Bedding on geotextile mattresses: how much is needed to improve cow comfort?

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, C B; Weary, D M

2004-09-01

The objective of our study was to evaluate how the amount of sawdust bedding on mattresses affects dairy cattle behavior and preferences. Eleven nonlactating, multiparous cows were housed individually in pens with access to 3 free stalls. Each stall was fitted with a geotextile mattress covered with either 0, 1, or 7.5 kg of kiln-dried sawdust. The experiment began with 7 d of acclimatization to all 3 stalls. Cows were then allowed access to only 1 of the 3 stalls at a time, each for 3 d (restriction phase). At the end of this restriction phase, cows were allowed free access to all 3 stalls for 3 d (free-choice phase). Time spent lying and the number of lying bouts increased significantly with the amount of bedding, from 12.3 +/- 0.53 h lying and 8.5 +/- 0.62 bouts per 24 h on bare mattresses to 13.8 +/- 0.53 h lying and 10.0 +/- 0.62 bouts per 24 h on mattresses with 7.5 kg of sawdust. In addition, the animals spent less time standing with only the front hooves in the stalls when more sawdust was present. When allowed free access to all 3 options, all 11 animals spent a majority of their time lying and standing in the 7.5-kg option. In conclusion, cows preferred mattresses bedded with 7.5 kg of sawdust, on which they spent more time lying down and less time standing with only the front hooves in stalls. These results indicate that more sawdust bedding improves cow comfort in stalls with geotextile mattresses.

Research on the relationship between the structural properties of bedding layer in spring mattress and sleep quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Liming; Chen, Yu-xia; Guo, Yong; Zhong, ShiLu; Fang, Fei; Zhao, Jing; Hu, Tian-Yi

2012-01-01

Mattress, as a sleep platform, its types and physical properties has an important effect on sleep quality and rest efficiency. In this paper, by subjective evaluations, analysis of sleeping behaviors and tests of depth of sleep, the relationship between characteristics of the bedding materials, the structure of mattress, sleep quality and sleep behaviors were studied. The results showed that: (1) Characteristics of the bedding materials and structure of spring mattress had a remarkable effect on sleep behaviors and sleep quality. An optimum combination of the bedding materials, the structure of mattress and its core could improve the overall comfort of mattress, thereby improving the depth of sleep and sleep quality. (2) Sleep behaviors had a close relationship with sleeping postures and sleep habits. The characteristics of sleep behaviors vary from person to person.

Manual cleaning of hospital mattresses: an observational study comparing high- and low-resource settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopman, J; Hakizimana, B; Meintjes, W A J; Nillessen, M; de Both, E; Voss, A; Mehtar, S

2016-01-01

Hospital-associated infections (HAIs) are more frequently encountered in low- than in high-resource settings. There is a need to identify and implement feasible and sustainable approaches to strengthen HAI prevention in low-resource settings. To evaluate the biological contamination of routinely cleaned mattresses in both high- and low-resource settings. In this two-stage observational study, routine manual bed cleaning was evaluated at two university hospitals using adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Standardized training of cleaning personnel was achieved in both high- and low-resource settings. Qualitative analysis of the cleaning process was performed to identify predictors of cleaning outcome in low-resource settings. Mattresses in low-resource settings were highly contaminated prior to cleaning. Cleaning significantly reduced biological contamination of mattresses in low-resource settings (P cleaning in both the high- and low-resource settings seemed comparable. Cleaning with appropriate type of cleaning materials reduced the contamination of mattresses adequately. Predictors for mattresses that remained contaminated in a low-resource setting included: type of product used, type of ward, training, and the level of contamination prior to cleaning. In low-resource settings mattresses were highly contaminated as noted by ATP levels. Routine manual cleaning by trained staff can be as effective in a low-resource setting as in a high-resource setting. We recommend a multi-modal cleaning strategy that consists of training of domestic services staff, availability of adequate time to clean beds between patients, and application of the correct type of cleaning products. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of backboard and deflation improve quality of chest compression when cardiopulmonary resuscitation is performed on a typical air inflated mattress configuration.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Jaehoon; Kang, Hyunggoo; Chee, Youngjoon; Lim, Taeho; Song, Yeongtak; Cho, Youngsuk; Je, Sangmo

2013-02-01

No study has examined the effectiveness of backboards and air deflation for achieving adequate chest compression (CC) depth on air mattresses with the typical configurations seen in intensive care units. To determine this efficacy, we measured mattress compression depth (MCD, mm) on these surfaces using dual accelerometers. Eight cardiopulmonary resuscitation providers performed CCs on manikins lying on 4 different surfaces using a visual feedback system. The surfaces were as follows: A, a bed frame; B, a deflated air mattress placed on top of a foam mattress laid on a bed frame; C, a typical air mattress configuration with an inflated air mattress placed on a foam mattress laid on a bed frame; and D, C with a backboard. Deflation of the air mattress decreased MCD significantly (B; 14.74 ± 1.36 vs C; 30.16 ± 3.96, P deflation of the air mattress decreased MCD more than use of a backboard (B; 14.74 ± 1.36 vs D; 25.46 ± 2.89, P = 0.002). The use of a both a backboard and a deflated air mattress in this configuration reduces MCD and thus helps achieve accurate CC depth during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Microcontrolled air-mattress for ulcer by pressure prevention

Science.gov (United States)

Pasluosta, Cristian F.; Fontana, Juan M.; Beltramone, Diego A.; Taborda, Ricardo A. M.

2007-11-01

An ulcer by pressure is produced when a constant pressure is exerted over the skin. This generates the collapse of the blood vessels and, therefore, a lack in the contribution of the necessary nutrients for the affected zone. As a consequence, the skin deteriorates, eventually causing an ulcer. In order to prevent it, a protocol must be applied to the patient, which is reflected on time and cost of treatment. There are some air mattresses available for this purpose, but whose performance does not fulfill all requirements. The prototype designed in our laboratory is based on the principle of the air mattress. Its objective is to improve on existing technologies and, due to an increased automation, reduce time dedication for personnel in charge of the patient. A clinical experience was made in the local Emergencies Hospital and also in an institution dedicated to aged patients care. In both cases, the results obtained and the comments from the personnel involved were favorable.

Microcontrolled air-mattress for ulcer by pressure prevention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasluosta, Cristian F; Fontana, Juan M; Beltramone, Diego A; Taborda, Ricardo A M

2007-01-01

An ulcer by pressure is produced when a constant pressure is exerted over the skin. This generates the collapse of the blood vessels and, therefore, a lack in the contribution of the necessary nutrients for the affected zone. As a consequence, the skin deteriorates, eventually causing an ulcer. In order to prevent it, a protocol must be applied to the patient, which is reflected on time and cost of treatment. There are some air mattresses available for this purpose, but whose performance does not fulfill all requirements. The prototype designed in our laboratory is based on the principle of the air mattress. Its objective is to improve on existing technologies and, due to an increased automation, reduce time dedication for personnel in charge of the patient. A clinical experience was made in the local Emergencies Hospital and also in an institution dedicated to aged patients care. In both cases, the results obtained and the comments from the personnel involved were favorable

Microcontrolled air-mattress for ulcer by pressure prevention

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pasluosta, Cristian F; Fontana, Juan M; Beltramone, Diego A; Taborda, Ricardo A M [Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Cordoba (Argentina)

2007-11-15

An ulcer by pressure is produced when a constant pressure is exerted over the skin. This generates the collapse of the blood vessels and, therefore, a lack in the contribution of the necessary nutrients for the affected zone. As a consequence, the skin deteriorates, eventually causing an ulcer. In order to prevent it, a protocol must be applied to the patient, which is reflected on time and cost of treatment. There are some air mattresses available for this purpose, but whose performance does not fulfill all requirements. The prototype designed in our laboratory is based on the principle of the air mattress. Its objective is to improve on existing technologies and, due to an increased automation, reduce time dedication for personnel in charge of the patient. A clinical experience was made in the local Emergencies Hospital and also in an institution dedicated to aged patients care. In both cases, the results obtained and the comments from the personnel involved were favorable.

Mapping Emplaced Articulated Concrete Mattress Using Geoelectrical and Electromagnetic Techniques

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sjostrom, Keith

1998-01-01

Articulated concrete mattresses (ACM) are structures placed parallel to the river current for the purpose of stabilizing the concave banks in river bends, reduce the effects of erosion, and maintain the river channel...

The effect of human-mattress interface's temperature on perceived thermal comfort.

Science.gov (United States)

Califano, R; Naddeo, A; Vink, P

2017-01-01

In recent years, methods that allow for an objective evaluation of perceived comfort, in terms of postural, physiological, cognitive and environmental comfort, have received a great deal of attention from researchers. This paper focuses on one of the factors that influences physiological comfort perception: the temperature difference between users and the objects with which they interact. The first aim is to create a measuring system that does not affect the perceived comfort during the temperatures' acquisition. The main aim is to evaluate how the temperature at the human-mattress interface can affect the level of perceived comfort. A foam mattress has been used for testing in order to take into account the entire back part of the human body. The temperature at the interface was registered by fourteen 100 Ohm Platinum RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors) placed on the mattress under the trunk, the shoulders, the buttocks, the legs, the thighs, the arms and the forearms of the test subject. 29 subjects participated in a comfort test in a humidity controlled environment. The test protocol involved: dress-code, anthropometric-based positioning on mattress, environment temperature measuring and an acclimatization time before the test. At the end of each test, each of the test subject's thermal sensations and the level of comfort perception were evaluated using the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) scale. The data analyses concerned, in the first instance, correlations between the temperature at the interface and comfort levels of the different parts of the body. Then the same analyses were performed independently of the body parts being considered. The results demonstrated that there was no strong correlation among the studied variables and that the total increase of temperature at interface is associated with a reduction in comfort. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressure ulcers prevention efficacy of an alternating pressure air mattress in elderly patients: E²MAO a randomised study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauvage, P; Touflet, M; Pradere, C; Portalier, F; Michel, J-M; Charru, P; Passadori, Y; Fevrier, R; Hallet-Lezy, A-M; Beauchêne, F; Scherrer, B

2017-06-02

Our aim was to compare Axtair One, an alternating pressure air mattress (APAM), with a viscoelastic foam mattress (VFM) in elderly patients at moderate to high risk of developing pressure ulcers (PUs). A randomised, controlled, superiority, parallel-group, open-label, multicentre study, was conducted, between February 2012 and March 2015, in nine French, medium- and long-term stay facilities. Eligible patients were aged 70 and over, had no PUs on enrolment, were bedridden for at least 15 hours per day, had reduced mobility, an absent or minimal positioning capability, a Braden score 12 and a Karnofsky score elderly patients, bedridden for more than 15 hours per day, severely dependent, at moderate-to high-risk of PUs, with an instantaneous risk for the appearance of PUs 7.57 times greater in the VFM group than in the APAM group. This study provides descriptive information and evidence for practice.

Size-dependent thermoelasticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali R. Hadjesfandiari

Full Text Available In this paper a consistent theory is developed for size-dependent thermoelasticity in heterogeneous anisotropic solids. This theory shows that the temperature change can create not only thermal strains, but also thermal mean curvatures in the solids. This formulation is based on the consistent size-dependent continuum mechanics in which the couple-stress tensor is skew-symmetric. Here by including scale-dependent measures in the energy and entropy equations, the general expressions for force- and couple-stresses, as well as entropy density, are obtained. Next, for the linear material the constitutive relations and governing coupled size-dependent thermoelasticity equations are developed. For linear material, one can see that the thermal properties are characterized by the classical symmetric thermal expansion tensor and the new size-dependent skew-symmetric thermal flexion tensor. Thus, for the most general anisotropic case, there are nine independent thermoelastic constants. Interestingly, for isotropic and cubic materials the thermal flexion tensor vanishes, which shows there is no thermal mean curvature

The Impact of Legislation on Gas Can- and Mattress-Related Burn Injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellogg, Levi; Butcher, Brandon; Peek-Asa, Corinne; Wibbenmeyer, Lucy

2018-01-01

Burn prevention program success requires thorough evaluation of intervention outcomes. The impact of 2 engineering-specific burn prevention regulations, the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act and the Standard for the Flammability of Mattress Sets, will be assessed. Records from 1997 to 2015 within the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) were reviewed. After identifying gas can- and mattress-involved burn injuries, injury incidence was estimated by utilizing survey sampling weights associated with each record. Logistic regression, incorporating estimated injury incidence and adjusting for gender and age, was performed to test for change in injury risk following these regulations. Within NEISS, there were 493 burns involving gas cans, yielding an estimated 19,339 injuries (95% confidence interval [CI], 15,781-22,896) during the 19-year study period. The odds of a gas can burn injury after legislation decreased by 67% for children younger than 5 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16-0.66; P = 0.0018). There was no significant change in risk for persons 5 years and older (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.80-1.41; P = 0.66). During the same time, there were 219 NEISS burns involving mattresses, yielding an estimated 6864 injuries (95% CI, 5071-8658). The odds of a mattress burn injury following legislation enactment decreased by 31% for all ages (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.51-0.94; P = 0.02). Both regulations decreased the odds of injury in their target populations. This study demonstrates that passive interventions involving engineering standards remain a powerful tool for burn prevention and should be the focus of future efforts to improve burn care.

A study of the behaviour of and the forces in a bed protecting mattress : The falling apron

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vrijling, J.K.; Ravenstijn, P.

2001-01-01

In many cases the bottom around a structure that is exposed to current has to be protected by a mattress. The purpose of the mattress is to protect the soil besides the structure from erosion and scour, thus preserving the strength of the foundation of the structure. Examples are the bottom

The impact of compliant surfaces on in-hospital chest compressions: effects of common mattresses and a backboard.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noordergraaf, G.J.; Paulussen, I.W.; Venema, A.; Berkom, P.F. van; Woerlee, P.H.; Scheffer, G.J.; Noordergraaf, A.

2009-01-01

PURPOSE: To evaluate, in a hospital setting, the influence of different, common mattresses, with and without a backboard, on chest movement during CPR. DESIGN AND SETTING: Sixty CPR sessions (140s each, 30:2, C:R ratio 1:1) were performed using a manikin on standard hospital mattresses, with or

16 CFR Figure 8 to Part 1633 - Jig for Setting Mattresses and Foundation Sides in Same Plane

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Jig for Setting Mattresses and Foundation Sides in Same Plane 8 Figure 8 to Part 1633 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION.... 8 Figure 8 to Part 1633—Jig for Setting Mattresses and Foundation Sides in Same Plane ER15MR06.007 ...

