions, the limits of detection achieved were between 50 and 300 ng/L, with RSDs (n = 5) lower than 8%. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors ranged from 217 to 1253 and the extraction recoveries ranged from 10 to 62%. The recoveries were obtained for the analytes in river water and mouthwash solution and hand cream in the range of 87-103%. The advantages of proposed method are simplicity of operation, rapidity, high extraction yields, and environmental friendly character. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

CMOS analog integrated circuits high-speed and power-efficient design

CERN Document Server

Ndjountche, Tertulien

2011-01-01

High-speed, power-efficient analog integrated circuits can be used as standalone devices or to interface modern digital signal processors and micro-controllers in various applications, including multimedia, communication, instrumentation, and control systems. New architectures and low device geometry of complementary metaloxidesemiconductor (CMOS) technologies have accelerated the movement toward system on a chip design, which merges analog circuits with digital, and radio-frequency components. CMOS: Analog Integrated Circuits: High-Speed and Power-Efficient Design describes the important tren

Development of an on-line radon monitoring apparatus and design of the on-line radon monitoring platform based on CAN bus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Huiping; Lu Ning; Shang Aiguo; Zhou Chunlin; Chen Yingfen; Yu Hongwei

2004-12-01

For actual demand, an idea of 'on-line monitoring' is put forward as a way of radon monitoring, instead of traditional so called 'off-line monitoring'. In this way, the apparatus has some automatic functions such as continuous monitoring, real-time alarm; thereby, there is no need for operators' intervention in each monitoring process. With technique of hardware and software design in automation's field, the authors have successfully developed the prototype and finished the scale of it in a standard radon-chamber. This apparatus is composed of detector part and secondary-instrument. The detector part is made up of a passive diffusion collecting chamber, high voltage static electricity, semiconductor detector, charge-sensitive preamplifier and forming circuit. The secondary-instrument is actually a micro-controller system, which consists of a single-chip micro-controller cored measure-controlling unit, display unit, printing unit and alarming unit. Taking this apparatus as a cell, a 'on-line Radon Monitoring Platform' based on CAN bus has been put forward, which can realize multi-points environmental radioactivity real-time monitoring radioactivity and data process. (authors)

Prediction of novel pre-microRNAs with high accuracy through boosting and SVM.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuanwei; Yang, Yifan; Zhang, Huan; Jiang, Xiaohua; Xu, Bo; Xue, Yu; Cao, Yunxia; Zhai, Qian; Zhai, Yong; Xu, Mingqing; Cooke, Howard J; Shi, Qinghua

2011-05-15

High-throughput deep-sequencing technology has generated an unprecedented number of expressed short sequence reads, presenting not only an opportunity but also a challenge for prediction of novel microRNAs. To verify the existence of candidate microRNAs, we have to show that these short sequences can be processed from candidate pre-microRNAs. However, it is laborious and time consuming to verify these using existing experimental techniques. Therefore, here, we describe a new method, miRD, which is constructed using two feature selection strategies based on support vector machines (SVMs) and boosting method. It is a high-efficiency tool for novel pre-microRNA prediction with accuracy up to 94.0% among different species. miRD is implemented in PHP/PERL+MySQL+R and can be freely accessed at http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/rpg/mird/mird.php.

Experimental study on line-of-sight (LOS) attitude control using control moment gyros under micro-gravity environment

Science.gov (United States)

Kojima, Hirohisa; Hiraiwa, Kana; Yoshimura, Yasuhiro

2018-02-01

This paper presents the results of line-of-sight (LOS) attitude control using control moment gyros under a micro-gravity environment generated by parabolic flight. The W-Z parameters are used to describe the spacecraft attitude. In order to stabilize the current LOS to the target LOS, backstepping-based feedback control is considered using the W-Z parameters. Numerical simulations and experiments under a micro-gravity environment are carried out, and their results are compared in order to validate the proposed control methods.

Nanofluidic crystal: a facile, high-efficiency and high-power-density scaling up scheme for energy harvesting based on nanofluidic reverse electrodialysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang Wei; Wang Wei; Zhang Haixia; Wu Wengang; Li Zhihong

2013-01-01

The great advances in nanotechnology call for advances in miniaturized power sources for micro/nano-scale systems. Nanofluidic channels have received great attention as promising high-power-density substitutes for ion exchange membranes for use in energy harvesting from ambient ionic concentration gradient, namely reverse electrodialysis. This paper proposes the nanofluidic crystal (NFC), of packed nanoparticles in micro-meter-sized confined space, as a facile, high-efficiency and high-power-density scaling-up scheme for energy harvesting by nanofluidic reverse electrodialysis (NRED). Obtained from the self-assembly of nanoparticles in a micropore, the NFC forms an ion-selective network with enormous nanochannels due to electrical double-layer overlap in the nanoparticle interstices. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a maximum efficiency of 42.3 ± 1.84%, a maximum power density of 2.82 ± 0.22 W m −2 , and a maximum output power of 1.17 ± 0.09 nW/unit (nearly three orders of magnitude of amplification compared to other NREDs) were achieved in our prototype cell, which was prepared within 30 min. The current NFC-based prototype cell can be parallelized and cascaded to achieve the desired output power and open circuit voltage. This NFC-based scaling-up scheme for energy harvesting based on NRED is promising for the building of self-powered micro/nano-scale systems. (paper)

Efficiency of swimming of micro-organism and singularity in shape space

OpenAIRE

Kawamura, Masako

1996-01-01

Micro-organisms can be classified into three different types according to their size. We study the efficiency of the swimming of micro-organism in two dimensional fluid as a device for helping the explanation of this hierarchy in the size. We show that the efficiency of flagellate becomes unboundedly large, whereas that of ciliate has the upper bound. The unboundedness is related to the curious feature of the shape space, that is, a singularity at the basic shape of flagellate.

Efficiency enhancement of silicon nanowire solar cells by using UV/Ozone treatments and micro-grid electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Junyi; Subramani, Thiyagu; Sun, Yonglie; Jevasuwan, Wipakorn; Fukata, Naoki

2018-05-01

Silicon nanowire solar cells were fabricated by metal catalyzed electroless etching (MCEE) followed by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In this study, we investigated two effects, a UV/ozone treatment and the use of a micro-grid electrodes, to enhance light absorption and reduce the optic losses in the solar cell device. The UV/ozone treatment successfully improved the conversion efficiency. The micro-grid electrodes were then applied in solar cell devices subjected to a back surface field (BSF) treatment and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). These effects improved the conversion efficiency from 9.4% to 10.9%. Moreover, to reduce surface recombination and improve the continuity of front electrodes, we optimized the etching time of the MCEE process, giving a high efficiency of 12.3%.

Modelling the Italian household sector at the municipal scale: Micro-CHP, renewables and energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comodi, Gabriele; Cioccolanti, Luca; Renzi, Massimiliano

2014-01-01

This study investigates the potential of energy efficiency, renewables, and micro-cogeneration to reduce household consumption in a medium Italian town and analyses the scope for municipal local policies. The study also investigates the effects of tourist flows on town's energy consumption by modelling energy scenarios for permanent and summer homes. Two long-term energy scenarios (to 2030) were modelled using the MarkAL-TIMES generator model: BAU (business as usual), which is the reference scenario, and EHS (exemplary household sector), which involves targets of penetration for renewables and micro-cogeneration. The analysis demonstrated the critical role of end-use energy efficiency in curbing residential consumption. Cogeneration and renewables (PV (photovoltaic) and solar thermal panels) were proven to be valuable solutions to reduce the energetic and environmental burden of the household sector (−20% in 2030). Because most of household energy demand is ascribable to space-heating or hot water production, this study finds that micro-CHP technologies with lower power-to-heat ratios (mainly, Stirling engines and microturbines) show a higher diffusion, as do solar thermal devices. The spread of micro-cogeneration implies a global reduction of primary energy but involves the internalisation of the primary energy, and consequently CO 2 emissions, previously consumed in a centralised power plant within the municipality boundaries. - Highlights: • Energy consumption in permanent homes can be reduced by 20% in 2030. • High efficiency appliances have different effect according to their market penetration. • Use of electrical heat pumps shift consumption from natural gas to electricity. • Micro-CHP entails a global reduction of energy consumption but greater local emissions. • The main CHP technologies entering the residential market are Stirling and μ-turbines

Evaluation of Efficient Line Lengths for Better Readability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahid Hussain

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the major findings of a formal experiment about onscreen text line lengths are presented. The experiment examined the effects of four different line lengths on the reading speed and the reading efficiency. Efficiency is defined as a combination of reading speed and accuracy. Sixteen people between the age of 24 and 36 participated at the experiment. The subjects had to read four different texts with an average line length around 2000 characters. The texts contained substitution words, which had to be detected by the subjects to measure reading accuracy. Besides objective measures like reading speed and accuracy, the subjects were asked to subjectively vote on their reading experience. The results from our objective measures show strong similarities to those of the work done previously by different researchers. The absolute reading speed grows when the line length grows from CPL (Characters Per Line 30-120. The measured reading efficiency, however, doesn\\\\\\'t grow steadily, although a growing trend can be seen. This is due to the fact, that the test persons found in average more substitution words from the 60 CPL text than they did from the 30 and 90 CPL texts. The reading speed seems to increase while the line length increases but the overall comprehension seems to peak at medium line lengths. As in the previous studies, our test persons also prefer the medium (60 and 90 CPL line lengths, although they perform better when reading longer lines. In the overall subjective opinion 13 out of 16 test persons selected the 60 or 90 CPL line length as their favorite. The literature doesn\\\\\\'t truly provide a scientific explanation for the difference between the objective performance and the subjective preference. A natural hypothesis would be that the line length that is the fastest to read would also feel most comfortable to the readers but in the light of this and the earlier research it seems like this is not the case.

Hyphenation of solid-phase extraction with liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance: application of HPLC-DAD-SPE-NMR to identification of constituents of Kanahia laniflora.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarkson, Cailean; Staerk, Dan; Hansen, Steen Honoré; Jaroszewski, Jerzy W

2005-06-01

The introduction of on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) in HPLC-NMR has dramatically enhanced the sensitivity of this technique by concentration of the analytes in a small-volume NMR flow cell and by increasing the amount of the analyte by multiple peak trapping. In this study, the potential of HPLC-DAD-SPE-NMR hyphenation was demonstrated by structure determination of complex constituents of flower, leaf, root, and stem extracts of an African medicinal plant Kanahia laniflora. The technique was shown to allow acquisition of high-quality homo- and heteronuclear 2D NMR data following analytical-scale HPLC separation of extract constituents. Four flavonol glycosides [kaempferol 3-O-(6-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-d-glucopyranoside; kaempferol 3-O-(2,6-di-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-d-glucopyranoside; quercetin 3-O-(2,6-di-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-d-glucopyranoside (rutin); and isorhamnetin, 3-O-(6-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-d-glucopyranoside] and three 5alpha-cardenolides [coroglaucigenin 3-O-6-deoxy-beta-d-allopyranoside; coroglaucigenin 3-O-(4-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl)-6-deoxy-beta-d-glucopyranoside; 3'-O-acetyl-3'-epiafroside] were identified, with complete assignments of 1H and 13C resonances based on HSQC and HMBC spectra whenever required. Confirmation of the structures was provided by HPLC-MS data. The HPLC-DAD-SPE-NMR technique therefore speeds up the dereplication of complex mixtures of natural origin significantly, by characterization of individual extract components prior to preparative isolation work.

Simulation of Standby Efficiency Improvement for a Line Level Control Resonant Converter Based on Solar Power Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Tse Kuo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a new scheme to improve the standby efficiency of the high-power half-bridge line level control (LLC resonant converter. This new circuit is applicable to improving the efficiency of the renewable energy generation system in distributed power systems. The main purpose is to achieve high-efficiency solar and wind power and stable output under different load conditions. In comparison with the traditional one, this novel method can improve standby efficiency at standby. The system characteristics of this proposed method have been analyzed through detailed simulations, which prove its feasibility.

Implementation and assessment of an animal management system for small-animal micro-CT / micro-SPECT imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Holdsworth, David W.; Detombe, Sarah A.; Chiodo, Chris; Fricke, Stanley T.; Drangova, Maria

2011-03-01

Advances in laboratory imaging systems for CT, SPECT, MRI, and PET facilitate routine micro-imaging during pre-clinical investigations. Challenges still arise when dealing with immune-compromised animals, biohazardous agents, and multi-modality imaging. These challenges can be overcome with an appropriate animal management system (AMS), with the capability for supporting and monitoring a rat or mouse during micro-imaging. We report the implementation and assessment of a new AMS system for mice (PRA-3000 / AHS-2750, ASI Instruments, Warren MI), designed to be compatible with a commercial micro-CT / micro-SPECT imaging system (eXplore speCZT, GE Healthcare, London ON). The AMS was assessed under the following criteria: 1) compatibility with the imaging system (i.e. artifact generation, geometric dimensions); 2) compatibility with live animals (i.e. positioning, temperature regulation, anesthetic supply); 3) monitoring capabilities (i.e. rectal temperature, respiratory and cardiac monitoring); 4) stability of co-registration; and 5) containment. Micro-CT scans performed using a standardized live-animal protocol (90 kVp, 40 mA, 900 views, 16 ms per view) exhibited low noise (+/-19 HU) and acceptable artifact from high-density components within the AMS (e.g. ECG pad contacts). Live mice were imaged repeatedly (with removal and replacement of the AMS) and spatial registration was found to be stable to within +/-0.07 mm. All animals tolerated enclosure within the AMS for extended periods (i.e. > one hour) without distress, based on continuous recordings of rectal temperature, ECG waveform and respiratory rate. A sealed AMS system extends the capability of a conventional micro-imaging system to include immune-compromised and biosafety level 2 mouse-imaging protocols.

A Micro grid design for a kind of household energy efficiency management system based on high permeability

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Siwei; Li, Jun; Liu, Zhuochu; Wang, Min; Yue, Liang

2017-05-01

After the access of household distributed photovoltaic, conditions of high permeability generally occur, which cut off the connection between distributed power supply and major network rapidly and use energy storage device to realize electrical energy storage. The above operations cannot be adequate for the power grid health after distributed power supply access any more from the perspective of economy and rationality. This paper uses the integration between device and device, integration between device and system and integration between system and system of household microgrid and household energy efficiency management, to design household microgrid building program and operation strategy containing household energy efficiency management, to achieve efficient integration of household energy efficiency management and household microgrid, to effectively solve problems of high permeability of household distributed power supply and so on.

High Energy Conversion Efficiency with 3-D Micro-Patterned Photoanode for Enhancement Diffusivity and Modification of Photon Distribution in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Min Ju; Sim, Yeon Hyang; Cha, Seung I; Seo, Seon Hee; Lee, Dong Y

2017-11-08

Dye sensitize solar cells (DSSCs) have been considered as the promising alternatives silicon based solar cell with their characteristics including high efficiency under weak illumination and insensitive power output to incident angle. Therefore, many researches have been studied to improve the energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs. However the efficiency of DSSCs are still trapped at the around 10%. In this study, micro-scale hexagonal shape patterned photoanode have proposed to modify light distribution of photon. In the patterned electrode, the appearance efficiency have been obtained from 7.1% to 7.8% considered active area and the efficiency of 12.7% have been obtained based on the photoanode area. Enhancing diffusion of electrons and modification of photon distribution utilizing the morphology of the electrode are major factors to improving the performance of patterned electrode. Also, finite element method analyses of photon distributions were conducted to estimate morphological effect that influence on the photon distribution and current density. From our proposed study, it is expecting that patterned electrode is one of the solution to overcome the stagnant efficiency and one of the optimized geometry of electrode to modify photon distribution. Process of inter-patterning in photoanode has been minimized.

An optimized procedure for preconcentration, determination and on-line recovery of palladium using highly selective diphenyldiketone-monothiosemicarbazone modified silica gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, R.K.; Pandey, Amit; Gulati, Shikha; Adholeya, Alok

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Diphenyldiketone-monothiosemicarbazone modified silica gel. ► Highly selective, efficient and reusable chelating resin. ► Solid phase extraction system for on-line separation and preconcentration of Pd(II) ions. ► Application in catalytic converter and spiked tap water samples for on-line recovery of Pd(II) ions. - Abstract: A novel, highly selective, efficient and reusable chelating resin, diphenyldiketone-monothiosemicarbazone modified silica gel, was prepared and applied for the on-line separation and preconcentration of Pd(II) ions in catalytic converter and spiked tap water samples. Several parameters like effect of pH, sample volume, flow rate, type of eluent, and influence of various ionic interferences, etc. were evaluated for effective adsorption of palladium at trace levels. The resin was found to be highly selective for Pd(II) ions in the pH range 4–5 with a very high sorption capacity of 0.73 mmol/g and preconcentration factor of 335. The present environment friendly procedure has also been applied for large-scale extraction by employing the use of newly designed reactor in which on-line separation and preconcentration of Pd can be carried out easily and efficiently in short duration of time.

Selective extraction of phospholipids from dairy products by micro-solid phase extraction based on titanium dioxide microcolumns followed by MALDI-TOF-MS analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Calvano, Cosima; Jensen, Ole; Zambonin, Carlo

2009-01-01

A new micro-solid phase extraction (micro-SPE) procedure based on titanium dioxide microcolumns was developed for the selective extraction of phospholipids (PLs) from dairy products before matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis. All...... the extraction steps (loading, washing, and elution) have been optimized using a synthetic mixture of PLs standard and the procedure was subsequently applied to food samples such as milk, chocolate milk and butter. The whole method demonstrated to be simpler than traditional approaches and it appears very...

Targeted isolation and identification of bioactive compounds lowering cholesterol in the crude extracts of crabapples using UPLC-DAD-MS-SPE/NMR based on pharmacology-guided PLS-DA.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Chao; Wang, Dongshan; Li, Xing; Huang, Tao; Huang, Cheng; Hu, Kaifeng

2018-02-20

The anti-hyperlipidemic effects of crude crabapple extracts derived from Malus 'Red jade', Malus hupehensis (Pamp.) Rehd. and Malus prunifolia (Willd.) Borkh. were evaluated on high-fat diet induced obese (HF DIO) mice. The results revealed that some of these extracts could lower serum cholesterol levels in HF DIO mice. The same extracts were also parallelly analyzed by LC-MS in both positive and negative ionization modes. Based on the pharmacological results, 22 LC-MS variables were identified to be correlated with the anti-hyperlipidemic effects using partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and independent samples t-test. Further, under the guidance of the bioactivity-correlated LC-MS signals, 10 compounds were targetedly isolated and enriched using UPLC-DAD-MS-SPE and identified/elucidated by NMR together with MS/MS as citric acid(1), p-coumaric acid(2), hyperoside(3), myricetin(4), naringenin(5), quercetin(6), kaempferol(7), gentiopicroside(8), ursolic acid(9) and 8-epiloganic acid(10). Among these 10 compounds, 6 compounds, hyperoside(3), myricetin(4), naringenin(5), quercetin(6), kaempferol(7) and ursolic acid(9), were individually studied and reported to indeed have effects on lowering the serum lipid levels. These results demonstrated the efficiency of this strategy for drug discovery. In contrast to traditional routes to discover bioactive compounds in the plant extracts, targeted isolation and identification of bioactive compounds in the crude plant extracts using UPLC-DAD-MS-SPE/NMR based on pharmacology-guided PLS-DA of LC-MS data brings forward a new efficient dereplicated approach to natural products research for drug discovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High resolution laser micro sintering / melting using q-switched and high brilliant laser radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Exner, H.; Streek, A.

2015-03-01

Since the discovery of selective laser sintering/melting, numerous modifications have been made to upgrade or customize this technology for industrial purposes. Laser micro sintering (LMS) is one of those modifications: Powders with particles in the range of a few micrometers are used to obtain products with highly resolved structures. Pulses of a q-switched laser had been considered necessary in order to generate sinter layers from the micrometer scaled metal powders. LMS has been applied with powders from metals as well as from ceramic and cermet feedstock's to generate micro parts. Recent technological progress and the application of high brilliant continuous laser radiation have now allowed an efficient laser sintering/melting of micrometer scaled metal powders. Thereby it is remarkable that thin sinter layers are generated using high continuous laser power. The principles of the process, the state of the art in LMS concerning its advantages and limitations and furthermore the latest results of the recent development of this technology will be presented. Laser Micro Sintering / Laser Micro Melting (LMM) offer a vision for a new dimension of additive fabrication of miniature and precise parts also with application potential in all engineering fields.

Innovative separation and preconcentration technique of coagulating homogenous dispersive micro solid phase extraction exploiting graphene oxide nanosheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghazaghi, Mehri [Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Semnan University, P.O. Box: 35131-19111, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mousavi, Hassan Zavvar, E-mail: hzmousavi@semnan.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Semnan University, P.O. Box: 35131-19111, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rashidi, Ali Morad [Nanotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), West Entrance Blvd., Olympic Village, P.O. Box: 14857-33111, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shirkhanloo, Hamid [Occupational and Environmental Health Research Center (OEHRC), Iranian Petroleum Industry Health Research Institute (IPIHRI), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rahighi, Reza [Nanotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), West Entrance Blvd., Olympic Village, P.O. Box: 14857-33111, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Research and Development, Sharif Ultrahigh Nanotechnologists (SUN) Company, P.O. Box: 13488-96394, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-01-01

A uniquely novel, fast, and facile technique is introduced for the first time in which a scant amount of graphene oxide (GO), without modification, has been utilized in dispersive mode of solid phase extraction (SPE) for an efficient yet simple separation. The proposed method of coagulating homogenous dispersive micro solid phase extraction (CHD-µSPE) is based on coagulation of homogeneous GO solution with the aid of polyetheneimine (PEI). CHD-µSPE use full adsorption capacity of GO because in this method was used GO solution obtained from synthesis process without drying step and stacking nanosheets. In optimized condition, 30 µL GO solution (7 mg mL{sup −1}), obtained in synthesis process, was injected into 1.5 mL the sample solution followed by immediate injection of 53 µL PEI solution (1 mg mL{sup −1}). After inserting PEI, GO sheets aggregate and can be readily separated by centrifugation. PEI not only cause aggregation of GO, but also form three-dimensional network of GO with easy handling in following separation steps. Lead, cadmium, and chromium were selected as model analytes and the effecting parameters including the amount of GO, concentration of PEI, sample pH, extraction time, and type of desorption solvent were investigated and optimized. The results indicate that the proposed CHD-µSPE method can be successfully applied GO in dispersive mode of SPE without effecting on good capability adsorption of GO. The novel method was applied in determination of lead, cadmium, and chromium in water, human saliva, and urine samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limits are as low as 0.035, 0.005, and 0.012 µg L{sup −1} for Pb, Cd, and Cr respectively. The intra-day precisions (RSDs) were lower than 3.8%. CHD-µSPE method showed a good linear ranges of 0.24–15.6, 0.015–0.95 and 0.039–2.33 µg L{sup −1} for Pb, Cd and Cr respectively. Method performance was investigated by determination of mentioned

A comparative study on life cycle assessment of micro and macro components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Omidvarnia, Farzaneh; Islam, Aminul; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2013-01-01

their smaller dimensional scale. So performing of LCA for micro products is equally important as it is for macro products. Keeping this motivation in mind, current paper systematically performs the LCA of a micro Socket used in hearing aids. The analysis makes a guide line about how to use the conventional...... knowledge about LCA and tools for the efficient LCA analysis of the micro parts. A comparative study is made in the paper by comparing two different sockets of hearing aid and it shows well how to make a comparative study for LCAwhen the manufacturer makes a new product to replace an old one. Another...

Analysis Study of Stevioside and Rebaudioside A from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni by Normal Phase SPE and RP-HPLC

Science.gov (United States)

Martono, Y.; Rohman, A.; Riyanto, S.; Martono, S.

2018-04-01

Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) method using silica as sorbent for stevioside and rebaudiosida A analysis in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaf have not been performed. The aim of this study is to develop SPE method using silica as sorbent for Reverse Phase-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis of stevioside and rebaudiosida A in S. rebaudiana leaf. The results of this study indicate that the optimal conditions for normal phase SPE (silica) are conditioned with 3.0 mL of hexane. The sample loading volume is 0.1 mL. Cartridge is eluted with 1.0 mL acetonitrile: water (80: 20, v/v) to separate both analytes. The cartridge is washed with chloroform and water of 0.3 mL respectively. The developed SPE sample preparation method meets the accuracy and precision test and can be used for the analysis of stevioside and rebaudioside A by RP-HPLC.

Vps33b pathogenic mutations preferentially affect VIPAS39/SPE-39-positive endosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tornieri, Karine; Zlatic, Stephanie A; Mullin, Ariana P; Werner, Erica; Harrison, Robert; L'hernault, Steven W; Faundez, Victor

2013-12-20

Mutations in Vps33 isoforms cause pigment dilution in mice (Vps33a, buff) and Drosophila (car) and the neurogenic arthrogryposis, renal dysfunction and cholestasis syndrome in humans (ARC1, VPS33B). The later disease is also caused by mutations in VIPAS39, (Vps33b interacting protein, apical-basolateral polarity regulator, SPE-39 homolog; ARC2), a protein that interacts with the HOmotypic fusion and Protein Sorting (HOPS) complex, a tether necessary for endosome-lysosome traffic. These syndromes offer insight into fundamental endosome traffic processes unique to metazoans. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these mutant phenotypes remain poorly understood. Here we investigate interactions of wild-type and disease-causing mutations in VIPAS39/SPE-39 and Vps33b by yeast two hybrid, immunoprecipitation and quantitative fluorescent microscopy. We find that although few mutations prevent interaction between VIPAS39/SPE-39 and Vps33b, some mutants fragment VIPAS39/SPE-39-positive endosomes, but all mutants alter the subcellular localization of Vps33b to VIPAS39/SPE-39-positive endosomes. Our data suggest that the ARC syndrome may result through impaired VIPAS39/SPE-39 and Vps33b-dependent endosomal maturation or fusion.

Large-scale identification of microRNA targets in murine Dgcr8-deficient embryonic stem cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew P A Davis

Full Text Available Small RNAs such as microRNAs play important roles in embryonic stem cell maintenance and differentiation. A broad range of microRNAs is expressed in embryonic stem cells while only a fraction of their targets have been identified. We have performed large-scale identification of embryonic stem cell microRNA targets using a murine embryonic stem cell line deficient in the expression of Dgcr8. These cells are heavily depleted for microRNAs, allowing us to reintroduce specific microRNA duplexes and identify refined target sets. We used deep sequencing of small RNAs, mRNA expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis of microRNA seed matches in 3' UTRs to identify target transcripts. Consequently, we have identified a network of microRNAs that converge on the regulation of several important cellular pathways. Additionally, our experiments have revealed a novel candidate for Dgcr8-independent microRNA genesis and highlighted the challenges currently facing miRNA annotation.

Explorative Solid-Phase Extraction (E-SPE) for Accelerated Microbial Natural Product Discovery, Dereplication, and Purification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Månsson, Maria; Phipps, Richard Kerry; Gram, Lone

2010-01-01

Microbial natural products (NP) cover a high chemical diversity, and in consequence extracts from microorganisms are often complex to analyze and purify. A distribution analysis of calculated pK(a) values from the 34390 records in Antibase2008 revealed that within pH 2-11, 44% of all included......-phase extraction" (E-SPE) protocol using SAX, Oasis MAX, SCX, and LH-20 columns for targeted exploitation of chemical functionalities. E-SPE provides a minimum of fractions (15) for chemical and biological analyses and implicates development into a preparative scale methodology. Overall, this allows fast extract...

Substrate-Induced Allosteric Change in the Quaternary Structure of the Spermidine N-Acetyltransferase SpeG

OpenAIRE

Filippova, Ekaterina V.; Weigand, Steven; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Kiryukhina, Olga; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Anderson, Wayne F.

2015-01-01

The spermidine N-acetyltransferase SpeG is a dodecameric enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl-coenzyme A to polyamines such as spermidine and spermine. SpeG has an allosteric polyamine-binding site and acetylating polyamines regulates their intracellular concentrations. The structures of SpeG from Vibrio cholerae in complexes with polyamines and cofactor have been characterized earlier. Here, we present the dodecameric structure of SpeG from V. cholerae in a ligan...

Micro-Doppler extraction of a small UAV in a non-line-of-sight urban scenario

Science.gov (United States)

Gustavsson, Magnus; Andersson, Åsa; Johansson, Tommy; Jonsson, Rolf; Karlsson, Nils; Nilsson, Stefan

2017-05-01

The appearance of small UAVs on the commercial market poses a real threat to both civilian safety and to military operations. In open terrain a radar can detect and track even small UAVs at long distances. In an urban environment with limited line-of-sight and strong static and non-static background, this capability can be severely reduced. The radar cross section of these UAVs are normally small compared to the background. However, the rotors of the UAVs produce a characteristic micro-Doppler signature that can be exploited for detection and classification. In this paper, we investigate in an experimental set-up whether it is possible in the radar non-line-of-sight to retrieve the micro-Doppler signature of the UAV rotors. This is done by exploring up to three multipath bounces in the measured signal. The measurements were made with a semi-monostatic single receiver-transmitter radar system operating at X-band in a pulsed single frequency mode. The radar response of the UAV, with plastic and metallic rotors, was measured at several positions inside a 4 m wide corridor with metallic walls. In this paper, data from one line-of-sight and two non-line-ofsight positions are presented. Results show that we are able to detect the micro-Doppler of the rotors and to retrieve the number of revolutions per minute, for both rotor types. Free space Finite-Difference Time-Domain calculations have also been performed on a CAD-model of the UAV rotor to determine the optimal choice of polarization and the short-time Fourier transform filter length.