Multicenter comparison of the efficacy on prevention of pressure ulcer in postoperative patients between two types of pressure-relieving mattresses in China

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Qixia; Li, Xiaohua; Zhang, Aiqin; Guo, Yanxia; Liu, Yahong; Liu, Haiying; Qu, Xiaolong; Zhu, Yajun; Guo, Xiujun; Liu, Li; Zhang, Liyan; Bo, Suping; Jia, Jing; Chen, Yuejuan; Zhang, Rui; Wang, Jiandong

2014-01-01

Objective: Present study is designed to evaluate the effects of preventing pressure ulcer in surgical patients with two types of pressure-relieving mattresses. Methods: 1074 surgical patients from 12 hospitals in China were divided into A group (static air mattress with repositioning every 2 hours, n = 562) and B group (power pressure air mattress with repositioning every 2 hours, n = 512). The patient was subjected to a pressure-relieving mattress and observed from 0-5 days after surgery. Indications include the Braden scores, hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) incidence and stage. Results: The Braden scores between two groups in five days after surgery were no significant (P > 0.05). The incidence of HAPU between two groups in same days also was no significant (1.07% vs. 0.98%, P > 0.05). The incidence of Stage I and stage II pressure ulcers in group A and B were 1.07% (6/562) and 0.98% (5/512), respectively (χ2 = 0.148, P = 0.882). Conclusion: The effects of preventing pressure ulcer in surgical patients with two types of pressure-relieving mattresses are similar, but the protocol by static air mattress with repositioning every 2 hours is benefit when no power. PMID:25356144

A quantitative analysis of microcirculation in sore-prone pressure areas on conventional and pressure relief hospital mattresses using laser Doppler flowmetry and tissue spectrophotometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothenberger, Jens; Krauss, Sabrina; Held, Manuel; Bender, Dominik; Schaller, Hans-Eberhard; Rahmanian-Schwarz, Afshin; Constantinescu, Mihai Adrian; Jaminet, Patrick

2014-11-01

Pressure ulcers are associated with severe impairment for the patients and high economic load. With this study we wanted to gain more insight to the skin perfusion dynamics due to external loading. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of different types of pressure relief mattresses. A total of 25 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Perfusion dynamics of the sacral and the heel area were assessed using the O2C-device, which combines a laser light, to determine blood flow, and white light to determine the relative amount of hemoglobin. Three mattresses were evaluated compared to a hard surface: a standard hospital foam mattress bed, a visco-elastic foam mattress, and an air-fluidized bed. In the heel area, only the air-fluidized bed was able to maintain the blood circulation (mean blood flow of 13.6 ± 6 versus 3.9 ± 3 AU and mean relative amount of hemoglobin of 44.0 ± 14 versus 32.7 ± 12 AU.) In the sacral area, all used mattresses revealed an improvement of blood circulation compared to the hard surface. The results of this study form a more precise pattern of perfusion changes due to external loading on various pressure relief mattresses. This knowledge may reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers and may be an influencing factor in pressure relief mattress selection. Copyright © 2014 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A retrospective study to determine the incidence of pressure ulcers in burn patients using an alternating pressure mattress.

Science.gov (United States)

Still, Joseph M; Wilson, Joan; Rinker, Connie; Law, Edward; Craft-Coffman, Beretta

2003-08-01

In immobilized patients, unrelieved pressure can create decubitus ulcers over bony prominences. Those burn patients who require prolonged bed rest, are prone to the development of such problems. Various methods of reducing pressure on these areas, including frequent turning and the use of air fluidized and low air loss beds, have been adopted to attempt to prevent the development of this complication. The Pegasus Renaissance alternating pressure mattress is such a device, intended to reduce the incidence of decubitus ulcers. It was introduced at our burn unit and evaluated over a 29-month period. During the study period, 186 (13.4%) of 1390 acutely burned patients, believed to be at high risk for the development of decubiti, were placed on this mattress. Other patients were treated in the standard hospital bed. Care was otherwise the same. No decubitus ulcers developed in any of the patients treated on the Pegasus Renaissance mattress.

A Comparison of Cervical Spine Motion After Immobilization With a Traditional Spine Board and Full-Body Vacuum-Mattress Splint.

Science.gov (United States)

Etier, Brian E; Norte, Grant E; Gleason, Megan M; Richter, Dustin L; Pugh, Kelli F; Thomson, Keith B; Slater, Lindsay V; Hart, Joe M; Brockmeier, Stephen F; Diduch, David R

2017-12-01

vacuum-mattress splint compared with the rigid backboard in varying sized equipped or nonequipped athletes. Cervical spine motion occurs when removing a football helmet and shoulder pads, at an unknown risk to the injured athlete. In athletes who weighed more than 250 lb, immobilization with the rigid board helped to reduce cervical spine motion. Athletic trainers and team physicians should consider immobilization of athletes who weigh more than 250 lb with a rigid board.

Geographical variation and the determinants of domestic endotoxin levels in mattress dust in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, C.M.; Thiering, E.; Doekes, G.; Zock, J.P.; Bakolis, I.; Norbäck, D.; Sunyer, J.; Villani, S.; Verlato, G.; Täubel, M.; Jarvis, D.

2012-01-01

Endotoxin exposures have manifold effects on human health. The geographical variation and determinants of domestic endotoxin levels in Europe have not yet been extensively described. To investigate the geographical variation and determinants of domestic endotoxin concentrations in mattress dust in

Finite element modeling for predicting the contact pressure between a foam mattress and the human body in a supine position.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Wookjin; Won, Byeong Hee; Cho, Seong Wook

2017-01-01

In this paper, we generated finite element (FE) models to predict the contact pressure between a foam mattress and the human body in a supine position. Twenty-year-old males were used for three-dimensional scanning to produce the FE human models, which was composed of skin and muscle tissue. A linear elastic isotropic material model was used for the skin, and the Mooney-Rivlin model was used for the muscle tissue because it can effectively represent the nonlinear behavior of muscle. The contact pressure between the human model and the mattress was predicted by numerical simulation. The human models were validated by comparing the body pressure distribution obtained from the same human subject when he was lying on two different mattress types. The experimental results showed that the slope of the lower part of the mattress caused a decrease in the contact pressure at the heels, and the effect of bone structure was most pronounced in the scapula. After inserting a simple structure to function as the scapula, the contact pressure predicted by the FE human models was consistent with the experimental body pressure distribution for all body parts. These results suggest that the models proposed in this paper will be useful to researchers and designers of products related to the prevention of pressure ulcers.

Multi-stage versus single-stage inflation and deflation cycle for alternating low pressure air mattresses to prevent pressure ulcers in hospitalised patients: a randomised-controlled clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Demarré, L; Beeckman, D; Vanderwee, K; Defloor, T; Grypdonck, M; Verhaeghe, S

2012-04-01

The duration and the amount of pressure and shear must be reduced in order to minimize the risk of pressure ulcer development. Alternating low pressure air mattresses with multi-stage inflation and deflation cycle of the air cells have been developed to relieve pressure by sequentially inflating and deflating the air cells. Evidence about the effectiveness of this type of mattress in clinical practice is lacking. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of an alternating low pressure air mattress that has a standard single-stage inflation and deflation cycle of the air cells with an alternating low pressure air mattress with multi-stage inflation and deflation cycle of the air cells. A randomised controlled trial was performed in a convenience sample of 25 wards in five hospitals in Belgium. In total, 610 patients were included and randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=298) or the control group (n=312). In the experimental group, patients were allocated to an alternating low pressure air mattress with multi-stage inflation and deflation cycle of the air cells. In the control group, patients were allocated to an alternating low pressure air mattress with a standard single-stage inflation and deflation cycle of the air cells. The outcome was defined as cumulative pressure ulcer incidence (Grade II-IV). An intention-to-treat analysis was performed. There was no significant difference in cumulative pressure ulcer incidence (Grade II-IV) between both groups (Exp.=5.7%, Contr.=5.8%, p=0.97). When patients developed a pressure ulcer, the median time was 5.0 days in the experimental group (IQR=3.0-8.5) and 8.0 days in the control group (IQR=3.0-8.5) (Mann-Whitney U-test=113, p=0.182). The probability to remain pressure ulcer free during the observation period in this trial did not differ significantly between the experimental group and the control group (log-rank χ(2)=0.013, df=1, p=0.911). An alternating low pressure air mattress with multi-stage inflation

A retrospective study to determine the incidence of pressure ulcers in burn patients using a low air loss pressure relieving mattress.

Science.gov (United States)

Still, Joseph M; Wilson, Joan; Rinker, Connie; Law, Edward; Craft-Coffman, Beretta

2003-06-01

In immobilized patients, unrelieved pressure can create decubitus ulcers over bony prominences. Those burn patients who require prolonged bed rest, are prone to the development of such problems. Various methods of reducing pressure on these areas, including frequent turning and the use of air fluidized and low air loss beds, have been adopted to attempt to prevent the development of this complication. The Pegasus Renaissance alternating pressure mattress is such a device, intended to reduce the incidence of decubitus ulcers. It was introduced at our burn unit and evaluated over a 29-month period. During the study period, 186 (13.4%) of 1390 acutely burned patients, believed to be at high risk for the development of decubiti, were placed on this mattress. Other patients were treated in the standard hospital bed. Care was otherwise the same. No decubitus ulcers developed in any of the patients treated on the Pegasus Renaissance mattress.

Grain size dependence of wear in ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, C.C.; Rice, R.W.; Johnson, D.; Platt, B.A.

1985-01-01

Pin-On-Disk (POD), microwear tests of Al 2 O 3 , MgO, MgAl 2 O 4 , and ZrO 2 , most being dense and essentially single phase, showed the reciprocal of wear following a hall-petch type relationship. However, extrapolation to infinite grain size always gave a lower intercept than most or all single-crystal values; in particular, Al 2 O 3 data projects to a negative intercept. Initial macro wear tests of some of the same Al 2 O 3 materials also indicate a hall-petch type grain-size dependence, but with a greatly reduced grain-size dependence, giving a positive hall-petch intercept. Further, the macrowear grain-size dependence appears to decrease with increased wear. It is argued that thermal expansion anisotropy (of Al 2 O 3 ) significantly affects the grain size dependence of POD wear, in particular, giving a negative intercept, while elastic anisotropy is suggested as a factor in the grain-size dependence of the cubic (MgO, MgAl 2 O 4 , and ZrO 2 ) materials. The reduced grain-size dependence in the macrowear tests is attributed to overlapping wear tracks reducing the effects of enhanced wear damage, e.g., from elastic and thermal expansion anisotropies

Emission of phthalates and phthalate alternatives from vinyl flooring and crib mattress covers: the influence of temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yirui; Xu, Ying

2014-12-16

Emissions of phthalates and phthalate alternatives from vinyl flooring and crib mattress covers were measured in a specially designed chamber. The gas-phase concentrations versus time were measured at four different temperatures, that is, 25, 36, 45, and 55 °C. The key parameter that controls the emissions (y0, gas-phase concentration in equilibrium with the material phase) was determined, and the emissions were found to increase significantly with increasing temperature. Both the material-phase concentration (C0) and the chemical vapor pressure (Vp) were found to have great influence on the value of y0. The measured ratios of C0 to y0 were exponentially proportional to the reciprocal of temperature, in agreement with the van't Hoff equation. A emission model was validated at different temperatures, with excellent agreement between model calculations and chamber observations. In residential homes, an increase in the temperature from 25 to 35 °C can elevate the gas-phase concentration of phthalates by more than a factor of 10, but the total airborne concentration may not increase that much for less volatile compounds. In infant sleep microenvironments, an increase in the temperature of mattress can cause a significant increase in emission of phthalates from the mattress cover and make the concentration in the infant's breathing zone about four times higher than that in the bulk room air, resulting in potentially high exposure.

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart, 1897) in mattress and floor dust in a temperate climate (Acari : Pyroglyphidae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bronswijk, van J.E.M.H.

1973-01-01

The arthropod fauna of mattress dust, bedroom dust and living-room dust was sampled during a 1-year period in a center for asthmatic children (near Nijmegen, The Netherlands) with the aid of a vacuum cleaner, Berlese funnels and a flotation method. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was most abundant;

A randomized trial of exothermic mattresses for preterm newborns in polyethylene bags.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McCarthy, Lisa K

2013-07-01

Hypothermia on admission to the NICU is associated with increased mortality in preterm infants. Many newborns are hypothermic on admission despite using polyethylene bags (PBs). Using exothermic mattresses (EMs) in addition to PBs may reduce hypothermia but increase hyperthermia. We wished to determine whether placing preterm newborns in PBs on EMs in the DR results in more infants with rectal temperature outside the range 36.5 to 37.5°C on NICU admission.

Effect of mattress and pillow encasings on children with asthma and house dust mite allergy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halken, Susanne; Høst, Arne; Niklassen, Ulla

2003-01-01

BACKGROUND: House dust mite (HDM) allergy is a frequent cause of allergic asthma in children. Reduction of exposure seems to be the most logical way to treat these patients. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate whether mattress and pillow encasings resulted in an effective long-term control of H...

Allgöwer-Donati Versus Vertical Mattress Suture Technique Impact on Perfusion in Ankle Fracture Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial Using Intraoperative Angiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Shannon, Steven F; Houdek, Matthew T; Wyles, Cody C; Yuan, Brandon J; Cross, William W; Cass, Joseph R; Sems, Stephen A

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate which primary wound closure technique for ankle fractures affords the most robust perfusion as measured by laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography: Allgöwer-Donati or vertical mattress. Prospective, randomized. Level 1 Academic Trauma Center. Thirty patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation for ankle fractures were prospectively randomized to Allgöwer-Donati (n = 15) or vertical mattress (n = 15) closure. Demographics were similar for both cohorts with respect to age, sex, body mass index, surgical timing, and OTA/AO fracture classification. Skin perfusion (mean incision perfusion and mean perfusion impairment) was quantified in fluorescence units with laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography along the lateral incision as well as anterior and posterior to the incision at 30 separate locations. Minimum follow-up was 3 months with a mean follow-up 4.7 months. Allgöwer-Donati enabled superior perfusion compared with the vertical mattress suture technique. Mean incision perfusion for Allgöwer-Donati was 51 (SD = 13) and for vertical mattress was 28 (SD = 10, P ankle fractures. Theoretically, this may enhance soft tissue healing and decrease the risk of wound complications. Surgeons may take this into consideration when deciding closure techniques for ankle fractures. Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Matrigel Mattress: A Method for the Generation of Single Contracting Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Feaster, Tromondae K; Cadar, Adrian G; Wang, Lili; Williams, Charles H; Chun, Young Wook; Hempel, Jonathan E; Bloodworth, Nathaniel; Merryman, W David; Lim, Chee Chew; Wu, Joseph C; Knollmann, Björn C; Hong, Charles C

2015-12-04

The lack of measurable single-cell contractility of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes (hiPSC-CMs) currently limits the utility of hiPSC-CMs for evaluating contractile performance for both basic research and drug discovery. To develop a culture method that rapidly generates contracting single hiPSC-CMs and allows quantification of cell shortening with standard equipment used for studying adult CMs. Single hiPSC-CMs were cultured for 5 to 7 days on a 0.4- to 0.8-mm thick mattress of undiluted Matrigel (mattress hiPSC-CMs) and compared with hiPSC-CMs maintained on a control substrate (method enables the rapid generation of robustly contracting hiPSC-CMs and enhances maturation. This new method allows quantification of contractile performance at the single-cell level, which should be valuable to disease modeling, drug discovery, and preclinical cardiotoxicity testing. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Nonlinear dynamics of contact interaction of a size-dependent plate supported by a size-dependent beam

Science.gov (United States)

Awrejcewicz, J.; Krysko, V. A.; Yakovleva, T. V.; Pavlov, S. P.; Krysko, V. A.

2018-05-01

A mathematical model of complex vibrations exhibited by contact dynamics of size-dependent beam-plate constructions was derived by taking the account of constraints between these structural members. The governing equations were yielded by variational principles based on the moment theory of elasticity. The centre of the investigated plate was supported by a beam. The plate and the beam satisfied the Kirchhoff/Euler-Bernoulli hypotheses. The derived partial differential equations (PDEs) were reduced to the Cauchy problems by the Faedo-Galerkin method in higher approximations, whereas the Cauchy problem was solved using a few Runge-Kutta methods. Reliability of results was validated by comparing the solutions obtained by qualitatively different methods. Complex vibrations were investigated with the help of methods of nonlinear dynamics such as vibration signals, phase portraits, Fourier power spectra, wavelet analysis, and estimation of the largest Lyapunov exponents based on the Rosenstein, Kantz, and Wolf methods. The effect of size-dependent parameters of the beam and plate on their contact interaction was investigated. It was detected and illustrated that the first contact between the size-dependent structural members implies chaotic vibrations. In addition, problems of chaotic synchronization between a nanoplate and a nanobeam were addressed.