Efficient digitalization method for dental restorations using micro-CT data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Changhwan; Baek, Seung Hoon; Lee, Taewon; Go, Jonggun; Kim, Sun Young; Cho, Seungryong

2017-03-15

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using micro-CT scan of dental impressions for fabricating dental restorations and to compare the dimensional accuracy of dental models generated from various methods. The key idea of the proposed protocol is that dental impression of patients can be accurately digitized by micro-CT scan and that one can make digital cast model from micro-CT data directly. As air regions of the micro-CT scan data of dental impression are equivalent to the real teeth and surrounding structures, one can segment the air regions and fabricate digital cast model in the STL format out of them. The proposed method was validated by a phantom study using a typodont with prepared teeth. Actual measurement and deviation map analysis were performed after acquiring digital cast models for each restoration methods. Comparisons of the milled restorations were also performed by placing them on the prepared teeth of typodont. The results demonstrated that an efficient fabrication of precise dental restoration is achievable by use of the proposed method.

Efficient digitalization method for dental restorations using micro-CT data

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Changhwan; Baek, Seung Hoon; Lee, Taewon; Go, Jonggun; Kim, Sun Young; Cho, Seungryong

2017-03-01

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using micro-CT scan of dental impressions for fabricating dental restorations and to compare the dimensional accuracy of dental models generated from various methods. The key idea of the proposed protocol is that dental impression of patients can be accurately digitized by micro-CT scan and that one can make digital cast model from micro-CT data directly. As air regions of the micro-CT scan data of dental impression are equivalent to the real teeth and surrounding structures, one can segment the air regions and fabricate digital cast model in the STL format out of them. The proposed method was validated by a phantom study using a typodont with prepared teeth. Actual measurement and deviation map analysis were performed after acquiring digital cast models for each restoration methods. Comparisons of the milled restorations were also performed by placing them on the prepared teeth of typodont. The results demonstrated that an efficient fabrication of precise dental restoration is achievable by use of the proposed method.

30 CFR 77.704-1 - Work on high-voltage lines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work on high-voltage lines. 77.704-1 Section 77... MINES Grounding § 77.704-1 Work on high-voltage lines. (a) No high-voltage line shall be regarded as... provided in § 77.103) that such high-voltage line has been deenergized and grounded. Such qualified person...

Integrated Solid-Phase Extraction-Capillary Liquid Chromatography (speLC) Interfaced to ESI-MS/MS for Fast Characterization and Quantification of Protein and Proteomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falkenby, Lasse Gaarde; Such-Sanmartín, Gerard; Larsen, Martin Røssel

2014-01-01

min speLC-MS/MS experiment. Analysis by selected reaction monitoring by speLC-SRM-MS/MS of distinct peptides derived from the blood proteins IGF1, IGF2, IBP2, and IBP3 demonstrated protein quantification with CV values below 10% across 96 replicates. The speLC-MS/MS system is ideally suited for fast......The high peptide sequencing speed provided by modern hybrid tandem mass spectrometers enables the utilization of fast liquid chromatographic (LC) separation techniques. We present a robust solid-phase extraction/capillary LC system (speLC) for 5-10 min separation of semicomplex peptide mixtures...

Improving the efficiency of CHO cell line generation using glutamine synthetase gene knockout cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Lianchun; Kadura, Ibrahim; Krebs, Lara E; Hatfield, Christopher C; Shaw, Margaret M; Frye, Christopher C

2012-04-01

Although Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, with their unique characteristics, have become a major workhorse for the manufacture of therapeutic recombinant proteins, one of the major challenges in CHO cell line generation (CLG) is how to efficiently identify those rare, high-producing clones among a large population of low- and non-productive clones. It is not unusual that several hundred individual clones need to be screened for the identification of a commercial clonal cell line with acceptable productivity and growth profile making the cell line appropriate for commercial application. This inefficiency makes the process of CLG both time consuming and laborious. Currently, there are two main CHO expression systems, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-based methotrexate (MTX) selection and glutamine synthetase (GS)-based methionine sulfoximine (MSX) selection, that have been in wide industrial use. Since selection of recombinant cell lines in the GS-CHO system is based on the balance between the expression of the GS gene introduced by the expression plasmid and the addition of the GS inhibitor, L-MSX, the expression of GS from the endogenous GS gene in parental CHOK1SV cells will likely interfere with the selection process. To study endogenous GS expression's potential impact on selection efficiency, GS-knockout CHOK1SV cell lines were generated using the zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology designed to specifically target the endogenous CHO GS gene. The high efficiency (∼2%) of bi-allelic modification on the CHO GS gene supports the unique advantages of the ZFN technology, especially in CHO cells. GS enzyme function disruption was confirmed by the observation of glutamine-dependent growth of all GS-knockout cell lines. Full evaluation of the GS-knockout cell lines in a standard industrial cell culture process was performed. Bulk culture productivity improved two- to three-fold through the use of GS-knockout cells as parent cells. The selection stringency was

Investigation on the micro injection molding process of an overmolded multi-material micro component

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baruffi, Federico; Calaon, Matteo; Tosello, Guido

and difficult assembly steps, being the plastic molded directly on a metal substrate. In this scenario, an investigation on the fully automated micro overmolding manufacturing technology of a three-material micro component for acoustic applications has been carried out. Preliminary experiments allowed......Micro injection molding (μIM) is one of the few technologies capable of meeting the increasing demand of complex shaped micro plastic parts. This process, combined with the overmolding technique, allows a fast and cost-efficient production of multi-material micro components, saving numerous...

Wafer-scale integrated micro-supercapacitors on an ultrathin and highly flexible biomedical platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Maeng, Jimin; Meng, Chuizhou; Irazoqui, Pedro P

2015-02-01

We present wafer-scale integrated micro-supercapacitors on an ultrathin and highly flexible parylene platform, as progress toward sustainably powering biomedical microsystems suitable for implantable and wearable applications. All-solid-state, low-profile (supercapacitors are formed on an ultrathin (~20 μm) freestanding parylene film by a wafer-scale parylene packaging process in combination with a polyaniline (PANI) nanowire growth technique assisted by surface plasma treatment. These micro-supercapacitors are highly flexible and shown to be resilient toward flexural stress. Further, direct integration of micro-supercapacitors into a radio frequency (RF) rectifying circuit is achieved on a single parylene platform, yielding a complete RF energy harvesting microsystem. The system discharging rate is shown to improve by ~17 times in the presence of the integrated micro-supercapacitors. This result suggests that the integrated micro-supercapacitor technology described herein is a promising strategy for sustainably powering biomedical microsystems dedicated to implantable and wearable applications.

A review on high-resolution CMOS delay lines: towards sub-picosecond jitter performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulrazzaq, Bilal I; Abdul Halin, Izhal; Kawahito, Shoji; Sidek, Roslina M; Shafie, Suhaidi; Yunus, Nurul Amziah Md

2016-01-01

A review on CMOS delay lines with a focus on the most frequently used techniques for high-resolution delay step is presented. The primary types, specifications, delay circuits, and operating principles are presented. The delay circuits reported in this paper are used for delaying digital inputs and clock signals. The most common analog and digitally-controlled delay elements topologies are presented, focusing on the main delay-tuning strategies. IC variables, namely, process, supply voltage, temperature, and noise sources that affect delay resolution through timing jitter are discussed. The design specifications of these delay elements are also discussed and compared for the common delay line circuits. As a result, the main findings of this paper are highlighting and discussing the followings: the most efficient high-resolution delay line techniques, the trade-off challenge found between CMOS delay lines designed using either analog or digitally-controlled delay elements, the trade-off challenge between delay resolution and delay range and the proposed solutions for this challenge, and how CMOS technology scaling can affect the performance of CMOS delay lines. Moreover, the current trends and efforts used in order to generate output delayed signal with low jitter in the sub-picosecond range are presented.

A Comparison of Multiscale Permutation Entropy Measures in On-Line Depth of Anesthesia Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Cui; Liang, Zhenhu; Li, Xiaoli; Li, Duan; Li, Yongwang; Ursino, Mauro

2016-01-01

Multiscale permutation entropy (MSPE) is becoming an interesting tool to explore neurophysiological mechanisms in recent years. In this study, six MSPE measures were proposed for on-line depth of anesthesia (DoA) monitoring to quantify the anesthetic effect on the real-time EEG recordings. The performance of these measures in describing the transient characters of simulated neural populations and clinical anesthesia EEG were evaluated and compared. Six MSPE algorithms-derived from Shannon permutation entropy (SPE), Renyi permutation entropy (RPE) and Tsallis permutation entropy (TPE) combined with the decomposition procedures of coarse-graining (CG) method and moving average (MA) analysis-were studied. A thalamo-cortical neural mass model (TCNMM) was used to generate noise-free EEG under anesthesia to quantitatively assess the robustness of each MSPE measure against noise. Then, the clinical anesthesia EEG recordings from 20 patients were analyzed with these measures. To validate their effectiveness, the ability of six measures were compared in terms of tracking the dynamical changes in EEG data and the performance in state discrimination. The Pearson correlation coefficient (R) was used to assess the relationship among MSPE measures. CG-based MSPEs failed in on-line DoA monitoring at multiscale analysis. In on-line EEG analysis, the MA-based MSPE measures at 5 decomposed scales could track the transient changes of EEG recordings and statistically distinguish the awake state, unconsciousness and recovery of consciousness (RoC) state significantly. Compared to single-scale SPE and RPE, MSPEs had better anti-noise ability and MA-RPE at scale 5 performed best in this aspect. MA-TPE outperformed other measures with faster tracking speed of the loss of unconsciousness. MA-based multiscale permutation entropies have the potential for on-line anesthesia EEG analysis with its simple computation and sensitivity to drug effect changes. CG-based multiscale permutation

Development and optimization of the determination of pharmaceuticals in water samples by SPE and HPLC with diode-array detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlović, Dragana Mutavdžić; Ašperger, Danijela; Tolić, Dijana; Babić, Sandra

2013-09-01

This paper describes the development, optimization, and validation of a method for the determination of five pharmaceuticals from different therapeutic classes (antibiotics, anthelmintics, glucocorticoides) in water samples. Water samples were prepared using SPE and extracts were analyzed by HPLC with diode-array detection. The efficiency of 11 different SPE cartridges to extract the investigated compounds from water was tested in preliminary experiments. Then, the pH of the water sample, elution solvent, and sorbent mass were optimized. Except for optimization of the SPE procedure, selection of the optimal HPLC column with different stationary phases from different manufacturers has been performed. The developed method was validated using spring water samples spiked with appropriate concentrations of pharmaceuticals. Good linearity was obtained in the range of 2.4-200 μg/L, depending on the pharmaceutical with the correlation coefficients >0.9930 in all cases, except for ciprofloxacin (0.9866). Also, the method has revealed that low LODs (0.7-3.9 μg/L), good precision (intra- and interday) with RSD below 17% and recoveries above 98% for all pharmaceuticals. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of production wastewater samples from the pharmaceutical industry. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Micro-Tom Tomato as an Alternative Plant Model System: Mutant Collection and Efficient Transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shikata, Masahito; Ezura, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Tomato is a model plant for fruit development, a unique feature that classical model plants such as Arabidopsis and rice do not have. The tomato genome was sequenced in 2012 and tomato is becoming very popular as an alternative system for plant research. Among many varieties of tomato, Micro-Tom has been recognized as a model cultivar for tomato research because it shares some key advantages with Arabidopsis including its small size, short life cycle, and capacity to grow under fluorescent lights at a high density. Mutants and transgenic plants are essential materials for functional genomics research, and therefore, the availability of mutant resources and methods for genetic transformation are key tools to facilitate tomato research. Here, we introduce the Micro-Tom mutant database "TOMATOMA" and an efficient transformation protocol for Micro-Tom.

Preconcentration of Trace Neonicotinoid Insecticide Residues Using Vortex-Assisted Dispersive Micro Solid-Phase Extraction with Montmorillonite as an Efficient Sorbent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khwankaew Moyakao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In this work, we investigated montmorillonite for adsorption of neonicotinoid insecticides in vortex-assisted dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (VA-d-μ-SPE. High-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection was used for quantification and determination of neonicotinoid insecticide residues, including thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid. In this method, the solid sorbent was dispersed into the aqueous sample solution and vortex agitation was performed to accelerate the extraction process. Finally, the solution was filtered from the solid sorbent with a membrane filter. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of the proposed method were optimized, such as amount of sorbent, sample volume, salt addition, type and volume of extraction solvent, and vortex time. The adsorbing results show that montmorillonite could be reused at least 4 times and be used as an effective adsorbent for rapid extraction/preconcentration of neonicotinoid insecticide residues. Under optimum conditions, linear dynamic ranges were achieved between 0.5 and 1000 ng mL−1 with a correlation of determination (R2 greater than 0.99. Limit of detection (LOD ranged from 0.005 to 0.065 ng mL−1, while limit of quantification (LOQ ranged from 0.008 to 0.263 ng mL−1. The enrichment factor (EF ranged from 8 to 176-fold. The results demonstrated that the proposed method not only provided a more simple and sensitive method, but also can be used as a powerful alternative method for the simultaneous determination of insecticide residues in natural surface water and fruit juice samples.

Analysis of microcontaminants in aqueous samples by fully automated on-line solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass selective detection.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louter, A.J.H.; van Beekvelt, C.A.; Cid Montanes, P.; Slobodník, J.; Vreuls, J.J.; Brinkman, U.A.T.

1996-01-01

The trace-level analysis of unknown organic pollutants in water requires the use of fast and sensitive methods which also provide structural information. In the present study, an on-line technique was used which combines sample preparation by means of solid-phase extraction (SPE) on a small

Production of high-amylose maize lines using RNA interference in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

amylose maize lines with a low T-DNA copy number, demonstrating that RNAi is an efficient method for the production of high-amylose maize lines. Key words: Maize, high-amylose, RNA interference, starch branching enzyme gene sbe2a.

Data correlation in on-line solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-atomic emission/mass spectrometric detection of unknown microcontaminants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hankemeier, Th.; Rozenbrand, J.; Abhadur, M.; Vreuls, J.J.; Brinkman, U.A.Th.

1998-01-01

A procedure is described for the (non-target) screening of hetero-atom-containing compounds in tap and waste water by correlating data obtained by gas chromatography (GC) using atomic emission (AED) and mass selective (MS) detection. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was coupled on-line to both GC

A stable murine-based RD114 retroviral packaging line efficiently transduces human hematopoietic cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Maureen; Sattler, Rose; Grossman, I Robert; Bell, Anthony J; Skerrett, Donna; Baxi, Laxmi; Bank, Arthur

2003-11-01

Several barriers exist to high-efficiency transfer of therapeutic genes into human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) using complex oncoretroviral vectors. Human clinical trials to date have used Moloney leukemia virus-based amphotropic and gibbon ape leukemia virus-based envelopes in stable retroviral packaging lines. However, retroviruses pseudotyped with these envelopes have low titers due to the inability to concentrate viral supernatants efficiently by centrifugation without damaging the virus and low transduction efficiencies because of low-level expression of viral target receptors on human HSC. The RD114 envelope from the feline endogenous virus has been shown to transduce human CD34+ cells using transient packaging systems and to be concentrated to high titers by centrifugation. Stable packaging systems have potential advantages over transient systems because greater and more reproducible viral productions can be attained. We have, therefore, constructed and tested a stable RD114-expressing packaging line capable of high-level transduction of human CD34+ cells. Viral particles from this cell line were concentrated up to 100-fold (up to 10(7) viral particles/ml) by ultracentrifugation. Human hematopoietic progenitors from cord blood and sickle cell CD34+ cells were efficiently transduced with a Neo(R)-containing vector after a single exposure to concentrated RD114-pseudotyped virus produced from this cell line. Up to 78% of progenitors from transduced cord blood CD34+ cells and 51% of progenitors from sickle cell CD34+ cells expressed the NeoR gene. We also show transfer of a human beta-globin gene into progenitor cells from CD34+ cells from sickle cell patients with this new RD114 stable packaging system. The results indicate that this packaging line may eventually be useful in human clinical trials of globin gene therapy.

Development of magnetic micro-solid phase extraction for analysis of phthalate esters in packaged food.

Science.gov (United States)

Makkliang, Fonthip; Kanatharana, Proespichaya; Thavarungkul, Panote; Thammakhet, Chongdee

2015-01-01

A novel, simple and low cost magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes-poly (vinyl alcohol) cryogel-micro-solid phase extraction (magnetic-MWCNTs-PVA cryogel-μ-SPE) sorbent was synthesized by incorporating magnetic particles and MWCNTs into a PVA cryogel. The magnetic-MWCNTs-PVA cryogel-μ-SPE sorbent developed, with a large surface area and macro-porous structure, provided good sorbent-to-sorbent reproducibility (%RSDclear chicken soup samples in the range 0.02-0.07 μg mL(-1). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation on Wire Electrochemical Micro Machining of Ni-based Metallic Glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Lingchao; Zeng, Yongbin; Zhu, Di

2017-01-01

Highlights: • WECMM with nanosecond pulses is proposed firstly for fabricating micro complex components based on metallic glasses. • Applicable electrolyte for WECMM of the Ni-based MG is discussed. • Significantly uniform machined surface is achieved in H_2SO_4 solution. • High machining efficiency and stability are obtained experimentally by modifying pulse waveforms and electrolyte compositions. • Complex microstructures of Ni-based MG are fabricated by WECMM with optimized parameters. - Abstract: Metallic glasses (MGs) have been recognized as promising materials for realizing high-performance micro devices in micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) due to their excellent functional and structural characteristics. However, the applications of MGs are currently limited because of the difficulty of shaping them on the microscale. Wire electrochemical micro machining (WECMM) is increasingly recognized as a flexible and effective method to fabricate complex-shaped micro metal components with many advantages relative to the thermomechanical processing, which appears to be well suitable for micro shaping of MGs. We consider the example of a Ni-based MG, Ni_7_2Cr_1_9Si_7B_2, which has a typical passivation characteristic in 0.1 M H_2SO_4 solution. The transpassive process can be used for localized material removal when combined with nanosecond pulsed WECMM technique. In present work, the applicable electrolyte for WECMM of the Ni-based MG was discussed firstly. Then the voltage pulse waveform and electrolyte composition were modified to improve machining efficiency and stability. Several complex microstructures such as micro curved cantilever beam, micro gear, and micro square helix were machined with different optimized parameters.

High frequency relay protection channels on super high voltage lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikutskii, G V

1964-08-01

General aspects of high voltage transmission line design are discussed. The relationships between line voltage and length and line dimensions and power losses are explained. Electrical interference in the line is classified under three headings: interference under normal operating conditions, interference due to insulation faults, and interference due to variations in operating conditions of the high-voltage network.

Ionic liquid-assisted multiwalled carbon nanotube-dispersive micro-solid phase extraction for sensitive determination of inorganic As species in garlic samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Grijalba, Alexander Castro; Escudero, Leticia B.; Wuilloud, Rodolfo G.

2015-08-01

A highly sensitive dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-μ-SPE) method combining an ionic liquid (IL) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for inorganic As species (As(III) and As(V)) species separation and determination in garlic samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was developed. Trihexyl(tetradecil)phosphonium chloride IL was used to form an ion pair with the arsenomolybdate complex obtained by reaction of As(V) with molybdate ion. Afterwards, 1.0 mg of MWCNTs was dispersed for As(V) extraction and the supernatant was separated by centrifugation. MWCNTs were re-dispersed with tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant and ultrasound followed by direct injection into the graphite furnace of ETAAS for As determination. Pyrolysis and atomization conditions were carefully studied for complete decomposition of MWCNTs and IL matrices. Under optimum conditions, an extraction efficiency of 100% and a preconcentration factor of 70 were obtained with 5 mL of garlic extract. The detection limit was 7.1 ng L- 1 and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) for six replicate measurements at 5 μg L- 1 of As were 5.4% and 4.8% for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The proposed D-μ-SPE method allowed the efficient separation and determination of inorganic As species in a complex matrix such as garlic extract.

Investigations on burning efficiency and exhaust emission of in-line type emulsified fuel system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tseng, Y.K. [National Chinyi University of Technology (Taiwan). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Cheng, H.C. [Point Environmental Protection Technology Company Limited (Taiwan)

2011-07-28

In this research, the burning efficiency as well as exhaust emission of a new water-in-oil emulsified fuel system was studied. This emulsified system contains two core processes, the first one is to mix 97% water with 3% emulsifier by volume, and get the milk-like emulsified liquid, while the second one is to compound the milk-like emulsified liquid with heavy oil then obtain the emulsified fuel. In order to overcome the used demulsification problem during in reserve or in transport, this system was designed as a made and use in-line type. From the results of a series of burning tests, the fuel saving can be 8--15%. Also, from the comparison of decline for the heat value and total energy output of emulsified fuel, one can find that the water as the dispersed phase in the combustion process will lead to a micro-explosion as well as the water gas effect, both can raise the combustion temperature and burning efficiency. By comparing the waste gas emission of different types of emulsified fuel, one can know that, the CO2 emission reduces approximately 14%, and NOx emission reduces above 46%, meaning the reduction of the exhaust gas is truly effective. From the exhaust temperature of tail pipe, the waste heat discharge also may reduce 27%, it is quite advantageous to the global warming as well as earth environmental protection.

30 CFR 75.705-1 - Work on high-voltage lines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work on high-voltage lines. 75.705-1 Section 75... AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 75.705-1 Work on high-voltage lines. (a) Section 75.705 specifically prohibits work on energized high-voltage lines underground; (b...

Reduction of ring artefacts in high resolution micro-CT reconstructions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sijbers, Jan; Postnov, Andrei

2004-01-01

High resolution micro-CT images are often corrupted by ring artefacts, prohibiting quantitative analysis and hampering post processing. Removing or at least significantly reducing such artefacts is indispensable. However, since micro-CT systems are pushed to the extremes in the quest for the ultimate spatial resolution, ring artefacts can hardly be avoided. Moreover, as opposed to clinical CT systems, conventional correction schemes such as flat-field correction do not lead to satisfactory results. Therefore, in this note a simple but efficient and fast post processing method is proposed that effectively reduces ring artefacts in reconstructed μ-CT images. (note)

High Line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiib, Hans

2015-01-01

At just over 10 meters above street level, the High Line extends three kilometers through three districts of Southwestern Manhattan in New York. It consists of simple steel construction, and previously served as an elevated rail line connection between Penn Station on 34th Street and the many....... The High Line project has been carried out as part of an open conversion strategy. The result is a remarkable urban architectural project, which works as a catalyst for the urban development of Western Manhattan. The greater project includes the restoration and reuse of many old industrial buildings...

Global map of solar power production efficiency, considering micro climate factors

Science.gov (United States)

Hassanpour Adeh, E.; Higgins, C. W.

2017-12-01

Natural resources degradation and greenhouse gas emissions are creating a global crisis. Renewable energy is the most reliable option to mitigate this environmental dilemma. Abundancy of solar energy makes it highly attractive source of electricity. The existing global spatial maps of available solar energy are created with various models which consider the irradiation, latitude, cloud cover, elevation, shading and aerosols, and neglect the influence of local meteorological conditions. In this research, the influences of microclimatological variables on solar energy productivity were investigated with an in-field study at the Rabbit Hills solar arrays near Oregon State University. The local studies were extended to a global level, where global maps of solar power were produced, taking the micro climate variables into account. These variables included: temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation. The energy balance approach was used to synthesize the data and compute the efficiencies. The results confirmed that the solar power efficiency can be directly affected by the air temperature and wind speed.

Analytic analysis on asymmetrical micro arcing in high plasma potential RF plasma systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Y; McKenzie, D R; Bilek, M M M

2006-01-01

We report experimental and analytical results on asymmetrical micro arcing in a RF (radio frequency) plasma. Micro arcing, resulting from high plasma potential, in RF plasma was found to occur only on the grounded electrode for a variety of electrode and surface configurations. The analytic derivation was based on a simple RF time-dependent Child-Langmuir sheath model and electric current continuity. We found that the minimum potential difference in one RF period across the grounded electrode sheath depends on the area ratio of the grounded electrode to the powered electrode. As the area ratio increases, the minimum potential difference across a sheath increases for the grounded electrode but not for the RF powered electrode. We showed that discharge time in micro arcing is more than 100 RF periods; thus the presence of a continuous high electric field in one RF cycle results in micro arcing on the grounded electrode. However, the minimum potential difference in one RF period across the powered electrode sheath is always small so that it prevents micro arcing occurring even though the average sheath voltage can be large. This simple analytic model is consistent with particle-in-cell simulation results

Time-Dependent Moment Tensors of the First Four Source Physics Experiments (SPE) Explosions

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, X.

2015-12-01

We use mainly vertical-component geophone data within 2 km from the epicenter to invert for time-dependent moment tensors of the first four SPE explosions: SPE-1, SPE-2, SPE-3 and SPE-4Prime. We employ a one-dimensional (1D) velocity model developed from P- and Rg-wave travel times for Green's function calculations. The attenuation structure of the model is developed from P- and Rg-wave amplitudes. We select data for the inversion based on the criterion that they show consistent travel times and amplitude behavior as those predicted by the 1D model. Due to limited azimuthal coverage of the sources and the mostly vertical-component-only nature of the dataset, only long-period, diagonal components of the moment tensors are well constrained. Nevertheless, the moment tensors, particularly their isotropic components, provide reasonable estimates of the long-period source amplitudes as well as estimates of corner frequencies, albeit with larger uncertainties. The estimated corner frequencies, however, are consistent with estimates from ratios of seismogram spectra from different explosions. These long-period source amplitudes and corner frequencies cannot be fit by classical P-wave explosion source models. The results motivate the development of new P-wave source models suitable for these chemical explosions. To that end, we fit inverted moment-tensor spectra by modifying the classical explosion model using regressions of estimated source parameters. Although the number of data points used in the regression is small, the approach suggests a way for the new-model development when more data are collected.

Analysis of nitrosamines in water by automated SPE and isotope dilution GC/HRMS Occurrence in the different steps of a drinking water treatment plant, and in chlorinated samples from a reservoir and a sewage treatment plant effluent.

Science.gov (United States)

Planas, Carles; Palacios, Oscar; Ventura, Francesc; Rivera, Josep; Caixach, Josep

2008-08-15

A method based on automated solid-phase extraction (SPE) and isotope dilution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (GC/HRMS) has been developed for the analysis of nine nitrosamines in water samples. The combination of automated SPE and GC/HRMS for the analysis of nitrosamines has not been reported previously. The method shows as advantages the selectivity and sensitivity of GC/HRMS analysis and the high efficiency of automated SPE with coconut charcoal EPA 521 cartridges. Low method detection limits (MDLs) were achieved, along with a greater facility of the procedure and less dependence on the operator with regard to the methods based on manual SPE. Quality requirements for isotope dilution-based methods were accomplished for most analysed nitrosamines, regarding to trueness (80-120%), method precision (water samples (16 samples from a drinking water treatment plant {DWTP}, 2 chlorinated samples from a sewage treatment plant {STP} effluent, and 1 chlorinated sample from a reservoir) were analysed. Concentrations of nitrosamines in the STP effluent were 309.4 and 730.2 ng/L, being higher when higher doses of chlorine were applied. N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) were the main compounds identified in the STP effluent, and NDEA was detected above 200 ng/L, regulatory level for NDMA in effluents stated in Ontario (Canada). Lower concentrations of nitrosamines were found in the reservoir (20.3 ng/L) and in the DWTP samples (n.d. -28.6 ng/L). NDMA and NDEA were respectively found in the reservoir and in treated and highly chlorinated DWTP samples at concentrations above 10 ng/L (guide value established in different countries). The highest concentrations of nitrosamines were found after chlorination and ozonation processes (ozonated, treated and highly chlorinated water) in DWTP samples.

Mesa-height Dependent Quantum Efficiency Characteristics of InGaN Micro-LEDs

KAUST Repository

Shen, Chao; Kang, Chun Hong; Ng, Tien Khee; Ooi, Boon S.

2013-01-01

The mechanisms of mesa-height dependent efficiency and efficiency droop of blue InGaN/GaN micro-LED is presented. Device with a large etch-depth (> 1.3 µm) shows significant strain relief with aggravated current crowding.

A Fully Automated Radiosynthesis of [18F]Fluoroethyl-Diprenorphine on a Single Module by Use of SPE Cartridges for Preparation of High Quality 2-[18F]Fluoroethyl Tosylate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gjermund Henriksen

2013-06-01

Full Text Available We have developed a new method for automated production of 2-[18F]fluoroethyl tosylate ([18F]FETos that enables 18F-alkylation to provide PET tracers with high chemical purity. The method is based on the removal of excess ethylene glycol bistosylate precursor by precipitation and subsequent filtration and purification of the filtrate by means of solid phase extraction cartridges (SPE. The method is integrated to a single synthesis module and thereby provides the advantage over previous methods of not requiring HPLC purification, as demonstrated by the full radiosynthesis of the potent opioid receptor PET tracer [18F]fluoroethyldiprenorphine.