Effect evaluation of a heated ambulance mattress-prototype on thermal comfort and patients' temperatures in prehospital emergency care - an intervention study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aléx, Jonas; Karlsson, Stig; Björnstig, Ulf; Saveman, Britt-Inger

2015-01-01

Background The ambulance milieu does not offer good thermal comfort to patients during the cold Swedish winters. Patients' exposure to cold temperatures combined with a cold ambulance mattress seems to be the major factor leading to an overall sensation of discomfort. There is little research on the effect of active heat delivered from underneath in ambulance care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an electrically heated ambulance mattress-prototype on thermal comfort and patients' temperatures in the prehospital emergency care. Methods A quantitative intervention study on ambulance care was conducted in the north of Sweden. The ambulance used for the intervention group (n=30) was equipped with an electrically heated mattress on the regular ambulance stretcher whereas for the control group (n=30) no active heat was provided on the stretcher. Outcome variables were measured as thermal comfort on the Cold Discomfort Scale (CDS), subjective comments on cold experiences, and finger, ear and air temperatures. Results Thermal comfort, measured by CDS, improved during the ambulance transport to the emergency department in the intervention group (p=0.001) but decreased in the control group (p=0.014). A significant higher proportion (57%) of the control group rated the stretcher as cold to lie down compared to the intervention group (3%, pthermal comfort and may prevent the negative consequences of cold stress.

Effect evaluation of a heated ambulance mattress-prototype on thermal comfort and patients' temperatures in prehospital emergency care--an intervention study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aléx, Jonas; Karlsson, Stig; Björnstig, Ulf; Saveman, Britt-Inger

2015-01-01

The ambulance milieu does not offer good thermal comfort to patients during the cold Swedish winters. Patients' exposure to cold temperatures combined with a cold ambulance mattress seems to be the major factor leading to an overall sensation of discomfort. There is little research on the effect of active heat delivered from underneath in ambulance care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an electrically heated ambulance mattress-prototype on thermal comfort and patients' temperatures in the prehospital emergency care. A quantitative intervention study on ambulance care was conducted in the north of Sweden. The ambulance used for the intervention group (n=30) was equipped with an electrically heated mattress on the regular ambulance stretcher whereas for the control group (n=30) no active heat was provided on the stretcher. Outcome variables were measured as thermal comfort on the Cold Discomfort Scale (CDS), subjective comments on cold experiences, and finger, ear and air temperatures. Thermal comfort, measured by CDS, improved during the ambulance transport to the emergency department in the intervention group (p=0.001) but decreased in the control group (p=0.014). A significant higher proportion (57%) of the control group rated the stretcher as cold to lie down compared to the intervention group (3%, pthermal comfort and may prevent the negative consequences of cold stress.

Size-Dependent Dynamic Behavior of a Microcantilever Plate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoming Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Material length scale considerably affects the mechanical properties of microcantilever components. Recently, cantilever-plate-like structures have been commonly used, whereas the lack of studies on their size effects constrains the design, testing, and application of these structures. We have studied the size-dependent dynamic behavior of a cantilever plate based on a modified couple stress theory and the differential quadrature method in this note. The numerical solutions of microcantilever plate equation involving the size effect have been presented. We have also analyzed the bending and vibration of the microcantilever plates considering the size effect and discussed the dependence of the size effect on their geometric dimensions. The results have shown that (1 the mechanical characteristics of the cantilever plate show obvious size effects; as a result, the bending deflection of a microcantilever plate reduces whereas the natural frequency increases effectively and (2 for the plates with the same material, the size effect becomes more obvious when the plates are thinner.

Density-dependence as a size-independent regulatory mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vladar, Harold P

2006-01-21

The growth function of populations is central in biomathematics. The main dogma is the existence of density-dependence mechanisms, which can be modelled with distinct functional forms that depend on the size of the population. One important class of regulatory functions is the theta-logistic, which generalizes the logistic equation. Using this model as a motivation, this paper introduces a simple dynamical reformulation that generalizes many growth functions. The reformulation consists of two equations, one for population size, and one for the growth rate. Furthermore, the model shows that although population is density-dependent, the dynamics of the growth rate does not depend either on population size, nor on the carrying capacity. Actually, the growth equation is uncoupled from the population size equation, and the model has only two parameters, a Malthusian parameter rho and a competition coefficient theta. Distinct sign combinations of these parameters reproduce not only the family of theta-logistics, but also the van Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Potential Growth equations, among other possibilities. It is also shown that, except for two critical points, there is a general size-scaling relation that includes those appearing in the most important allometric theories, including the recently proposed Metabolic Theory of Ecology. With this model, several issues of general interest are discussed such as the growth of animal population, extinctions, cell growth and allometry, and the effect of environment over a population.

Stimulus size dependence of hue changes induced by chromatic surrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellner, Christian Johannes; Wachtler, Thomas

2016-03-01

A chromatic surround induces a change in the perceived hue of a stimulus. This shift in hue depends on the chromatic difference between the stimulus and the surround. We investigated how chromatic induction varies with stimulus size and whether the size dependence depends on the surround hue. Subjects performed asymmetric matching of color stimuli with different sizes in surrounds of different chromaticities. Generally, induced hue shifts decreased with increasing stimulus size. This decrease was quantitatively different for different surround hues. However, when size effects were normalized to an overall induction strength, the chromatic specificity was largely reduced. The separability of inducer chromaticity and stimulus size suggests that these effects are mediated by different neural mechanisms.

Probing size-dependent electrokinetics of hematite aggregates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kedra-Królik, Karolina; Rosso, Kevin M.; Zarzycki, Piotr

2017-02-01

Aqueous particle suspensions of many kinds are stabilized by the electrostatic potential developed at their surfaces from reaction with water and ions. An important and less well understood aspect of this stabilization is the dependence of the electrostatic surface potential on particle size. Surface electrostatics are typically probed by measuring particle electrophoretic mobilities and quantified in the electrokinetic potential (f), using commercially available Zeta Potential Analyzers (ZPA). Even though ZPAs provide frequency-spectra (histograms) of electrophoretic mobility and hydrodynamic diameter, typically only the maximal-intensity values are reported, despite the information in the remainder of the spectra. Here we propose a mapping procedure that inter-correlates these histograms to extract additional insight, in this case to probe particle size-dependent electrokinetics. Our method is illustrated for a suspension of prototypical iron (III) oxide (hematite, a-Fe2O3). We found that the electrophoretic mobility and f-potential are a linear function of the aggregate size. By analyzing the distribution of surface site types as a function of aggregate size we show that site coordination increases with increasing aggregate diameter. This observation explains why the acidity of the iron oxide particles decreases with increasing particle size.

A Randomized, Crossover Trial of a Novel Sound-to-Sleep Mattress Technology in Children with Autism and Sleep Difficulties.

Science.gov (United States)

Frazier, Thomas W; Krishna, Jyoti; Klingemier, Eric; Beukemann, Mary; Nawabit, Rawan; Ibrahim, Sally

2017-01-15

This preliminary study investigated the tolerability and efficacy of a novel mattress technology-the Sound-To-Sleep (STS) system-in the treatment of sleep problems in children with autism. After screening, 45 children, ages 2.5 to 12.9 years, were randomized to order of mattress technology use (On-Off vs. Off-On). Treatment conditions (On vs. Off) lasted two weeks with immediate crossover. Tolerability, including study discontinuation and parent-report of mattress tolerance and ease of use, was tracked throughout the study. Efficacy assessments were obtained at baseline, prior to crossover, and end of study and included measures of autism traits, other psychopathology symptoms, sensory abnormalities, communication difficulties, quality of life, sleep diary parameters, and single-blinded actigraphy-derived sleep parameters. Statistical analyses evaluated differences in tolerability and efficacy when the STS system was on versus off. STS system use was well tolerated (n = 2, 4.4% dropout) and resulted in parent-reported sleep quality improvements (STS off mean = 4.3, 95% CI = 4.05-4.54 vs. on mean = 4.9, 95%CI = 4.67-5.14). The technology was described by parents as very easy to use and child tolerance was rated as good. Parent-diary outcomes indicated improvements in falling asleep and reduced daytime challenging behavior. Actigraphy-derived sleep parameters indicated improved sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Improvements in child and family quality of life were identified on parent questionnaires. A future large sample phase 2 trial of the STS system is warranted and would benefit from extended study duration, an objective primary efficacy outcome, and careful attention to methodological issues that promote compliance with the intervention and study procedures. © 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Nano-material size dependent laser-plasma thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

EL Sherbini, Ashraf M.; Parigger, Christian G.

2016-10-01

The reduction of laser fluence for initiation of plasma was measured for zinc monoxide nanoparticles of diameters in the range of 100 to 20 nm. In a previous work by EL Sherbini and Parigger [Wavelength Dependency and Threshold Measurements for Nanoparticle-enhanced Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Spectrochim. Acta Part B 116 (2016) 8-15], the hypothesis of threshold dependence on particle size leads to the interpretation of the experiments for varying excitation wavelengths with fixed, 30 nm nanomaterial. The experimental results presented in this work were obtained with 1064 nm Nd:YAG radiation and confirm and validate the suspected reduction due to quenching of the thermal conduction length to the respective sizes of the nanoparticles.

Size-dependent reactivity of magnetite nanoparticles: a field-laboratory comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Swindle, Andrew L.; Elwood Madden, Andrew S.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Benamara, Mourad

2014-01-01

Logistic challenges make direct comparisons between laboratory- and field-based investigations into the size-dependent reactivity of nanomaterials difficult. This investigation sought to compare the size-dependent reactivity of nanoparticles in a field setting to a laboratory analog using the specific example of magnetite dissolution. Synthetic magnetite nanoparticles of three size intervals, ∼6 nm, ∼44 nm, and ∼90 nm were emplaced in the subsurface of the USGS research site at the Norman Landfill for up to 30 days using custom-made subsurface nanoparticle holders. Laboratory analog dissolution experiments were conducted using synthetic groundwater. Reaction products were analyzed via TEM and SEM and compared to initial particle characterizations. Field results indicated that an organic coating developed on the particle surfaces largely inhibiting reactivity. Limited dissolution occurred, with the amount of dissolution decreasing as particle size decreased. Conversely, the laboratory analogs without organics revealed greater dissolution of the smaller particles. These results showed that the presence of dissolved organics led to a nearly complete reversal in the size-dependent reactivity trends displayed between the field and laboratory experiments indicating that size-dependent trends observed in laboratory investigations may not be relevant in organic-rich natural systems.

A random energy model for size dependence : recurrence vs. transience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Külske, Christof

1998-01-01

We investigate the size dependence of disordered spin models having an infinite number of Gibbs measures in the framework of a simplified 'random energy model for size dependence'. We introduce two versions (involving either independent random walks or branching processes), that can be seen as

Size dependent magnetism of mass selected deposited transition metal clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, T.

2002-05-01

The size dependent magnetic properties of small iron clusters deposited on ultrathin Ni/Cu(100) films have been studied with circularly polarised synchrotron radiation. For X-ray magnetic circular dichroism studies, the magnetic moments of size selected clusters were aligned perpendicular to the sample surface. Exchange coupling of the clusters to the ultrathin Ni/Cu(100) film determines the orientation of their magnetic moments. All clusters are coupled ferromagnetically to the underlayer. With the use of sum rules, orbital and spin magnetic moments as well as their ratios have been extracted from X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra. The ratio of orbital to spin magnetic moments varies considerably as a function of cluster size, reflecting the dependence of magnetic properties on cluster size and geometry. These variations can be explained in terms of a strongly size dependent orbital moment. Both orbital and spin magnetic moments are significantly enhanced in small clusters as compared to bulk iron, although this effect is more pronounced for the spin moment. Magnetic properties of deposited clusters are governed by the interplay of cluster specific properties on the one hand and cluster-substrate interactions on the other hand. Size dependent variations of magnetic moments are modified upon contact with the substrate. (orig.)

Density-dependence as a size-independent regulatory mechanism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Vladar, H.P.

2006-01-01

The growth function of populations is central in biomathematics. The main dogma is the existence of density-dependence mechanisms, which can be modelled with distinct functional forms that depend on the size of the Population. One important class of regulatory functions is the theta-logistic, which

Universal relation for size dependent thermodynamic properties of metallic nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Shiyun; Qi, Weihong; Cheng, Yajuan; Huang, Baiyun; Wang, Mingpu; Li, Yejun

2011-06-14

The previous model on surface free energy has been extended to calculate size dependent thermodynamic properties (i.e., melting temperature, melting enthalpy, melting entropy, evaporation temperature, Curie temperature, Debye temperature and specific heat capacity) of nanoparticles. According to the quantitative calculation of size effects on the calculated thermodynamic properties, it is found that most thermodynamic properties of nanoparticles vary linearly with 1/D as a first approximation. In other words, the size dependent thermodynamic properties P(n) have the form of P(n) = P(b)(1 -K/D), in which P(b) is the corresponding bulk value and K is the material constant. This may be regarded as a scaling law for most of the size dependent thermodynamic properties for different materials. The present predictions are consistent literature values. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures. G.U. Kulkarni. Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. Bangalore, India. kulkarni@jncasr.ac.in.

Effect evaluation of a heated ambulance mattress-prototype on thermal comfort and patients’ temperatures in prehospital emergency care – an intervention study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonas Aléx

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The ambulance milieu does not offer good thermal comfort to patients during the cold Swedish winters. Patients’ exposure to cold temperatures combined with a cold ambulance mattress seems to be the major factor leading to an overall sensation of discomfort. There is little research on the effect of active heat delivered from underneath in ambulance care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an electrically heated ambulance mattress-prototype on thermal comfort and patients’ temperatures in the prehospital emergency care. Methods: A quantitative intervention study on ambulance care was conducted in the north of Sweden. The ambulance used for the intervention group (n=30 was equipped with an electrically heated mattress on the regular ambulance stretcher whereas for the control group (n=30 no active heat was provided on the stretcher. Outcome variables were measured as thermal comfort on the Cold Discomfort Scale (CDS, subjective comments on cold experiences, and finger, ear and air temperatures. Results: Thermal comfort, measured by CDS, improved during the ambulance transport to the emergency department in the intervention group (p=0.001 but decreased in the control group (p=0.014. A significant higher proportion (57% of the control group rated the stretcher as cold to lie down compared to the intervention group (3%, p<0.001. At arrival, finger, ear and compartment air temperature showed no statistical significant difference between groups. Mean transport time was approximately 15 minutes. Conclusions: The use of active heat from underneath increases the patients’ thermal comfort and may prevent the negative consequences of cold stress.

Size-dependent mechanical properties of 2D random nanofibre networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Zixing; Zhu, Man; Liu, Qiang

2014-01-01

The mechanical properties of nanofibre networks (NFNs) are size dependent with respect to different fibre diameters. In this paper, a continuum model is developed to reveal the size-dependent mechanical properties of 2D random NFNs. Since such size-dependent behaviours are attributed to different micromechanical mechanisms, the surface effects and the strain gradient (SG) effects are, respectively, introduced into the mechanical analysis of NFNs. Meanwhile, a modified fibre network model is proposed, in which the axial, bending and shearing deformations are incorporated. The closed-form expressions of effective modulus and Poisson's ratio are obtained for NFNs. Different from the results predicted by conventional fibre network model, the present model predicts the size-dependent mechanical properties of NFNs. It is found that both surface effects and SG effects have significant influences on the effective mechanical properties. Moreover, the present results show that the shearing deformation of fibre segment is also crucial to precisely evaluate the effective mechanical properties of NFNs. This work mainly aims to provide an insight into the micromechanical mechanisms of NFNs. Besides, this work is also expected to provide a more accurate theoretical model for 2D fibre networks. (paper)

A simple shear limited, single size, time dependent flocculation model

Science.gov (United States)

Kuprenas, R.; Tran, D. A.; Strom, K.