High Performance Nanocatalysts Supported on Micro/Nano Carbon Structures Using Ethanol Immersion Pretreatment for Micro DMFCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Liang-You; Wu, Yi-Shiuan; Chang, Chaun; Tseng, Fan-Gang

2013-01-01

In this paper, highly dense platinum (Pt) nanocatalysts were successfully deposited on the hydrophilically-treated nano/micro carbon supports with an ethanol (EtOH) immersion pretreatment and an acidic treatment for the performance improvement of methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). In order to thoroughly immerse the three-dimensional, interwoven structures of the carbon cloth fibers with a 6 M sulfuric acid surface modification, which increasing more oxygen-containing functional groups on the surfaces of the carbon supports, the EtOH immersion pretreatment of the carbon supports was utilized prior to the sulfuric acid treatment. Subsequently, Pt catalysts were reduced on the modified carbon supports by a homemade open-loop reduction system (OLRS) [1] For comparisons, carbon cloth (CC) and carbon nanotube on CC (CNT/CC) supports were employed with and without EtOH immersion pretreatments before Pt catalyst reduction. In the cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves, the electrosorption charges of hydrogen ion (Q H ) and the peak current density (I P ) of the fabricated Pt/CC and Pt/CNT/CC electrodes with the EtOH immersion pretreatments can efficiently be enhanced due to more active Pt sites for electrocatalytic reactions

Current applications of miniaturized chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques in drug analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Aturki, Zeineb; Rocco, Anna; Rocchi, Silvia; Fanali, Salvatore

2014-12-01

In the last decade, miniaturized separation techniques have become greatly popular in pharmaceutical analysis. Miniaturized separation methods are increasingly utilized in all processes of drug discovery as well as quality control of pharmaceutical preparation. The great advantages presented by the analytical miniaturized techniques, including high separation efficiency and resolution, rapid analysis and minimal consumption of reagents and samples, make them an attractive alternative to the conventional chromatographic methods for drug analysis. The purpose of this review is to give a general overview of the applicability of capillary electrophoresis (CE), capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and micro/capillary/nano-liquid chromatography (micro-LC/CLC/nano-LC) for the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), drug impurity testing, chiral drug separation, determination of drugs and metabolites in biological fluids. The results concerning the use of CEC, micro-LC, CLC, and nano-LC in the period 2009-2013, while for CE, those from 2012 up to the review draft are here summarized and some specific examples are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro packaging of hermetic seal mini dual in line laser diode module for aerospace applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kazemi, Alex A.; Chan, Eric; Koshinz, Dennis

2014-09-01

Normally, reliable, reproducible, high-yield packaging technologies are essential for meeting the cost, performance, and service objectives for the harsh environment of space applications. This paper describes a new improved micro packaging method of hermetic seal mini-DIL (dual in line) laser diode module. The problem of using a softer solder resulted in failure mechanisms observed in the mini-DIL laser diode module based laser firing unit (LFU) for ordinance ignition of a missile system. These failures included: (1) failure in light output pulse power, (2) fiber pigtail damage inside the package snout which caused low LFU production yield. Our distinctive challenge for this project is the micro packaging of mini-DIL. For this package a new technique for the hermetic sealing using a micro-soldering process was developed. The process is able to confine the solder seal to a small region inside the snout near the fiber feed-through hole on the wall of the mini-DIL package. After completing the development, which included temperature and thermal cycling, X-rays analysis showed the new method had no fiber damage after the microsoldering seal. The new process resulted in 100% success in the packaging design and was granted a patent for the innovative development.

Solid polymer electrolyte water electrolyser based on Nafion-TiO{sub 2} composite membrane for high temperature operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baglio, V.; Antonucci, V.; Arico, A.S. [CNR-ITAE, Messina (Italy); Matteucci, F.; Martina, F.; Zama, I. [Tozzi Renewable Energy SpA, Mezzano (Italy); Ciccarella, G. [National Nanotechnology Laboratory (NNL) of INFM-CNR, Distretto Tecnologico ISUFI, Innovazione, Universita del Salento, Lecce (Italy); Arriaga, L.G. [Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Electroquimica, Queretaro Sanfandila (Mexico); Ornelas, R.

2009-06-15

A composite Nafion-TiO{sub 2} membrane was manufactured by a recast procedure, using an in-house prepared TiO{sub 2}. This membrane has shown promising properties for high temperature operation in an SPE electrolyser allowing to achieve higher performance with respect to a commercial Nafion 115 membrane. This effect is mainly due to the water retention properties of the TiO{sub 2} filler. A promising increase in electrical efficiency was recorded at low current densities for the composite membrane-based SPE electrolyser at high temperature compared to conventional membrane-based devices. (Abstract Copyright [2009], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Ionic liquid-assisted multiwalled carbon nanotube-dispersive micro-solid phase extraction for sensitive determination of inorganic As species in garlic samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grijalba, Alexander Castro; Escudero, Leticia B.; Wuilloud, Rodolfo G., E-mail: rwuilloud@mendoza-conicet.gob.ar

2015-08-01

A highly sensitive dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-μ-SPE) method combining an ionic liquid (IL) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for inorganic As species (As(III) and As(V)) species separation and determination in garlic samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was developed. Trihexyl(tetradecil)phosphonium chloride IL was used to form an ion pair with the arsenomolybdate complex obtained by reaction of As(V) with molybdate ion. Afterwards, 1.0 mg of MWCNTs was dispersed for As(V) extraction and the supernatant was separated by centrifugation. MWCNTs were re-dispersed with tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant and ultrasound followed by direct injection into the graphite furnace of ETAAS for As determination. Pyrolysis and atomization conditions were carefully studied for complete decomposition of MWCNTs and IL matrices. Under optimum conditions, an extraction efficiency of 100% and a preconcentration factor of 70 were obtained with 5 mL of garlic extract. The detection limit was 7.1 ng L{sup −1} and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) for six replicate measurements at 5 μg L{sup −1} of As were 5.4% and 4.8% for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The proposed D-μ-SPE method allowed the efficient separation and determination of inorganic As species in a complex matrix such as garlic extract. - Highlights: • Efficient retention and preconcentration of As by combining an IL with MWCNTs • Determination of As by ETAAS with direct injection of MWCNTs • Thermal degradation of MWCNTs in the graphite furnace of ETAAS • Highly sensitive speciation and determination of As in garlic.

Ionic liquid-assisted multiwalled carbon nanotube-dispersive micro-solid phase extraction for sensitive determination of inorganic As species in garlic samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grijalba, Alexander Castro; Escudero, Leticia B.; Wuilloud, Rodolfo G.

2015-01-01

A highly sensitive dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-μ-SPE) method combining an ionic liquid (IL) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for inorganic As species (As(III) and As(V)) species separation and determination in garlic samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was developed. Trihexyl(tetradecil)phosphonium chloride IL was used to form an ion pair with the arsenomolybdate complex obtained by reaction of As(V) with molybdate ion. Afterwards, 1.0 mg of MWCNTs was dispersed for As(V) extraction and the supernatant was separated by centrifugation. MWCNTs were re-dispersed with tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant and ultrasound followed by direct injection into the graphite furnace of ETAAS for As determination. Pyrolysis and atomization conditions were carefully studied for complete decomposition of MWCNTs and IL matrices. Under optimum conditions, an extraction efficiency of 100% and a preconcentration factor of 70 were obtained with 5 mL of garlic extract. The detection limit was 7.1 ng L −1 and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) for six replicate measurements at 5 μg L −1 of As were 5.4% and 4.8% for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The proposed D-μ-SPE method allowed the efficient separation and determination of inorganic As species in a complex matrix such as garlic extract. - Highlights: • Efficient retention and preconcentration of As by combining an IL with MWCNTs • Determination of As by ETAAS with direct injection of MWCNTs • Thermal degradation of MWCNTs in the graphite furnace of ETAAS • Highly sensitive speciation and determination of As in garlic

Homogenization-based topology optimization for high-resolution manufacturable micro-structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Groen, Jeroen Peter; Sigmund, Ole

2018-01-01

This paper presents a projection method to obtain high-resolution, manufacturable structures from efficient and coarse-scale, homogenization-based topology optimization results. The presented approach bridges coarse and fine scale, such that the complex periodic micro-structures can be represented...... by a smooth and continuous lattice on the fine mesh. A heuristic methodology allows control of the projected topology, such that a minimum length-scale on both solid and void features is ensured in the final result. Numerical examples show excellent behavior of the method, where performances of the projected...

Grant credit lines for energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gramatikov, P.; Iliev, I.

2010-01-01

The European Commission established a mechanism of credit lines to integrate more quickly the Bulgarian economy to the open international markets. Thereby it was enabled certain Bulgarian banks to provide grant loans to private companies in the industrial sector for projects of improvement of the energy efficiency of their production. The Bulgarian experience in using of two European credit lines and their role in the current economic crisis is presented in this paper. (authors)

Targeted natural product isolation guided by HPLC-SPE-NMR: constituents of Hubertia species.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprogøe, Kennett; Staerk, Dan; Jäger, Anna K; Adsersen, Anne; Hansen, Steen Honoré; Witt, Matthias; Landbo, Anne-Katrine R; Meyer, Anne S; Jaroszewski, Jerzy W

2007-09-01

The hyphenated technique, high-performance liquid chromatography-solid-phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HPLC-SPE-NMR), has been applied for rapid identification of novel natural products in crude extracts of Hubertia ambavilla and Hubertia tomentosa. The technique allowed full or partial identification of all major extract constituents and demonstrated the presence of unusual quinic acid derivatives containing the (1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetyl residue that exhibit strongly coupled ABXY patterns, the parameters of which were obtained by spin simulations. Using homo- and heteronuclear 2D NMR data acquired in the HPLC-SPE-NMR mode, complete structure determination of three new natural products, i.e., 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-4-O-[(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetyl]quinic acid (1), its 2-hydroxy derivative (2), and 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-4-O-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetyl]quinic acid (3), was performed. Finally, targeted isolation of 1 was achieved by SPE fractionation and preparative HPLC, followed by evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. In contrast to chlorogenic acid and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, which act as antioxidants, compound 1 proved at the same conditions to possess prooxidant activity in an assay evaluating the oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein induced by Cu(2+).

Innovative separation and preconcentration technique of coagulating homogenous dispersive micro solid phase extraction exploiting graphene oxide nanosheets.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghazaghi, Mehri; Mousavi, Hassan Zavvar; Rashidi, Ali Morad; Shirkhanloo, Hamid; Rahighi, Reza

2016-01-01

A uniquely novel, fast, and facile technique is introduced for the first time in which a scant amount of graphene oxide (GO), without modification, has been utilized in dispersive mode of solid phase extraction (SPE) for an efficient yet simple separation. The proposed method of coagulating homogenous dispersive micro solid phase extraction (CHD-µSPE) is based on coagulation of homogeneous GO solution with the aid of polyetheneimine (PEI). CHD-µSPE use full adsorption capacity of GO because in this method was used GO solution obtained from synthesis process without drying step and stacking nanosheets. In optimized condition, 30 µL GO solution (7 mg mL(-1)), obtained in synthesis process, was injected into 1.5 mL the sample solution followed by immediate injection of 53 µL PEI solution (1 mg mL(-1)). After inserting PEI, GO sheets aggregate and can be readily separated by centrifugation. PEI not only cause aggregation of GO, but also form three-dimensional network of GO with easy handling in following separation steps. Lead, cadmium, and chromium were selected as model analytes and the effecting parameters including the amount of GO, concentration of PEI, sample pH, extraction time, and type of desorption solvent were investigated and optimized. The results indicate that the proposed CHD-µSPE method can be successfully applied GO in dispersive mode of SPE without effecting on good capability adsorption of GO. The novel method was applied in determination of lead, cadmium, and chromium in water, human saliva, and urine samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limits are as low as 0.035, 0.005, and 0.012 µg L(-1) for Pb, Cd, and Cr respectively. The intra-day precisions (RSDs) were lower than 3.8%. CHD-µSPE method showed a good linear ranges of 0.24-15.6, 0.015-0.95 and 0.039-2.33 µg L(-1) for Pb, Cd and Cr respectively. Method performance was investigated by determination of mentioned metal ions in river water, human urine and

GGE Biplot projection in discriminating the efficiency of popcorn lines to use nitrogen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano dos Santos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Nitrogen is essential for sustaining life on the planet, and it is the most important nutrient for obtaining high agricultural production. However, their use leads to the release of nitrous oxide with a global warming potential 296 times higher than the CO2 molecule, making it a challenge to reduce their use in agriculture. The objective of this research was to identify efficient popcorn inbred lines and responsive nitrogen use and exhibit a good expansion volume. For this, 29 inbred lines from the Germplasm Collection of Darcy Ribeiro North Fluminense State University (UENF were evaluated at two contrasting levels of nitrogen availability (low and ideal at two representative locations in the north and northwest of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, arranged in a randomized block design with three replicates. These inbred lines were discriminated against efficient use of nitrogen by multivariate GGE Biplot. Selective accuracy was close to 1, showing that the genotypes were enough to provide contrasting success in selection procedures. The first two main components (PC retained 93.82% of the total variation, and PC1 furnished an information ratio (IR that was unaffected by noise. L77 was the most unstable line, while P7, P2, P6, P3, P5, P4, P9, P10, P8, P9, L70, L74, and L55 were efficient and responsive. The GGE biplot method is recommended for the reliable identification of popcorn lines that are efficient and responsive to the use of nitrogen.

High-resolution high-efficiency X-ray imaging system based on the in-line Bragg magnifier and the Medipix detector

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vagovič, P.; Korytár, D.; Cecilia, A.; Hamann, E.; Švéda, L.; Pelliccia, D.; Hartwig, J.; Zápražný, Z.; Oberta, Peter; Dolbnya, I.; Shawney, K.; Flechsig, U.; Fiederle, M.; Baumbach, T.

2013-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 1 (2013), s. 153-159 ISSN 0909-0495. [International Workshop on X-Ray Damage to Biological Crystalline Samples /7./. Oxfordshire, 14.03.2012-16.03.2012] R&D Projects: GA MPO FR-TI1/412 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : Bragg magnifie * germanium * holography * high resolution * in-line * X-ray imaging Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 3.022, year: 2013 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1107/S0909049512044366/pdf

Research on the EDM Technology for Micro-holes at Complex Spatial Locations

Science.gov (United States)

Y Liu, J.; Guo, J. M.; Sun, D. J.; Cai, Y. H.; Ding, L. T.; Jiang, H.

2017-12-01

For the demands on machining micro-holes at complex spatial location, several key technical problems are conquered such as micro-Electron Discharge Machining (micro-EDM) power supply system’s development, the host structure’s design and machining process technical. Through developing low-voltage power supply circuit, high-voltage circuit, micro and precision machining circuit and clearance detection system, the narrow pulse and high frequency six-axis EDM machining power supply system is developed to meet the demands on micro-hole discharging machining. With the method of combining the CAD structure design, CAE simulation analysis, modal test, ODS (Operational Deflection Shapes) test and theoretical analysis, the host construction and key axes of the machine tool are optimized to meet the position demands of the micro-holes. Through developing the special deionized water filtration system to make sure that the machining process is stable enough. To verify the machining equipment and processing technical developed in this paper through developing the micro-hole’s processing flow and test on the real machine tool. As shown in the final test results: the efficient micro-EDM machining pulse power supply system, machine tool host system, deionized filtration system and processing method developed in this paper meet the demands on machining micro-holes at complex spatial locations.

Theoretical performance of hydrogen-bromine rechargeable SPE fuel cell. [Solid Polymer Electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Savinell, R. F.; Fritts, S. D.

1988-01-01

A mathematical model was formulated to describe the performance of a hydrogen-bromine fuel cell. Porous electrode theory was applied to the carbon felt flow-by electrode and was coupled to theory describing the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) system. Parametric studies using the numerical solution to this model were performed to determine the effect of kinetic, mass transfer, and design parameters on the performance of the fuel cell. The results indicate that the cell performance is most sensitive to the transport properties of the SPE membrane. The model was also shown to be a useful tool for scale-up studies.

The effect of steam separataor efficiency on transient following a steam line break

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, J.H.; Ohn, M.Y.; Lee, N.H.; Hwang, S.T.; Lee, S.K.

1996-01-01

Detailed thermalhydraulic simulations for CANDU 6 steam line break inside containment are performed to predict the response of the primary and secondary circuits. The analysis is performed using the thermalhydraulic computer code, CATHENA, with a coupled primary and secondary circuit model. A two-loop representation of the primary and secondary circuits is modelled. The secondary circuit model includes the feedwater line from the deaerator storage tank, multi-node steam generators and the steam line up to the turbine. Two cases were carried out using different assumptions for the efficiency of the steam separators. Case 1 assumes the efficiency of the steam separators becomes zero when the water level in the steam drum increases to the elevation of primary cyclones, or the outlet flow from the steam generator becomes higher than 150 % of normal flow. Case 2 assumes the efficiency becomes zero only when the water level in the steam drum reaches the elevation of primary cyclones. The simulation results show that system responses are sensitive to the assumption for the efficiency of the steam separators and case 1 gives higher discharge energy. Fuel cooling is assured, since primary circuit is cooled down sufficiently by the steam generators for both cases. (author)

Thermochemical micro imprinting of single-crystal diamond surface using a nickel mold under high-pressure conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Imoto, Yuji; Yan, Jiwang, E-mail: yan@mech.keio.ac.jp

2017-05-15

Graphical abstract: A Ni mold and thermochemically imprinted microstructures on diamond. - Highlights: • A thermochemical method for micro machining/patterning of diamond is proposed. • Various kinds of microstructures were imprinted on diamond using a Ni mold. • A graphite layer is formed during imprinting which can be removed by acid. • The processing depth depends strongly on pressure and temperature. - Abstract: Single-crystal diamond is an important material for cutting tools, micro electro mechanical systems, optical devices, and semiconductor substrates. However, the techniques for producing microstructures on diamond surface with high efficiency and accuracy have not been established. This paper proposes a thermochemical imprinting method for transferring microstructures from a nickel (Ni) mold onto single-crystal diamond surface. The Ni mold was micro-structured by a nanoindenter and then pressed against the diamond surface under high temperature and pressure in argon atmosphere. Results show that microstructures on the Ni mold were successfully transferred onto the diamond surface, and their depth increased with both pressure and temperature. Laser micro-Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analyses indicate that a graphite layer was formed over the contact area between diamond and Ni during pressing, and after washing by a mixed acid, the graphite layer could be completely removed. This study demonstrated the feasibility of a cost-efficient fabrication method for large-area microstructures on single-crystal diamond.

A thermally self-sustained micro-power plant with integrated micro-solid oxide fuel cells, micro-reformer and functional micro-fluidic carrier

Science.gov (United States)

Scherrer, Barbara; Evans, Anna; Santis-Alvarez, Alejandro J.; Jiang, Bo; Martynczuk, Julia; Galinski, Henning; Nabavi, Majid; Prestat, Michel; Tölke, René; Bieberle-Hütter, Anja; Poulikakos, Dimos; Muralt, Paul; Niedermann, Philippe; Dommann, Alex; Maeder, Thomas; Heeb, Peter; Straessle, Valentin; Muller, Claude; Gauckler, Ludwig J.

2014-07-01

Low temperature micro-solid oxide fuel cell (micro-SOFC) systems are an attractive alternative power source for small-size portable electronic devices due to their high energy efficiency and density. Here, we report on a thermally self-sustainable reformer-micro-SOFC assembly. The device consists of a micro-reformer bonded to a silicon chip containing 30 micro-SOFC membranes and a functional glass carrier with gas channels and screen-printed heaters for start-up. Thermal independence of the device from the externally powered heater is achieved by exothermic reforming reactions above 470 °C. The reforming reaction and the fuel gas flow rate of the n-butane/air gas mixture controls the operation temperature and gas composition on the micro-SOFC membrane. In the temperature range between 505 °C and 570 °C, the gas composition after the micro-reformer consists of 12 vol.% to 28 vol.% H2. An open-circuit voltage of 1.0 V and maximum power density of 47 mW cm-2 at 565 °C is achieved with the on-chip produced hydrogen at the micro-SOFC membranes.

Edible seaweed as future functional food: Identification of α-glucosidase inhibitors by combined use of high-resolution α-glucosidase inhibition profiling and HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bingrui; Kongstad, Kenneth T; Wiese, Stefanie; Jäger, Anna K; Staerk, Dan

2016-07-15

Crude chloroform, ethanol and acetone extracts of nineteen seaweed species were screened for their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Samples showing more than 60% α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, at a concentration of 1 mg/ml, were furthermore investigated using high-resolution α-glucosidase inhibition profiling combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry-solid-phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR-bioassay/HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR). The results showed Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesicolosus to be rich in antioxidants, equaling a Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of 135 and 108 mM Troloxmg(-1) extract, respectively. HR-bioassay/HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR showed the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of A. nodosum, F. vesoculosus, Laminaria digitata, Laminaria japonica and Undaria pinnatifida to be caused by phlorotannins as well as fatty acids - with oleic acid, linoleic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid being the most potent with IC50 values of 0.069, 0.075 and 0.10 mM, respectively, and showing a mixed-type inhibition mode. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On-line monitoring of glucose and/or lactate in a fermentation process using an expanded micro-bed flow injection analyser.

Science.gov (United States)

Nandakumar, M P; Lali, A M; Mattiasson, B

1999-01-01

A novel flow injection biosensor system for monitoring fermentation processes has been developed using an expanded micro bed as the enzyme reactor. An expanded bed reactor is capable of handling a mobile phase containing suspended matter like cells and cell debris. Thus, while the analyte is free to interact with the adsorbent, the suspended particulate matter passes through unhindered. With the use of a scaled down expanded bed in the flow injection analysis (FIA) system, it was possible to analyse samples directly from a fermentor without the pretreatment otherwise required to extract the analyte or remove the suspended cells. This technique, therefore, provides a means to determine the true concentrations of the metabolites in a fermentor, with more ease than possible with other techniques. Glucose oxidase immobilised on STREAMLINE was used to measure glucose concentration in a suspension of dead yeast cells. There was no interference from the cell particles even at high cell densities such as 15 gm dry weight per litre. The assay time was about 6 min. Accuracy and reproducibility of the system was found to be good. In another scheme, lactate oxidase was covalently coupled to STREAMLINE for expanded bed operation. With the on-line expanded micro bed FIA it was possible to follow the fermentation with Lactobacillus casei.

Dual High-Resolution α-Glucosidase and Radical Scavenging Profiling Combined with HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR for Identification of Minor and Major Constituents Directly from the Crude Extract of Pueraria lobata

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Bingrui; Kongstad, Kenneth Thermann; Qinglei, Sun

2015-01-01

The crude methanol extract of Pueraria lobata was investigated by dual high-resolution α-glucosidase inhibition and radical scavenging profiling combined with hyphenated HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR. Direct analysis of the crude extract without preceding purification was facilitated by combining chromatograms...... from two analytical-scale HPLC separations of 120 and 600 μg on-column, respectively. High-resolution α-glucosidase and radical scavenging profiles were obtained after microfractionation of the eluate in 96-well microplates. This allowed full bioactivity profiling of individual peaks in the HPLC...... chromatogram of the crude methanol extract. Subsequent HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR analysis allowed identification of 21 known compounds in addition to two new compounds, i.e., 3′-methoxydaidzein 8-C-[α-d-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside and 6″-O-malonyl-3′-methoxydaidzin, as well as an unstable compound...

An ME-PC Enhanced HDMR Method for Efficient Statistical Analysis of Multiconductor Transmission Line Networks

KAUST Repository

Yucel, Abdulkadir C.; Bagci, Hakan; Michielssen, Eric

2015-01-01

An efficient method for statistically characterizing multiconductor transmission line (MTL) networks subject to a large number of manufacturing uncertainties is presented. The proposed method achieves its efficiency by leveraging a high

Data Release Report for Source Physics Experiments 2 and 3 (SPE-2 and SPE-3) Nevada National Security Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Townsend, Margaret [National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Nevada Test Site; Obi, Curtis [National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Nevada Test Site

2015-01-26

The second Source Physics Experiment shot (SPE-2) was conducted in Nevada on October 25, 2011, at 1900:00.011623 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The explosive source was 997 kilograms (kg) trinitrotoluene (TNT) equivalent of sensitized heavy ammonium fuel oil (SHANFO) detonated at a depth of 45.7 meters (m). The third Source Physics Experiment shot (SPE-3) was conducted in Nevada on July 24, 2012, at 1800:00.44835 GMT. The explosive source was 905 kg TNT equivalent of SHANFO detonated at a depth of 45.8 m. Both shots were recorded by an extensive set of instrumentation that includes sensors both at near-field (less than 100 m) and far-field (100 m or greater) distances. The near-field instruments consisted of three-component accelerometers deployed in boreholes at 15, 46, and 55 m depths around the shot and a set of single-component vertical accelerometers on the surface. The far-field network was composed of a variety of seismic and acoustic sensors, including short-period geophones, broadband seismometers, three-component accelerometers, and rotational seismometers at distances of 100 m to 25 kilometers. This report coincides with the release of these data for analysts and organizations that are not participants in this program. This report describes the second and third Source Physics Experiment shots and the various types of near-field and far-field data that are available.

Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry determination of perfluoroalkyl acids in environmental solid extracts after phospholipid removal and on-line turbulent flow chromatography purification.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzoni, M; Polesello, S; Rusconi, M; Valsecchi, S

2016-07-01

An on-line TFC (Turbulent Flow Chromatography) clean up procedures coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS (Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry) multi-residue method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 8 perfluroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCA, from 5 to 12 carbon atoms) and 3 perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSA, from 4 to 8 carbon atoms) in environmental solid matrices. Fast sample preparation procedure was based on a sonication-assisted extraction with acetonitrile. Phospholipids in biological samples were fully removed by an off-line SPE purification before injection, using HybridSPE(®) Phospholipid Ultra cartridges. The development of the on-line TFC clean-up procedure regarded the choice of the stationary phase, the optimization of the mobile phase composition, flow rate and injected volume. The validation of the optimized method included the evaluation of matrix effects, accuracy and reproducibility. Signal suppression in the analysis of fortified extracts ranged from 1 to 60%, and this problem was overcome by using isotopic dilution. Since no certified reference materials were available for PFAS in these matrices, accuracy was evaluated by recoveries on spiked clam samples which were 98-133% for PFCAs and 40-60% for PFSAs. MLDs and MLQs ranged from 0.03 to 0.3ngg(-1) wet weight and from 0.1 to 0.9ngg(-1) wet weight respectively. Repeatability (intra-day precision) and reproducibility (inter-day precision) showed RSD from 3 to 13% and from 4 to 27% respectively. Validated on-line TFC/UHPLC-MS/MS method has been applied for the determination of perfluoroalkyl acids in different solid matrices (sediment, fish, bivalves and bird yolk). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application and Prospect of Superconducting High Gradient Magnetic Separation in Disposal of Micro-fine Tailings

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Changqiao; Li, Suqin; Guo, Zijie; Kong, Jiawei

2017-12-01

Magnetic separation technology is playing an increasingly important role in the field of environmental protection such as waste gas, waste water and solid waste treatment. As a new type of solid waste treatment technology, superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is mainly applied in the separation of micro-fine weakly magnetic particles because of the advantages of high separation efficiency, energy saving, simple equipment and easy automation. In this paper, the basic principle of superconducting HGMS was firstly introduced, then the research status of scholars at home and aboard on the disposal of micro-fine tailings were summarized. Finally, the direction of development for HGMS was put forward.

Ultrahigh and High Resolution Structures and Mutational Analysis of Monomeric Streptococcus pyogenes SpeB Reveal a Functional Role for the Glycine-rich C-terminal Loop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

González-Páez, Gonzalo E.; Wolan, Dennis W. (Scripps)

2012-09-05

Cysteine protease SpeB is secreted from Streptococcus pyogenes and has been studied as a potential virulence factor since its identification almost 70 years ago. Here, we report the crystal structures of apo mature SpeB to 1.06 {angstrom} resolution as well as complexes with the general cysteine protease inhibitor trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido(4-guanidino)butane and a novel substrate mimetic peptide inhibitor. These structures uncover conformational changes associated with maturation of SpeB from the inactive zymogen to its active form and identify the residues required for substrate binding. With the use of a newly developed fluorogenic tripeptide substrate to measure SpeB activity, we determined IC{sub 50} values for trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido(4-guanidino)butane and our new peptide inhibitor and the effects of mutations within the C-terminal active site loop. The structures and mutational analysis suggest that the conformational movements of the glycine-rich C-terminal loop are important for the recognition and recruitment of biological substrates and release of hydrolyzed products.

Efficient induction of Wheat-agropyron cristatum 6P translocation lines and GISH detection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liqiang Song

Full Text Available The narrow genetic background restricts wheat yield and quality improvement. The wild relatives of wheat are the huge gene pools for wheat improvement and can broaden its genetic basis. Production of wheat-alien translocation lines can transfer alien genes to wheat. So it is important to develop an efficient method to induce wheat-alien chromosome translocation. Agropyroncristatum (P genome carries many potential genes beneficial to disease resistance, stress tolerance and high yield. Chromosome 6P possesses the desirable genes exhibiting good agronomic traits, such as high grain number per spike, powdery mildew resistance and stress tolerance. In this study, the wheat-A. cristatum disomic addition was used as bridge material to produce wheat-A. cristatum translocation lines induced by (60Co-γirradiation. The results of genomic in situ hybridization showed that 216 plants contained alien chromosome translocation among 571 self-pollinated progenies. The frequency of translocation was 37.83%, much higher than previous reports. Moreover, various alien translocation types were identified. The analysis of M2 showed that 62.5% of intergeneric translocation lines grew normally without losing the translocated chromosomes. The paper reported a high efficient technical method for inducing alien translocation between wheat and Agropyroncristatum. Additionally, these translocation lines will be valuable for not only basic research on genetic balance, interaction and expression of different chromosome segments of wheat and alien species, but also wheat breeding programs to utilize superior agronomic traits and good compensation effect from alien chromosomes.

Grain orientation mapping of passivated aluminum interconnect lines with X-ray micro-diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C.H.; Patel, J.R.; MacDowell, A.A.; Padmore, H.A.; Thompson, A.C.

1998-01-01

A micro x-ray diffraction facility is under development at the Advanced Light Source. Spot sizes are typically about 1-microm size generated by means of grazing incidence Kirkpatrick-Baez focusing mirrors. Photon energy is either white of energy range 6--14 keV or monochromatic generated from a pair of channel cut crystals. Laue diffraction pattern from a single grain in a passivated 2-microm wide bamboo structured Aluminum interconnect line has been recorded. Acquisition times are of the order of seconds. The Laue pattern has allowed the determination of the crystallographic orientation of individual grains along the line length. The experimental and analysis procedure used is described, as is the latest grain orientation result. The impact of x-ray micro-diffraction and its possible future direction are discussed in the context of other developments in the area of electromigration, and other technological problems

Grain orientation mapping of passivated aluminum interconnect lines by x-ray micro-diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C. H.; Patel, J. R.; MacDowell, A. A.; Padmore, H. A.; Thompson, A. C.