2017-12-01

This research focuses on the modeling of flocculation of cohesive sediment due to turbulent shear, specifically, investigating the dependency of flocculation on the concentration of cohesive sediment. Flocculation is important in larger sediment transport models as cohesive particles can create aggregates which are orders of magnitude larger than their unflocculated state. As the settling velocity of each particle is determined by the sediment size, density, and shape, accounting for this aggregation is important in determining where the sediment is deposited. This study provides a new formulation for flocculation of cohesive sediment by modifying the Winterwerp (1998) flocculation model (W98) so that it limits floc size to that of the Kolmogorov micro length scale. The W98 model is a simple approach that calculates the average floc size as a function of time. Because of its simplicity, the W98 model is ideal for implementing into larger sediment transport models; however, the model tends to over predict the dependency of the floc size on concentration. It was found that the modification of the coefficients within the original model did not allow for the model to capture the dependency on concentration. Therefore, a new term within the breakup kernel of the W98 formulation was added. The new formulation results is a single size, shear limited, and time dependent flocculation model that is able to effectively capture the dependency of the equilibrium size of flocs on both suspended sediment concentration and the time to equilibrium. The overall behavior of the new model is explored and showed align well with other studies on flocculation. Winterwerp, J. C. (1998). A simple model for turbulence induced flocculation of cohesive sediment. .Journal of Hydraulic Research, 36(3):309-326.

Functional-dependent and size-dependent uptake of nanoparticles in PC12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, N; Matsui, Y; Nakayama, A; Yoneda, M; Tsuda, A

2011-01-01

It is suggested that the uptake of nanoparticles is changed by the particle size or the surface modification. In this study, we quantified the uptake of nanoparticles in PC12 cells exposed Quantum Dots with different surface modification or fluorescent polystyrene particles with different particle size. The PC12 cells were exposed three types of the Quantum Dots (carboxyl base-functionalized, amino base-functionalized or non-base-functionalized) or three types of the fluorescent particles (22 nm, 100 nm or 1000 nm) for 3 hours. The uptake of the nanoparticles was quantified with a spectrofluorophotometer. The carboxyl base-functionalized Quantum Dots were considerably taken up by the cells than the non-base-functionalized Quantum Dots. Conversely, the amino base-functionalized Quantum Dots were taken up by the cells less frequently than the non-base-functionalized Quantum Dots. The particle number of the 22 nm-nanoparticles taken up by the cells was about 53 times higher than the 100 nm-particles. However, the particle weight of the 100 nm-particles taken up by the cells was higher than that of the 22 nm-nanoparticles. The 1000 nm-particles were adhered to the cell membrane, but they were little taken up by the cells. We concluded that nanoparticles can be taken up nerve cells in functional-dependent and size-dependent manners.

Connection between the growth rate distribution and the size dependent crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrović, M. M.; Žekić, A. A.; IIić, Z. Z.

2002-07-01

The results of investigations of the connection between the growth rate dispersions and the size dependent crystal growth of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP), Rochelle salt (RS) and sodium chlorate (SC) are presented. A possible way out of the existing confusion in the size dependent crystal growth investigations is suggested. It is shown that the size independent growth exists if the crystals belonging to one growth rate distribution maximum are considered separately. The investigations suggest possible reason for the observed distribution maxima widths, and the high data scattering on the growth rate versus the crystal size dependence.

Frictional behaviour of sandstone: A sample-size dependent triaxial investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Roshan, Hamid; Masoumi, Hossein; Regenauer-Lieb, Klaus

2017-01-01

Frictional behaviour of rocks from the initial stage of loading to final shear displacement along the formed shear plane has been widely investigated in the past. However the effect of sample size on such frictional behaviour has not attracted much attention. This is mainly related to the limitations in rock testing facilities as well as the complex mechanisms involved in sample-size dependent frictional behaviour of rocks. In this study, a suite of advanced triaxial experiments was performed on Gosford sandstone samples at different sizes and confining pressures. The post-peak response of the rock along the formed shear plane has been captured for the analysis with particular interest in sample-size dependency. Several important phenomena have been observed from the results of this study: a) the rate of transition from brittleness to ductility in rock is sample-size dependent where the relatively smaller samples showed faster transition toward ductility at any confining pressure; b) the sample size influences the angle of formed shear band and c) the friction coefficient of the formed shear plane is sample-size dependent where the relatively smaller sample exhibits lower friction coefficient compared to larger samples. We interpret our results in terms of a thermodynamics approach in which the frictional properties for finite deformation are viewed as encompassing a multitude of ephemeral slipping surfaces prior to the formation of the through going fracture. The final fracture itself is seen as a result of the self-organisation of a sufficiently large ensemble of micro-slip surfaces and therefore consistent in terms of the theory of thermodynamics. This assumption vindicates the use of classical rock mechanics experiments to constrain failure of pressure sensitive rocks and the future imaging of these micro-slips opens an exciting path for research in rock failure mechanisms.

Size- and food-dependent growth drives patterns of competitive dominance along productivity gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Huss, Magnus; Gårdmark, Anna; Van Leeuwen, Anieke; de Roos, André M

2012-04-01

Patterns of coexistence among competing species exhibiting size- and food-dependent growth remain largely unexplored. Here we studied mechanisms behind coexistence and shifts in competitive dominance in a size-structured fish guild, representing sprat and herring stocks in the Baltic Sea, using a physiologically structured model of competing populations. The influence of degree of resource overlap and the possibility of undergoing ontogenetic diet shifts were studied as functions of zooplankton and zoobenthos productivity. By imposing different size-dependent mortalities, we could study the outcome of competition under contrasting environmental regimes representing poor and favorable growth conditions. We found that the identity of the dominant species shifted between low and high productivity. Adding a herring-exclusive benthos resource only provided a competitive advantage over sprat when size-dependent mortality was high enough to allow for rapid growth in the zooplankton niche. Hence, the importance of a bottom-up effect of varying productivity was dependent on a strong top-down effect. Although herring could depress shared resources to lower levels than could sprat and also could access an exclusive resource, the smaller size at maturation of sprat allowed it to coexist with herring and, in some cases, exclude it. Our model system, characterized by interactions among size cohorts, allowed for consumer coexistence even at full resource overlap at intermediate productivities when size-dependent mortality was low. Observed shifts in community patterns were crucially dependent on the explicit consideration of size- and food-dependent growth. Accordingly, we argue that accounting for food-dependent growth and size-dependent interactions is necessary to better predict changes in community structure and dynamics following changes in major ecosystem drivers such as resource productivity and mortality, which are fundamental for our ability to manage exploitation of

Theoretical and experimental study: the size dependence of decomposition thermodynamics of nanomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Zixiang; Duan, Huijuan; Li, Wenjiao; Xue, Yongqiang

2015-01-01

In the processes of preparation and application of nanomaterials, the decomposition reactions of nanomaterials are often involved. However, there is a dramatic difference in decomposition thermodynamics between nanomaterials and the bulk counterparts, and the difference depends on the size of the particles that compose the nanomaterials. In this paper, the decomposition model of a nanoparticle was built, the theory of decomposition thermodynamics of nanomaterials was proposed, and the relations of the size dependence of thermodynamic quantities for the decomposition reactions were deduced. In experiment, taking the thermal decomposition of nano-Cu 2 (OH) 2 CO 3 with different particle sizes (the range of radius is at 8.95–27.4 nm) as a system, the reaction thermodynamic quantities were determined, and the regularities of size dependence of the quantities were summarized. These experimental regularities consist with the above thermodynamic relations. The results show that there is a significant effect of the size of particles composing a nanomaterial on the decomposition thermodynamics. When all the decomposition products are gases, the differences in thermodynamic quantities of reaction between the nanomaterials and the bulk counterparts depend on the particle size; while when one of the decomposition products is a solid, the differences depend on both the initial particle size of the nanoparticle and the decomposition ratio. When the decomposition ratio is very small, these differences are only related to the initial particle size; and when the radius of the nanoparticles approaches or exceeds 10 nm, the reaction thermodynamic functions and the logarithm of the equilibrium constant are linearly associated with the reciprocal of radius, respectively. The thermodynamic theory can quantificationally describe the regularities of the size dependence of thermodynamic quantities for decomposition reactions of nanomaterials, and contribute to the researches and the

Modeling motoneuron firing properties: dependency on size and calcium dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Heyden, M. J.; Hilgevoord, A. A.; Bour, L. J.; Ongerboer de Visser, B. W.

1994-01-01

The origin of functional differences between motoneurons of varying size was investigated by employing a one-compartmental motoneuron model containing a slow K+ conductance dependent on the intracellular calcium concentration. The size of the cell was included as an explicit parameter. Simulations

A Novel Repair Method for Radial Tears of the Medial Meniscus: Biomechanical Comparison of Transtibial 2-Tunnel and Double Horizontal Mattress Suture Techniques Under Cyclic Loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatia, Sanjeev; Civitarese, David M; Turnbull, Travis Lee; LaPrade, Christopher M; Nitri, Marco; Wijdicks, Coen A; LaPrade, Robert F

2016-03-01

Complete radial tears of the medial meniscus have been reported to be functionally similar to a total meniscectomy. At present, there is no consensus on an ideal technique for repair of radial midbody tears of the medial meniscus. Prior attempts at repair with double horizontal mattress suture techniques have led to a reportedly high rate of incomplete healing or healing in a nonanatomic (gapped) position, which compromises the ability of the meniscus to withstand hoop stresses. A newly proposed 2-tunnel radial meniscal repair method will result in decreased gapping and increased ultimate failure loads compared with the double horizontal mattress suture repair technique under cyclic loading. Controlled laboratory study. Ten matched pairs of male human cadaveric knees (average age, 58.6 years; range, 48-66 years) were used. A complete radial medial meniscal tear was made at the junction of the posterior one-third and middle third of the meniscus. One knee underwent a horizontal mattress inside-out repair, while the contralateral knee underwent a radial meniscal repair entailing the same technique with a concurrent novel 2-tunnel repair. Specimens were potted and mounted on a universal testing machine. Each specimen was cyclically loaded 1000 times with loads between 5 and 20 N before experiencing a load to failure. Gap distances at the tear site and failure load were measured. The 2-tunnel repairs exhibited a significantly stronger ultimate failure load (median, 196 N; range, 163-212 N) than did the double horizontal mattress suture repairs (median, 106 N; range, 63-229 N) (P = .004). In addition, the 2-tunnel repairs demonstrated decreased gapping at all testing states (P meniscus significantly decrease the ability of the meniscus to dissipate tibiofemoral loads, predisposing patients to early osteoarthritis. Improving the ability to repair medial meniscal radial tears in a way that withstands cyclic loads and heals in an anatomic position could significantly

Size-dependent deformation behavior of nanocrystalline graphene sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zhi [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Huang, Yuhong [College of Physics and Information Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, Shaanxi (China); Ma, Fei, E-mail: mafei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Sun, Yunjin [Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Product Detection and Control of Spoilage Organisms and Pesticide Residue, Beijing Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, Beijing 102206 (China); Xu, Kewei, E-mail: kwxu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Department of Physics and Opt-electronic Engineering, Xi’an University of Arts and Science, Xi’an 710065, Shaanxi (China); Chu, Paul K., E-mail: paul.chu@cityu.edu.hk [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • MD simulation is conducted to study the deformation of nanocrystalline graphene. • Unexpectedly, the elastic modulus decreases with the grain size considerably. • But the fracture stress and strain are nearly insensitive to the grain size. • A composite model with grain domains and GBs as two components is suggested. - Abstract: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is conducted to study the deformation behavior of nanocrystalline graphene sheets. It is found that the graphene sheets have almost constant fracture stress and strain, but decreased elastic modulus with grain size. The results are different from the size-dependent strength observed in nanocrystalline metals. Structurally, the grain boundaries (GBs) become a principal component in two-dimensional materials with nano-grains and the bond length in GBs tends to be homogeneously distributed. This is almost the same for all the samples. Hence, the fracture stress and strain are almost size independent. As a low-elastic-modulus component, the GBs increase with reducing grain size and the elastic modulus decreases accordingly. A composite model is proposed to elucidate the deformation behavior.

Field size dependence of wedge factor: miniphantom vs full phantom measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen Li, X.; Szanto, J.; Soubra, M.; Gerig, L. H.

1995-01-01

It is empirically known that the transmission factor for wedge in a high-energy photon beam is dependent upon field size and depth of measurement. The field-size dependence of wedge factors may be attributed to changes in (i) head scatter, (ii) phantom scatter, and (iii) backscatter from the wedge into the linac monitor chamber. In this work we present the results of studies designed to examine each of these factors in isolation. The wedge factors for wedges with nominal wedge angles of 15 deg. , 30 deg. , 45 deg. and 60 deg. were measured with a 3-g/cm 2 -diameter narrow cylindrical phantom (miniphantom), a brass cap with 1.5-g/cm 2 side-wall thickness and a full water phantom for 6-, 10- and 18-MV photon beams. The measurements were performed with and without flattening filter in place. The wedge factors measured with the miniphantom and the brass cap exclude the phantom scatter contribution. It has been found that the field-size behaviour of wedge factor measured with full water phantom is similar to that measured with the miniphantom and cap. This indicates that the head scatter radiation is the major contributor to the field size dependence of wedge factors. Wedge factors measured with water phantom are up to 5.0% smaller than those measured with miniphantom. This difference increases with wedge angle. When Measured with the flattening filter removed, the field size dependence of the wedge factor is reduced. This justify that the flattening filter is one of the major contributors to head scatters. The measurement results made with the brass cap agree well with those made by using the miniphantom. By measuring the monitor chamber output, it is found that the backscatters from the wedge into the linac ion chamber have little effect on the field size dependence of the wedge factor

Particle size- and concentration-dependent separation of magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witte, Kerstin, E-mail: witte@micromod.de [University of Rostock, Institute of Physics, Albert-Einstein-Str. 23, 18059 Rostock (Germany); Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 4, 18119 Rostock (Germany); Müller, Knut; Grüttner, Cordula; Westphal, Fritz [Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 4, 18119 Rostock (Germany); Johansson, Christer [Acreo Swedish ICT AB, 40014 Göteborg (Sweden)

2017-04-01

Small magnetic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution are of great interest for several biomedical applications. When the size of the particles decreases, the magnetic moment of the particles decreases. This leads to a significant increase in the separation time by several orders of magnitude. Therefore, in the present study the separation processes of bionized nanoferrites (BNF) with different sizes and concentrations were investigated with the commercial Sepmag Q system. It was found that an increasing initial particle concentration leads to a reduction of the separation time for large nanoparticles due to the higher probability of building chains. Small nanoparticles showed exactly the opposite behavior with rising particle concentration up to 0.1 mg(Fe)/ml. For higher iron concentrations the separation time remains constant and the measured Z-average decreases in the supernatant at same time intervals. At half separation time a high yield with decreasing hydrodynamic diameter of particles can be obtained using higher initial particle concentrations. - Highlights: • Size dependent separation processes of multicore nanoparticles. • Concentration dependent separation processes of multicore nanoparticles. • Increasing separation time with rising concentrations for small particles. • Large particles show typical cooperative magnetophoresis behavior.

Size-dependent diffusion promotes the emergence of spatiotemporal patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Lai; Thygesen, Uffe Høgsbro; Banerjee, Malay

2014-01-01

intraspecific physiological variations at the individual level. Here we explore the impacts of size variation within species resulting from individual ontogeny, on the emergence of spatiotemporal patterns in a fully size-structured population model. We found that size dependency of animal's diffusivity greatly......, we found that the single-generation cycle is more likely to drive spatiotemporal patterns compared to predator-prey cycles, meaning that the mechanism of Hopf bifurcation might be more common than hitherto appreciated since the former cycle is more widespread than the latter in case of interacting...

Body size-dependent Cd accumulation in the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha from different routes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Wen-Li; Evans, Douglas; Kraemer, Lisa; Zhong, Huan

2017-02-01

Understanding body size-dependent metal accumulation in aquatic organisms (i.e., metal allometry) is critical in interpreting biomonitoring data. While growth has received the most attention, little is known about controls of metal exposure routes on metal allometry. Here, size-dependent Cd accumulation in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) from different routes were investigated by exposing mussels to A.( 111 Cd spiked algae+ 113 Cd spiked river water) or B.( 111 Cd spiked sediments+ 113 Cd spiked river water). After exposure, 111 Cd or 113 Cd levels in mussel tissue were found to be negatively correlated with tissue weight, while Cd allometry coefficients (b values) were dependent on Cd exposure routes: -0.664 for algae, -0.241 for sediments and -0.379 for river water, compared to -0.582 in un-exposed mussels. By comparing different Cd exposure routes, we found that size-dependent Cd bioaccumulation from algae or river water could be more responsible for the overall size-dependent Cd accumulation in mussels, and the relative importance of the two sources was dependent on mussel size ranges: Cadmium obtained from algae (algae-Cd) was more important in size-dependent Cd accumulation in smaller mussels (tissue dry weight  5 mg). In contrast, sediment-Cd contributed only a small amount to Cd accumulation in zebra mussels and may have little effect on size-dependent Cd bioaccumulation. Our results suggest that size-dependent Cd accumulation in mussels could be largely affected by exposure routes, which should be considered when trying to interpret Cd biomonitoring data of zebra mussels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size-dependent modification of asteroid family Yarkovsky V-shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Bolin, B. T.; Morbidelli, A.; Walsh, K. J.