1998-01-01

A micro x-ray diffraction facility is under development at the Advanced Light Source. Spot sizes are typically about 1-μm size generated by means of grazing incidence Kirkpatrick-Baez focusing mirrors. Photon energy is either white of energy range 6-14 keV or monochromatic generated from a pair of channel cut crystals. Laue diffraction pattern from a single grain in a passivated 2-μm wide bamboo structured Aluminum interconnect line has been recorded. Acquisition times are of the order of seconds. The Laue pattern has allowed the determination of the crystallographic orientation of individual grains along the line length. The experimental and analysis procedure used is described, as is the latest grain orientation result. The impact of x-ray micro-diffraction and its possible future direction are discussed in the context of other developments in the area of electromigration, and other technological problems

CATHARE2 calculation of SPE-3 test small break loca on PMK facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laugier, E.; Radet, J. [Institut de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire, Cadarache (France)

1995-09-01

Bind and post test calculations with CATHARE2 have been performed concerning the SPE-4 exercise organized under the auspices of IAEA on the hungarian PMK-2 facility, a one loop scaled model of VVER 440/213 Nuclear Power Plant. The SPE-4 test is a cold leg SBLOCA associated to a {open_quotes}bleed and feed{close_quotes} procedure applied in the secondary circuit. The present paper is devoted to the analysis of the post test calculation. For the first part of the transient (until the end of the SIT activations), the primary and secondary pressures are rather well predicted, leading to a good agreement with the experimental trips, as scram, flow coast down, SIT beginning and end of activation. Nevertheless, some discrepancy with the experiment may be due to an over prediction of the thermal exchanges from the primary to the secondary circuits. For the second part of the transient, the predicted primary circuit repressurization is shifted after the SITs are off, while in the experiment this event immediately follows the end of SIT activation. The delay in the calculation leads to underpredict primary and secondary pressures, thus anticipating the timing of events, such as LPIS and emergency feedwater activation.

Highly sensitive uric acid biosensor based on individual zinc oxide micro/nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Yanguang; Yan, Xiaoqin; Kang, Zhuo; Lin, Pei; Fang, Xiaofei; Lei, Yang; Ma, Siwei; Zhang, Yue

2013-01-01

We describe the use of individual zinc oxide (ZnO) micro/nanowires in an electrochemical biosensor for uric acid. The wires were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition and possess uniform morphology and high crystallinity as revealed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence studies. The enzyme uricase was then immobilized on the surface of the ZnO micro/nanowires by physical adsorption, and this was proven by Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The resulting uric acid biosensor undergoes fast electron transfer between the active site of the enzyme and the surface of the electrode. It displays high sensitivity (89.74 μA cm −2 mM −1 ) and a wide linear analytical range (between 0.1 mM and 0.59 mM concentrations of uric acid). This study also demonstrates the potential of the use of individual ZnO micro/nanowires for the construction of highly sensitive nano-sized biosensors. (author)

High Performance Transfer Press for Precision Manufacturing of Micro Metal Parts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahshid, Rasoul

for this technology and are available already in the market. Similar to conventional forming processes, the presence of a handling system can significantly improve the efficiency of the technology towards building a high performance transfer press for micro forming technology. To examine this possibility...... for actuation principle and mechanical grippers based on self-centering and friction principles. This study introduced a methodology for the analysis and characterization of this transfer system on component level and system level. Laser interferometry was used in combination with analytical models to predict...... the positioning ability of the actuator in a static as well as dynamic mode. In combination with an analysis of the grippers, a full description of the transfer precision inside the forming press was obtained. The current research involved integration of a handling system into an existing developed micro press...

A Novel Geometrical Height Gain Model for Line-of-Sight Urban Micro Cells Below 6 GHz

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodriguez, Ignacio; Nguyen, Huan Cong; Sørensen, Troels Bundgaard

2016-01-01

This paper presents a novel height gain model applicable to line-of-sight urban micro cell scenarios and frequencies below 6 GHz. The model is knife-edge diffraction-based, and it is founded on simple geometrical and physical relationships. Typical system level simulator scenario parameters...

Determination of Phthalate Plasticisers in Palm Oil Using Online Solid Phase Extraction-Liquid Chromatography (SPE-LC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazarudin Ibrahim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Contamination of phthalates plasticisers to food has raised concern as some of the phthalates are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. The phthalates have high affinity with oily environment and analysing these chemicals in such matrices is difficult because of the trace amount of the analyte and interference from matrix. An online solid phase extraction (SPE technique using a large volume (3.5 mL injection was developed for the analysis of 6 common plasticisers in palm oil. A simple sample preparation involving alumina as a fat retainer and methanol : acetonitrile (1 : 1 as the extraction solvent was performed prior to the usage of online SPE-LC system. This system consists of two columns, C16 for the solid phase extraction (SPE and C18 as the analytical column, and a photo diode array detector. The calibration curves were linear from 5 to 1000 μg L−1, with correlation coefficients above 0.99. The instrumental limit of detection was 3 μg L−1 and satisfactory recovery was obtained. A screening on a few samples in the retail market revealed the presence of dibutyl phthalate (DBP and butylbenzylphthalate (BBP in the palm oil, with concentration less than 1 mg L−1.

Manganese oxide micro-supercapacitors with ultra-high areal capacitance

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xu; Myers, Benjamin D.; Yan, Jian; Shekhawat, Gajendra; Dravid, Vinayak; Lee, Pooi See

2013-05-01

A symmetric micro-supercapacitor is constructed by electrochemically depositing manganese oxide onto micro-patterned current collectors. High surface-to-volume ratio of manganese oxide and short diffusion distance between electrodes give an ultra-high areal capacitance of 56.3 mF cm-2 at a current density of 27.2 μA cm-2.A symmetric micro-supercapacitor is constructed by electrochemically depositing manganese oxide onto micro-patterned current collectors. High surface-to-volume ratio of manganese oxide and short diffusion distance between electrodes give an ultra-high areal capacitance of 56.3 mF cm-2 at a current density of 27.2 μA cm-2. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental procedures; optical images of micro-supercapacitors; areal capacitances of samples M-0.3C, M-0.6C and M-0.9C; illustration of interdigital finger electrodes; Nyquist plot of Co(OH)2 deposited on micro-electrodes. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00210a

USING LIGA BASED MICROFABRICATION TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER EFFICIENCY OF PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR: I. Effects of Different Micro Pattern on Overall Heat Transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, M.; Ibekwe, S.; Li, G.; Pang, S.S.; Lian, K.

2006-01-01

The Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs in Figure 1) were originally developed for naval propulsion purposes, and then adapted to land-based applications. It has three parts: the reactor coolant system, the steam generator and the condenser. The Steam generator (a yellow area in Figure 1) is a shell and tube heat exchanger with high-pressure primary water passing through the tube side and lower pressure secondary feed water as well as steam passing through the shell side. Therefore, a key issue in increasing the efficiency of heat exchanger is to improve the design of steam generator, which is directly translated into economic benefits. The past research works show that the presence of a pin-fin array in a channel enhances the heat transfer significantly. Hence, using microfabrication techniques, such as LIGA, micro-molding or electroplating, some special microstructures can be fabricated around the tubes in the heat exchanger to increase the heat-exchanging efficiency and reduce the overall size of the heat-exchanger for the given heat transfer rates. In this paper, micro-pin fins of different densities made of SU-8 photoresist are fabricated and studied to evaluate overall heat transfer efficiency. The results show that there is an optimized micro pin-fin configuration that has the best overall heat transfer effects

Substrate-Induced Allosteric Change in the Quaternary Structure of the Spermidine N-Acetyltransferase SpeG.

Science.gov (United States)

Filippova, Ekaterina V; Weigand, Steven; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Kiryukhina, Olga; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Anderson, Wayne F

2015-11-06

The spermidine N-acetyltransferase SpeG is a dodecameric enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl coenzyme A to polyamines such as spermidine and spermine. SpeG has an allosteric polyamine-binding site and acetylating polyamines regulate their intracellular concentrations. The structures of SpeG from Vibrio cholerae in complexes with polyamines and cofactor have been characterized earlier. Here, we present the dodecameric structure of SpeG from V. cholerae in a ligand-free form in three different conformational states: open, intermediate and closed. All structures were crystallized in C2 space group symmetry and contain six monomers in the asymmetric unit cell. Two hexamers related by crystallographic 2-fold symmetry form the SpeG dodecamer. The open and intermediate states have a unique open dodecameric ring. This SpeG dodecamer is asymmetric except for the one 2-fold axis and is unlike any known dodecameric structure. Using a fluorescence thermal shift assay, size-exclusion chromatography with multi-angle light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering analysis, negative-stain electron microscopy and structural analysis, we demonstrate that this unique open dodecameric state exists in solution. Our combined results indicate that polyamines trigger conformational changes and induce the symmetric closed dodecameric state of the protein when they bind to their allosteric sites. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

High Throughput Integrated Technologies for Multimaterial Functional Micro Components (EU FP7 HINMICO 2013-2016)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Azcarate, Sabino; Esmoris, Joseba; Dimov, Stefan

2016-01-01

The objective of the HINMICO project is the development and optimization of manufacturing processes for the production of high-added value high quality multi-material micro-components, with the possibility of additional, functionalities, through more integrated, efficient and cost-effective proce...

A sensitive analytical procedure for monitoring acrylamide in environmental water samples by offline SPE-UPLC/MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Togola, Anne; Coureau, Charlotte; Guezennec, Anne-Gwenaëlle; Touzé, Solène

2015-05-01

The presence of acrylamide in natural systems is of concern from both environmental and health points of view. We developed an accurate and robust analytical procedure (offline solid phase extraction combined with UPLC/MS/MS) with a limit of quantification (20 ng L(-1)) compatible with toxicity threshold values. The optimized (considering the nature of extraction phases, sampling volumes, and solvent of elution) solid phase extraction (SPE) was validated according to ISO Standard ISO/IEC 17025 on groundwater, surface water, and industrial process water samples. Acrylamide is highly polar, which induces a high variability during the SPE step, therefore requiring the use of C(13)-labeled acrylamide as an internal standard to guarantee the accuracy and robustness of the method (uncertainty about 25 % (k = 2) at limit of quantification level). The specificity of the method and the stability of acrylamide were studied for these environmental media, and it was shown that the method is suitable for measuring acrylamide in environmental studies.

High-efficiency silicon solar cells for low-illumination applications

OpenAIRE

Glunz, S.W.; Dicker, J.; Esterle, M.; Hermle, M.; Isenberg, J.; Kamerewerd, F.; Knobloch, J.; Kray, D.; Leimenstoll, A.; Lutz, F.; Oßwald, D.; Preu, R.; Rein, S.; Schäffer, E.; Schetter, C.

2002-01-01

At Fraunhofer ISE the fabrication of high-efficiency solar cells was extended from a laboratory scale to a small pilot-line production. Primarily, the fabricated cells are used in small high-efficiency modules integrated in prototypes of solar-powered portable electronic devices such as cellular phones, handheld computers etc. Compared to other applications of high-efficiency cells such as solar cars and planes, the illumination densities found in these mainly indoor applications are signific...

A study on replication and quality correlation of on-part and on-runner polymer injection molded micro features

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Giannekas, Nikolaos; Tosello, Guido; Zhang, Yang

Injection molding is increasingly gaining place in manufacturing of polymer components as is can ensure a cost efficient production with short cycle times. To ensure the quality of the produced parts and the stability of the process it is essential to perform frequent metrological inspections....... In contrast to injection molding’s short cycle time, a metrological quality control can require a significant amount of time. The late detection of the problem can result to high losses and scrap rate. This paper presents an alternative approach to process monitoring and part quality control with fast off....../in-line metrology of physical part quality indicators (“Product Fingerprint”). The proposed approach is based on the concept of metrology applied to dedicated micro features, positioned on the runners, similar or equal to those in the part in order to access the quality of the produced plastic parts. A designed...

Surface Signature Characterization at SPE through Ground-Proximal Methods: Methodology Change and Technical Justification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultz-Fellenz, Emily S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-09-09

A portion of LANL’s FY15 SPE objectives includes initial ground-based or ground-proximal investigations at the SPE Phase 2 site. The area of interest is the U2ez location in Yucca Flat. This collection serves as a baseline for discrimination of surface features and acquisition of topographic signatures prior to any development or pre-shot activities associated with SPE Phase 2. Our team originally intended to perform our field investigations using previously vetted ground-based (GB) LIDAR methodologies. However, the extended proposed time frame of the GB LIDAR data collection, and associated data processing time and delivery date, were unacceptable. After technical consultation and careful literature research, LANL identified an alternative methodology to achieve our technical objectives and fully support critical model parameterization. Very-low-altitude unmanned aerial systems (UAS) photogrammetry appeared to satisfy our objectives in lieu of GB LIDAR. The SPE Phase 2 baseline collection was used as a test of this UAS photogrammetric methodology.

Improvement of the efficiency of the Agnew micro hydro turbine at part loads due to installing guide vanes mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yassi, Yousef; hashemloo, Safar [Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), No. 29 Forssat St., Enghelaab Ave., Tehran (Iran)

2010-10-15

Agnew turbine is an axial micro hydro of Kaplan type, with its main shaft subtending 45 to the line of horizon. Due to governmental power generating programs for limited hydro potentials in Iran and on the basis of a joint project between the University of Glasgow and the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), the turbine was developed to operate under low heads and limited flow potentials in Iran. However the turbine was originally designed to operate without any guide vanes and test results showed that the turbine achieved an efficiency of 62% at its best point of performance. Later a modified Agnew turbine, consisting of a guide blades mechanism was designed and manufactured, at (IROST). The mechanism was so designed that it was also used as a second support for the turbine's main shaft. The standard turbine tests proved that; the modified version of the Agnew turbine had 23% higher efficiency at its best performance point; compared to the original design. Then the effects of the improvements on the turbine were studied on the performance of the turbine at part loads. However, efficiency improvements were observed under all part load conditions. (author)

Improvement of the efficiency of the Agnew micro hydro turbine at part loads due to installing guide vanes mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yassi, Yousef; Hashemloo, Safar

2010-01-01

Agnew turbine is an axial micro hydro of Kaplan type, with its main shaft subtending 45 deg. to the line of horizon. Due to governmental power generating programs for limited hydro potentials in Iran and on the basis of a joint project between the University of Glasgow and the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), the turbine was developed to operate under low heads and limited flow potentials in Iran. However the turbine was originally designed to operate without any guide vanes and test results showed that the turbine achieved an efficiency of 62% at its best point of performance. Later a modified Agnew turbine, consisting of a guide blades mechanism was designed and manufactured, at (IROST). The mechanism was so designed that it was also used as a second support for the turbine's main shaft. The standard turbine tests proved that; the modified version of the Agnew turbine had 23% higher efficiency at its best performance point; compared to the original design. Then the effects of the improvements on the turbine were studied on the performance of the turbine at part loads. However, efficiency improvements were observed under all part load conditions.

Development of a Handheld Line Information Reader and Generator for Efficient Management of Optical Communication Lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jaeyul; Kwon, Hyungwoo; Song, Jaewon; Jeon, Mansik; Kim, Jeehyun

2017-08-24

A handheld line information reader and a line information generator were developed for the efficient management of optical communication lines. The line information reader consists of a photo diode, trans-impedance amplifier, voltage amplifier, microcontroller unit, display panel, and communication modules. The line information generator consists of a laser diode, laser driving circuits, microcontroller unit, and communication modules. The line information reader can detect the optical radiation field of the test line by bending the optical fiber. To enhance the sensitivity of the line information reader, an additional lens was used with a focal length of 4.51 mm. Moreover, the simulation results obtained through BeamPROP ® software from Synopsys, Inc. demonstrated a stronger optical radiation field of the fiber due to a longer transmission wavelength and larger bending angle of the fiber. Therefore, the developed devices can be considered as useful tools for the efficient management of optical communication lines.

A magnetic-based dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction method using the metal-organic framework HKUST-1 and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for determining polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in waters and fruit tea infusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocío-Bautista, Priscilla; Pino, Verónica; Ayala, Juan H; Pasán, Jorge; Ruiz-Pérez, Catalina; Afonso, Ana M

2016-03-04

A hybrid material composed by the metal-organic framework (MOF) HKUST-1 and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) has been synthetized in a quite simple manner, characterized, and used in a magnetic-assisted dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (M-d-μSPE) method in combination with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and fluorescence detection (FD). The application was devoted to the determination of 8 heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in different aqueous samples, specifically tap water, wastewaters, and fruit tea infusion samples. The overall M-d-μSPE-UHPLC-FD method was optimized and validated. The method is characterized by: its simplicity in both the preparation of the hybrid material (simple mixing) and the magnetic-assisted approach (∼10min extraction time), the use of low sorbent amounts (20mg of HKUST-1 and 5mg of Fe3O4 MNPs), and the low organic solvent consumption in the overall M-d-μSPE-UHPLC-FD method (1.5mL of acetonitrile in the M-d-μSPE method and 2.8mL of acetonitrile in the UHPLC-FD run). The resulting method has high sensitivity, with LODs down to 0.8ngL(-1); adequate intermediate precision, with relative standard deviation values (RSD) always lower than 6.3% (being the range 5.9-9.0% in tap water for a spiked level of 45ngL(-1), 6.1-14% in wastewaters for a spiked level of 45ngL(-1), and 7.2-17% in fruit tea infusion samples for a spiked level of 45ngL(-1)); and adequate relative recoveries, with average values of 82% in tap water, and 94% and 75% in wastewater and fruit tea infusion samples, respectively, if using the proper matrix-matched calibration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hindlimb suspension and SPE-like radiation impairs clearance of bacterial infections.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minghong Li

Full Text Available A major risk of extended space travel is the combined effects of weightlessness and radiation exposure on the immune system. In this study, we used the hindlimb suspension model of microgravity that includes the other space stressors, situational and confinement stress and alterations in food intake, and solar particle event (SPE-like radiation to measure the combined effects on the ability to control bacterial infections. A massive increase in morbidity and decrease in the ability to control bacterial growth was observed using 2 different types of bacteria delivered by systemic and pulmonary routes in 3 different strains of mice. These data suggest that an astronaut exposed to a strong SPE during extended space travel is at increased risk for the development of infections that could potentially be severe and interfere with mission success and astronaut health.

MicroRNA Expression Profiling by Bead Array Technology in Human Tumor Cell Lines Treated with Interferon-Alpha-2a

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegrist Fredy

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract MicroRNAs are positive and negative regulators of eukaryotic gene expression that modulate transcript abundance by specific binding to sequence motifs located prevalently in the 3' untranslated regions of target messenger RNAs (mRNA. Interferon-alpha-2a (IFNα induces a large set of protein coding genes mediating antiproliferative and antiviral responses. Here we use a global microarray-based microRNA detection platform to identify genes that are induced by IFNα in hepatoma- or melanoma-derived human tumor cell lines. Despite the enormous differences in expression levels between these models, we were able to identify microRNAs that are upregulated by IFNα in both lines suggesting the possibility that interferon-regulated microRNAs are involved in the transcriptional repression of mRNA relevant to cytokine responses.

Assessment of constituents in Allium by multivariate data analysis, high-resolution α-glucosidase inhibition assay and HPLC-SPE-NMR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Jeppe Secher; Nyberg, Nils; Stærk, Dan

2014-01-01

Bulbs and leaves of 35 Allium species and cultivars bought or collected in 2010–2012 were investigated with multivariate data analysis, high-resolution α-glucosidase inhibition assays and HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR with the aim of exploring the potential of Allium as a future functional food for management...... of type 2 diabetes. It was found that 30 out of 106 crude extracts showed more than 80% inhibition of the α-glucosidase enzyme at a concentration of 40 mg/mL (dry sample) or 0.4 g/mL (fresh sample). High-resolution α-glucosidase biochromatograms of these extracts allowed fast identification of three...

Srv mediated dispersal of streptococcal biofilms through SpeB is observed in CovRS+ strains.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristie L Connolly

Full Text Available Group A Streptococcus (GAS is a human specific pathogen capable of causing both mild infections and severe invasive disease. We and others have shown that GAS is able to form biofilms during infection. That is to say, they form a three-dimensional, surface attached structure consisting of bacteria and a multi-component extracellular matrix. The mechanisms involved in regulation and dispersal of these GAS structures are still unclear. Recently we have reported that in the absence of the transcriptional regulator Srv in the MGAS5005 background, the cysteine protease SpeB is constitutively produced, leading to increased tissue damage and decreased biofilm formation during a subcutaneous infection in a mouse model. This was interesting because MGAS5005 has a naturally occurring mutation that inactivates the sensor kinase domain of the two component regulatory system CovRS. Others have previously shown that strains lacking covS are associated with decreased SpeB production due to CovR repression of speB expression. Thus, our results suggest the inactivation of srv can bypass CovR repression and lead to constitutive SpeB production. We hypothesized that Srv control of SpeB production may be a mechanism to regulate biofilm dispersal and provide a mechanism by which mild infection can transition to severe disease through biofilm dispersal. The question remained however, is this mechanism conserved among GAS strains or restricted to the unique genetic makeup of MGAS5005. Here we show that Srv mediated control of SpeB and biofilm dispersal is conserved in the invasive clinical isolates RGAS053 (serotype M1 and MGAS315 (serotype M3, both of which have covS intact. This work provides additional evidence that Srv regulated control of SpeB may mediate biofilm formation and dispersal in diverse strain backgrounds.

Analysis of the Source Physics Experiment SPE4 Prime Using State-Of Parallel Numerical Tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Vorobiev, O.; Ezzedine, S. M.; Antoun, T.; Glenn, L.

2015-12-01

This work describes a methodology used for large scale modeling of wave propagation from underground chemical explosions conducted at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) fractured granitic rock. We show that the discrete natures of rock masses as well as the spatial variability of the fabric of rock properties are very important to understand ground motions induced by underground explosions. In order to build a credible conceptual model of the subsurface we integrated the geological, geomechanical and geophysical characterizations conducted during recent test at the NNSS as well as historical data from the characterization during the underground nuclear test conducted at the NNSS. Because detailed site characterization is limited, expensive and, in some instances, impossible we have numerically investigated the effects of the characterization gaps on the overall response of the system. We performed several computational studies to identify the key important geologic features specific to fractured media mainly the joints characterized at the NNSS. We have also explored common key features to both geological environments such as saturation and topography and assess which characteristics affect the most the ground motion in the near-field and in the far-field. Stochastic representation of these features based on the field characterizations has been implemented into LLNL's Geodyn-L hydrocode. Simulations were used to guide site characterization efforts in order to provide the essential data to the modeling community. We validate our computational results by comparing the measured and computed ground motion at various ranges for the recently executed SPE4 prime experiment. We have also conducted a comparative study between SPE4 prime and previous experiments SPE1 and SPE3 to assess similarities and differences and draw conclusions on designing SPE5.

Optimisation of tomato Micro-tom regeneration and selection on glufosinate/Basta and dependency of gene silencing on transgene copy number.

Science.gov (United States)

Khuong, Thi Thu Huong; Crété, Patrice; Robaglia, Christophe; Caffarri, Stefano

2013-09-01

An efficient protocol of transformation and selection of transgenic lines of Micro-tom, a widespread model cultivar for tomato, is reported. RNA interference silencing efficiency and stability have been investigated and correlated with the number of insertions. Given its small size and ease of cultivation, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) cultivar Micro-tom is of widespread use as a model tomato plant. To create and screen transgenic plants, different selectable markers are commonly used. The bar marker carrying the resistance to the herbicide glufosinate/Basta, has many advantages, but it has been little utilised and with low efficiency for identification of tomato transgenic plants. Here we describe a procedure for accurate selection of transgenic Micro-tom both in vitro and in soil. Immunoblot, Southern blot and phenotypic analyses showed that 100 % of herbicide-resistant plants were transgenic. In addition, regeneration improvement has been obtained by using 2 mg/l Gibberellic acid in the shoot elongation medium; rooting optimisation on medium containing 1 mg/l IAA allowed up to 97 % of shoots developing strong and very healthy roots after only 10 days. Stable transformation frequency by infection of leaf explants with Agrobacterium reached 12 %. Shoots have been induced by combination of 1 mg/l zeatin-trans and 0.1 mg/l IAA. Somatic embryogenesis of cotyledon on medium containing 1 mg/l zeatin + 2 mg/l IAA is described in Micro-tom. The photosynthetic psbS gene has been used as reporter gene for RNA silencing studies. The efficiency of gene silencing has been found equivalent using three different target gene fragments of 519, 398 and 328 bp. Interestingly, silencing efficiency decreased from T0 to the T3 generation in plants containing multiple copies of the inserted T-DNA, while it was stable in plants containing a single insertion.

Development of an on-line solid phase extraction ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography technique coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for quantification of bisphenol S and bisphenol S glucuronide: Applicability to toxicokinetic investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Grandin, Flore; Picard-Hagen, Nicole; Gayrard, Véronique; Puel, Sylvie; Viguié, Catherine; Toutain, Pierre-Louis; Debrauwer, Laurent; Lacroix, Marlène Z

2017-12-01

Regulatory measures and public concerns regarding bisphenol A (BPA) have led to its replacement by structural analogues, such as Bisphenol S (BPS), in consumer products. At present, no toxicokinetic investigations have been conducted to assess the factors determining human internal exposure to BPS for subsequent risk assessment. Toxicokinetic studies require reliable analytical methods to measure the plasma concentrations of BPS and its main conjugated metabolite, BPS-glucuronide (BPS-G). An efficient on-line SPE-UPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of BPS and BPS-G in ovine plasma was therefore developed and validated in accordance with the European Medicines Agency guidelines for bioanalytical method validation. This method has a limit of quantification of 3ngmL -1 for BPS and 10ngmL -1 for BPS-G, an analytical capacity of 200 samples per day, and is particularly well suited to toxicokinetic studies. Use of this method in toxicokinetic studies in sheep showed that BPS, like BPA, is efficiently metabolized into its glucuronide form. However, the clearances and distributions of BPS and BPS-G were lower than those of the corresponding unconjugated and glucuroconjugated forms of BPA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Offensive Efficiency of the High-Level Handball Players of the Front and the Rear Lines

Science.gov (United States)

Moncef, Cherif; Dagbaji, Gomri; Abdallah, Aouidet; Mohamed, Said

2011-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigat the offensive efficiency of the professional handball players forming the front and rear lines. Methods Our investigation was carried out on four matches (final, semi-finals and classifying match) at the 19th male Handball World Championship “Tunisia 2005”. Finalist teams were Tunisia, France, Croatia, and Spain. Matches were recorded using 5 digital camcorders (SONY, DCL, and TRV 130E). Number of passes and the length of the attacks were determined by software “STUDIO 9”. Speed of the ball at the different shootings was calculated by REGAVI software, version 2.57, 2004. Work was dissociated according to 2 variables namely axes and lines. Results Players of lateral axes (A4) and front basis (L1) were shorter and thinner than those of the central axis (A3) and rear basis (L2). No differences were observed between lines and axes in age. The analysis of the total shootings to the goal shows that the players of lines and axes present very close values in each team, excepting the Croatian L2 compared to the Tunisian L2. Players of the rear Croatian basis present also a number of attacks concluded by a non-successfully cadred shooting greater than all other groups. In the Spanish group, a significant difference among number of passes concluded by a non-successfully cadred shooting between lines, and front basis vs central axis was noted. No significant difference was found between lines and axes in the Croatian team. Regarding the velocity of shooting, excepting the Croatian team, no differences were found between lines and axes of the other teams. No differences were also noted in the attack duration between lines and axes in Croatian and Tunisian teams. In the Spanish team, duration of attacks concluded by a cadred shooting was most important when finished by an L2 or an A3 player. Conclusion The present results demonstrate that finalist teams were found to be clearly characterized by L2 and A3 players taller and

Development of an on-line high-temperature ion source for neutron-rich fission products at TRIGA-SPEC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renisch, Dennis [Institut fuer Kernchemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz (Germany); Collaboration: TRIGA-SPEC-Collaboration

2012-07-01

The TRIGA-SPEC experiment at the TRIGA Mainz research reactor aims to determine ground-state properties of exotic nuclides. It includes the Penning-trap mass spectrometer TRIGA-TRAP and the collinear laser spectroscopy setup TRIGA-LASER. Nuclides of interest are produced in the neutron-induced fission of suitable actinide isotopes, thermalized in a gas-filled volume and transported to an on-line ion source with a gas-jet. The ion source being constructed has two operation modes: a high-temperature surface ionization mode and a hollow cathode plasma mode. It is expected that the surface mode will yield a high ionization efficiency for certain elements, in the order of at least several percent, whereas the plasma mode has the advantage, that more elements can be ionized but with lower efficiency compared to the surface ionization mode. The current status of the TRIGA-SPEC experiments and the present performance of the on-line ion source are presented.

3D sensors and micro-fabricated detector systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Vià, Cinzia

2014-01-01

Micro-systems based on the Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology have been used in miniaturized low power and low mass smart structures in medicine, biology and space applications. Recently similar features found their way inside high energy physics with applications in vertex detectors for high-luminosity LHC Upgrades, with 3D sensors, 3D integration and efficient power management using silicon micro-channel cooling. This paper reports on the state of this development

High efficiency and broadband acoustic diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Congyi; Wang, Bohan; Zhao, Tianfei; Chen, C. Q.

2018-01-01

Energy transmission efficiency and working bandwidth are the two major factors limiting the application of current acoustic diodes (ADs). This letter presents a design of high efficiency and broadband acoustic diodes composed of a nonlinear frequency converter and a linear wave filter. The converter consists of two masses connected by a bilinear spring with asymmetric tension and compression stiffness. The wave filter is a linear mass-spring lattice (sonic crystal). Both numerical simulation and experiment show that the energy transmission efficiency of the acoustic diode can be improved by as much as two orders of magnitude, reaching about 61%. Moreover, the primary working band width of the AD is about two times of the cut-off frequency of the sonic crystal filter. The cut-off frequency dependent working band of the AD implies that the developed AD can be scaled up or down from macro-scale to micro- and nano-scale.

HIGH JET EFFICIENCY AND SIMULATIONS OF BLACK HOLE MAGNETOSPHERES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punsly, Brian

2011-01-01

This Letter reports on a growing body of observational evidence that many powerful lobe-dominated (FR II) radio sources likely have jets with high efficiency. This study extends the maximum efficiency line (jet power ∼25 times the thermal luminosity) defined in Fernandes et al. so as to span four decades of jet power. The fact that this line extends over the full span of FR II radio power is a strong indication that this is a fundamental property of jet production that is independent of accretion power. This is a valuable constraint for theorists. For example, the currently popular 'no-net-flux' numerical models of black hole accretion produce jets that are two to three orders of magnitude too weak to be consistent with sources near maximum efficiency.

Efficient Spatio-Temporal Local Binary Patterns for Spontaneous Facial Micro-Expression Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yandan; See, John; Phan, Raphael C.-W.; Oh, Yee-Hui

2015-01-01

Micro-expression recognition is still in the preliminary stage, owing much to the numerous difficulties faced in the development of datasets. Since micro-expression is an important affective clue for clinical diagnosis and deceit analysis, much effort has gone into the creation of these datasets for research purposes. There are currently two publicly available spontaneous micro-expression datasets—SMIC and CASME II, both with baseline results released using the widely used dynamic texture descriptor LBP-TOP for feature extraction. Although LBP-TOP is popular and widely used, it is still not compact enough. In this paper, we draw further inspiration from the concept of LBP-TOP that considers three orthogonal planes by proposing two efficient approaches for feature extraction. The compact robust form described by the proposed LBP-Six Intersection Points (SIP) and a super-compact LBP-Three Mean Orthogonal Planes (MOP) not only preserves the essential patterns, but also reduces the redundancy that affects the discriminality of the encoded features. Through a comprehensive set of experiments, we demonstrate the strengths of our approaches in terms of recognition accuracy and efficiency. PMID:25993498

Temperature-controlled micro-TLC: a versatile green chemistry and fast analytical tool for separation and preliminary screening of steroids fraction from biological and environmental samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarzycki, Paweł K; Slączka, Magdalena M; Zarzycka, Magdalena B; Bartoszuk, Małgorzata A; Włodarczyk, Elżbieta; Baran, Michał J

2011-11-01

This paper is a continuation of our previous research focusing on development of micro-TLC methodology under temperature-controlled conditions. The main goal of present paper is to demonstrate separation and detection capability of micro-TLC technique involving simple analytical protocols without multi-steps sample pre-purification. One of the advantages of planar chromatography over its column counterpart is that each TLC run can be performed using non-previously used stationary phase. Therefore, it is possible to fractionate or separate complex samples characterized by heavy biological matrix loading. In present studies components of interest, mainly steroids, were isolated from biological samples like fish bile using single pre-treatment steps involving direct organic liquid extraction and/or deproteinization by freeze-drying method. Low-molecular mass compounds with polarity ranging from estetrol to progesterone derived from the environmental samples (lake water, untreated and treated sewage waters) were concentrated using optimized solid-phase extraction (SPE). Specific bands patterns for samples derived from surface water of the Middle Pomerania in northern part of Poland can be easily observed on obtained micro-TLC chromatograms. This approach can be useful as simple and non-expensive complementary method for fast control and screening of treated sewage water discharged by the municipal wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, our experimental results show the potential of micro-TLC as an efficient tool for retention measurements of a wide range of steroids under reversed-phase (RP) chromatographic conditions. These data can be used for further optimalization of SPE or HPLC systems working under RP conditions. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that micro-TLC based analytical approach can be applied as an effective method for the internal standard (IS) substance search. Generally, described methodology can be applied for fast fractionation or screening of the

Photosynthetic properties of erect leaf maize inbred lines as the efficient photo-model in breeding and seed production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radenović Čedomir N.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The initial idea of this study was a hypothesis that erect leaf maize inbred lines were characterized by properties of an efficient photo-model and that as such were very desirable in increasing the number of plants per area unit (plant density in the process of contemporary selection and seed production. The application of a non-invasive bioluminescence-photosynthetic method, suitable for the efficiency estimation of the photo-model, verified the hypothesis. Obtained photosynthetic properties of observed erect leaf maize inbred lines were based on the effects and characteristics of thermal processes of delayed chlorophyll fluorescence occurring in their thylakoid membranes. The temperature dependence of the delayed chlorophyll fluorescence intensity phase transitions (critical temperatures in the thylakoid membranes and activation energy are the principal parameters of the thermal processes. Based on obtained photosynthetic properties it is possible to select erect leaf maize inbred lines that are resistant and tolerant to high and very high temperatures, as well as, to drought. They could be good and efficient photo-models wherewith.

Modified mesoporous silica materials for on-line separation and preconcentration of hexavalent chromium using a microcolumn coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Zheng, E-mail: wangzheng@mail.sic.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); Fang Dongmei; Li Qing [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Zhang Lingxia; Qian Rong; Zhu Yan; Qu Haiyun [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); Du Yiping [East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China)

2012-05-06

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica material (NH{sub 2}-SBA-15) was synthesized as sorbent. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The material was used for the first time in a flow injection on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) to detect trace Cr (VI). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The NH{sub 2}-SBA-15 enables retain Cr (VI) with an enrichment factor of 44. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The micro-column of NH{sub 2}-SBA-15 underwent more than 100 adsorption/desorption cycles. - Abstract: A modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica material NH{sub 2}-SBA-15 was synthesized successfully by grafting {gamma}-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane. The material was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared/Raman (FT-IR/Raman) spectroscopy, and used for the first time in a flow injection on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) to detect trace Cr (VI). Effective sorption of Cr (VI) was achieved at pH 2.0 with no interference from Cr (III) and other ions and 0.5 mol L{sup -1} NH{sub 3}{center_dot}H{sub 2}O solution was found optimal for the complete elution of Cr (VI). An enrichment factor of 44 and was achieved under optimized experimental conditions at a sample loading of 2.0 mL min{sup -1} sample loading (300 s) and an elution flow rate of 2.0 mL min{sup -1} (24 s). The precision of the 11 replicate Cr (VI) measurements was 2.1% at the 100 {mu}g L{sup -1} level with a detection limit of 0.2 {mu}g L{sup -1} (3 s, n = 10) using the FAAS. The developed method was successfully applied to trace chromium determination in waste water. The accuracy was validated using a certified reference material of riverine water (GBW08607).

Coupling Hydrodynamic and Wave Propagation Codes for Modeling of Seismic Waves recorded at the SPE Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Larmat, C. S.; Rougier, E.; Delorey, A.; Steedman, D. W.; Bradley, C. R.

2016-12-01

The goal of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is to bring empirical and theoretical advances to the problem of detection and identification of underground nuclear explosions. For this, the SPE program includes a strong modeling effort based on first principles calculations with the challenge to capture both the source and near-source processes and those taking place later in time as seismic waves propagate within complex 3D geologic environments. In this paper, we report on results of modeling that uses hydrodynamic simulation codes (Abaqus and CASH) coupled with a 3D full waveform propagation code, SPECFEM3D. For modeling the near source region, we employ a fully-coupled Euler-Lagrange (CEL) modeling capability with a new continuum-based visco-plastic fracture model for simulation of damage processes, called AZ_Frac. These capabilities produce high-fidelity models of various factors believed to be key in the generation of seismic waves: the explosion dynamics, a weak grout-filled borehole, the surrounding jointed rock, and damage creation and deformations happening around the source and the free surface. SPECFEM3D, based on the Spectral Element Method (SEM) is a direct numerical method for full wave modeling with mathematical accuracy. The coupling interface consists of a series of grid points of the SEM mesh situated inside of the hydrodynamic code's domain. Displacement time series at these points are computed using output data from CASH or Abaqus (by interpolation if needed) and fed into the time marching scheme of SPECFEM3D. We will present validation tests with the Sharpe's model and comparisons of waveforms modeled with Rg waves (2-8Hz) that were recorded up to 2 km for SPE. We especially show effects of the local topography, velocity structure and spallation. Our models predict smaller amplitudes of Rg waves for the first five SPE shots compared to pure elastic models such as Denny &Johnson (1991).

Micromachined silicon acoustic delay line with 3D-printed micro linkers and tapered input for improved structural stability and acoustic directivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Y; Kumar, A; Xu, S; Zou, J

2016-01-01

Recent studies have shown that micromachined silicon acoustic delay lines can provide a promising solution to achieve real-time photoacoustic tomography without the need for complex transducer arrays and data acquisition electronics. To achieve deeper imaging depth and wider field of view, a longer delay time and therefore delay length are required. However, as the length of the delay line increases, it becomes more vulnerable to structural instability due to reduced mechanical stiffness. In this paper, we report the design, fabrication, and testing of a new silicon acoustic delay line enhanced with 3D printed polymer micro linker structures. First, mechanical deformation of the silicon acoustic delay line (with and without linker structures) under gravity was simulated by using finite element method. Second, the acoustic crosstalk and acoustic attenuation caused by the polymer micro linker structures were evaluated with both numerical simulation and ultrasound transmission testing. The result shows that the use of the polymer micro linker structures significantly improves the structural stability of the silicon acoustic delay lines without creating additional acoustic attenuation and crosstalk. In addition, the improvement of the acoustic acceptance angle of the silicon acoustic delay lines was also investigated to better suppress the reception of unwanted ultrasound signals outside of the imaging plane. These two improvements are expected to provide an effective solution to eliminate current limitations on the achievable acoustic delay time and out-of-plane imaging resolution of micromachined silicon acoustic delay line arrays. (paper)

Technical note: New applications for on-line automated solid phase extraction

OpenAIRE

MacFarlane, John D.

1997-01-01

This technical note explains the disadvantages of manual solid phase extraction (SPE) techniques and the benefits to be gained with automatic systems. The note reports on a number of general and highly specific applications using the Sample Preparation Unit OSP-2A.

Autonomous Monitoring of Radiation Environment and Personal Systems for Crew Enhanced SPE Protection (AMORE and PSYCHE)

Science.gov (United States)

Narici, L.; Baiocco, G.; Berrilli, F.; Giraudo, M.; Ottolenghi, A.; Rizzo, A.; Salina, G.

2018-02-01

Understand the relationship between SPE precursors, the related SPE radiation inside the Deep Space Gateway, and the associated risk levels, validating existing models, proposing countermeasures actions via a real time, autonomous intelligent system.

Modular AC Nano-Grid with Four-Quadrant Micro-Inverters and High-Efficiency DC-DC Conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Poshtkouhi, Shahab

A significant portion of the population in developing countries live in remote communities, where the power infrastructure and the required capital investment to set up local grids do not exist. This is due to the fuel shipment and utilization costs required for fossil fuel based generators, which are traditionally used in these local grids, as well as high upfront costs associated with the centralized Energy Storage Systems (ESS). This dissertation targets modular AC nano-grids for these remote communities developed at minimal capital cost, where the generators are replaced with multiple inverters, connected to either Photovoltaic (PV) or battery modules, which can be gradually added to the nano-grid. A distributed droop-based control architecture is presented for the PV and battery Micro-Inverters (MIV) in order to achieve frequency and voltage stability, as well as active and reactive power sharing. The nano-grid voltage is regulated collectively in either one of four operational regions. Effective load sharing and transient handling are demonstrated experimentally by forming a nano-grid which consists of two custom 500 W MIVs. The MIVs forming the nano-grid have to meet certain requirements. A two-stage MIV architecture and control scheme with four-quadrant power-flow between the nano-grid, the PV/battery and optional short-term storage is presented. The short-term storage is realized using high energy-density Lithium-Ion Capacitor (LIC) technology. A real-time power smoothing algorithm utilizing LIC modules is developed and tested, while the performance of the 100 W MIV is experimentally verified under closed-loop dynamic conditions. Two main limitations of the DAB topology, as the core of the MIV architecture's dc-dc stage, are addressed: 1) This topology demonstrates poor efficiency and limited regulation accuracy at low power. These are improved by introducing a modified topology to operate the DAB in Flyback mode, achieving up to an 8% increase in

Wafer-scale micro-optics fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Voelkel, Reinhard

2012-07-01

Micro-optics is an indispensable key enabling technology for many products and applications today. Probably the most prestigious examples are the diffractive light shaping elements used in high-end DUV lithography steppers. Highly-efficient refractive and diffractive micro-optical elements are used for precise beam and pupil shaping. Micro-optics had a major impact on the reduction of aberrations and diffraction effects in projection lithography, allowing a resolution enhancement from 250 nm to 45 nm within the past decade. Micro-optics also plays a decisive role in medical devices (endoscopes, ophthalmology), in all laser-based devices and fiber communication networks, bringing high-speed internet to our homes. Even our modern smart phones contain a variety of micro-optical elements. For example, LED flash light shaping elements, the secondary camera, ambient light and proximity sensors. Wherever light is involved, micro-optics offers the chance to further miniaturize a device, to improve its performance, or to reduce manufacturing and packaging costs. Wafer-scale micro-optics fabrication is based on technology established by the semiconductor industry. Thousands of components are fabricated in parallel on a wafer. This review paper recapitulates major steps and inventions in wafer-scale micro-optics technology. The state-of-the-art of fabrication, testing and packaging technology is summarized.

Recovery Act: SeaMicro Volume Server Power Reduction Research Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gary Lauterbach

2012-03-22

Cloud data centers are projected to be the fastest growing segment of the server market through 2015, according to IDC. Increasingly people and businesses rely on the Cloud to deliver digital content quickly and efficiently. Recovery Act funding from the Department of Energy has helped SeaMicro's technologies enhance the total cost of operation, performance and energy efficiency in large data center and Cloud environments. SeaMicro's innovative supercomputer fabric connects thousands of processor cores, memory, storage and input/output traffic. The company's fabric supports multiple processor instruction sets. Current systems featuring SeaMicro technology typically use one quarter the power and take one sixth the space of traditional servers with the same compute performance, yet deliver up to 12 times the bandwidth per core. Mozilla and eHarmony are two customers successfully using SeaMicro's technology. Numerous non-public customers have been successfully using the SeaMicro product in test and production facilities. As a result of the Recovery Act funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 50 direct jobs were created at SeaMicro. To date, they primarily have been high-value, engineering jobs. Hardware, software and manufacturing engineering positions have been created, as well as sales and sales engineering. The positions have allowed SeaMicro to significantly accelerate engineering development and accelerate commercialization. As a result, commercialization and delivery to market are months ahead of initial schedule. Additional jobs were indirectly created through the development of the SeaMicro product. Through many years of research and hard work prior to receipt of public funding, SeaMicro was awarded 2 patents for its work. SeaMicro's product led the way for industry leaders to reconsider the market for low power servers and create new product lines. With valuable support of the U.S. Department of Energy and through SeaMicro

Micro-XRD Stress And Texture Study Of Inlaid Copper Lines - Influence Of ILD, Liner And Etch Stop Layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prinz, H.; Zienert, I.; Rinderknecht, J.; Geisler, H.; Zschech, E.; Besser, P.

2004-01-01

The influence of ILD, liner and etch stop layer on the room temperature stress state of copper line test structures was examined by micro-XRD. Test structures consisted of large arrays of parallel lines with line widths of 0.18 μm and 1.8 μm. All these parameters have an influence on the room temperature stress state, whereas the variation of the liner and the ILD showed the largest effects. The change from a full low-k stack to a hybrid stack, where SiO2 ILD is use for the 'via layer' only and low-k material for the 'line layer' results in completely different parameter dependencies. The relationship between copper microstructure and the resulting stress in copper lines is discussed

Determination of DDT and metabolites in surface water and sediment using LLE, SPE, ACE and SE.

Science.gov (United States)

Sibali, Linda L; Okonkwo, Jonathan O; Zvinowanda, Caliphs

2009-12-01

Surface water and sediment samples collected from Jukskei River in South Africa, were subjected to different extraction techniques, liquid-liquid (LLE), solid-phase extraction (SPE), activated carbon extraction (ACE) and soxhlet extraction (SE) for sediment. The samples were extracted with dichloromethane, cleaned in a silica gel column and the extracts quantified using a Varian 3800 GC-ECD. The percentage recovery test for 2,4'DDT, DDE and DDD and 4,4'DDT, DDE and DDD in water ranged from 80%-96% and 76%-95% (LLE); 56%-76% and 56%-70% (SPE) and 75%-84% (ACE), respectively; while that recoveries for sediment samples varied from 65%-95% for 2,4'DDT, DDE and DDD and 80%-91% for 4,4'DDT, DDE and DDD. The high recoveries exhibited by ACE compared very well with LLE and SE. This was not the case with SPE which exhibited the lowest value of recoveries for both 2,4 and 4,4'DDD, DDE and DDT standard samples. The mean concentrations of DDT and metabolites ranged from nd-1.10 μg/L, nd-0.80 μg/L, nd-1.21 μg/L and 1.92 μg/L for LLE, SPE, ACE and SE, respectively. The total DDT (2,4' and 4,4'-DDT) in water and sediment samples ranged from 1.20-3.25 μg/L and 1.82-5.24 μg/L, respectively. The low concentrations of the DDT metabolites obtained in the present study may suggest a recent contamination of the river by DDT.

Automated on-line solid phase extraction coupled to HPLC-APCI-MS detection as a versatile tool for the analysis of phenols in water samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wissiack, R.

2001-05-01

determination of the entire US EPA phenol range within a single chromatographic run with only one MSD interface and could be easily adapted for the analysis of further phenolic compounds. This represents a significant improvement over methods reported for the analysis of phenolic compounds by on-line SPE HPLC-MS so far. For the on-line SPE of phenols from water samples the recently introduced Hysphere GP and the Waters Oasis adsorbent materials were found to be most satisfactory. Their application resulted in quantitative recoveries for sample volumes up to 100 ml, excellent elution behavior (enabling fast elution resulting in narrower peaks) and relative standard deviations for the overall analysis system below 8 percent for all phenols. Typical enrichment factors for automated on-line SPE were estimated to be about one thousand compared to autosampler-injections. Thus, LODs ranging between 40-280 ng/l in SCAN mode could be achieved even when only 10 ml of spiked distilled or river water sample were processed which attests to the excellent screening capabilities of the optimized method. When using the SIM mode the sensitivity could be further increased by about one order of magnitude. The applicability of the proposed method to environmental analysis was demonstrated by preconcentrating phenols from spiked river water samples or waster water treatment effluents via automated on-line SPE HPLC-MS. Due to the very high concentration of matrix in the case of waste water treatment effluents, the sample volume preconcentrated had to be decreased to only 1 ml. Still, the sensitivity is high enough to monitor phenols at levels relevant for waste water monitoring. As a further example for the general applicability of the HPLC-MS method for the tentative structural elucidation of phenolic compounds, it was also used for the analysis of diesel exhaust condensate samples where a number of phenolic compounds could be tentatively identified. (author)

An Efficient Upscaling Procedure Based on Stokes-Brinkman Model and Discrete Fracture Network Method for Naturally Fractured Carbonate Karst Reservoirs

KAUST Repository

Qin, Guan; Bi, Linfeng; Popov, Peter; Efendiev, Yalchin; Espedal, Magne

2010-01-01

, fractures and their interconnectivities in coarse-scale simulation models. In this paper, we present a procedure based on our previously proposed Stokes-Brinkman model (SPE 125593) and the discrete fracture network method for accurate and efficient upscaling

On Study of Application of Micro-reactor in Chemistry and Chemical Field

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yunshen

2018-02-01

Serving as a micro-scale chemical reaction system, micro-reactor is characterized by high heat transfer efficiency and mass transfer, strictly controlled reaction time and good safety performance; compared with the traditional mixing reactor, it can effectively shorten reaction time by virtue of these advantages and greatly enhance the chemical reaction conversion rate. However, problems still exist in the process where micro-reactor is used for production in chemistry and chemical field, and relevant researchers are required to optimize and perfect the performance of micro-reactor. This paper analyzes specific application of micro-reactor in chemistry and chemical field.

On-line radiometry in high-performance liquid chromatography using a storage loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieuwkerk, H.J. van.

1987-01-01

Difficulty with radiometric chromatography is that large measured volumes are required for accurate detections, but large volumes cause band widening and thus poor separation capacity. The solution proposed here is based on the use of a capillary storage loop for temporary residence of the column eluate. To avoid back mixing, the liquid is interspaced with a second, immiscible, phase ('spacer') so as to form a sequence of small 10-50 μl separate segments. This train passes the on-line radiometric detector to obtain a first scan of the chromatogram, called the 'direct' measurement. It then reaches the storage loop. The usual on-line UV measurement is done in the same run. The eluate cum spacer is, at a later stage, pumped through the detector at a greatly reduced flow rate to obtain the 'reversed' or 'delayed' measurement. Beta-detection is based on liquid scintillation. Accordingly, the (organic) liquid scintillant is used as the 'spacer'. In most cases it is possible to extract the analyte from the aqueous eluate into the organic phase during transport to and storage in the loop. This ensures a high counting efficiency. If the analyte is non-extractable, the counting efficiency is considerably less but the number of counts collected is still sufficient for quantitative assay, due to the extended counting time. The report is divided into 5 chapters, each dealing with a radiometric HPCL separation making use of this method. 36 figs.; 124 refs.; 16 tables

Efficient protocols for Stirling heat engines at the micro-scale

Science.gov (United States)

Muratore-Ginanneschi, Paolo; Schwieger, Kay

2015-10-01

We investigate the thermodynamic efficiency of sub-micro-scale Stirling heat engines operating under the conditions described by overdamped stochastic thermodynamics. We show how to construct optimal protocols such that at maximum power the efficiency attains for constant isotropic mobility the universal law η=2 ηC/(4-ηC) , where ηC is the efficiency of an ideal Carnot cycle. We show that these protocols are specified by the solution of an optimal mass transport problem. Such solution can be determined explicitly using well-known Monge-Ampère-Kantorovich reconstruction algorithms. Furthermore, we show that the same law describes the efficiency of heat engines operating at maximum work over short time periods. Finally, we illustrate the straightforward extension of these results to cases when the mobility is anisotropic and temperature dependent.

A High-Efficiency Wind Energy Harvester for Autonomous Embedded Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunelli, Davide

2016-03-04

Energy harvesting is currently a hot research topic, mainly as a consequence of the increasing attractiveness of computing and sensing solutions based on small, low-power distributed embedded systems. Harvesting may enable systems to operate in a deploy-and-forget mode, particularly when power grid is absent and the use of rechargeable batteries is unattractive due to their limited lifetime and maintenance requirements. This paper focuses on wind flow as an energy source feasible to meet the energy needs of a small autonomous embedded system. In particular the contribution is on the electrical converter and system integration. We characterize the micro-wind turbine, we define a detailed model of its behaviour, and then we focused on a highly efficient circuit to convert wind energy into electrical energy. The optimized design features an overall volume smaller than 64 cm³. The core of the harvester is a high efficiency buck-boost converter which performs an optimal power point tracking. Experimental results show that the wind generator boosts efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.

A High-Efficiency Wind Energy Harvester for Autonomous Embedded Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Brunelli, Davide

2016-01-01

Energy harvesting is currently a hot research topic, mainly as a consequence of the increasing attractiveness of computing and sensing solutions based on small, low-power distributed embedded systems. Harvesting may enable systems to operate in a deploy-and-forget mode, particularly when power grid is absent and the use of rechargeable batteries is unattractive due to their limited lifetime and maintenance requirements. This paper focuses on wind flow as an energy source feasible to meet the energy needs of a small autonomous embedded system. In particular the contribution is on the electrical converter and system integration. We characterize the micro-wind turbine, we define a detailed model of its behaviour, and then we focused on a highly efficient circuit to convert wind energy into electrical energy. The optimized design features an overall volume smaller than 64 cm3. The core of the harvester is a high efficiency buck-boost converter which performs an optimal power point tracking. Experimental results show that the wind generator boosts efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions. PMID:26959018

A High-Efficiency Wind Energy Harvester for Autonomous Embedded Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davide Brunelli

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Energy harvesting is currently a hot research topic, mainly as a consequence of the increasing attractiveness of computing and sensing solutions based on small, low-power distributed embedded systems. Harvesting may enable systems to operate in a deploy-and-forget mode, particularly when power grid is absent and the use of rechargeable batteries is unattractive due to their limited lifetime and maintenance requirements. This paper focuses on wind flow as an energy source feasible to meet the energy needs of a small autonomous embedded system. In particular the contribution is on the electrical converter and system integration. We characterize the micro-wind turbine, we define a detailed model of its behaviour, and then we focused on a highly efficient circuit to convert wind energy into electrical energy. The optimized design features an overall volume smaller than 64 cm3. The core of the harvester is a high efficiency buck-boost converter which performs an optimal power point tracking. Experimental results show that the wind generator boosts efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.

A Meteorological Distribution System for High Resolution Terrestrial Modeling (MicroMet)

Science.gov (United States)

Liston, G. E.; Elder, K.

2004-12-01

Spatially distributed terrestrial models generally require atmospheric forcing data on horizontal grids that are of higher resolution than available meteorological data. Furthermore, the meteorological data collected may not necessarily represent the area of interest's meteorological variability. To address these deficiencies, computationally efficient and physically realistic methods must be developed to take available meteorological data sets (e.g., meteorological tower observations) and generate high-resolution atmospheric-forcing distributions. This poster describes MicroMet, a quasi-physically-based, but simple meteorological distribution model designed to produce high-resolution (e.g., 5-m to 1-km horizontal grid increments) meteorological data distributions required to run spatially distributed terrestrial models over a wide variety of landscapes. The model produces distributions of the seven fundamental atmospheric forcing variables required to run most terrestrial models: air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, incoming solar radiation, incoming longwave radiation, and precipitation. MicroMet includes a preprocessor that analyzes meteorological station data and identifies and repairs potential data deficiencies. The model uses known relationships between meteorological variables and the surrounding area (primarily topography) to distribute those variables over any given landscape. MicroMet performs two kinds of adjustments to available meteorological data: 1) when there are data at more than one location, at a given time, the data are spatially interpolated over the domain using a Barnes objective analysis scheme, and 2) physical sub-models are applied to each MicroMet variable to improve its realism at a given point in space and time with respect to the terrain. The three, 25-km by 25-km, Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) mesoscale study areas (MSAs: Fraser, North Park, and Rabbit Ears) will be used as example Micro

Determination of inorganic arsenic in algae using bromine halogenation and on-line nonpolar solid phase extraction followed by hydride generation atomic flourescence spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Accurate, stable and fast analysis of toxic inorganic arsenic (iAs) in complicated and arsenosugar-rich algae matrix is always a challenge. Herein, a novel analytical method for iAs in algae was reported, using bromine halogenation and on-line nonpolar solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by hydrid...

Challenges in high accuracy surface replication for micro optics and micro fluidics manufacture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Calaon, Matteo

2014-01-01

Patterning the surface of polymer components with microstructured geometries is employed in optical and microfluidic applications. Mass fabrication of polymer micro structured products is enabled by replication technologies such as injection moulding. Micro structured tools are also produced...... by replication technologies such as nickel electroplating. All replication steps are enabled by a high precision master and high reproduction fidelity to ensure that the functionalities associated with the design are transferred to the final component. Engineered surface micro structures can be either...

Highly Flexible and Efficient Solar Steam Generation Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chaoji; Li, Yiju; Song, Jianwei; Yang, Zhi; Kuang, Yudi; Hitz, Emily; Jia, Chao; Gong, Amy; Jiang, Feng; Zhu, J Y; Yang, Bao; Xie, Jia; Hu, Liangbing

2017-08-01

Solar steam generation with subsequent steam recondensation has been regarded as one of the most promising techniques to utilize the abundant solar energy and sea water or other unpurified water through water purification, desalination, and distillation. Although tremendous efforts have been dedicated to developing high-efficiency solar steam generation devices, challenges remain in terms of the relatively low efficiency, complicated fabrications, high cost, and inability to scale up. Here, inspired by the water transpiration behavior of trees, the use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-modified flexible wood membrane (F-Wood/CNTs) is demonstrated as a flexible, portable, recyclable, and efficient solar steam generation device for low-cost and scalable solar steam generation applications. Benefitting from the unique structural merits of the F-Wood/CNTs membrane-a black CNT-coated hair-like surface with excellent light absorbability, wood matrix with low thermal conductivity, hierarchical micro- and nanochannels for water pumping and escaping, solar steam generation device based on the F-Wood/CNTs membrane demonstrates a high efficiency of 81% at 10 kW cm -2 , representing one of the highest values ever-reported. The nature-inspired design concept in this study is straightforward and easily scalable, representing one of the most promising solutions for renewable and portable solar energy generation and other related phase-change applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

System program for MICRO-CAMAC terminal system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasajima, Yoji; Yamada, Takayuki; Yagi, Hideyuki; Ishiguro, Misako

1979-08-01

A JAERI on-line network system was developed and exists for on-line data processing of nuclear instrumentation. As terminal systems for the network system, the one with a Micro -8 micro-computer is used. By modifying the control program for Micro-8 terminal system, a system program has been developed for a MICRO-CAMAC terminal system, which is controlled by a micro-computer framed within the CAMAC Crate Controller. In this report are described software specifications of the MICRO -CAMAC terminal system and its operation method. (author)

On-line dynamic extraction and automated determination of readily bioavailable hexavalent chromium in solid substrates using micro-sequential injection bead-injection lab-on-valve hyphenated with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Long, Xiangbao; Miró, Manuel; Hansen, Elo Harald

2006-01-01

A novel and miniaturized micro-sequential injection bead injection lab-on-valve (μSI-BI-LOV) fractionation system was developed for in-line microcolumn soil extraction under simulated environmental scenarios and accurate monitoring of the content of easily mobilisable hexavalent chromium in soil...... environments at the sub-low parts-per-million level. The flow system integrates dynamic leaching of hexavalent chromium using deionized water as recommended by the German Standard DIN 38414-S4 method; on-line pH adjustment of the extract by a 0.01 mol L-1 Tris-HNO3 buffer solution; isolation of the chromate...... polluted agricultural soil material (San Joaquin Soil-Baseline Trace Element Concentrations) with water-soluble Cr(VI) salts at different concentration levels. The potential of the μSI-BI-LOV set-up with renewable surfaces for flame-AAS determination of high levels of readily bioavailable chromate...