2018-04-01

Context. The thermal properties of the surfaces of asteroids determine the magnitude of the drift rate cause by the Yarkovsky force. In the general case of Main Belt asteroids, the Yarkovsky force is indirectly proportional to the thermal inertia, Γ. Aim. Following the proposed relationship between Γ and asteroid diameter D, we find that asteroids' Yarkovsky drift rates might have a more complex size dependence than previous thought, leading to a curved family V-shape boundary in semi-major axis, a, vs. 1/D space. This implies that asteroids are drifting faster at larger sizes than previously considered decreasing on average the known ages of asteroid families. Methods: The V-Shape curvature is determined for >25 families located throughout the Main Belt to quantify the Yarkovsky size-dependent drift rate. Results: We find that there is no correlation between family age and V-shape curvature. In addition, the V-shape curvature decreases for asteroid families with larger heliocentric distances suggesting that the relationship between Γ and D is weaker in the outer MB possibly due to homogenous surface roughness among family members.

Size-Dependent Axonal Bouton Dynamics following Visual Deprivation In Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosanna P. Sammons

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Persistent synapses are thought to underpin the storage of sensory experience, yet little is known about their structural plasticity in vivo. We investigated how persistent presynaptic structures respond to the loss of primary sensory input. Using in vivo two-photon (2P imaging, we measured fluctuations in the size of excitatory axonal boutons in L2/3 of adult mouse visual cortex after monocular enucleation. The average size of boutons did not change after deprivation, but the range of bouton sizes was reduced. Large boutons decreased, and small boutons increased. Reduced bouton variance was accompanied by a reduced range of correlated calcium-mediated neural activity in L2/3 of awake animals. Network simulations predicted that size-dependent plasticity may promote conditions of greater bidirectional plasticity. These predictions were supported by electrophysiological measures of short- and long-term plasticity. We propose size-dependent dynamics facilitate cortical reorganization by maximizing the potential for bidirectional plasticity.

Size dependence of elastic mechanical properties of nanocrystalline aluminum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Wenwu; Dávila, Lilian P., E-mail: ldavila@ucmerced.edu

2017-04-24

The effect of grain size on the elastic mechanical properties of nanocrystalline pure metal Al is quantified by molecular dynamics simulation method. In this work, the largest nanocrystalline Al sample has a mean grain size of 29.6 nm and contains over 100 millions atoms in the modeling system. The simulation results show that the elastic properties including elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength of nanocrystalline Al are relatively insensitive to the variation of mean grain size above 13 nm yet they become distinctly grain size dependent below 13 nm. Moreover, at a grain size <13 nm, the elastic modulus decreases monotonically with decreasing grain size while the ultimate tensile strength of nanocrystalline Al initially decreases with the decrease of the grain size down to 9 nm and then increases with further reduction of grain size. The increase of ultimate tensile strength below 9 nm is believed to be a result of an extended elasticity in the ultrafine grain size nanocrystalline Al. This study can facilitate the prediction of varied mechanical properties for similar nanocrystalline materials and even guide testing and fabrication schemes of such materials.

Size dependence of non-magnetic thickness in YIG nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niyaifar, M., E-mail: md.niyaifar@gmail.com; Mohammadpour, H.; Dorafshani, M.; Hasanpour, A.

2016-07-01

This study is focused on particle size dependence of structural and magnetic properties in yttrium iron garnet (Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 5}O{sub 12}) nanoparticles. A series of YIG samples with different particle size were produced by varying the annealing temperatures. The X-ray analysis revealed an inverse correlation between lattice parameter and the crystallite size. The normal distribution is used for fitting the particles size distribution which is extracted from scanning electron micrographs. Also, by using the results of vibrating sample magnetometer, the magnetic diameter was calculated based on Langevin model in order to investigate the variation of dead layer thickness. Furthermore, the observed line broadening in Mössbauer spectra confirmed the increase of non-magnetic thickness due to the reduction of particle size. - Highlights: • Pure phase Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 5}O{sub 12} nanoparticles are fabricated in different particle size by a thermal treatment. • The size effect on magnetic properties is studied with a core/shell (magnetic/nonmagnetic) model. • The logarithmic variation of (dead layer thickness)/(particle size) ratio with the particle size is investigated. • The results of Mossbauer are explained based on the correlation between lattice constant and particle size variation.

A Heuristic Probabilistic Approach to Estimating Size-Dependent Mobility of Nonuniform Sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Woldegiorgis, B. T.; Wu, F. C.; van Griensven, A.; Bauwens, W.

2017-12-01

Simulating the mechanism of bed sediment mobility is essential for modelling sediment dynamics. Despite the fact that many studies are carried out on this subject, they use complex mathematical formulations that are computationally expensive, and are often not easy for implementation. In order to present a simple and computationally efficient complement to detailed sediment mobility models, we developed a heuristic probabilistic approach to estimating the size-dependent mobilities of nonuniform sediment based on the pre- and post-entrainment particle size distributions (PSDs), assuming that the PSDs are lognormally distributed. The approach fits a lognormal probability density function (PDF) to the pre-entrainment PSD of bed sediment and uses the threshold particle size of incipient motion and the concept of sediment mixture to estimate the PSDs of the entrained sediment and post-entrainment bed sediment. The new approach is simple in physical sense and significantly reduces the complexity and computation time and resource required by detailed sediment mobility models. It is calibrated and validated with laboratory and field data by comparing to the size-dependent mobilities predicted with the existing empirical lognormal cumulative distribution function (CDF) approach. The novel features of the current approach are: (1) separating the entrained and non-entrained sediments by a threshold particle size, which is a modified critical particle size of incipient motion by accounting for the mixed-size effects, and (2) using the mixture-based pre- and post-entrainment PSDs to provide a continuous estimate of the size-dependent sediment mobility.

Size dependence of the optical spectrum in nanocrystalline silver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taneja, Praveen; Ayyub, Pushan; Chandra, Ramesh

2002-01-01

We report a detailed study of the optical reflectance in sputter-deposited, nanocrystalline silver thin films in order to understand the marked changes in color that occur with decreasing particle size. In particular, samples with an average particle size in the 20 to 35 nm range are golden yellow, while those with a size smaller than 15 nm are black. We simulate the size dependence of the observed reflection spectra by incorporating Mie's theory of scattering and absorption of light in small particles, into the bulk dielectric constant formalism given by Ehrenreich and Philipp [Phys. Rev. 128, 1622 (1962)]. This provides a general method for understanding the reflected color of a dense collection of nanoparticles, such as in a nanocrystalline thin film. A deviation from Mie's theory is observed due to strong interparticle interactions

Dependence of size and size distribution on reactivity of aluminum nanoparticles in reactions with oxygen and MoO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Juan; Pantoya, Michelle L.; Simon, Sindee L.

2006-01-01

The oxidation reaction of aluminum nanoparticles with oxygen gas and the thermal behavior of a metastable intermolecular composite (MIC) composed of the aluminum nanoparticles and molybdenum trioxide are studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a function of the size and size distribution of the aluminum particles. Both broad and narrow size distributions have been investigated with aluminum particle sizes ranging from 30 to 160 nm; comparisons are also made to the behavior of micrometer-size particles. Several parameters have been used to characterize the reactivity of aluminum nanoparticles, including the fraction of aluminum that reacts prior to aluminum melting, heat of reaction, onset and peak temperatures, and maximum reaction rates. The results indicate that the reactivity of aluminum nanoparticles is significantly higher than that of the micrometer-size samples, but depending on the measure of reactivity, it may also depend strongly on the size distribution. The isoconversional method was used to calculate the apparent activation energy, and the values obtained for both the Al/O 2 and Al/MoO 3 reaction are in the range of 200-300 kJ/mol

Optical extinction dependence on wavelength and size distribution of airborne dust

Science.gov (United States)

Pangle, Garrett E.; Hook, D. A.; Long, Brandon J. N.; Philbrick, C. R.; Hallen, Hans D.

2013-05-01

The optical scattering from laser beams propagating through atmospheric aerosols has been shown to be very useful in describing air pollution aerosol properties. This research explores and extends that capability to particulate matter. The optical properties of Arizona Road Dust (ARD) samples are measured in a chamber that simulates the particle dispersal of dust aerosols in the atmospheric environment. Visible, near infrared, and long wave infrared lasers are used. Optical scattering measurements show the expected dependence of laser wavelength and particle size on the extinction of laser beams. The extinction at long wavelengths demonstrates reduced scattering, but chemical absorption of dust species must be considered. The extinction and depolarization of laser wavelengths interacting with several size cuts of ARD are examined. The measurements include studies of different size distributions, and their evolution over time is recorded by an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer. We analyze the size-dependent extinction and depolarization of ARD. We present a method of predicting extinction for an arbitrary ARD size distribution. These studies provide new insights for understanding the optical propagation of laser beams through airborne particulate matter.

Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Table of contents. Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures · Slide 2 · Slide 3 · Slide 4 · Slide 5 · Slide 6 · Slide 7 · Slide 8 · Slide 9 · Slide 10 · Slide 11 · Slide 12 · Slide 13 · Slide 14 · Slide 15 · Slide 16 · Slide 17 · Slide 18 · Slide 19 · Nanocrystalline film at liquid-liquid interface · Slide 21 · Slide 22.

Size-dependent magnetic properties of branchlike nickel oxide nanocrystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Branchlike nickel oxide nanocrystals with narrow size distribution are obtained by a solution growth method. The size-dependent of magnetic properties of the nickel oxides were investigated. The results of magnetic characterization indicate that the NiO nanocrystals with size below 12.8 nm show very weak ferromagnetic state at room temperature due to the uncompensated spins. Both of the average blocking temperature (Tb and the irreversible temperature (Tirr increase with the increase of nanoparticle sizes, while both the remnant magnetization and the coercivity at 300 K increase with the decrease of the particle sizes. Moreover, the disappearance of two-magnon (2M band and redshift of one-phonon longitudinal (1LO and two-phonon LO in vibrational properties due to size reduction are observed. Compared to the one with the spherical morphological, it is also found that nano-structured nickel oxides with the branchlike morphology have larger remnant magnetization and the coercivity at 5 K due to their larger surface-to-volume ratio and greater degree of broken symmetry at the surface or the higher proportion of broken bonds.

Size-dependent cytotoxicity of yttrium oxide nanoparticles on primary osteoblasts in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Guoqiang, E-mail: zhougq1982@163.com; Li, Yunfei; Ma, Yanyan; Liu, Zhu; Cao, Lili; Wang, Da; Liu, Sudan; Xu, Wenshi; Wang, Wenying [Hebei University, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Hebei Province, College of Chemistry and Environmental Science (China)

2016-05-15

Yttrium oxide nanoparticles are an excellent host material for the rare earth metals and have high luminescence efficiency providing a potential application in photodynamic therapy and biological imaging. In this study, the effects of yttrium oxide nanoparticles with four different sizes were investigated using primary osteoblasts in vitro. The results demonstrated that the cytotoxicity generated by yttrium oxide nanoparticles depended on the particle size, and smaller particles possessed higher toxicological effects. For the purpose to elucidate the relationship between reactive oxygen species generation and cell damage, cytomembrane integrity, intracellular reactive oxygen species level, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell apoptosis rate, and activity of caspase-3 in cells were then measured. Increased reactive oxygen species level was also observed in a size-dependent way. Thus, our data demonstrated that exposure to yttrium oxide nanoparticles resulted in a size-dependent cytotoxicity in cultured primary osteoblasts, and reactive oxygen species generation should be one possible damage pathway for the toxicological effects produced by yttrium oxide particles. The results may provide useful information for more rational applications of yttrium oxide nanoparticles in the future.

Continuous Size-Dependent Sorting of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles in Laser-Ablated Microchannel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiqiang Fan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports a low-cost method of continuous size-dependent sorting of magnetic nanoparticles in polymer-based microfluidic devices by magnetic force. A neodymium permanent magnet was used to generate a magnetic field perpendicular to the fluid flow direction. Firstly, FeNi3 magnetic nanoparticles were chemically synthesized with diameter ranges from 80 nm to 200 nm; then, the solution of magnetic nanoparticles and a buffer were passed through the microchannel in laminar flow; the magnetic nanoparticles were deflected from the flow direction under the applied magnetic field. Nanoparticles in the microchannel will move towards the direction of high-gradient magnetic fields, and the degree of deflection depends on their sizes; therefore, magnetic nanoparticles of different sizes can be separated and finally collected from different output ports. The proposed method offers a rapid and continuous approach of preparing magnetic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution from an arbitrary particle size distribution. The proposed new method has many potential applications in bioanalysis field since magnetic nanoparticles are commonly used as solid support for biological entities such as DNA, RNA, virus, and protein. Other than the size sorting application of magnetic nanoparticles, this approach could also be used for the size sorting and separation of naturally magnetic cells, including blood cells and magnetotactic bacteria.

Unraveling the size-dependent optical properties of dissolved organic matter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wünsch, Urban; Stedmon, Colin; Tranvik, Lars

2018-01-01

The size-dependent optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from four Swedish lakes were investigated using High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) in conjunction with online characterization of absorbance (240–600 nm) and fluorescence (excitation: 275 nm, emission: 300....... This study demonstrates the potential for HPSEC and novel mathematical approaches to provide unprecedented insights into the relationship between optical and chemical properties of DOM in aquatic systems...

Effective size of density-dependent two-sex populations: the effect of mating systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Myhre, A M; Engen, S; SAEther, B-E

2017-08-01

Density dependence in vital rates is a key feature affecting temporal fluctuations of natural populations. This has important implications for the rate of random genetic drift. Mating systems also greatly affect effective population sizes, but knowledge of how mating system and density regulation interact to affect random genetic drift is poor. Using theoretical models and simulations, we compare N e in short-lived, density-dependent animal populations with different mating systems. We study the impact of a fluctuating, density-dependent sex ratio and consider both a stable and a fluctuating environment. We find a negative relationship between annual N e /N and adult population size N due to density dependence, suggesting that loss of genetic variation is reduced at small densities. The magnitude of this decrease was affected by mating system and life history. A male-biased, density-dependent sex ratio reduces the rate of genetic drift compared to an equal, density-independent sex ratio, but a stochastic change towards male bias reduces the N e /N ratio. Environmental stochasticity amplifies temporal fluctuations in population size and is thus vital to consider in estimation of effective population sizes over longer time periods. Our results on the reduced loss of genetic variation at small densities, particularly in polygamous populations, indicate that density regulation may facilitate adaptive evolution at small population sizes. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Angle dependent focal spot size of a conical X-ray target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeed Raza, Hamid; Jin Kim, Hyun; Nam Kim, Hyun; Oh Cho, Sung

2015-01-01

Misaligned phantoms may severely affect the focal spot calculations. A method is proposed to determine the geometry of the X-ray target and the position of the image radiograph around the X-ray target to get a relatively smaller focal spot size. Results reveal that the focal spot size is not always isotropic around the target but it decreases as the point of observation shifts radially away from the center line of the conical X-ray target. This research will help in producing high quality X-ray images in multi-directions by properly aligning the phantoms and the radiograph tallies. - Highlights: • Misaligned phantoms may severely affect the focal spot calculations. • The aim of this research is to analyze systematically the angle dependent behavior of the focal spot size around a conical shaped X-ray target. • A general purpose Monte Carlo (MCNP5) computer code is used to achieve a relatively small focal spot size. • Angular distribution of the X-ray focal spot size mainly depends on the angular orientation of the phantom and its aligned FIR tally. • This research will help in producing high quality X-ray images in multi-directions

KIDNEY SIZE IN INFANTS OF TIGHTLY CONTROLLED INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETIC MOTHERS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

BOS, AF; AALDERS, AL; VANDOORMAAL, JJ; MARTIJN, A; OKKEN, A

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in pregnant women on the kidney size of their infants. We measured kidney length in the first week of life using ultrasonography in 20 infants of tightly controlled insulin-dependent diabetic mothers and 20

Size and temperature dependent stability and phase transformation in single-crystal zirconium nanowire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutrakar, Vijay Kumar; Roy Mahapatra, D.

2011-01-01

A novel size dependent FCC (face-centered-cubic) → HCP (hexagonally-closed-pack) phase transformation and stability of an initial FCC zirconium nanowire are studied. FCC zirconium nanowires with cross-sectional dimensions 20 Å, in which surface stresses are not enough to drive the phase transformation, show meta-stability. In such a case, an external kinetic energy in the form of thermal heating is required to overcome the energy barrier and achieve FCC → HCP phase transformation. The FCC-HCP transition pathway is also studied using Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method, to further confirm the size dependent stability/metastability of Zr nanowires. We also show size dependent critical temperature, which is required for complete phase transformation of a metastable-FCC nanowire.

Anomalous roughness of turbulent interfaces with system size dependent local roughness exponent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balankin, Alexander S.; Matamoros, Daniel Morales

2005-01-01

In a system far from equilibrium the system size can play the role of control parameter that governs the spatiotemporal dynamics of the system. Accordingly, the kinetic roughness of interfaces in systems far from equilibrium may depend on the system size. To get an insight into this problem, we performed a detailed study of rough interfaces formed in paper combustion experiments. Using paper sheets of different width λ, we found that the turbulent flame fronts display anomalous multi-scaling characterized by non-universal global roughness exponent α and by the system size dependent spectrum of local roughness exponents, ζ q (λ)=ζ 1 (1)q -ω λ φ q =0.93q -0.15 . The structure factor of turbulent flame fronts also exhibits unconventional scaling dependence on λ. These results are expected to apply to a broad range of far from equilibrium systems when the kinetic energy fluctuations exceed a certain critical value.

Scale-Dependent Habitat Selection and Size-Based Dominance in Adult Male American Alligators.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bradley A Strickland

Full Text Available Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17 on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their

Scale-dependent habitat selection and size-based dominance in adult male American alligators

Science.gov (United States)

Strickland, Bradley A.; Vilella, Francisco; Belant, Jerrold L.

2016-01-01

Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range) then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17) on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their social dominance

Sample-size dependence of diversity indices and the determination of sufficient sample size in a high-diversity deep-sea environment

OpenAIRE

Soetaert, K.; Heip, C.H.R.

1990-01-01

Diversity indices, although designed for comparative purposes, often cannot be used as such, due to their sample-size dependence. It is argued here that this dependence is more pronounced in high diversity than in low diversity assemblages and that indices more sensitive to rarer species require larger sample sizes to estimate diversity with reasonable precision than indices which put more weight on commoner species. This was tested for Hill's diversity number N sub(0) to N sub( proportional ...

Evaluation of size dependent design shear strength of reinforced ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

to the development of the size dependent models on the shear strength in ... predict the diagonal cracking strength and the ultimate shear strength of RC ... ing strength of normal beams was by Zsutty (1968) based on the data base available without .... The comparison of the calculated shear strength of the beams is shown.

Size and shape dependent deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnard, Amanda S; Per, Manolo C

2014-01-01

Many important reactions in biology and medicine involve proton abstraction and transfer, and it is integral to applications such as drug delivery. Unlike electrons, which are quantum mechanically delocalized, protons are instantaneously localized on specific residues in these reactions, which can be a distinct advantage. However, the introduction of nanoparticles, such as non-toxic nanodiamonds, to this field complicates matters, as the number of possible sites increases as the inverse radius of the particle. In this paper we present >10 4 simulations that map the size- and shape-dependence of the deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamonds in the range 1.8–2.7 nm in average diameter. We find that while the average deprotonation potential and proton affinities decrease with size, the site-specific values are inhomogeneous over the surface of the particles, exhibiting strong shape-dependence. The proton affinity is strongly facet-dependent, whereas the deprotonation potential is edge/corner-dependent, which creates a type of spatial hysteresis in the transfer of protons to and from the nanodiamond, and provides new opportunities for selective functionalization. (paper)

Size and shape dependent deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamond

Science.gov (United States)

Barnard, Amanda S.; Per, Manolo C.

2014-11-01

Many important reactions in biology and medicine involve proton abstraction and transfer, and it is integral to applications such as drug delivery. Unlike electrons, which are quantum mechanically delocalized, protons are instantaneously localized on specific residues in these reactions, which can be a distinct advantage. However, the introduction of nanoparticles, such as non-toxic nanodiamonds, to this field complicates matters, as the number of possible sites increases as the inverse radius of the particle. In this paper we present \\gt {{10}4} simulations that map the size- and shape-dependence of the deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamonds in the range 1.8-2.7 nm in average diameter. We find that while the average deprotonation potential and proton affinities decrease with size, the site-specific values are inhomogeneous over the surface of the particles, exhibiting strong shape-dependence. The proton affinity is strongly facet-dependent, whereas the deprotonation potential is edge/corner-dependent, which creates a type of spatial hysteresis in the transfer of protons to and from the nanodiamond, and provides new opportunities for selective functionalization.

Cell Size and Growth Rate Are Modulated by TORC2-Dependent Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucena, Rafael; Alcaide-Gavilán, Maria; Schubert, Katherine; He, Maybo; Domnauer, Matthew G; Marquer, Catherine; Klose, Christian; Surma, Michal A; Kellogg, Douglas R

2018-01-22

The size of all cells, from bacteria to vertebrates, is proportional to the growth rate set by nutrient availability, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we show that nutrients modulate cell size and growth rate via the TORC2 signaling network in budding yeast. An important function of the TORC2 network is to modulate synthesis of ceramide lipids, which play roles in signaling. TORC2-dependent control of ceramide signaling strongly influences both cell size and growth rate. Thus, cells that cannot make ceramides fail to modulate their growth rate or size in response to changes in nutrients. PP2A associated with the Rts1 regulatory subunit (PP2A Rts1 ) is embedded in a feedback loop that controls TORC2 signaling and helps set the level of TORC2 signaling to match nutrient availability. Together, the data suggest a model in which growth rate and cell size are mechanistically linked by ceramide-dependent signals arising from the TORC2 network. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modified Continuum Mechanics Modeling on Size-Dependent Properties of Piezoelectric Nanomaterials: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Yan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Piezoelectric nanomaterials (PNs are attractive for applications including sensing, actuating, energy harvesting, among others in nano-electro-mechanical-systems (NEMS because of their excellent electromechanical coupling, mechanical and physical properties. However, the properties of PNs do not coincide with their bulk counterparts and depend on the particular size. A large amount of efforts have been devoted to studying the size-dependent properties of PNs by using experimental characterization, atomistic simulation and continuum mechanics modeling with the consideration of the scale features of the nanomaterials. This paper reviews the recent progresses and achievements in the research on the continuum mechanics modeling of the size-dependent mechanical and physical properties of PNs. We start from the fundamentals of the modified continuum mechanics models for PNs, including the theories of surface piezoelectricity, flexoelectricity and non-local piezoelectricity, with the introduction of the modified piezoelectric beam and plate models particularly for nanostructured piezoelectric materials with certain configurations. Then, we give a review on the investigation of the size-dependent properties of PNs by using the modified continuum mechanics models, such as the electromechanical coupling, bending, vibration, buckling, wave propagation and dynamic characteristics. Finally, analytical modeling and analysis of nanoscale actuators and energy harvesters based on piezoelectric nanostructures are presented.

Modified Continuum Mechanics Modeling on Size-Dependent Properties of Piezoelectric Nanomaterials: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Zhi; Jiang, Liying

2017-01-26

Piezoelectric nanomaterials (PNs) are attractive for applications including sensing, actuating, energy harvesting, among others in nano-electro-mechanical-systems (NEMS) because of their excellent electromechanical coupling, mechanical and physical properties. However, the properties of PNs do not coincide with their bulk counterparts and depend on the particular size. A large amount of efforts have been devoted to studying the size-dependent properties of PNs by using experimental characterization, atomistic simulation and continuum mechanics modeling with the consideration of the scale features of the nanomaterials. This paper reviews the recent progresses and achievements in the research on the continuum mechanics modeling of the size-dependent mechanical and physical properties of PNs. We start from the fundamentals of the modified continuum mechanics models for PNs, including the theories of surface piezoelectricity, flexoelectricity and non-local piezoelectricity, with the introduction of the modified piezoelectric beam and plate models particularly for nanostructured piezoelectric materials with certain configurations. Then, we give a review on the investigation of the size-dependent properties of PNs by using the modified continuum mechanics models, such as the electromechanical coupling, bending, vibration, buckling, wave propagation and dynamic characteristics. Finally, analytical modeling and analysis of nanoscale actuators and energy harvesters based on piezoelectric nanostructures are presented.

Size-dependent structure of silver nanoparticles under high pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koski, Kristie Jo [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2008-12-31

Silver noble metal nanoparticles that are<10 nm often possess multiply twinned grains allowing them to adopt shapes and atomic structures not observed in bulk materials. The properties exhibited by particles with multiply twinned polycrystalline structures are often far different from those of single-crystalline particles and from the bulk. I will present experimental evidence that silver nanoparticles<10 nm undergo a reversible structural transformation under hydrostatic pressures up to 10 GPa. Results for nanoparticles in the intermediate size range of 5 to 10 nm suggest a reversible linear pressure-dependent rhombohedral distortion which has not been previously observed in bulk silver. I propose a mechanism for this transitiion that considers the bond-length distribution in idealized multiply twinned icosahedral particles. Results for nanoparticles of 3.9 nm suggest a reversible linear pressure-dependent orthorhombic distortion. This distortion is interpreted in the context of idealized decahedral particles. In addition, given these size-dependent measurements of silver nanoparticle compression with pressure, we have constructed a pressure calibration curve. Encapsulating these silver nanoparticles in hollow metal oxide nanospheres then allows us to measure the pressure inside a nanoshell using x-ray diffraction. We demonstrate the measurement of pressure gradients across nanoshells and show that these nanoshells have maximum resolved shear strengths on the order of 500 MPa to IGPa.

Uniform TiO2 nanoparticles induce apoptosis in epithelial cell lines in a size-dependent manner.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qingqing; Ishii, Takayuki; Kanehira, Koki; Sato, Takeshi; Taniguchi, Akiyoshi

2017-05-02

The size of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles is a vital parameter that determines their cytotoxicity. However, most reported studies have employed irregular shapes and sizes of TiO 2 nanoparticles, as it is difficult to produce nanoparticles of suitable sizes for research. We produced good model TiO 2 nanoparticles of uniform shape and size for use in studying their cytotoxicity. In this work, spherical, uniform polyethylene glycol-modified TiO 2 (TiO 2 -PEG) nanoparticles of differing sizes (100, 200, and 300 nm) were prepared using the sol-gel method. A size-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed with increasing nanoparticle size. Furthermore, apoptosis was found to be positively associated with nanoparticle size, as evidenced by an increase in caspase-3 activity with increasing nanoparticle size. Larger nanoparticles exhibited higher cellular uptake, suggesting that larger nanoparticles more strongly induce apoptosis. In addition, the cellular uptake of different sizes of nanoparticles was energy dependent, suggesting that there are size-dependent uptake pathways. We found that 100 and 200 nm (but not 300 nm) nanoparticles were taken up via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These results utilizing uniform nanoparticles suggest that the size-dependent cytotoxicity of nanoparticles involves active cellular uptake, caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis in the epithelial cell line (NCI-H292). These findings will hopefully aid in the future design and safe use of nanoparticles.

Investigations of grain size dependent sediment transport phenomena on multiple scales

Science.gov (United States)

Thaxton, Christopher S.

Sediment transport processes in coastal and fluvial environments resulting from disturbances such as urbanization, mining, agriculture, military operations, and climatic change have significant impact on local, regional, and global environments. Primarily, these impacts include the erosion and deposition of sediment, channel network modification, reduction in downstream water quality, and the delivery of chemical contaminants. The scale and spatial distribution of these effects are largely attributable to the size distribution of the sediment grains that become eligible for transport. An improved understanding of advective and diffusive grain-size dependent sediment transport phenomena will lead to the development of more accurate predictive models and more effective control measures. To this end, three studies were performed that investigated grain-size dependent sediment transport on three different scales. Discrete particle computer simulations of sheet flow bedload transport on the scale of 0.1--100 millimeters were performed on a heterogeneous population of grains of various grain sizes. The relative transport rates and diffusivities of grains under both oscillatory and uniform, steady flow conditions were quantified. These findings suggest that boundary layer formalisms should describe surface roughness through a representative grain size that is functionally dependent on the applied flow parameters. On the scale of 1--10m, experiments were performed to quantify the hydrodynamics and sediment capture efficiency of various baffles installed in a sediment retention pond, a commonly used sedimentation control measure in watershed applications. Analysis indicates that an optimum sediment capture effectiveness may be achieved based on baffle permeability, pond geometry and flow rate. Finally, on the scale of 10--1,000m, a distributed, bivariate watershed terain evolution module was developed within GRASS GIS. Simulation results for variable grain sizes and for

Size-dependent electronic eigenstates of multilayer organic quantum wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Ba An; Hanamura, E.

1995-09-01

A detailed theoretical treatment is given eigenfunctions and eigenenergies of a multilayer organic quantum well sandwiched between two different dielectric media. The abrupt change of dielectric constants at the interfaces distorts the wave function and results in possible surface states in addition to propagating states. The proper boundary conditions are accounted for by the method of image charges. Analytic criteria for existence of surface states are established using the nearest layers approximation, which depend not only on the intralayer parameters but also on the number of layers. The size dependence together with the dependence on signs and relative magnitudes of the structure parameters fully determine the energy spectrum of propagating states as well as the number and the location of surface states. (author). 28 refs, 10 figs, 2 tabs

The energetics and structure of nickel clusters: Size dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleveland, C.L.; Landman, U.