High Accuracy Three-dimensional Simulation of Micro Injection Moulded Parts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Costa, F. S.; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2011-01-01

Micro injection moulding (μIM) is the key replication technology for high precision manufacturing of polymer micro products. Data analysis and simulations on micro-moulding experiments have been conducted during the present validation study. Detailed information about the μIM process was gathered...

A novel superparamagnetic surface molecularly imprinted nanoparticle adopting dummy template: an efficient solid-phase extraction adsorbent for bisphenol A.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zhenkun; Cheng, Wenjing; Li, Yanyan; Liu, Zhiren; Chen, Xiangping; Huang, Changjiang

2012-03-30

Leakage of the residual template molecules is one of the biggest challenges for application of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) in solid-phase extraction (SPE). In this study, bisphenol F (BPF) was adopted as a dummy template to prepare MIP of bisphenol A (BPA) with a superparamagnetic core-shell nanoparticle as the supporter, aiming to avoid residual template leakage and to increase the efficiency of SPE. Characterization and test of the obtained products (called mag-DMIP beads) revealed that these novel nanoparticles not only had excellent magnetic property but also displayed high selectivity to the target molecule BPA. As mag-DMIP beads were adopted as the adsorbents of solid-phase extraction for detecting BPA in real water samples, the recoveries of spiked samples ranged from 84.7% to 93.8% with the limit of detection of 2.50 pg mL(-1), revealing that mag-DMIP beads were efficient SPE adsorbents. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-intensity fibre laser design for micro-machining applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz-Neria, D. I.; Martinez-Piñón, F.; Hernandez-Escamilla, H.; Alvarez-Chavez, J. A.

2010-11-01

This work is focused on the design of a 250W high-intensity continuous-wave fibre optic laser with a 15μm spot size beam and a beam parameter product (BPP) of 1.8 for its use on Laser-assisted Cold Spray process (LCS) in the micro-machining areas. The metal-powder deposition process LCS, is a novel method based on Cold Spray technique (CS) assisted by laser technology. The LCS accelerates metal powders by the use of a high-pressure gas in order to achieve flash welding of particles over substrate. In LCS, the critical velocity of impact is lower with respect with CS while the powder particle is heated before the deposition by a laser beam. Furthermore, LCS does not heat the powder to achieve high temperatures as it happens in plasma processes. This property puts aside cooling problems which normally happen in sintered processes with high oxygen/nitrogen concentration levels. LCS will be used not only in deposition of thin layers. After careful design, proof of concept, experimental data, and prototype development, it should be feasible to perform micro-machining precise work with the use of the highintensity fibre laser presented in this work, and selective deposition of particles, in a similar way to the well-known Direct Metal Laser Sintering process (DMLS). The fibre laser consists on a large-mode area, Yb3+-doped, semi-diffraction limited, 25-m fibre laser cavity, operating in continuous wave regime. The fibre shows an arguably high slope-efficiency with no signs of roll-over. The measured M2 value is 1.8 and doping concentration of 15000ppm. It was made with a slight modification of the traditional MCVD technique. A full optical characterization will be presented.

An automated method for the analysis of phenolic acids in plasma based on ion-pairing micro-extraction coupled on-line to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with in-liner derivatisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters, S.; Kaal, E.; Horsting, I.; Janssen, H.-G.

2012-01-01

A new method is presented for the analysis of phenolic acids in plasma based on ion-pairing ‘Micro-extraction in packed sorbent’ (MEPS) coupled on-line to in-liner derivatisation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The ion-pairing reagent served a dual purpose. It was used both to improve

Screening for illicit and medicinal drugs in whole blood using fully automated SPE and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with TOF-MS with data-independent acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Anders Just; Dalsgaard, Petur Weihe; Rode, Andrej Jaroslav; Rasmussen, Brian Schou; Müller, Irene Breum; Johansen, Sys Stybe; Linnet, Kristian

2013-07-01

A broad forensic screening method for 256 analytes in whole blood based on a fully automated SPE robotic extraction and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with TOF-MS with data-independent acquisition has been developed. The limit of identification was evaluated for all 256 compounds and 95 of these compounds were validated with regard to matrix effects, extraction recovery, and process efficiency. The limit of identification ranged from 0.001 to 0.1 mg/kg, and the process efficiency exceeded 50% for 73 of the 95 analytes. As an example of application, 1335 forensic traffic cases were analyzed with the presented screening method. Of these, 992 cases (74%) were positive for one or more traffic-relevant drugs above the Danish legal limits. Commonly abused drugs such as amphetamine, cocaine, and frequent types of benzodiazepines were the major findings. Nineteen less frequently encountered drugs were detected e.g. buprenorphine, butylone, cathine, fentanyl, lysergic acid diethylamide, m-chlorophenylpiperazine, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone, mephedrone, 4-methylamphetamine, p-fluoroamphetamine, and p-methoxy-N-methylamphetamine. In conclusion, using UHPLC-TOF-MS screening with data-independent acquisition resulted in the detection of common drugs of abuse as well as new designer drugs and more rarely occurring drugs. Thus, TOF-MS screening of blood samples constitutes a practical way for screening traffic cases, with the exception of δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which should be handled in a separate method. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) of Iron using Lanthanum Silicate ion exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiarostami, V.; Husain, W.

2002-01-01

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is gaining wide use as an effective and speedy technique which reduces solvent usage, disposal costs and extraction time. The analyte is adsorbed from solution onto a solid adsorbent, which is followed by elution of the analyte with a solvent appropriate for instrumental analysis. However, there is an increasing need for new selective adsorbents to expand the area of this technique. Lanthanum silicate ion exchanger, which shows unusual selectivity elements and in this study, it was employed to develop a SPE method for iron ion. Special experiments such as determination of distribution coefficient for iron ion in different solvent systems have been determined

Determination of perfluorinated sulfonate and perfluorinated acids in tissues of free-living European beaver (castor fiber L.) by d-SPE/ micro-UHPLC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Surma, Magdalena; Giżejewski, Zygmunt; Zieliński, Henryk

2015-10-01

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the main representatives of an rising class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), perfluorochemicals (PFCs). In this study, determination of selected PFCs concentration in liver, brain, tail, adipose and peritoneum tissues of free-living European beaver (Castor fiber L.) was addressed. Tissue samples, collected from beavers living in Masurian Lakeland (NE Poland), were analyzed by dispersive Solid Phase Extraction (d-SPE) with micro-UHPLC-MS/MS system. In a group of ten selected pefrluorinated compounds only two perfluorinated acids (PFOA and PFNA) and one perfluorinated sulfonate (PFOS) were quantified. PFOA was detected in all analysed tissue samples in both female and male beavers in a range from 0.55 to 0.98ngg(-1) ww whereas PFOS was identified in all analyzed female beaver tissues and only in liver, subcutaneous adipose and peritoneum tissues of male beavers at the concentration level from 0.86 to 5.08ngg(-1) ww. PFNA was only identified in female beaver tissues (liver, subcutaneous adipose and peritoneum) in a range from 1.50 to 6.61ngg(-1) ww. This study demonstrated the bioaccumulation of PFCs in tissue samples collected from beavers living in area known as green lungs of Poland. The results provided in this study indicate for the increasing risk of PFCs occurrence in the environment and the level of PFCs in tissue of free-living European beavers may serve as bioindicator of environmental pollution by these compounds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A novel ZVS high voltage power supply for micro-channel plate photomultiplier tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei, Chengquan; Tian, Jinshou; Liu, Zhen; Qin, Hong; Wu, Shengli

2017-01-01

A novel resonant high voltage power supply (HVPS) with zero voltage switching (ZVS), to reduce the voltage stress on switching devices and improve conversion efficiency, is proposed. The proposed HVPS includes a drive circuit, a transformer, several voltage multiplying circuits, and a regulator circuit. The HVPS contains several secondary windings that can be precisely regulated. The proposed HVPS performed better than the traditional resistor voltage divider, which requires replacing matching resistors resulting in resistor dispersibility in the Micro-Channel Plate (MCP). The equivalent circuit of the proposed HVPS was established and the operational principle analyzed. The entire switching element can achieve ZVS, which was validated by a simulation and experiments. The properties of this HVPS were tested including minimum power loss (240 mW), maximum power loss (1 W) and conversion efficiency (85%). The results of this research are that the proposed HVPS was suitable for driving the micro-channel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT). It was therefore adopted to test the MCP-PMT, which will be used in Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment II in China.

A novel ZVS high voltage power supply for micro-channel plate photomultiplier tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pei, Chengquan [Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Tian, Jinshou [Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi' an 710119 (China); Liu, Zhen [Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Qin, Hong [School of Computer Science and Technology, Xi' an University of Science and Technology, Xi' an 710054 (China); Wu, Shengli, E-mail: slwu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China)

2017-04-11

A novel resonant high voltage power supply (HVPS) with zero voltage switching (ZVS), to reduce the voltage stress on switching devices and improve conversion efficiency, is proposed. The proposed HVPS includes a drive circuit, a transformer, several voltage multiplying circuits, and a regulator circuit. The HVPS contains several secondary windings that can be precisely regulated. The proposed HVPS performed better than the traditional resistor voltage divider, which requires replacing matching resistors resulting in resistor dispersibility in the Micro-Channel Plate (MCP). The equivalent circuit of the proposed HVPS was established and the operational principle analyzed. The entire switching element can achieve ZVS, which was validated by a simulation and experiments. The properties of this HVPS were tested including minimum power loss (240 mW), maximum power loss (1 W) and conversion efficiency (85%). The results of this research are that the proposed HVPS was suitable for driving the micro-channel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT). It was therefore adopted to test the MCP-PMT, which will be used in Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment II in China.

The effect of lignite quality variation on the efficiency of on-line ash analyzers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galetakis, Michael J. [Technical University of Crete, Dept. of Mineral Resources Engineering, University Campus, 73 100 Hania (Greece); Pavloudakis, Francis F. [Public Power Corporation SA, General Division of Mines, Kifisou and Dyrrahiou 89, 104 43 Athens (Greece)

2009-12-01

A sustainable coal industry needs to achieve a number of objectives including improvements in utilization of deposits, energy efficiency, and environmental performance during combustion. The ''Clean Coal Concept'' promises to combine the secure and low cost electricity supply offered by hard coal and lignite with adequate environmental precautions. In this context, modern quality control systems, which are greatly based on the on-line analyzers, play an important role in achieving sustainability targets. This paper examines the possibility of using commercial on-line analysis systems for monitoring the mineral matter content of low quality lignite mined from the lignite basin of Megalopolis, Peloponnese, Greece. The effect of the accuracy of the on-line analyzers to process control, when used for the characterization of low rank coals with complex and variable composition, is investigated by carrying out numerous bench- and pilot-scale trials. Pilot-scale trials were based on a dual energy gamma-ray transmission analyzer, which was installed on the conveyor belt that transports lignite from the mine pit to the homogenization stockyard. All measurement data were compared to data gathered during the realisation of similar trials in the lignite mines of Ptolemais Basin, Northern Greece. Results indicated that the accuracy of the on-line measurements was not satisfactory and did not allow lignite quality monitoring in real time. The achieved inferior accuracy of the on-line measurement's accuracy, compared to previous applications at other mining sites, was related to the intense variation of the mineral matter content of lignite and lignite composition, which distorted the calibration of the analyzer. The latter is based on certain assumptions regarding the average mass absorption coefficient of the organic and mineral matter contained in the lignite. Further experimental work is needed to investigate solutions for successful implementation of

A novel polyamine allosteric site of SpeG from Vibrio cholerae is revealed by its dodecameric structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Filippova, Ekaterina V; Kuhn, Misty L; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Kiryukhina, Olga; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Ballicora, Miguel A; Anderson, Wayne F

2015-03-27

Spermidine N-acetyltransferase, encoded by the gene speG, catalyzes the initial step in the degradation of polyamines and is a critical enzyme for determining the polyamine concentrations in bacteria. In Escherichia coli, studies have shown that SpeG is the enzyme responsible for acetylating spermidine under stress conditions and for preventing spermidine toxicity. Not all bacteria contain speG, and many bacterial pathogens have developed strategies to either acquire or silence it for pathogenesis. Here, we present thorough kinetic analyses combined with structural characterization of the VCA0947 SpeG enzyme from the important human pathogen Vibrio cholerae. Our studies revealed the unexpected presence of a previously unknown allosteric site and an unusual dodecameric structure for a member of the Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase superfamily. We show that SpeG forms dodecamers in solution and in crystals and describe its three-dimensional structure in several ligand-free and liganded structures. Importantly, these structural data define the first view of a polyamine bound in an allosteric site of an N-acetyltransferase. Kinetic characterization of SpeG from V. cholerae showed that it acetylates spermidine and spermine. The behavior of this enzyme is complex and exhibits sigmoidal curves and substrate inhibition. We performed a detailed non-linear regression kinetic analysis to simultaneously fit families of substrate saturation curves to uncover a simple kinetic mechanism that explains the apparent complexity of this enzyme. Our results provide a fundamental understanding of the bacterial SpeG enzyme, which will be key toward understanding the regulation of polyamine levels in bacteria during pathogenesis. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

High-frequency micro-machined power inductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, N.; O'Donnell, T.; Roy, S.; Brunet, M.; McCloskey, P.; O'Mathuna, S.C.

2005-01-01

Power inductors have been fabricated on silicon substrates using low-temperature IC compatible processes. The electrical properties of these micro-inductors have been measured and discussed. A maximum quality factor of 6 at 4 MHz has been achieved with an inductance value of about 160 nH. The DC saturation currents of the non-gapped and gapped inductors are ∼500 and 700 mA, respectively. The relatively high Q factor and the load current characteristics allow these micro-machined inductors to be used in integrated power converters

Micro-sampling method based on high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for calcium determination in blood and mitochondrial suspensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Nieto, Beatriz; Gismera, Mª Jesús; Sevilla, Mª Teresa; Satrústegui, Jorgina; Procopio, Jesús R

2017-08-01

A micro-sampling and straightforward method based on high resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS AAS) was developed to determine extracellular and intracellular Ca in samples of interest in clinical and biomedical analysis. Solid sampling platforms were used to introduce the micro-samples into the graphite furnace atomizer. The secondary absorption line for Ca, located at 239.856nm, was selected to carry out the measurements. Experimental parameters such as pyrolysis and atomization temperatures and the amount of sample introduced for the measurements were optimized. Calibration was performed using aqueous standards and the approach to measure at the wings of the absorption lines was employed for the expansion of the linear response range. The limit of detection was of 0.02mgL -1 Ca (0.39ng Ca) and the upper limit of linear range was increased up to 8.0mgL -1 Ca (160ng Ca). The proposed method was used to determine Ca in mitochondrial suspensions and whole blood samples with successful results. Adequate recoveries (within 91-107%) were obtained in the tests performed for validation purposes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High accuracy and precision micro injection moulding of thermoplastic elastomers micro ring production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Calaon, Matteo; Tosello, Guido; Elsborg, René

2016-01-01

The mass-replication nature of the process calls for fast monitoring of process parameters and product geometrical characteristics. In this direction, the present study addresses the possibility to develop a micro manufacturing platform for micro assembly injection moulding with real-time process....../product monitoring and metrology. The study represent a new concept yet to be developed with great potential for high precision mass-manufacturing of highly functional 3D multi-material (i.e. including metal/soft polymer) micro components. The activities related to HINMICO project objectives proves the importance...

Development and validation of a rapid HPLC method for the determination of cefdinir in beagle dog plasma integrated with an automatic on-line solid-phase extraction following protein precipitation in the 96-well plate format.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ji; Wang, Li; Chen, Zhao; Xie, Rui; Li, You; Hang, Taijun; Fan, Guorong

2012-05-01

The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) and ultraviolet (UV) detection was developed for determining cefdinir in beagle dog plasma. After simple pretreatment for plasma with 6% perchloric acid, a volume of 100 μL upper layer of the plasma sample was injected into the self-made on-line SPE column. The analytes were retained on the trap column (Lichrospher C(18), 4.6 mm × 37 mm, 25 μm), and the biological matrix was washed out with the solvent (20mM KH(2)PO(4) adjusted pH 3.0) at flow rate of 2 mL/min. By rotation of the switching valve, the target analytes could be eluted from trap column to analytical column in the back-flush mode by the mobile phase (methanol-acetonitrile-20mM KH(2)PO(4) adjusted pH 3.0, 11.25:6.75:82, v/v/v) at flow rate of 1.5 mL/min, and then separated on the analytical column (Ultimate XB-C(18), 4.6 mm × 50 mm, 5 μm). The complete cycle of the on-line SPE preconcentration, purification and HPLC separation of the analytes was 4 min. The UV detection was performed at 286 nm. The calibration curves showed excellent linear relationship (R(2)=0.9995) over the concentration range of 0.05-50 μg/mL. The optimized method showed good performance in terms of specificity, linearity, detection and quantification limits, precision and accuracy. This method was successfully applied to quantify cefdinir in beagle dog plasma to support the pre-clinical pharmacokinetic trial. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An LC-MS Assay with Isocratic Separation and On-Line Solid Phase Extraction to Improve the Routine Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Busulfan in Plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ialongo Cristiano

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Busulfan (Bu requires therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM in subjects undergoing a conditioning regimen for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT. To speed up the procedure and increase reproducibility, we improved our routine LC-MS/MS assay using the on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE of samples.

Comparison of radiation sensitivity for three cell lines as measured by the cloning assay and the micro-nucleus test

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stap, J.; Aten, J. A.

1990-01-01

The correlation between cell killing and the induction of micro-nuclei was studied for three cell lines after treatment with gamma radiation to investigate whether the frequency of micro-nucleated cells can be used to determine the radiation sensitivity of a cell type. R1 rat rhabdomyosarcoma cells

A high performance image processing platform based on CPU-GPU heterogeneous cluster with parallel image reconstroctions for micro-CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Yu; Qi Yujin; Zhang Xuezhu; Zhao Cuilan

2011-01-01

In this paper, we report the development of a high-performance image processing platform, which is based on CPU-GPU heterogeneous cluster. Currently, it consists of a Dell Precision T7500 and HP XW8600 workstations with parallel programming and runtime environment, using the message-passing interface (MPI) and CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture). We succeeded in developing parallel image processing techniques for 3D image reconstruction of X-ray micro-CT imaging. The results show that a GPU provides a computing efficiency of about 194 times faster than a single CPU, and the CPU-GPU clusters provides a computing efficiency of about 46 times faster than the CPU clusters. These meet the requirements of rapid 3D image reconstruction and real time image display. In conclusion, the use of CPU-GPU heterogeneous cluster is an effective way to build high-performance image processing platform. (authors)

Wind-tunnel investigation of aerodynamic efficiency of three planar elliptical wings with curvature of quarter-chord line

Science.gov (United States)

Mineck, Raymond E.; Vijgen, Paul M. H. W.

1993-01-01

Three planar, untwisted wings with the same elliptical chord distribution but with different curvatures of the quarter-chord line were tested in the Langley 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel (8-ft TPT) and the Langley 7- by 10-Foot High-Speed Tunnel (7 x 10 HST). A fourth wing with a rectangular planform and the same projected area and span was also tested. Force and moment measurements from the 8-ft TPT tests are presented for Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.5 and angles of attack from -4 degrees to 7 degrees. Sketches of the oil-flow patterns on the upper surfaces of the wings and some force and moment measurements from the 7 x 10 HST tests are presented at a Mach number of 0.5. Increasing the curvature of the quarter-chord line makes the angle of zero lift more negative but has little effect on the drag coefficient at zero lift. The changes in lift-curve slope and in the Oswald efficiency factor with the change in curvature of the quarter-chord line (wingtip location) indicate that the elliptical wing with the unswept quarter-chord line has the lowest lifting efficiency and the elliptical wing with the unswept trailing edge has the highest lifting efficiency; the crescent-shaped planform wing has an efficiency in between.

Streptococcal pyogenic exotoxin B (SpeB) boosts the contact system via binding of a-1 antitrypsin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meinert Niclasen, Louise; Olsen, Johan G; Dagil, Robert

2011-01-01

The Streptococcus pyogenes cysteine protease SpeB (streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B) is important for the invasive potential of the bacteria, but its production is down-regulated following systemic infection. This prompted us to investigate if SpeB potentiated the host immune response after sys...

The SpeX Prism Library for Ultracool Dwarfs: A Resource for Stellar, Exoplanet and Galactic Science and Student-Led Research

Science.gov (United States)

Burgasser, Adam

The NASA Infrared Telescope Facility's (IRTF) SpeX spectrograph has been an essential tool in the discovery and characterization of ultracool dwarf (UCD) stars, brown dwarfs and exoplanets. Over ten years of SpeX data have been collected on these sources, and a repository of low-resolution (R 100) SpeX prism spectra has been maintained by the PI at the SpeX Prism Spectral Libraries website since 2008. As the largest existing collection of NIR UCD spectra, this repository has facilitated a broad range of investigations in UCD, exoplanet, Galactic and extragalactic science, contributing to over 100 publications in the past 6 years. However, this repository remains highly incomplete, has not been uniformly calibrated, lacks sufficient contextual data for observations and sources, and most importantly provides no data visualization or analysis tools for the user. To fully realize the scientific potential of these data for community research, we propose a two-year program to (1) calibrate and expand existing repository and archival data, and make it virtual-observatory compliant; (2) serve the data through a searchable web archive with basic visualization tools; and (3) develop and distribute an open-source, Python-based analysis toolkit for users to analyze the data. These resources will be generated through an innovative, student-centered research model, with undergraduate and graduate students building and validating the analysis tools through carefully designed coding challenges and research validation activities. The resulting data archive, the SpeX Prism Library, will be a legacy resource for IRTF and SpeX, and will facilitate numerous investigations using current and future NASA capabilities. These include deep/wide surveys of UCDs to measure Galactic structure and chemical evolution, and probe UCD populations in satellite galaxies (e.g., JWST, WFIRST); characterization of directly imaged exoplanet spectra (e.g., FINESSE), and development of low

Enrichment of steroid hormones in water with porous and hydrophobic polymer-based SPE followed by HPLC-UV determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yinfen; Zhang, Man; Tong, Changlun; Wu, Jianmin; Liu, Weiping

2013-10-01

There have been great concerns about the persistence of steroid hormones in surface water. Since the concentrations of these compounds in water samples are usually at a trace level, the efficient enrichment of steroid hormones is vital for further analysis. In this work, a porous and hydrophobic polymer was synthesized and characterized. The composition of solvent used as porogen in the synthetic process was shown to have an effect on the morphology of the polymer, which was successfully used as an SPE sorbent for simultaneously enriching steroid hormones in surface water samples. The recoveries of the steroid hormones on the custom-made polymer ranged from 93.4 to 106.2%, whereas those on commercialized ENVI-18, LC-18, and Oasis HLB ranged from 54.8 to 104.9, 66 to 93.6, and 77.2 to 106%, respectively. Five types of steroid hormones were simultaneously measured using HPLC-UV after they were enriched by the custom-made sorbent. Based on these findings, the SPE-HPLC method was developed. The LODs of this method for estriol, estradiol, estrone, androstenedione, progesterone were 0.07, 0.43, 0.61, 0.27, and 0.42 μg/L, respectively, while precision and reproducibility RSDs were <6.40 and 7.49%, respectively. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improved bandwidth and quantum efficiency in silicon photodiodes using photon-manipulating micro/nanostructures operating in the range of 700-1060 nm

Science.gov (United States)

Cansizoglu, Hilal; Gao, Yang; Ghandiparsi, Soroush; Kaya, Ahmet; Perez, Cesar Bartolo; Mayet, Ahmed; Ponizovskaya Devine, Ekaterina; Cansizoglu, Mehmet F.; Yamada, Toshishige; Elrefaie, Aly F.; Wang, Shih-Yuan; Islam, M. Saif

2017-08-01

Nanostructures allow broad spectrum and near-unity optical absorption and contributed to high performance low-cost Si photovoltaic devices. However, the efficiency is only a few percent higher than a conventional Si solar cell with thicker absorption layers. For high speed surface illuminated photodiodes, the thickness of the absorption layer is critical for short transit time and RC time. Recently a CMOS-compatible micro/nanohole silicon (Si) photodiode (PD) with more than 20 Gb/s data rate and with 52 % quantum efficiency (QE) at 850 nm was demonstrated. The achieved QE is over 400% higher than a similar Si PD with the same thickness but without absorption enhancement microstructure holes. The micro/nanoholes increases the QE by photon trapping, slow wave effects and generate a collective assemble of modes that radiate laterally, resulting in absorption enhancement and therefore increase in QE. Such Si PDs can be further designed to enhance the bandwidth (BW) of the PDs by reducing the device capacitance with etched holes in the pin junction. Here we present the BW and QE of Si PDs achievable with micro/nanoholes based on a combination of empirical evidence and device modeling. Higher than 50 Gb/s data rate with greater than 40% QE at 850 nm is conceivable in transceivers designed with such Si PDs that are integrated with photon trapping micro and nanostructures. By monolithic integration with CMOS/BiCMOS integrated circuits such as transimpedance amplifiers, equalizers, limiting amplifiers and other application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), the data rate can be increased to more than 50 Gb/s.

Identification of valid reference genes for microRNA expression studies in a hepatitis B virus replicating liver cell line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Kari Stougaard; Nielsen, Kirstine Overgaard; Nordmann Winther, Thilde

2016-01-01

expressed microRNAs with liver-specific target genes in plasma from children with chronic hepatitis B. To further understand the biological role of these microRNAs in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B, we have used the human liver cell line HepG2, with and without HBV replication, after transfection...

Laser machining micro-structures on diamond surface with a sub-nanosecond pulsed laser

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mingtao; Guo, Bing; Zhao, Qingliang

2018-02-01

Micro-structure surface on diamond material is widely used in a series of industrial and scientific applications, such as micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), microelectronics, textured or micro-structured diamond machining tools. The efficient machining of micro-structure on diamond surface is urgently demanded in engineering. In this paper, laser machining square micro-structure on diamond surface was studied with a sub-nanosecond pulsed laser. The influences of laser machining parameters, including the laser power, scanning speed, defocusing quantity and scanning pitch, were researched in view of the ablation depth, material removal rate and machined surface topography. Both the ablation depth and material removal rate increased with average laser power. A reduction of the growth rate of the two parameters was induced by the absorption of the laser plasma plume at high laser power. The ablation depth non-linearly decreased with the increasing of the scanning speed while the material removal rate showed an opposite tendency. The increasing of the defocusing quantity induced complex variation of the ablation depth and the material removal rate. The maximum ablation depth and material removal rate were achieved at a defocusing position. The ablation depth and material removal rate oppositely varied about the scanning pitch. A high overlap ratio was meaningful for achieving a smooth micro-structure surface topography. Laser machining with a large defocusing quantity, high laser power and small scanning pitch was helpful for acquiring the desired micro-structure which had a large depth and smooth micro-structure surface topography.

Determination of Hg{sup 2+} by on-line separation and pre-concentration with atmospheric-pressure solution-cathode glow discharge atomic emission spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Qing [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 200050 (China); Zhang, Zhen [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 200050 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Wang, Zheng, E-mail: wangzheng@mail.sic.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 200050 (China)

2014-10-03

Highlights: • A modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica (SH-SBA-15) was synthesized as a sorbent. • On-line SPE combined with SCGD-AES based on FIA was used to detect Hg{sup 2+} firstly. • A simple, low-cost Hg{sup 2+} analysis in a complex matrix was established. • The sensitive detection of Hg{sup 2+} was achieved with a detection limit of 0.75 μg L{sup −1}. - Abstract: A simple and sensitive method to determine Hg{sup 2+} was developed by combining solution-cathode glow discharge atomic emission spectrometry (SCGD-AES) with flow injection (FI) based on on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE). We synthesized L-cysteine-modified mesoporous silica and packed it in an SPE microcolumn, which was experimentally determined to possess a good mercury adsorption capacity. An enrichment factor of 42 was achieved under optimized Hg{sup 2+} elution conditions, namely, an FI flow rate of 2.0 mL min{sup −1} and an eluent comprised of 10% thiourea in 0.2 mol L{sup −1} HNO{sub 3}. The detection limit of FI–SCGD-AES was determined to be 0.75 μg L{sup −1}, and the precision of the 11 replicate Hg{sup 2+} measurements was 0.86% at a concentration of 100 μg L{sup −1}. The proposed method was validated by determining Hg{sup 2+} in certified reference materials such as human hair (GBW09101b) and stream sediment (GBW07310)

Modeling and simulation of a residential micro-CHP system based on HT-PEMFC technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arsalis, Alexandros; Nielsen, Mads Pagh; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2009-01-01

Combined-heat-and-power (CHP) technology is a well known and proved method to produce simultaneously power and heat at high efficiencies. This can be further improved by the introduction of a novel micro-CHP residential system based on High Temperature-Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (HT-PEMFC......). The HT-PEMFC (based on PBI-membrane technology) operates at temperatures near 200oC, and this can be an ideal match for cogeneration residential systems. The proposed system provides electric power, hot water, and space heating for a typical household (1-5 kWe, 5-10 kWth). The micro-CHP system...