1991-01-01

The energetics of nickel clusters over a broad size range are explored within the context of the many-body potentials obtained via the embedded atom method. Unconstrained local minimum energy configurations are found for single crystal clusters consisting of various truncations of the cube or octahedron, with and without (110) faces, as well as some monotwinnings of these. We also examine multitwinned structures such as icosahedra and various truncations of the decahedron, such as those of Ino and Marks. These clusters range in size from 142 to over 5000 atoms. As in most such previous studies, such as those on Lennard-Jones systems, we find that icosahedral clusters are favored for the smallest cluster sizes and that Marks' decahedra are favored for intermediate sizes (all our atomic systems larger than about 2300 atoms). Of course very large clusters will be single crystal face-centered-cubic (fcc) polyhedra: the onset of optimally stable single-crystal nickel clusters is estimated to occur at 17 000 atoms. We find, via comparisons to results obtained via atomistic calculations, that simple macroscopic expressions using accurate surface, strain, and twinning energies can usefully predict energy differences between different structures even for clusters of much smaller size than expected. These expressions can be used to assess the relative energetic merits of various structural motifs and their dependence on cluster size

Size of pancreas in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a study based on CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Ju Won; Yoon, Soon Min; Yoon, Mi Jin; Song, Moon Gab; Kim, Yoon Suk; Yoon, Young Kyu; Jun, Se June

1997-01-01

To evaluate changes of pancreatic size with aging in control subjects and in non-insulin- dependent diabetic patients. Two groups of non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients were examined; one had been treated with an oral hypoglycemic agent(n=59), and the other with insulin(n=56). The CT findings of 175 patients without clinical evidence of pancreatic disease were included as a normal control. In control subjects, pancreatic size and age correlated. The pancreas was smaller in non-insulin-dependent diabetics than in control subjects and smaller in insulin- treated non-insulin-dependent diabetics than in non-insulin treated patients. The pancreas was smaller in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients than in control subjects within the same age range

Size-Dependent Characterization of Atmospheric Particles during Winter in Beijing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haiyan Li

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Two real-time instruments, NCSA (Nanoparticle Chemical Speciation Analyzer and ACSA (Aerosol Chemical Speciation Analyzer, were both deployed in Beijing, China to explore the sized-dependent characterization of atmospheric particles. The mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and sulfate and nitrate in the three size fractions were hourly measured in situ from 13 December 2013 to 7 January 2014. Generally, “sawtooth cycles” are common during winter in Beijing, with the PM concentrations increasing slowly over a few days, then falling to a low level abruptly in only a few hours. The secondary species, sulfate and nitrate, play important roles in haze formation and account for 10.5% and 11.1% of total PM1 mass on average. Based on the variation of PM1 mass concentrations, we classify the study periods into three categories, clean, slightly polluted, and polluted. The oxidation ratios of sulfur and nitrogen both increase from clean to polluted periods, indicating the significant contribution of secondary transformation to haze evolution. While the PM2.5/PM10 ratio shows high dependence on PM pollution level, the ratio of PM1/PM2.5 remains almost stable during the entire study, with an average of 0.90. With respect to the mass-size distribution of chemical components, both sulfate and nitrate show dominant contributions in PM1 size fraction, accounting for 80.7% and 60.3% of total sulfate and nitrate, respectively. Our results also reveal that the elevated sulfate in PM1, and the enhanced nitrate in PM1 and PM2.5–1 size fraction, prompt the formation of haze pollution.

Spectral properties and lattice-size dependences in cluster algorithms

OpenAIRE

Kerler, W.

1993-01-01

Simulation results of Ising systems for several update rules, observables, and dimensions are analyzed. The lattice-size dependence is discussed for the autocorrelation times and for the weights of eigenvalues, giving fit results in the case of power laws. Implications of spectral properties are pointed out and the behavior of a particular observable not governed by detailed balance is explained.

Size-dependent characteristics of ultra-fine oxygen-enriched nanoparticles in austenitic steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miao, Yinbin, E-mail: ymiao@anl.gov [Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439 (United States); University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Mo, Kun [Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439 (United States); Zhou, Zhangjian [University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100082 (China); Liu, Xiang; Lan, Kuan-Che [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Zhang, Guangming [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100082 (China); Miller, Michael K.; Powers, Kathy A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (United States); Stubbins, James F. [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER), Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan)

2016-11-15

Here, a coordinated investigation of the elemental composition and morphology of ultra-fine-scale nanoparticles as a function of size within a variety of austenitic oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels is reported. Atom probe tomography was utilized to evaluate the elemental composition of these nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the crystal structures and orientation relationships were determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticles with sufficient size (>4 nm) to maintain a Y{sub 2}Ti{sub 2−x}O{sub 7−2x} stoichiometry were found to have a pyrochlore structure, whereas smaller Y{sub x}Ti{sub y}O{sub z} nanoparticles lacked a well-defined structure. The size-dependent characteristics of the nanoparticles in austenitic ODS steels differ from those in ferritic/martensitic ODS steels. - Highlights: • The structural and chemical characteristics of nanoparticles are revealed. • Nanoparticles' crystal structure and elemental composition are size-dependent. • Characteristics of austenitic ODS steels are compared to that of an F/M ODS steel. • Hypothesis about the formation mechanism of nanoparticles is proposed accordingly.

Estimation of the PCR efficiency based on a size-dependent modelling of the amplification process

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lalam, N.; Jacob, C.; Jagers, P.

2005-01-01

We propose a stochastic modelling of the PCR amplification process by a size-dependent branching process starting as a supercritical Bienaymé–Galton–Watson transient phase and then having a saturation near-critical size-dependent phase. This model based on the concept of saturation allows one to

Transient Properties of Probability Distribution for a Markov Process with Size-dependent Additive Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Yuhei; Yamazaki, Yoshihiro

2018-04-01

This study considered a stochastic model for cluster growth in a Markov process with a cluster size dependent additive noise. According to this model, the probability distribution of the cluster size transiently becomes an exponential or a log-normal distribution depending on the initial condition of the growth. In this letter, a master equation is obtained for this model, and derivation of the distributions is discussed.

Size dependence of efficiency at maximum power of heat engine

KAUST Repository

Izumida, Y.; Ito, N.

2013-01-01

We perform a molecular dynamics computer simulation of a heat engine model to study how the engine size difference affects its performance. Upon tactically increasing the size of the model anisotropically, we determine that there exists an optimum size at which the model attains the maximum power for the shortest working period. This optimum size locates between the ballistic heat transport region and the diffusive heat transport one. We also study the size dependence of the efficiency at the maximum power. Interestingly, we find that the efficiency at the maximum power around the optimum size attains a value that has been proposed as a universal upper bound, and it even begins to exceed the bound as the size further increases. We explain this behavior of the efficiency at maximum power by using a linear response theory for the heat engine operating under a finite working period, which naturally extends the low-dissipation Carnot cycle model [M. Esposito, R. Kawai, K. Lindenberg, C. Van den Broeck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 150603 (2010)]. The theory also shows that the efficiency at the maximum power under an extreme condition may reach the Carnot efficiency in principle.© EDP Sciences Società Italiana di Fisica Springer-Verlag 2013.

Size dependence of efficiency at maximum power of heat engine

KAUST Repository

Izumida, Y.

2013-10-01

We perform a molecular dynamics computer simulation of a heat engine model to study how the engine size difference affects its performance. Upon tactically increasing the size of the model anisotropically, we determine that there exists an optimum size at which the model attains the maximum power for the shortest working period. This optimum size locates between the ballistic heat transport region and the diffusive heat transport one. We also study the size dependence of the efficiency at the maximum power. Interestingly, we find that the efficiency at the maximum power around the optimum size attains a value that has been proposed as a universal upper bound, and it even begins to exceed the bound as the size further increases. We explain this behavior of the efficiency at maximum power by using a linear response theory for the heat engine operating under a finite working period, which naturally extends the low-dissipation Carnot cycle model [M. Esposito, R. Kawai, K. Lindenberg, C. Van den Broeck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 150603 (2010)]. The theory also shows that the efficiency at the maximum power under an extreme condition may reach the Carnot efficiency in principle.© EDP Sciences Società Italiana di Fisica Springer-Verlag 2013.

Modeling the size dependent pull-in instability of beam-type NEMS using strain gradient theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Koochi

Full Text Available It is well recognized that size dependency of materials characteristics, i.e. size-effect, often plays a significant role in the performance of nano-structures. Herein, strain gradient continuum theory is employed to investigate the size dependent pull-in instability of beam-type nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS. Two most common types of NEMS i.e. nano-bridge and nano-cantilever are considered. Effects of electrostatic field and dispersion forces i.e. Casimir and van der Waals (vdW attractions have been considered in the nonlinear governing equations of the systems. Two different solution methods including numerical and Rayleigh-Ritz have been employed to solve the constitutive differential equations of the system. Effect of dispersion forces, the size dependency and the importance of coupling between them on the instability performance are discussed.

Dependence of US hurricane economic loss on maximum wind speed and storm size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, Alice R; Jiang, Jonathan H

2014-01-01

Many empirical hurricane economic loss models consider only wind speed and neglect storm size. These models may be inadequate in accurately predicting the losses of super-sized storms, such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In this study, we examined the dependences of normalized US hurricane loss on both wind speed and storm size for 73 tropical cyclones that made landfall in the US from 1988 through 2012. A multi-variate least squares regression is used to construct a hurricane loss model using both wind speed and size as predictors. Using maximum wind speed and size together captures more variance of losses than using wind speed or size alone. It is found that normalized hurricane loss (L) approximately follows a power law relation with maximum wind speed (V max ) and size (R), L = 10 c V max a R b , with c determining an overall scaling factor and the exponents a and b generally ranging between 4–12 and 2–4 respectively. Both a and b tend to increase with stronger wind speed. Hurricane Sandy’s size was about three times of the average size of all hurricanes analyzed. Based on the bi-variate regression model that explains the most variance for hurricanes, Hurricane Sandy’s loss would be approximately 20 times smaller if its size were of the average size with maximum wind speed unchanged. It is important to revise conventional empirical hurricane loss models that are only dependent on maximum wind speed to include both maximum wind speed and size as predictors. (letters)

Size- and food-dependent growth drives patterns of competitive dominance along productivity gradients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huss, M.; Gårdmark, A.; van Leeuwen, A.; de Roos, A.M.

2012-01-01

Patterns of coexistence among competing species exhibiting size- and food-dependent growth remain largely unexplored. Here we studied mechanisms behind coexistence and shifts in competitive dominance in a size-structured fish guild, representing sprat and herring stocks in the Baltic Sea, using a

Tunable preparation of ruthenium nanoparticles with superior size-dependent catalytic hydrogenation properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Yuan; Luo, Yaodong; Yang, Xuan; Yang, Yaxin; Song, Qijun, E-mail: qsong@jiangnan.edu.cn

2017-06-15

Highlights: • A facile and efficient strategy is firstly developed for the synthesis of Ru NPs. • Ru NPs are stable and uniform with the controllable sizes from 2.6 to 51.5 nm. • Ru NPs exhibit size-dependent and superior catalytic hydrogenation activity. - Abstract: Ruthenium (Ru) featured with an unusual catalytic behavior is of great significance in several heterogeneous and electro-catalytic reactions. The preparation of tractable Ru nanocatalysts and the building of highly active catalytic system at ambient temperature remains a grand challenge. Herein, a facile strategy is developed for the controllable preparation of Ru nanoparticles (NPs) with the sizes ranging from 2.6 to 51.5 nm. Ru NPs show superior size-dependent catalytic performance with the best kinetic rate constant as high as −1.52 min{sup −1}, which could far surpass the other traditional noble metals. Ru NPs exert exceedingly efficient low-temperature catalytic activity and good recyclability in the catalytic reduction of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and azo dyes. The developed catalytic system provides a distinguishing insight for the artificial preparation of Ru NPs with desired sizes, and allows for the development of rational design rules for exploring catalysts with superior catalytic performances, potentially broadening the applications of metallic NP-enabled catalytic analysis.

Size-dependent pull-in instability of electrostatically actuated microbeam-based MEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Binglei; Zhou, Shenjie; Zhao, Junfeng; Chen, Xi

2011-01-01

We present a size-dependent model for electrostatically actuated microbeam-based MEMS using strain gradient elasticity theory. The normalized pull-in voltage is shown to increase nonlinearly with the decrease of the beam height, and the size effect becomes prominent if the beam thickness is on the order of microns or smaller (i.e. when the beam dimension is comparable to the material length scale parameter). Very good agreement is found between the present model and available experimental data. The study may be helpful to characterize the mechanical properties of small size MEMS, or guide the design of microbeam-based devices for a wide range of potential applications. (technical note)

Size dependence of magnetization reversal of ring shaped magnetic tunnel junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.C.; Kuo, C.Y.; Chang, Y.C.; Chang, C.C.; Horng, Lance; Wu, Teho; Chern, G.; Huang, C.Y.; Tsunoda, M.; Takahashi, M.; Wu, J.C.

2007-01-01

The size dependence of magnetization reversal of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) rings has been investigated. The MTJ rings, with outer diameter of 4, 2 and 1 μm and inner diameter of 1.5, 1 and 0.5 μm were fabricated by a top-down technique. The magnetoresistance curves manifest all of the magnetic domain configurations during magnetization reversal in different sized rings. Various transition processes were observed, such as four transition, three transition and two transition in the largest, middle and smallest MTJ ring, respectively. Furthermore, the biasing fields observed from major loops decrease with decreasing size, which may result from edge roughness produced in the ion-milling process

Size-dependent axisymmetric vibration of functionally graded circular plates in bifurcation/limit point instability

Science.gov (United States)

Ashoori, A. R.; Vanini, S. A. Sadough; Salari, E.

2017-04-01

In the present paper, vibration behavior of size-dependent functionally graded (FG) circular microplates subjected to thermal loading are carried out in pre/post-buckling of bifurcation/limit-load instability for the first time. Two kinds of frequently used thermal loading, i.e., uniform temperature rise and heat conduction across the thickness direction are considered. Thermo-mechanical material properties of FG plate are supposed to vary smoothly and continuously throughout the thickness based on power law model. Modified couple stress theory is exploited to describe the size dependency of microplate. The nonlinear governing equations of motion and associated boundary conditions are extracted through generalized form of Hamilton's principle and von-Karman geometric nonlinearity for the vibration analysis of circular FG plates including size effects. Ritz finite element method is then employed to construct the matrix representation of governing equations which are solved by two different strategies including Newton-Raphson scheme and cylindrical arc-length method. Moreover, in the following a parametric study is accompanied to examine the effects of the several parameters such as material length scale parameter, temperature distributions, type of buckling, thickness to radius ratio, boundary conditions and power law index on the dimensionless frequency of post-buckled/snapped size-dependent FG plates in detail. It is found that the material length scale parameter and thermal loading have a significant effect on vibration characteristics of size-dependent circular FG plates.

Design of a Novel Flexible Capacitive Sensing Mattress for Monitoring Sleeping Respiratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Ying Chang

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an algorithm to extract respiration signals using a flexible projected capacitive sensing mattress (FPCSM designed for personal health assessment is proposed. Unlike the interfaces of conventional measurement systems for poly-somnography (PSG and other alternative contemporary systems, the proposed FPCSM uses projected capacitive sensing capability that is not worn or attached to the body. The FPCSM is composed of a multi-electrode sensor array that can not only observe gestures and motion behaviors, but also enables the FPCSM to function as a respiration monitor during sleep using the proposed approach. To improve long-term monitoring when body movement is possible, the FPCSM enables the selection of data from the sensing array, and the FPCSM methodology selects the electrodes with the optimal signals after the application of a channel reduction algorithm that counts the reversals in the capacitive sensing signals as a quality indicator. The simple algorithm is implemented in the time domain. The FPCSM system is used in experimental tests and is simultaneously compared with a commercial PSG system for verification. Multiple synchronous measurements are performed from different locations of body contact, and parallel data sets are collected. The experimental comparison yields a correlation coefficient of 0.88 between FPCSM and PSG, demonstrating the feasibility of the system design.

Minimizing cell size dependence in micromagnetics simulations with thermal noise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MartInez, E [Departamento de Ingenieria Electromecanica, Universidad de Burgos, Plaza Misael Banuelos, s/n, E-09001, Burgos (Spain); Lopez-DIaz, L [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada. Universidad Salamanca. Plaza de la Merced s/n. Salamanca E-37008 (Spain); Torres, L [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada. Universidad Salamanca. Plaza de la Merced s/n. Salamanca E-37008 (Spain); GarcIa-Cervera, C J [Department of Mathematics. University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

2007-02-21

Langevin dynamics treats finite temperature effects in a micromagnetics framework by adding a thermal fluctuation field to the effective field. Several works have addressed the dependence of numerical results on the cell size used to split the ferromagnetic samples on the nanoscale regime. In this paper, some former problems dealing with the dependence on the spatial discretization at finite temperature have been revised. We have focused our attention on the stability of the numerical schemes used to integrate the Langevin equation. In particular, a detailed analysis of results was carried out as a function of the time step. It was confirmed that the mentioned dependence can be minimized if an unconditional stable integration method is used to numerically solve the Langevin equation.