LED-Based High-Voltage Lines Warning System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eldar MUSA

2013-04-01

Full Text Available LED-based system, running with the current of high-voltage lines and converting the current flowing through the line into the light by using a toroid transformer, has been developed. The transformer’s primary winding is constituted by the high voltage power line. Toroidal core consists of two equal parts and the secondary windings are evenly placed on these two parts. The system is mounted on the high-voltage lines as a clamp. The secondary winding ends are connected in series by the connector on the clamp. LEDs are supplied by the voltage at the ends of secondary. Current flowing through highvoltage transmission lines is converted to voltage by the toroidal transformer and the light emitting LEDs are supplied with this voltage. The theory of the conversion of the current flowing through the line into the light is given. The system, running with the current of the line and converting the current into the light, has been developed. System has many application areas such as warning high voltage lines (warning winches to not hinder the high-voltage lines when working under the lines, warning planes to not touch the high-voltage lines, remote measurement of high-voltage line currents, and local illumination of the line area

Photonic Low Cost Micro-Sensor for in-Line Wear Particle Detection in Flowing Lube Oils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon Mabe

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The presence of microscopic particles in suspension in industrial fluids is often an early warning of latent or imminent failures in the equipment or processes where they are being used. This manuscript describes work undertaken to integrate different photonic principles with a micro- mechanical fluidic structure and an embedded processor to develop a fully autonomous wear debris sensor for in-line monitoring of industrial fluids. Lens-less microscopy, stroboscopic illumination, a CMOS imager and embedded machine vision technologies have been merged to develop a sensor solution that is able to detect and quantify the number and size of micrometric particles suspended in a continuous flow of a fluid. A laboratory test-bench has been arranged for setting up the configuration of the optical components targeting a static oil sample and then a sensor prototype has been developed for migrating the measurement principles to real conditions in terms of operating pressure and flow rate of the oil. Imaging performance is quantified using micro calibrated samples, as well as by measuring real used lubricated oils. Sampling a large fluid volume with a decent 2D spatial resolution, this photonic micro sensor offers a powerful tool at very low cost and compacted size for in-line wear debris monitoring.

Development, validation and clinical application of an online-SPE-LC-HRMS/MS for simultaneous quantification of phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and its active metabolite carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Lihua; Fan, Yuanjie; Wang, Wenjun; Ma, Kai; Yin, Zheng

2016-09-01

A simple and efficient bioanalytical method for simultaneous determination of phenobarbital (PB), phenytoin (PHT), carbamazepine (CBZ), and its active metabolite carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide (CBZE) in human plasma using online solid phase extraction (SPE)-liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with high resolution mass spectrum (HRMS) under targeted MS/MS (t-MS(2)) analysis mode has been developed. The procedure integrated an automated sample clean-up of human plasma by Oasis®HLB SPE cartridge, a separation by ZORBAX SB-C18 analysis column, and a quantification by Q-Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap. The total running time was 13min. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of PB, PHT, CBZ, and CBZE were 0.008, 0.008, 0.0016 and 0.0016μgmL(-1) respectively and the linearities were in the range of 0.008-2.500, 0.008-2.500, 0.0016-0.500 and 0.0016-0.500μgmL(-1) respectively. The mean recovery was between 91.82% and 108.27% and the matrix effect was between 93.29% and 102.09%. The relative standard deviations of interday and intraday were less than 6.41%. The method has been successfully applied in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of four Chinese epilepsy patients. This fully automated, simple, sensitive and reliable online-SPE-LC-HRMS/MS method serves well for TDM of PB, PHT, CBZ and CBZE at clinics for either single or combination treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High efficiency inductive output tubes with intense annular electron beams

Science.gov (United States)

Appanam Karakkad, J.; Matthew, D.; Ray, R.; Beaudoin, B. L.; Narayan, A.; Nusinovich, G. S.; Ting, A.; Antonsen, T. M.

2017-10-01

For mobile ionospheric heaters, it is necessary to develop highly efficient RF sources capable of delivering radiation in the frequency range from 3 to 10 MHz with an average power at a megawatt level. A promising source, which is capable of offering these parameters, is a grid-less version of the inductive output tube (IOT), also known as a klystrode. In this paper, studies analyzing the efficiency of grid-less IOTs are described. The basic trade-offs needed to reach high efficiency are investigated. In particular, the trade-off between the peak current and the duration of the current micro-pulse is analyzed. A particle in the cell code is used to self-consistently calculate the distribution in axial and transverse momentum and in total electron energy from the cathode to the collector. The efficiency of IOTs with collectors of various configurations is examined. It is shown that the efficiency of IOTs can be in the 90% range even without using depressed collectors.

Establishment of a Novel Permissive Cell Line for the Propagation of Hepatitis C Virus by Expression of MicroRNA miR122

Science.gov (United States)

Kambara, Hiroto; Fukuhara, Takasuke; Shiokawa, Mai; Ono, Chikako; Ohara, Yuri; Kamitani, Wataru

2012-01-01

The robust cell culture systems for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are limited to those using cell culture-adapted clones (HCV in cell culture [HCVcc]) and cells derived from the human hepatoma cell line Huh7. However, accumulating data suggest that host factors, including innate immunity and gene polymorphisms, contribute to the variation in host response to HCV infection. Therefore, the existing in vitro systems for HCV propagation are not sufficient to elucidate the life cycle of HCV. A liver-specific microRNA, miR122, has been shown to participate in the efficient replication of HCV. In this study, we examined the possibility of establishing a new permissive cell line for HCV propagation by the expression of miR122. A high level of miR122 was expressed by a lentiviral vector placed into human liver cell lines at a level comparable to the endogenous level in Huh7 cells. Among the cell lines that we examined, Hep3B cells stably expressing miR122 (Hep3B/miR122) exhibited a significant enhancement of HCVcc propagation. Surprisingly, the levels of production of infectious particles in Hep3B/miR122 cells upon infection with HCVcc were comparable to those in Huh7 cells. Furthermore, a line of “cured” cells, established by elimination of HCV RNA from the Hep3B/miR122 replicon cells, exhibited an enhanced expression of miR122 and a continuous increase of infectious titers of HCVcc in every passage. The establishment of the new permissive cell line for HCVcc will have significant implications not only for basic HCV research but also for the development of new therapeutics. PMID:22114337

High-resolution α-glucosidase inhibition profiling combined with HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR for identification of anti-diabetic compounds in Eremanthus crotonoides (Asteraceae)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lana e Silva, Eder; Felipe Revoredo Lobo, Jonathas; Vinther, Joachim Møllesøe

2016-01-01

with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 34.5 μg/mL towards α-glucosidase was investigated by high-resolution α-glucosidase inhibition profiling combined with HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR. This led to identification of six α-glucosidase inhibitors, namely quercetin (16), trans-tiliroside (17), luteolin (19), quercetin-3.......93 and 5.20 μM, respectively. This is the first report of the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of compounds 20, 26, and 29, and the findings support the important role of Eremanthus species as novel sources of new drugs and/or herbal remedies for treatment of type 2 diabetes....

High rate operation of micro-strip gas chambers on diamond-coated glass

CERN Document Server

Bouclier, Roger; Million, Gilbert; Ropelewski, Leszek; Sauli, Fabio; Temmel, T; Cooke, R A; Donnel, S; Sastri, S A; Sonderer, N

1996-01-01

Very high rate operation of micro­strip gas chambers can be achieved using slightly conducting substrates. We describe preliminary measurements realized with detectors manufactured on boro-silicate glass coated, before the photo-lithographic processing, with a diamond layer having a surface resistivity of around 1014 ‡/o. Stable medium-term operation, and a rate capability largely exceeding the one obtained with identical plates manufactured on uncoated glass are demonstrated. If these results are confirmed by long-term measurements the diamond coating technology appears very attractive since it allows, with a moderate cost overhead, to use thin, commercially available glass with the required surface quality for the large-scale production of gas micro-strip detectors.

The micro-electrolysis technique in waste water treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiti Zhou; Weihen Yang; Fenglin Yang; Xuemin Xiang; Yulu Wang

1997-01-01

The micro-electrolysis is one of the efficient methods to treat some kinds of waste water. The experiments have shown its high efficiency in sewage treatment and some kinds of industrial waste water. It is suitable for pre-treatment of high concentrated waste water and deep treatment of waste water for reuse purpose. The disadvantage of micro-electrolysis is its high energy consumption in case of high electrolyte concentration. (author) 2 figs., 11 tabs., 2 refs

The micro-electrolysis technique in waste water treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiti Zhou; Weihen Yang; Fenglin Yang; Xuemin Xiang; Yulu Wang [Dalian Univ. of Technology, Dalian (China)

1997-12-31

The micro-electrolysis is one of the efficient methods to treat some kinds of waste water. The experiments have shown its high efficiency in sewage treatment and some kinds of industrial waste water. It is suitable for pre-treatment of high concentrated waste water and deep treatment of waste water for reuse purpose. The disadvantage of micro-electrolysis is its high energy consumption in case of high electrolyte concentration. (author) 2 figs., 11 tabs., 2 refs.

miRBase: annotating high confidence microRNAs using deep sequencing data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozomara, Ana; Griffiths-Jones, Sam

2014-01-01

We describe an update of the miRBase database (http://www.mirbase.org/), the primary microRNA sequence repository. The latest miRBase release (v20, June 2013) contains 24 521 microRNA loci from 206 species, processed to produce 30 424 mature microRNA products. The rate of deposition of novel microRNAs and the number of researchers involved in their discovery continue to increase, driven largely by small RNA deep sequencing experiments. In the face of these increases, and a range of microRNA annotation methods and criteria, maintaining the quality of the microRNA sequence data set is a significant challenge. Here, we describe recent developments of the miRBase database to address this issue. In particular, we describe the collation and use of deep sequencing data sets to assign levels of confidence to miRBase entries. We now provide a high confidence subset of miRBase entries, based on the pattern of mapped reads. The high confidence microRNA data set is available alongside the complete microRNA collection at http://www.mirbase.org/. We also describe embedding microRNA-specific Wikipedia pages on the miRBase website to encourage the microRNA community to contribute and share textual and functional information.

Study of molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction of gonyautoxins 2,3 in the cultured dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lian, Zi-Ru; Wang, Jiang-Tao

2013-01-01

A highly selective sample cleanup procedure combined with molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) was developed for the isolation of gonyautoxins 2,3 (GTX2,3) from Alexandrium tamarense sample. The molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (MIPMs) were prepared by suspension polymerization using caffeine as the dummy template molecule, methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker and polyvinyl alcohol as the dispersive reagent. The polymer microspheres were used as a selective sorbent for the solid-phase extraction of gonyautoxins 2,3. An off-line MISPE method followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection for the analysis of gonyautoxins 2,3 was established. Finally, the extract samples from Alexandrium tamarense were analyzed. The results showed the imprinted polymer microspheres exhibited high affinity and selectivity for gonyautoxins 2,3. The interference matrix in the extract were obviously cleaned by MISPE and the extraction efficiency of gonyautoxins 2,3 in the sample ranged from 81.74% to 85.86%. -- Graphical abstract: This is the SEM photograph of molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (MIPMs). MIPMs were prepared by suspension polymerization and used as selective sorbents for the solid-phase extraction of gonyautoxins 2,3. An off-line MISPE method followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for the analysis of gonyautoxins 2,3 was established. The extract samples from Alexandrium tamarense were analyzed by molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction. Highlights: •The molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (MIPMs) for GTX2,3 were prepared. •The characteristics and regeneration property of MIPMs were studied. •An off-line method using MIPMs as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents was developed. •GTX2,3 from Alexandrium tamarense extract was successfully isolated by MIPMs-SPE. -- MIPMs for GTX2,3 were

Sequential determination of {sup 239,240}Pu, {sup 238} Pu, {sup 241} Am and {sup 90}Sr in radioactive wastes using SPE sorbents Analig Pu02, AnaLig Sr01 and TRU Resin; Sekvencne stanovenie {sup 239,240}Pu, {sup 238} Pu, {sup 241} Am a {sup 90}Sr v radioaktivnych odpadoch pouzitim SPE sorbentov Analig Pu02, AnaLig Sr01 a TRU Resin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durkot, E; Dulanska, S [Univerzita Komenskeho v Bratislave, Prirodovedecka fakulta, Katedra jadrovej chemie, 84215 Bratislava (Slovakia)

2012-04-25

A simple and rapid method of the sequential determination of radionuclides {sup 239,240}Pu, {sup 238} Pu, {sup 241} Am and {sup 90}Sr in radioactive sludge from the NPP Bohunice A1 with high radiochemical yields and efficient removal of interfering components from a matrix was developed. Separation method combines SPE sorbents Analig Pu02, AnaLig Sr01 made by IBC Advanced Technologies and TRU Resin (Eichrom Technologies) placed in tandem. Advantage of a single-stage column located on the vacuum box with a rapid flow is an effective pre-concentration and separation of radionuclides and minimization of sample separation time. (authors)

Amdel on-line analyser at Rooiberg Tin Limited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, T.V.

1987-01-01

An Amdel on line analysis system was installed on the 'A' mine tin flotation plant at Rooiberg in April 1984. The motivation for the installation was made on account of the large variations in the feed grade to the plant and the resulting need for rapid operational adjustments to control concentrate grades thereby maximising the financial returns. An 'on-line' analyser system presented itself as a suitable alternative to the existing control method of smaller laboratory x-ray fluorescence analysers. On the system as installed at Rooiberg, two probes were fitted in each analysis zone, viz a density probe using high energy gamma radiation from a Cesium 127 source and a specific element absorption probe using low energy gamma radiation from a Americium 241 source. The signals as received from the probes are fed to a line receiver unit in the control room where a micro computer is doing the processing and prints out the information as required. Several advantages of this type of installation were gained at Rooiberg Tin Limited

IMPROVING CO2 EFFICIENCY FOR RECOVERING OIL IN HETEROGENEOUS RESERVOIRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid B. Grigg; Robert K. Svec; Zheng-Wen Zeng; Liu Yi; Baojun Bai

2004-01-01

A three-year contract for the project, DOE Contract No. DE-FG26-01BC15364, ''Improving CO 2 Efficiency for Recovering Oil in Heterogeneous Reservoirs'', was started on September 28, 2001. This project examines three major areas in which CO 2 flooding can be improved: fluid and matrix interactions, conformance control/sweep efficiency, and reservoir simulation for improved oil recovery. The project has received a one-year, no-cost extension to September 27, 2005. During this extra time additional deliverables will be (1) the version of MASTER that has been debugged and a foam option added for CO 2 mobility control and (2) adsorption/desorption data on pure component minerals common in reservoir rock that will be used to improve predictions of chemical loss to adsorption in reservoirs. This report discusses the activity during the six-month period covering October 1, 2003 through March 31, 2004 that comprises the first and second fiscal quarters of the project's third year. During this period of the project several areas have advanced: reservoir fluid/rock interactions and their relationships to changing injectivity, and surfactant adsorption on quarried core and pure component granules, foam stability, and high flow rate effects. Presentations and papers included: a papers covered in a previous report was presented at the fall SPE ATCE in Denver in October 2003, a presentation at the Southwest ACS meeting in Oklahoma City, presentation on CO 2 flood basic behavior at the Midland Annual CO 2 Conference December 2003; two papers prepared for the biannual SPE/DOE Symposium on IOR, Tulsa, April 2004; one paper accepted for the fall 2004 SPE ATCE in Houston; and a paper submitted to an international journal Journal of Colloid and Interface Science which is being revised after peer review

Updating the Micro-Tom TILLING platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Okabe, Yoshihiro; Ariizumi, Tohru; Ezura, Hiroshi

2013-03-01

The dwarf tomato variety Micro-Tom is regarded as a model system for functional genomics studies in tomato. Various tomato genomic tools in the genetic background of Micro-Tom have been established, such as mutant collections, genome information and a metabolomic database. Recent advances in tomato genome sequencing have brought about a significant need for reverse genetics tools that are accessible to the larger community, because a great number of gene sequences have become available from public databases. To meet the requests from the tomato research community, we have developed the Micro-Tom Targeting-Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) platform, which is comprised of more than 5000 EMS-mutagenized lines. The platform serves as a reverse genetics tool for efficiently identifying mutant alleles in parallel with the development of Micro-Tom mutant collections. The combination of Micro-Tom mutant libraries and the TILLING approach enables researchers to accelerate the isolation of desirable mutants for unraveling gene function or breeding. To upgrade the genomic tool of Micro-Tom, the development of a new mutagenized population is underway. In this paper, the current status of the Micro-Tom TILLING platform and its future prospects are described.

Extraction optimization and pixel-based chemometric analysis of semi-volatile organic compounds in groundwater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Peter; Tomasi, Giorgio; Kristensen, Mette

2017-01-01

. In this study, we tested the combination of solid phase extraction (SPE) with dispersive liquid-liquid micro extraction (DLLME), or with stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), as an extraction method for semi-VOCs in groundwater. Combining SPE with DLLME or SBSE resulted in better separation of peaks...... in an unresolved complex mixture. SPE-DLLME was chosen as the preferred extraction method. SPE-DLLME covered a larger polarity range (logKo/w 2.0-11.2), had higher extraction efficiency at logKo/w 2.0-3.8 and 5.8-11.2, and was faster compared to SPE-SBSE. SPE-DLLME extraction combined with chemical analysis by gas...... chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and pixel-based data analysis of summed extraction ion chromatograms (sEICs) was tested as a new method for chemical fingerprinting of semi-VOCs in 15 groundwater samples. The results demonstrate that SPE-DLLME-GC-MS provides an excellent compromise between compound...

Graphene oxide-based composite monolith as new sorbent for the on-line solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography determination of ß-sitosterol in food samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Beijiao; Guo, Bin; Wang, Huimin; Zhang, Doudou; Liu, Haiyan; Bai, Ligai; Yan, Hongyuan; Han, Dandan

2018-08-15

A composite monolithic column was prepared by redox initiation method for the on-line purification and enrichment of β-sitosterol, in which graphene oxide (GO) was embedded. The obtained monolithic column was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm measurement, which indicated that the monolith possessed characteristics of porous structure and high permeability. Under the optimum conditions for extraction and determination, the calibration equation was y = 47.92 × -0.1391; the linear range was 0.008-1.0 mg mL -1 ; the linear regression coefficient was 0.998; the limit of detection (LOD) is 2.4 μg mL -1 ; the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 8 μg mL -1 ; precisions for intra-day and inter-day assays presented as relative standard deviations were less than 4.3% and 6.8%, respectively. Under the selective conditions, the enrichment factor of the method was 119. The recovery was in the range of 80.40-98.00%. Moreover, the adsorption amount of the monolith was compared with silica gel-C18 adsorbent and the monolith without graphene oxide being embedded. The polymerization monolithic column showed high selectivity and good permeability, and it was successfully used as on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) column for determination of β-sitosterol in edible oil. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-Particles Motion in an Evaporating Droplet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Jung Yeul; Yoo, Jung Yul; Kim, Young Won

2007-01-01

Nano-particles (on the order of 1 to 100 nm) contained within the droplet are moved by liquid flow and stacked at the contact line. The self-pinned contact line under the evaporating droplet is very interesting in the field of patterning and separation of particles and biocells. Models accounting for the nano-particles' flow and deposit patterns have been reported and verified by various experiments. Here, we report for the first time a phenomenon where micro-particles (on the order of 1 μm) in the colloid droplet flow to the center of droplet. There are three modes of fluid and particle flow in the evaporating droplet. In the first mode, a self-pinned contact line is maintained and the fluid and micro/nano-particles flow to the contact line. In the second mode, micro/nano-particles self-assemble at the near contact line, as reported by Jung and Kwak. In the final mode, only micro-particles are adverted to the center of the droplet due to movement of the contact line

High rate spectroscopy for on-line nuclear coal analyzer (Nucoalyzer)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McQuaid, J.H.; Brown, D.R.; Gozani, T.; Bozorgmanesh, H.

1980-01-01

A high count rate, time-variant Ge(Li) spectrometer has been developed for on-line coal analysis. The analyzer is being fabricated for use in a power generating station. Prompt neutron activation of coal samples is the basis of analysis, with 252 Cf as the source for irradiation. The spectroscopy system allows counting rates up to 150 k counts per second without significant loss in energy resolution or peak shape. The high data throughput allows the coal analyzer to be used for on-line process control. The coal analyzer will be discussed, with emphasis on the high-rate signal processing system. Results of analysis of coal samples will be presented

Determination of perfluorinated carboxylic acids in fish fillet by micro-solid phase extraction, followed by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lashgari, Maryam; Lee, Hian Kee

2014-11-21

In the current study, a simple, fast and efficient combination of protein precipitation and micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in fish fillet. Ten PFCAs with different hydrocarbon chain lengths (C5-C14) were analysed simultaneously using this method. Protein precipitation by acetonitrile and μ-SPE by surfactant-incorporated ordered mesoporous silica were applied to the extraction and concentration of the PFCAs as well as for removal of interferences. Determination of the PFCAs was carried out by LC-MS/MS in negative electrospray ionization mode. MS/MS parameters were optimized for multiple reaction monitoring of the analytes. (13)C mass labelled PFOA as a stable-isotopic internal standard, was used for calibration. The detection limits of the method ranged from 0.97 ng/g to 2.7 ng/g, with a relative standard deviation of between 5.4 and 13.5. The recoveries were evaluated for each analyte and were ranged from 77% to 120%. The t-test at 95% confidence level showed that for all the analytes, the relative recoveries did not depend on their concentrations in the explored concentration range. The effect of the matrix on MS signals (suppression or enhancement) was also evaluated. Contamination at low levels was detected for some analytes in the fish samples. The protective role of the polypropylene membrane used in μ-SPE in the elimination of matrix effects was evaluated by parallel experiments in classical dispersive solid phase extraction. The results evidently showed that the polypropylene membrane was significantly effective in reducing matrix effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultra preconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked bacon by a combination of SPE and DLLME.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaofang; Zhou, Shu; Zhu, Quanfei; Ye, Yong; Chen, Huaixia

2014-09-01

A sample pretreatment method, solid-phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (SPE-DLLME), was established for the sensitive determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked bacon samples. In the SPE-DLLME process, three PAHs including naphthalene (Naph), phenanthrene (Phen) and pyrene (Pyr) were extracted from samples and transferred into C18 SPE cartridge. The target analytes were subsequently eluted with 1.2 ml of acetonitrile-dichloromethane (5:1, v/v) mixture solution. The eluent was injected directly into the 5.0 ml ultrapure water in the subsequent DLLME procedure. The sedimented phase was concentrated under a gentle nitrogen flow to 120.0 µl. Finally, the analytes in the extraction solvent were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a ultra-violet detector. Some important extraction parameters affecting the performance, such as the sample solution flow rate, breakthrough volume, salt addition as well as the type and volume of the elution solvent were optimized. The developed method provided an ultra enrichment factors for PAHs ranged from 3478 to 3824. The method was applied for the selective extraction and sensitive determination of PAHs in smoked bacon samples. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) were 0.05, 0.01, 0.02 μg kg(-1) for Naph, Phen, Pyr, respectively. © The Author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Behavior of Cell on Vibrating Micro Ridges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruka Hino

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The effect of micro ridges on cells cultured at a vibrating scaffold has been studied in vitro. Several parallel lines of micro ridges have been made on a disk of transparent polydimethylsiloxane for a scaffold. To apply the vibration on the cultured cells, a piezoelectric element was attached on the outside surface of the bottom of the scaffold. The piezoelectric element was vibrated by the sinusoidal alternating voltage (Vp-p < 16 V at 1.0 MHz generated by a function generator. Four kinds of cells were used in the test: L929 (fibroblast connective tissue of C3H mouse, Hepa1-6 (mouse hepatoma, C2C12 (mouse myoblast, 3T3-L1 (mouse fat precursor cells. The cells were seeded on the micro pattern at the density of 2000 cells/cm2 in the medium containing 10% FBS (fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin/ streptomycin. After the adhesion of cells in several hours, the cells are exposed to the ultrasonic vibration for several hours. The cells were observed with a phase contrast microscope. The experimental results show that the cells adhere, deform and migrate on the scaffold with micro patterns regardless of the ultrasonic vibration. The effects of the vibration and the micro pattern depend on the kind of cells.

Efficiency estimation method of three-wired AC to DC line transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Solovev, S. V.; Bardanov, A. I.

2018-05-01

The development of power semiconductor converters technology expands the scope of their application to medium voltage distribution networks (6-35 kV). Particularly rectifiers and inverters of appropriate power capacity complement the topology of such voltage level networks with the DC links and lines. The article presents a coefficient that allows taking into account the increase of transmission line capacity depending on the parameters of it. The application of the coefficient is presented by the example of transfer three-wired AC line to DC in various methods. Dependences of the change in the capacity from the load power factor of the line and the reactive component of the resistance of the transmission line are obtained. Conclusions are drawn about the most efficient ways of converting a three-wired AC line to direct current.

Progress in N-type Si Solar Cell and Module Technology for High Efficiency and Low Cost

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Dengyuan; Xiong, Jingfeng; Hu, Zhiyan; Li, Gaofei; Wang, Hongfang; An, Haijiao; Yu, Bo; Grenko, Brian; Borden, Kevin; Sauer, Kenneth; Cui, Jianhua; Wang, Haitao [Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., LTD, 071051 Boading (China); Roessler, T. [Yingli Green Energy Europe GmbH, Heimeranstr. 37, 80339 Munich (Germany); Bultman, J. [ECN Solar Energy, P.O. Box 1, NL-1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands); Vlooswijk, A.H.G.; Venema, P.R. [Tempress Systems BV, Radeweg 31, 8171 Vaassen (Netherlands)

2012-06-15

A novel high efficiency solar cell and module technology, named PANDA, using crystalline n-type CZ Si wafers has moved into large-scale production at Yingli. The first commercial sales of the PANDA modules commenced in mid 2010. Up to 600MW of mass production capacity from crystal-Si growth, wafer slicing, cell processing and module assembly have been implemented by the end of 2011. The PANDA technology was developed specifically for high efficiency and low cost. In contrast to the existing n-type Si solar cell manufacturing methods in mass production, this new technology is largely compatible with a traditional p-type Si solar cell production line by conventional diffusion, SiNx coating and screen-printing technology. With optimizing all technologies, Yingli's PANDA solar cells on semi-square 6-inch n-type CZ wafers (cell size 239cm{sup 2}) have been improved to currently have an average efficiency on commercial production lines exceeding 19.0% and up to 20.0% in pilot production. The PANDA modules have been produced and were certified according to UL1703, IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 standards. Nearly two years of full production on scale-up lines show that the PANDA modules have a high efficiency and power density, superior high temperature performance, near zero initial light induced degradation, and excellent efficiency at low irradiance.

Ring artifact correction for high-resolution micro CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyriakou, Yiannis; Prell, Daniel; Kalender, Willi A

2009-01-01

In high-resolution micro CT using flat detectors (FD), imperfect or defect detector elements may cause concentric-ring artifacts due to their continuous over- or underestimation of attenuation values, which often disturb image quality. We here present a dedicated image-based ring artifact correction method for high-resolution micro CT, based on median filtering of the reconstructed image and working on a transformed version of the reconstructed images in polar coordinates. This post-processing method reduced ring artifacts in the reconstructed images and improved image quality for phantom and in in vivo scans. Noise and artifacts were reduced both in transversal and in multi-planar reformations along the longitudinal axis. (note)

High Efficiency, Low Cost Solar Cells Manufactured Using 'Silicon Ink' on Thin Crystalline Silicon Wafers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antoniadis, H.

2011-03-01

Reported are the development and demonstration of a 17% efficient 25mm x 25mm crystalline Silicon solar cell and a 16% efficient 125mm x 125mm crystalline Silicon solar cell, both produced by Ink-jet printing Silicon Ink on a thin crystalline Silicon wafer. To achieve these objectives, processing approaches were developed to print the Silicon Ink in a predetermined pattern to form a high efficiency selective emitter, remove the solvents in the Silicon Ink and fuse the deposited particle Silicon films. Additionally, standard solar cell manufacturing equipment with slightly modified processes were used to complete the fabrication of the Silicon Ink high efficiency solar cells. Also reported are the development and demonstration of a 18.5% efficient 125mm x 125mm monocrystalline Silicon cell, and a 17% efficient 125mm x 125mm multicrystalline Silicon cell, by utilizing high throughput Ink-jet and screen printing technologies. To achieve these objectives, Innovalight developed new high throughput processing tools to print and fuse both p and n type particle Silicon Inks in a predetermined pat-tern applied either on the front or the back of the cell. Additionally, a customized Ink-jet and screen printing systems, coupled with customized substrate handling solution, customized printing algorithms, and a customized ink drying process, in combination with a purchased turn-key line, were used to complete the high efficiency solar cells. This development work delivered a process capable of high volume producing 18.5% efficient crystalline Silicon solar cells and enabled the Innovalight to commercialize its technology by the summer of 2010.

Experiments on high efficiency aerosol filtration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazzini, M.; Cuccuru, A.; Kunz, P.

1977-01-01

Research on high efficiency aerosol filtration by the Nuclear Engineering Institute of Pisa University and by CAMEN in collaboration with CNEN is outlined. HEPA filter efficiency was studied as a function of the type and size of the test aerosol, and as a function of flowrate (+-50% of the nominal value), air temperature (up to 70 0 C), relative humidity (up to 100%), and durability in a corrosive atmosphere (up to 140 hours in NaCl mist). In the selected experimental conditions these influences were appreciable but are not sufficient to be significant in industrial HEPA filter applications. Planned future research is outlined: measurement of the efficiency of two HEPA filters in series using a fixed particle size; dependence of the efficiency on air, temperatures up to 300-500 0 C; performance when subject to smoke from burning organic materials (natural rubber, neoprene, miscellaneous plastics). Such studies are relevant to possible accidental fires in a plutonium laboratory

Assembly Line Efficiency Improvement by Using WITNESS Simulation Software

Science.gov (United States)

Yasir, A. S. H. M.; Mohamed, N. M. Z. N.

2018-03-01

In the nowadays-competitive world, efficiencies and the productivity of the assembly line are essential in manufacturing company. This paper demonstrates the study of the existing production line performance. The actual cycle time observed and recorded during the working process. The current layout was designed and analysed using Witness simulation software. The productivity and effectiveness for every single operator are measured to determine the operator idle time and busy time. Two new alternatives layout were proposed and analysed by using Witness simulation software to improve the performance of production activities. This research provided valuable and better understanding of production effectiveness by adjusting the line balancing. After analysing the data, simulation result from the current layout and the proposed plan later been tabulated to compare the improved efficiency and productivity. The proposed design plan has shown an increase in yield and productivity compared to the current arrangement. This research has been carried out in company XYZ, which is one of the automotive premises in Pahang, Malaysia.

Vortex-Assisted Dispersive Micro-Solid Phase Extraction Using CTAB-Modified Zeolite NaY Sorbent Coupled with HPLC for the Determination of Carbamate Insecticides.

Science.gov (United States)

Salisaeng, Pawina; Arnnok, Prapha; Patdhanagul, Nopbhasinthu; Burakham, Rodjana

2016-03-16

A vortex-assisted dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (VA-D-μ-SPE) based on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-modified zeolite NaY was developed for preconcentration of carbamate pesticides in fruits, vegetables, and natural surface water prior to analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. The small amounts of solid sorbent were dispersed in a sample solution, and extraction occurred by adsorption in a short time, which was accelerated by vortex agitation. Finally, the sorbents were filtered from the solution, and the analytes were subsequently desorbed using an appropriate solvent. Parameters affecting the VA-D-μ-SPE performance including sorbent amount, sample volume, desorption solvent ,and vortex time were optimized. Under the optimum condition, linear dynamic ranges were achieved between 0.004-24.000 mg kg(-1) (R(2) > 0.9946). The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.004-4.000 mg kg(-1). The applicability of the developed procedure was successfully evaluated by the determination of the carbamate residues in fruits (dragon fruit, rambutan, and watermelon), vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, and cucumber), and natural surface water.

Extraction Compression and Acceleration of High Line Charge Density Ion Beams

CERN Document Server

Henestroza, Enrique; Grote, D P; Peters, Craig; Yu, Simon

2005-01-01

HEDP applications require high line charge density ion beams. An efficient method to obtain this type of beams is to extract a long pulse, high current beam from a gun at high energy, and let the beam pass through a decelerating field to compress it. The low energy beam bunch is loaded into a solenoid and matched to a Brillouin flow. The Brillouin equilibrium is independent of the energy if the relationship between the beam size (a), solenoid magnetic field strength (B) and line charge density is such that (Ba)2

A memory efficient user interface for CLIPS micro-computer applications

Science.gov (United States)

Sterle, Mark E.; Mayer, Richard J.; Jordan, Janice A.; Brodale, Howard N.; Lin, Min-Jin

1990-01-01

The goal of the Integrated Southern Pine Beetle Expert System (ISPBEX) is to provide expert level knowledge concerning treatment advice that is convenient and easy to use for Forest Service personnel. ISPBEX was developed in CLIPS and delivered on an IBM PC AT class micro-computer, operating with an MS/DOS operating system. This restricted the size of the run time system to 640K. In order to provide a robust expert system, with on-line explanation, help, and alternative actions menus, as well as features that allow the user to back up or execute 'what if' scenarios, a memory efficient menuing system was developed to interface with the CLIPS programs. By robust, we mean an expert system that (1) is user friendly, (2) provides reasonable solutions for a wide variety of domain specific problems, (3) explains why some solutions were suggested but others were not, and (4) provides technical information relating to the problem solution. Several advantages were gained by using this type of user interface (UI). First, by storing the menus on the hard disk (instead of main memory) during program execution, a more robust system could be implemented. Second, since the menus were built rapidly, development time was reduced. Third, the user may try a new scenario by backing up to any of the input screens and revising segments of the original input without having to retype all the information. And fourth, asserting facts from the menus provided for a dynamic and flexible fact base. This UI technology has been applied successfully in expert systems applications in forest management, agriculture, and manufacturing. This paper discusses the architecture of the UI system, human factors considerations, and the menu syntax design.

FILMPAR: A parallel algorithm designed for the efficient and accurate computation of thin film flow on functional surfaces containing micro-structure

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Y. C.; Thompson, H. M.; Gaskell, P. H.

2009-12-01

FILMPAR is a highly efficient and portable parallel multigrid algorithm for solving a discretised form of the lubrication approximation to three-dimensional, gravity-driven, continuous thin film free-surface flow over substrates containing micro-scale topography. While generally applicable to problems involving heterogeneous and distributed features, for illustrative purposes the algorithm is benchmarked on a distributed memory IBM BlueGene/P computing platform for the case of flow over a single trench topography, enabling direct comparison with complementary experimental data and existing serial multigrid solutions. Parallel performance is assessed as a function of the number of processors employed and shown to lead to super-linear behaviour for the production of mesh-independent solutions. In addition, the approach is used to solve for the case of flow over a complex inter-connected topographical feature and a description provided of how FILMPAR could be adapted relatively simply to solve for a wider class of related thin film flow problems. Program summaryProgram title: FILMPAR Catalogue identifier: AEEL_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEEL_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 530 421 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 1 960 313 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C++ and MPI Computer: Desktop, server Operating system: Unix/Linux Mac OS X Has the code been vectorised or parallelised?: Yes. Tested with up to 128 processors RAM: 512 MBytes Classification: 12 External routines: GNU C/C++, MPI Nature of problem: Thin film flows over functional substrates containing well-defined single and complex topographical features are of enormous significance, having a wide variety of engineering

High-Speed Video System for Micro-Expression Detection and Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Borza

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Micro-expressions play an essential part in understanding non-verbal communication and deceit detection. They are involuntary, brief facial movements that are shown when a person is trying to conceal something. Automatic analysis of micro-expression is challenging due to their low amplitude and to their short duration (they occur as fast as 1/15 to 1/25 of a second. We propose a fully micro-expression analysis system consisting of a high-speed image acquisition setup and a software framework which can detect the frames when the micro-expressions occurred as well as determine the type of the emerged expression. The detection and classification methods use fast and simple motion descriptors based on absolute image differences. The recognition module it only involves the computation of several 2D Gaussian probabilities. The software framework was tested on two publicly available high speed micro-expression databases and the whole system was used to acquire new data. The experiments we performed show that our solution outperforms state of the art works which use more complex and computationally intensive descriptors.

Touch at a distance sensing: lateral-line inspired MEMS flow sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prakash Kottapalli, Ajay Giri; Asadnia, Mohsen; Miao, Jianmin; Triantafyllou, Michael

2014-01-01

Evolution bestowed the blind cavefish with a resourcefully designed lateral-line of sensors that play an essential role in many important tasks including object detection and avoidance, energy-efficient maneuvering, rheotaxis etc. Biologists identified the two types of vital sensors on the fish bodies called the superficial neuromasts and the canal neuromasts that are responsible for flow sensing and pressure-gradient sensing, respectively. In this work, we present the design, fabrication and experimental characterization of biomimetic polymer artificial superficial neuromast micro-sensor arrays. These biomimetic micro-sensors demonstrated a high sensitivity of 0.9 mV/(m s −1 ) and 0.022 V/(m s −1 ) and threshold velocity detection limits of 0.1 m s −1 and 0.015 m s −1 in determining air and water flows respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the biological canal inspired polymer encapsulation on the array of artificial superficial neuromast sensors is capable of filtering steady-state flows that could otherwise significantly mask the relevant oscillatory flow signals of high importance. (paper)

A new electrostatic on-line collection-system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dufour, J.P.; Del Moral, R.; Fleury, A.

1981-06-01

The working conditions of a new on-line electrostatic collection system are presented. The main charactersitics are high efficiency (reaching 20%) and short delay time (down to the millisecond). The salient features of specific devices for measurements of absolute cross sections, recoil range distributions and angular distributions are given

Study on Boiling Heat Transfer Phenomenon in Micro-channels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Namgyun [Inha Technical College, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-09-15

Recently, efficient heat dissipation has become necessary because of the miniaturization of devices, and research on boiling on micro-channels has attracted attention. However, in the case of micro-channels, the friction coefficient and heat transfer characteristics are different from those in macro-channels. This leads to large errors in the micro scale results, when compared to correlations derived from the macro scale. In addition, due to the complexity of the mechanism, the boiling phenomenon in micro-channels cannot be approached only by experimental and theoretical methods. Therefore, numerical methods should be utilized as well, to supplement these methods. However, most numerical studies have been conducted on macro-channels. In this study, we applied the lattice Boltzmann method, proposed as an alternative numerical tool to simulate the boiling phenomenon in the micro-channel, and predicted the bubble growth process in the channel.

The study of road surface micro-texture's effects for the pavement's decontamination by high pressure water washing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Masatoshi; Shimizu, Tadaaki; Hirayama, Takahiro

2014-01-01

In the result of “decontamination technical demonstration project” by Ministry of the Environment, it has became clear that the effect variation is larger in high pressure water washing method, compared with others in road surface decontamination technology. In this study, we have hypothesized the fact at the difference of micro-texture of the road surface, by carrying out high pressure water washing method in different kinds of road surfaces and verified the relation between washing efficiency and micro-texture road surface. Positive correlation has admitted between the washing number of times and radiation reduction rate and the trend of primary regression equation (i.e. radiation reduction rate per washing time) is indicating that decreasing tendency of radiation carried by the increasing of micro-texture of the road surface. Here, we proposed the method to estimated essential washing number of times to achieve the targeted radiation reduction rate from the relation of that trend and micro-texture of the road surface. (author)

Novel and high-performance asymmetric micro-supercapacitors based on graphene quantum dots and polyaniline nanofibers

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenwen; Yan, Xingbin; Chen, Jiangtao; Feng, Yaqiang; Xue, Qunji

2013-06-01

In comparison with graphene sheets, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) exhibit novel chemical/physical properties including nanometer-size, abundant edge defects, good electrical conductivity, high mobility, chemical inertia, stable photoluminescence and better surface grafting, making them promising for fabricating various novel devices. In the present work, an asymmetric micro-supercapacitor, using GQDs as negative active material and polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers as positive active material, is built for the first time by a simple and controllable two-step electro-deposition on interdigital finger gold electrodes. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the as-made GQDs//PANI asymmetric micro-supercapacitor has a more excellent rate capability (up to 1000 V s-1) than previously reported electrode materials, as well as faster power response capability (with a very short relaxation time constant of 115.9 μs) and better cycling stability after 1500 cycles in aqueous electrolyte. On this basis, an all-solid-state GQDs//PANI asymmetric micro-supercapacitor is fabricated using H3PO4-polyvinyl alcohol gel as electrolyte, which also exhibits desirable electrochemical capacitive performances. These encouraging results presented here may open up new insight into GQDs with highly promising applications in high-performance energy-storage devices, and further expand the potential applications of GQDs beyond the energy-oriented application of GQDs discussed above.In comparison with graphene sheets, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) exhibit novel chemical/physical properties including nanometer-size, abundant edge defects, good electrical conductivity, high mobility, chemical inertia, stable photoluminescence and better surface grafting, making them promising for fabricating various novel devices. In the present work, an asymmetric micro-supercapacitor, using GQDs as negative active material and polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers as positive active material, is built for the first time by a

Micro controller application as x-ray machine's high voltage controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiranto Budi Santoso; Beny Syawaludin

2010-01-01

The micro controller application as x-ray machine's high voltage controller has been carried out. The purpose of this micro controller application is to give an accurate high voltage supply to the x-ray tube so that the x ray machine could produce the result as expected. The micro controller based X-ray machine's high voltage controller receives an input voltage from the keypad. This input value is displayed in the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen. Then micro controller uses this input data to drive the stepper motor. The stepper motor adjusts the high voltage auto transformer's output according to the input value. The micro controller is programmed using BASCOM-B051 compiler. The test results show that the stepper motor could rotate according to an input value. (author)

Experimental research on single phase convection heat transfer in micro-fin tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Guangming; Sun Zhongning; Zhu Sheng

2011-01-01

An experimental investigation of heat transfer and flow resistance characteristics of single phase water in three micro-fin tubes with different fin height was conducted. At the same time, the efficiency of micro-fin tubes within the experimental scope was evaluated and the optimal working region was determined. Based on the experimental data in the optimal working region, correlations for predicting the heat transfer and flow resistance were also given by multiple regression method. The result indicates that the micro-fin tubes can greatly enhance the single-phase heat transfer in turbulent flow, and the increase of heat transfer coefficient is higher than the increase of flow resistance. The accuracy of the correlation is very high, of which the deviation from the experimental value is very small. (authors)

Design and development of PCD micro straight edge end mills for micro/nano machining of hard and brittle materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Xiang; Wang, Zhigang; Yamazaki, Kazuo; Nakamoto, Kazuo

2010-01-01

One of the biggest challenges for mechanical micro/nano milling is the design and fabrication of high precision and high efficiency micro milling tools. Commercially available micro milling tools are either too expensive (around several hundred US dollars) or simply made from downsizing of macro milling tools, which is sometimes not appropriate for the specific micro/nano milling requirements. So the design and fabrication of custom micro milling tools are necessary. In this paper, a micro straight edge endmill (SEE) is designed. Static and dynamic FEM analyses have been done for the SEEs with different rake angles trying to identify their stiffness and natural frequencies. By wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM), the SEEs made of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) with three different rake angles have been fabricated. The evaluation milling on tungsten carbide (WC) and silicon wafer have processed on a nano milling center. Experimental results show the SEEs have a good ability to simultaneously micro/nano milling of both the side and bottom surfaces with submicron surface roughness, and the SEE has high accuracy for large aspect ratio thin wall machining. The milling experiments on silicon wafer have successfully demonstrated that ductile mode machining was achieved and the coolant played an important role in silicon wafer milling

Image Reconstruction and Evaluation: Applications on Micro-Surfaces and Lenna Image Representation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Mayyas

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This article develops algorithms for the characterization and the visualization of micro-scale features using a small number of sample points, with the goal of mitigating the measurement shortcomings, which are often destructive or time consuming. The popular measurement techniques that are used in imaging of micro-surfaces include the 3D stylus or interferometric profilometry and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM, where both could represent the micro-surface characteristics in terms of 3D dimensional topology and greyscale image, respectively. Such images could be highly dense; therefore, traditional image processing techniques might be computationally expensive. We implement the algorithms in several case studies to rapidly examine the microscopic features of micro-surface of Microelectromechanical System (MEMS, and then we validate the results using a popular greyscale image; i.e., “Lenna” image. The contributions of this research include: First, development of local and global algorithm based on modified Thin Plate Spline (TPS model to reconstruct high resolution images of the micro-surface’s topography, and its derivatives using low resolution images. Second, development of a bending energy algorithm from our modified TPS model for filtering out image defects. Finally, development of a computationally efficient technique, referred to as Windowing, which combines TPS and Linear Sequential Estimation (LSE methods, to enhance the visualization of images. The Windowing technique allows rapid image reconstruction based on the reduction of inverse problem.

Matrigel Basement Membrane Matrix influences expression of microRNAs in cancer cell lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, Karina J.; Tsykin, Anna; Giles, Keith M.; Sladic, Rosemary T.; Epis, Michael R.; Ganss, Ruth; Goodall, Gregory J.; Leedman, Peter J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Matrigel alters cancer cell line miRNA expression relative to culture on plastic. ► Many identified Matrigel-regulated miRNAs are implicated in cancer. ► miR-1290, -210, -32 and -29b represent a Matrigel-induced miRNA signature. ► miR-32 down-regulates Integrin alpha 5 (ITGA5) mRNA. -- Abstract: Matrigel is a medium rich in extracellular matrix (ECM) components used for three-dimensional cell culture and is known to alter cellular phenotypes and gene expression. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and have roles in cancer. While miRNA profiles of numerous cell lines cultured on plastic have been reported, the influence of Matrigel-based culture on cancer cell miRNA expression is largely unknown. This study investigated the influence of Matrigel on the expression of miRNAs that might facilitate ECM-associated cancer cell growth. We performed miRNA profiling by microarray using two colon cancer cell lines (SW480 and SW620), identifying significant differential expression of miRNAs between cells cultured in Matrigel and on plastic. Many of these miRNAs have previously been implicated in cancer-related processes. A common Matrigel-induced miRNA signature comprised of up-regulated miR-1290 and miR-210 and down-regulated miR-29b and miR-32 was identified using RT-qPCR across five epithelial cancer cell lines (SW480, SW620, HT-29, A549 and MDA-MB-231). Experimental modulation of these miRNAs altered expression of their known target mRNAs involved in cell adhesion, proliferation and invasion, in colon cancer cell lines. Furthermore, ITGA5 was identified as a novel putative target of miR-32 that may facilitate cancer cell interactions with the ECM. We propose that culture of cancer cell lines in Matrigel more accurately recapitulates miRNA expression and function in cancer than culture on plastic and thus is a valuable approach to the in vitro study of miRNAs.

The Laser MicroJet (LMJ): a multi-solution technology for high quality micro-machining

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Tuan Anh; Richerzhagen, Bernold; Snowdon, Paul C.; Wood, David; Maropoulos, Paul G.

2007-02-01

The field of laser micromachining is highly diverse. There are many different types of lasers available in the market. Due to their differences in irradiating wavelength, output power and pulse characteristic they can be selected for different applications depending on material and feature size [1]. The main issues by using these lasers are heat damages, contamination and low ablation rates. This report examines on the application of the Laser MicroJet(R) (LMJ), a unique combination of a laser beam with a hair-thin water jet as a universal tool for micro-machining of MEMS substrates, as well as ferrous and non-ferrous materials. The materials include gallium arsenide (GaAs) & silicon wafers, steel, tantalum and alumina ceramic. A Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm (infra red) and frequency doubled 532 nm (green) were employed for the micro-machining of these materials.

Gulf Coast Section SPE Production Operations Study Group-technical highlights from a series of frac pack treatment symposiums

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McLarty, J.M.; DeBonis, V.

1995-12-31

One of the main functions of the SPE is to provide a means for collection, dissemination, and exchange of technical information and to provide technical forums that afford opportunities for members to maintain and upgrade their technical competence. The large chapters (such as Houston SPE) located near many oil company headquarters have the advantage of being able to bring together a cross section of service company and operator personnel representing operations and research from major and independent operators. This paper describes a series of 1-day symposiums on frac pack technology that were organized by the Houston-based Gulf Coast Section SPE Production Operations Study Group. These study sessions provided a means for the local members of the industry to further develop a new technology as a team. Publishing the major focus and contributions of the seminars will allow sharing of the technology with chapters outside of Houston.

Printed freeform lens arrays on multi-core fibers for highly efficient coupling in astrophotonic systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Philipp-Immanuel; Harris, Robert J; Blaicher, Matthias; Corrigan, Mark K; Morris, Tim M; Freude, Wolfgang; Quirrenbach, Andreas; Koos, Christian

2017-07-24

Coupling of light into multi-core fibers (MCF) for spatially resolved spectroscopy is of great importance to astronomical instrumentation. To achieve high coupling efficiencies along with fill-fractions close to unity, micro-optical elements are required to concentrate the incoming light to the individual cores of the MCF. In this paper we demonstrate facet-attached lens arrays (LA) fabricated by two-photon polymerization. The LA provide close to 100% fill-fraction along with efficiencies of up to 73% (down to 1.4 dB loss) for coupling of light from free space into an MCF core. We show the viability of the concept for astrophotonic applications by integrating an MCF-LA assembly in an adaptive-optics test bed and by assessing its performance as a tip/tilt sensor.

IMPROVING CO2 EFFICIENCY FOR RECOVERING OIL IN HETEROGENEOUS RESERVOIRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigg, Reid B.

2002-01-01

A three-year contract, DOE Contract No. DE-FG26-01BC15364 ''Improving CO 2 Efficiency for Recovering Oil in Heterogeneous Reservoirs,'' was started on September 28, 2001. This project examines three major areas in which CO 2 flooding can be improved: fluid and matrix interactions, conformance control/sweep efficiency, and reservoir simulation for improved oil recovery. This report discusses the activity during the six-month period covering January 1, 2002 through June 30, 2002 that covers the second and third fiscal quarters of the project's first year. Paper SPE 75178, ''Cost Reduction and Injectivity Improvements for CO 2 Foams for Mobility Control,'' has been presented and included in the proceedings of the SPE/DOE Thirteenth Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Tulsa, OK, April 13-17, 2002. During these two quarters of the project we have been working in several areas: reservoir fluid/rock interactions and their relationships to changing injectivity, producer survey on injectivity, and surfactant adsorption on quarried and reservoir core

A new electrostatic on-line collection-system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dufour, J.P.; Del Moral, R.; Fleury, A.; Hubert, F.; Llabador, Y.; Mauhourat, M.B.; Bimbot, R.; Gardes, D.; Rivet, M.F.

1981-01-01

The working conditions of a new on-line electrostatic collection system are presented. The main characteristics are high efficiency (reaching 20%) and short delay time (down to the millisecond). The salient features of specific devices for measurements of absolute cross sections, recoil range distributions and angular distributions are given. (orig.)

On-Line Path Generation and Tracking for High-Speed Wheeled Autonomous Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

2006-02-17

On-Line Path Generation and Tracking for High-Speed Wheeled Autonomous Vehicles Report Title ABSTRACT In this work we proposed two semi-analytic...298-102 Enclosure 1 On-Line Path Generation and Tracking for High-Speed Wheeled Autonomous Vehicles by...Specifically, the following problems will be addressed during this project: 2.1 Challenges The problem of trajectory planning for high-speed autonomous vehicles is

GCR and SPE Radiation Effects in Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, Jess; Rojdev, Kristina; Nichols, Charles

2016-01-01

This Year 3 project provides risk reduction data to assess galactic cosmic ray (GCR) and solar particle event (SPE) space radiation damage in materials used in manned low-earth orbit, lunar, interplanetary, and Martian surface missions. Long duration (up to 50 years) space radiation damage is being quantified for materials used in inflatable structures (1st priority), and space suit and habitable composite materials (2nd priority). The data collected has relevance for nonmetallic materials (polymers and composites) used in NASA missions where long duration reliability is needed in continuous or intermittent space radiation fluxes.

Method development for determination of herbicides and insecticides in surface waters using solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebre, Daniel Temponi

2000-01-01

Determination of low concentrations of pesticides in surface and ground waters requires high sensitivity analytical techniques. Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) has been successfully employed to pre concentrate and extract pesticides compounds from water samples. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with UV/Vis detector was used to separate and quantify the extracted compounds. In this work, samples of surface waters with known concentrations of herbicides (atrazine, simazine and trifluralin) and insecticides (aldicarb, carbofuran and carbaryl) were extracted by using SPE off-line technique. The compounds were separated and quantified by reverse phase HPLC with UV detection at 220 ηm. The extraction efficiency was compared between two columns filled with different materials: C 18 -bonded silica phase (500 mg) and copolymer styrenedivynilbenzene resin (250 mg). The results were evaluated as the percent recovery of compounds obtained using different solvents at different concentrations. The results showed that recovery of the analytes greater than 80 % were obtained in SPE columns filled with C 18 bonded silica phase with 6 mL of acetonitrile. Once the optimum conditions were chosen for simulate water samples, the method was validated through analytical and statistical procedures and applied for surface waters. The suitability of the method was verified for the studied compounds showing good sensitivity, i. e., concentrations within the range of 0.4 to 4.0 μgL -1 of pesticides could be quantified attending the limits proposed by official regulations. (author)

Automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) LC/NMR Applied to the Structural Analysis of Extractable Compounds from a Pharmaceutical Packaging Material of Construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Norwood, Daniel L; Mullis, James O; Davis, Mark; Pennino, Scott; Egert, Thomas; Gonnella, Nina C

2013-01-01

The structural analysis (i.e., identification) of organic chemical entities leached into drug product formulations has traditionally been accomplished with techniques involving the combination of chromatography with mass spectrometry. These include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for volatile and semi-volatile compounds, and various forms of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS or HPLC/MS) for semi-volatile and relatively non-volatile compounds. GC/MS and LC/MS techniques are complementary for structural analysis of leachables and potentially leachable organic compounds produced via laboratory extraction of pharmaceutical container closure/delivery system components and corresponding materials of construction. Both hyphenated analytical techniques possess the separating capability, compound specific detection attributes, and sensitivity required to effectively analyze complex mixtures of trace level organic compounds. However, hyphenated techniques based on mass spectrometry are limited by the inability to determine complete bond connectivity, the inability to distinguish between many types of structural isomers, and the inability to unambiguously determine aromatic substitution patterns. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) does not have these limitations; hence it can serve as a complement to mass spectrometry. However, NMR technology is inherently insensitive and its ability to interface with chromatography has been historically challenging. This article describes the application of NMR coupled with liquid chromatography and automated solid phase extraction (SPE-LC/NMR) to the structural analysis of extractable organic compounds from a pharmaceutical packaging material of construction. The SPE-LC/NMR technology combined with micro-cryoprobe technology afforded the sensitivity and sample mass required for full structure elucidation. Optimization of the SPE-LC/NMR analytical method was achieved using a series of model compounds

Long-distance pulse propagation on high-frequency dissipative nonlinear transmission lines/resonant tunneling diode line cascaded maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klofai, Yerima; Essimbi, B Z; Jaeger, D

2011-01-01

Pulse propagation on high-frequency dissipative nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs)/resonant tunneling diode line cascaded maps is investigated for long-distance propagation of short pulses. Applying perturbative analysis, we show that the dynamics of each line is reduced to an expanded Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers equation. Moreover, it is found by computer experiments that the soliton developed in NLTLs experiences an exponential amplitude decay on the one hand and an exponential amplitude growth on the other. As a result, the behavior of a pulse in special electrical networks made of concatenated pieces of lines is closely similar to the transmission of information in optical/electrical communication systems.

Long-distance pulse propagation on high-frequency dissipative nonlinear transmission lines/resonant tunneling diode line cascaded maps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klofai, Yerima [Department of Physics, Higher Teacher Training College, University of Maroua, PO Box 46 Maroua (Cameroon); Essimbi, B Z [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde 1, PO Box 812 Yaounde (Cameroon); Jaeger, D, E-mail: bessimb@yahoo.fr [ZHO, Optoelectronik, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, D-47048 Duisburg (Germany)

2011-10-15

Pulse propagation on high-frequency dissipative nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs)/resonant tunneling diode line cascaded maps is investigated for long-distance propagation of short pulses. Applying perturbative analysis, we show that the dynamics of each line is reduced to an expanded Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers equation. Moreover, it is found by computer experiments that the soliton developed in NLTLs experiences an exponential amplitude decay on the one hand and an exponential amplitude growth on the other. As a result, the behavior of a pulse in special electrical networks made of concatenated pieces of lines is closely similar to the transmission of information in optical/electrical communication systems.

Solvothermal method as a green chemistry solution for micro-encapsulation of phase change materials for high temperature thermal energy storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tudor Albert Ioan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Thermal energy storage systems using phase change materials (PCMs as latent heat storage are one of the main challenges at European level in improving the performances and efficiency of concentrated solar power energy generation due to their high energy density. PCM with high working temperatures in the temperature range 300–500 °C are required for these purposes. However their use is still limited due to the problems raised by the corrosion of the majority of high temperature PCMs and lower thermal transfer properties. Micro-encapsulation was proposed as one method to overcome these problems. Different micro-encapsulation methods proposed in the literature are presented and discussed. An original process for the micro-encapsulation of potassium nitrate as PCM in inorganic zinc oxide shells based on a solvothermal method followed by spray drying to produce microcapsules with controlled phase composition and distribution is proposed and their transformation temperatures and enthalpies measured by differential scanning calorimetry are presented.

Solvothermal method as a green chemistry solution for micro-encapsulation of phase change materials for high temperature thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Tudor, Albert Ioan; Motoc, Adrian Mihail; Ciobota, Cristina Florentina; Ciobota, Dan. Nastase; Piticescu, Radu Robert; Romero-Sanchez, Maria Dolores

2018-05-01

Thermal energy storage systems using phase change materials (PCMs) as latent heat storage are one of the main challenges at European level in improving the performances and efficiency of concentrated solar power energy generation due to their high energy density. PCM with high working temperatures in the temperature range 300-500 °C are required for these purposes. However their use is still limited due to the problems raised by the corrosion of the majority of high temperature PCMs and lower thermal transfer properties. Micro-encapsulation was proposed as one method to overcome these problems. Different micro-encapsulation methods proposed in the literature are presented and discussed. An original process for the micro-encapsulation of potassium nitrate as PCM in inorganic zinc oxide shells based on a solvothermal method followed by spray drying to produce microcapsules with controlled phase composition and distribution is proposed and their transformation temperatures and enthalpies measured by differential scanning calorimetry are presented.

Flow analysis for efficient design of wavy structured microchannel mixing devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kanchan, Mithun; Maniyeri, Ranjith

2018-04-01

Microfluidics is a rapidly growing field of applied research which is strongly driven by demands of bio-technology and medical innovation. Lab-on-chip (LOC) is one such application which deals with integrating bio-laboratory on micro-channel based single fluidic chip. Since fluid flow in such devices is restricted to laminar regime, designing an efficient passive modulator to induce chaotic mixing for such diffusion based flow is a major challenge. In the present work two-dimensional numerical simulation of viscous incompressible flow is carried out using immersed boundary method (IBM) to obtain an efficient design for wavy structured micro-channel mixing devices. The continuity and Navier-Stokes equations governing the flow are solved by fractional step based finite volume method on a staggered Cartesian grid system. IBM uses Eulerian co-ordinates to describe fluid flow and Lagrangian co-ordinates to describe solid boundary. Dirac delta function is used to couple both these co-ordinate variables. A tether forcing term is used to impose the no-slip boundary condition on the wavy structure and fluid interface. Fluid flow analysis by varying Reynolds number is carried out for four wavy structure models and one straight line model. By analyzing fluid accumulation zones and flow velocities, it can be concluded that straight line structure performs better mixing for low Reynolds number and Model 2 for higher Reynolds number. Thus wavy structures can be incorporated in micro-channels to improve mixing efficiency.