Minimizing cell size dependence in micromagnetics simulations with thermal noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MartInez, E; Lopez-DIaz, L; Torres, L; GarcIa-Cervera, C J

2007-01-01

Langevin dynamics treats finite temperature effects in a micromagnetics framework by adding a thermal fluctuation field to the effective field. Several works have addressed the dependence of numerical results on the cell size used to split the ferromagnetic samples on the nanoscale regime. In this paper, some former problems dealing with the dependence on the spatial discretization at finite temperature have been revised. We have focused our attention on the stability of the numerical schemes used to integrate the Langevin equation. In particular, a detailed analysis of results was carried out as a function of the time step. It was confirmed that the mentioned dependence can be minimized if an unconditional stable integration method is used to numerically solve the Langevin equation

Crystal-Size-Dependent Structural Transitions in Nanoporous Crystals: Adsorption-Induced Transitions in ZIF-8

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Chen

2014-09-04

© 2014 American Chemical Society. Understanding the crystal-size dependence of both guest adsorption and structural transitions of nanoporous solids is crucial to the development of these materials. We find that nano-sized metal-organic framework (MOF) crystals have significantly different guest adsorption properties compared to the bulk material. A new methodology is developed to simulate the adsorption and transition behavior of entire MOF nanoparticles. Our simulations predict that the transition pressure significantly increases with decreasing particle size, in agreement with crystal-size-dependent experimental measurements of the N2-ZIF-8 system. We also propose a simple core-shell model to examine this effect on length scales that are inaccessible to simulations and again find good agreement with experiments. This study is the first to examine particle size effects on structural transitions in ZIFs and provides a thermodynamic framework for understanding the underlying mechanism.

Grain size and burnup dependence of spent fuel oxidation: Geological repository impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kansa, E.J.; Hanson, B.D.; Stout, R.B.

1999-01-01

Further refinements to the oxidation model of Stout et al. have been made. The present model incorporates the burnup dependence of the oxidation rate and an allowance for a distribution of grain sizes. The model was tested by comparing the model results with the oxidation histories of spent-fuel samples oxidized in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) or oven dry-bath (ODB) experiments. The experimental and model results are remarkably close and confirm the assumption that grain-size distributions and activation energies are the important parameters to predicting oxidation behavior. The burnup dependence of the activation energy was shown to have a greater effect than decreasing the effective grain size in suppressing the rate of the reaction U 4 O 9 r↓U 3 O 8 . Model results predict that U 3 O 8 formation of spent fuels exposed to oxygen will be suppressed even for high burnup fuels that have undergone restructuring in the rim region, provided the repository temperature is kept sufficiently low

Resolving nanoparticle growth mechanisms from size- and time-dependent growth rate analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Pichelstorfer, Lukas; Stolzenburg, Dominik; Ortega, John; Karl, Thomas; Kokkola, Harri; Laakso, Anton; Lehtinen, Kari E. J.; Smith, James N.; McMurry, Peter H.; Winkler, Paul M.

2018-01-01

Atmospheric new particle formation occurs frequently in the global atmosphere and may play a crucial role in climate by affecting cloud properties. The relevance of newly formed nanoparticles depends largely on the dynamics governing their initial formation and growth to sizes where they become important for cloud microphysics. One key to the proper understanding of nanoparticle effects on climate is therefore hidden in the growth mechanisms. In this study we have developed and successfully tested two independent methods based on the aerosol general dynamics equation, allowing detailed retrieval of time- and size-dependent nanoparticle growth rates. Both methods were used to analyze particle formation from two different biogenic precursor vapors in controlled chamber experiments. Our results suggest that growth rates below 10 nm show much more variation than is currently thought and pin down the decisive size range of growth at around 5 nm where in-depth studies of physical and chemical particle properties are needed.

Domain-size-dependent exchange bias in Co/LaFeO3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholl, A.; Nolting, F.; Seo, J.W.; Ohldag, H.; Stohr, J.; Raoux,S.; Locquet, J.-P.; Fompeyrine, J.

2004-09-22

X-ray microscopy using magnetic linear dichroism of a zero-field-grown, multi-domain Co/LaFeO{sub 3} ferromagnet/antiferromagnet sample shows a local exchange bias of random direction and magnitude. A statistical analysis of the local bias of individual, micron-size magnetic domains demonstrates an increasing bias field with decreasing domain size as expected for a random distribution of pinned, uncompensated spins, which are believed to mediate the interface coupling. A linear dependence with the inverse domain diameter is found.

Size, Shape, and Sequence-Dependent Immunogenicity of RNA Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sijin Guo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available RNA molecules have emerged as promising therapeutics. Like all other drugs, the safety profile and immune response are important criteria for drug evaluation. However, the literature on RNA immunogenicity has been controversial. Here, we used the approach of RNA nanotechnology to demonstrate that the immune response of RNA nanoparticles is size, shape, and sequence dependent. RNA triangle, square, pentagon, and tetrahedron with same shape but different sizes, or same size but different shapes were used as models to investigate the immune response. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by these RNA nanoarchitectures were assessed in macrophage-like cells and animals. It was found that RNA polygons without extension at the vertexes were immune inert. However, when single-stranded RNA with a specific sequence was extended from the vertexes of RNA polygons, strong immune responses were detected. These immunostimulations are sequence specific, because some other extended sequences induced little or no immune response. Additionally, larger-size RNA square induced stronger cytokine secretion. 3D RNA tetrahedron showed stronger immunostimulation than planar RNA triangle. These results suggest that the immunogenicity of RNA nanoparticles is tunable to produce either a minimal immune response that can serve as safe therapeutic vectors, or a strong immune response for cancer immunotherapy or vaccine adjuvants.

Size dependent compressibility of nano-ceria: Minimum near 33 nm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodenbough, Philip P.; Song, Junhua; Chan, Siu-Wai; Walker, David; Clark, Simon M.; Kalkan, Bora

2015-01-01

We report the crystallite-size-dependency of the compressibility of nanoceria under hydrostatic pressure for a wide variety of crystallite diameters and comment on the size-based trends indicating an extremum near 33 nm. Uniform nano-crystals of ceria were synthesized by basic precipitation from cerium (III) nitrate. Size-control was achieved by adjusting mixing time and, for larger particles, a subsequent annealing temperature. The nano-crystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and standard ambient x-ray diffraction (XRD). Compressibility, or its reciprocal, bulk modulus, was measured with high-pressure XRD at LBL-ALS, using helium, neon, or argon as the pressure-transmitting medium for all samples. As crystallite size decreased below 100 nm, the bulk modulus first increased, and then decreased, achieving a maximum near a crystallite diameter of 33 nm. We review earlier work and examine several possible explanations for the peaking of bulk modulus at an intermediate crystallite size

Size dependent compressibility of nano-ceria: Minimum near 33 nm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodenbough, Philip P. [Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Chemistry Department, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Song, Junhua; Chan, Siu-Wai, E-mail: sc174@columbia.edu [Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Walker, David [Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964 (United States); Clark, Simon M. [ARC Center of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2019, Australia and The Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Kirrawee DC, New South Wales 2232 (Australia); Kalkan, Bora [Department of Physics Engineering, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara (Turkey)

2015-04-20

We report the crystallite-size-dependency of the compressibility of nanoceria under hydrostatic pressure for a wide variety of crystallite diameters and comment on the size-based trends indicating an extremum near 33 nm. Uniform nano-crystals of ceria were synthesized by basic precipitation from cerium (III) nitrate. Size-control was achieved by adjusting mixing time and, for larger particles, a subsequent annealing temperature. The nano-crystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and standard ambient x-ray diffraction (XRD). Compressibility, or its reciprocal, bulk modulus, was measured with high-pressure XRD at LBL-ALS, using helium, neon, or argon as the pressure-transmitting medium for all samples. As crystallite size decreased below 100 nm, the bulk modulus first increased, and then decreased, achieving a maximum near a crystallite diameter of 33 nm. We review earlier work and examine several possible explanations for the peaking of bulk modulus at an intermediate crystallite size.

The Dependence of Tropical Cyclone Count and Size on Rotation Rate

Science.gov (United States)

Chavas, D. R.; Reed, K. A.

2017-12-01

Both theory and idealized equilibrium modeling studies indicate that tropical cyclone size decreases with background rotation rate. In contrast, in real-world observations size tends to increase with latitude. Here we seek to resolve this apparent contradiction via a set of reduced-complexity global aquaplanet simulations with varying planetary rotation rates using the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model 5. The latitudinal distribution of both storm count and size are found to vary markedly with rotation rate, yielding insight into the dynamical constraints on tropical cyclone activity on a rotating planet. Moreover, storm size is found to vary non-monotonically with latitude, indicating that non-equilibrium effects are crucial to the life-cycle evolution of size in nature. Results are then compared to experiments in idealized, time-dependent limited-area modeling simulations using CM1 in axisymmetric and three-dimensional geometry. Taken together, this hierarchy of models is used to quantify the role of equilibrium versus transient controls on storm size and the relevance of each to real storms in nature.

Clinical Results of Arthroscopic Repair of Isolated Longitudinal Tear of Medial Meniscus by Vertical Cruciate Double Mattress Sutures with Outside-in Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyied Hamid Barzgar

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction : Meniscal tears are one of the most common injuries treated by arthroscopic techniques. Arthroscopic meniscal repair is an accepted way of treatment for meniscal tears. Different arthroscopic techniques for meniscal repair are: inside-out, outside-in and all inside. In the first 2 techniques, meniscus is repaired by sutures and in the later by suture or by commercial ready implants . The goal of current study is assessing clinical results of arthroscopic repair of longitudinal meniscal tears with vertical cruciate double mattress sutures by outside-in technique after 9 months.   Methods: In this case series study, in 13 patients having criteria for engaging the study with longitudinal isolated meniscus tear, arthroscopic meniscal repair was done with vertical cruciate double mattress sutures by outside-in technique and patients were followed for 9 months.   Results: Of 13 patients, there were 12 males (92.3% and one female (7.7% aged 15-38 (average 28.3 years. In follow up period, there was one case (7.7% of irritation by subcutaneous knot. There was not any failure of repair. Average Lysholm score increased from 55.23 to 91.23 after 9 months of follow up, which was statistically significant (p<0.001. At the end of follow up period, there was not any medial joint line tenderness of knee, giving way or significant effusion or pain.   Conclusion: This study shows that this technique has a good short term outcome with no failure and low complications but it is necessary to do more long term studies to prove it.

Size-dependent Fano Interaction in the Laser-etched Silicon Nanostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar Rajesh

2008-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractPhoto-excitation and size-dependent Raman scattering studies on the silicon (Si nanostructures (NSs prepared by laser-induced etching are presented here. Asymmetric and red-shifted Raman line-shapes are observed due to photo-excited Fano interaction in the quantum confined nanoparticles. The Fano interaction is observed between photo-excited electronic transitions and discrete phonons in Si NSs. Photo-excited Fano studies on different Si NSs show that the Fano interaction is high for smaller size of Si NSs. Higher Fano interaction for smaller Si NSs is attributed to the enhanced interference between photo-excited electronic Raman scattering and phonon Raman scattering.

Modelling the PCR amplification process by a size-dependent branching process and estimation of the efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lalam, N.; Jacob, C.; Jagers, P.

2004-01-01

We propose a stochastic modelling of the PCR amplification process by a size-dependent branching process starting as a supercritical Bienaymé-Galton-Watson transient phase and then having a saturation near-critical size-dependent phase. This model allows us to estimate the probability of replication

[C57BL/6 mice open field behaviour qualitatively depends on arena size].

Science.gov (United States)

Lebedev, I V; Pleskacheva, M G; Anokhin, K V

2012-01-01

Open field behavior is well known to depend on physical characteristics of the apparatus. However many of such effects are poorly described especially with using of modern methods of behavioral registration and analysis. The previous results of experiments on the effect of arena size on behavior are not numerous and contradictory. We compared the behavioral scores of four groups of C57BL/6 mice in round open field arenas of four different sizes (diameter 35, 75, 150 and 220 cm). The behavior was registered and analyzed using Noldus EthoVision, WinTrack and SegmentAnalyzer software. A significant effect of arena size was found. Traveled distance and velocity increased, but not in proportion to increase of arena size. Moreover a significant effect on segment characteristics of the trajectory was revealed. Detailed behavior analysis revealed drastic differences in trajectory structure and number of rears between smaller (35 and 75 cm) and bigger (150 and 220 cm) arenas. We conclude, that the character of exploration in smaller and bigger arenas depends on relative size of central open zone in arena. Apparently its extension increases the motivational heterogeneity of space, that requires another than in smaller arenas, strategy of exploration.

Grain size dependence of the critical current density in YBa2Cu3Ox superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuwabara, M.; Shimooka, H.

1989-01-01

The grain size dependence of the critical current density in bulk single-phase YBa 2 Cu 3 O x ceramics was investigated. The grain size of the materials was changed to range approximately from 1.0 to 25 μm by changing the conditions of power processing and sintering, associated with an increase in the sintered density of the materials with increasing grain size. The critical current density has been found to exhibit a significant grain size dependence, changing from 880 A/cm 2 to a value of 100 A/cm 2 with a small increase in the average grain size from 1.2 to 2.0 μm. This seems to provide information about the nature of the weak link between superconducting grains which might govern the critical current density of the materials

Inverse size scaling of the nucleolus by a concentration-dependent phase transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Stephanie C; Brangwynne, Clifford P

2015-03-02

Just as organ size typically increases with body size, the size of intracellular structures changes as cells grow and divide. Indeed, many organelles, such as the nucleus [1, 2], mitochondria [3], mitotic spindle [4, 5], and centrosome [6], exhibit size scaling, a phenomenon in which organelle size depends linearly on cell size. However, the mechanisms of organelle size scaling remain unclear. Here, we show that the size of the nucleolus, a membraneless organelle important for cell-size homeostasis [7], is coupled to cell size by an intracellular phase transition. We find that nucleolar size directly scales with cell size in early C. elegans embryos. Surprisingly, however, when embryo size is altered, we observe inverse scaling: nucleolar size increases in small cells and decreases in large cells. We demonstrate that this seemingly contradictory result arises from maternal loading of a fixed number rather than a fixed concentration of nucleolar components, which condense into nucleoli only above a threshold concentration. Our results suggest that the physics of phase transitions can dictate whether an organelle assembles, and, if so, its size, providing a mechanistic link between organelle assembly and cell size. Since the nucleolus is known to play a key role in cell growth, this biophysical readout of cell size could provide a novel feedback mechanism for growth control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size-dependent photoacclimation of the phytoplankton community in temperate shelf waters (southern Bay of Biscay)

KAUST Repository

Á lvarez, E; Moran, Xose Anxelu G.; Ló pez-Urrutia, Á ; Nogueira, E

2015-01-01

© Inter-Research 2016. Shelf waters of the Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay) are productive ecosystems with a marked seasonality. We present the results from 1 yr of monthly monitoring of the phytoplankton community together with an intensive sampling carried out in 2 contrasting scenarios during the summer and autumn in a mid-shelf area. Stratification was apparent on the shelf in summer, while the water column was comparatively well mixed in autumn. The size structure of the photoautotrophic community, from pico-to micro-phytoplankton, was tightly coupled with the meteo-climatic and hydrographical conditions. Over the short term, variations in the size structure and chlorophyll content of phytoplankton cells were related to changes in the physico-chemical environment, through changes in the availability of nutrients and light. Uncoupling between the dynamics of carbon biomass and chlorophyll resulted in chlorophyll to carbon ratios dependent on body size. The slope of the size dependence of chlorophyll content increased with increasing irradiance, reflecting different photoacclimation plasticity from pico-to micro-phytoplankton. The results have important implications for the productivity and the fate of biogenic carbon in this region, since the size dependence of photosynthetic rates is directly related to the size scaling of chlorophyll content.

Size-dependent photoacclimation of the phytoplankton community in temperate shelf waters (southern Bay of Biscay)

KAUST Repository

Álvarez, E

2015-12-09

© Inter-Research 2016. Shelf waters of the Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay) are productive ecosystems with a marked seasonality. We present the results from 1 yr of monthly monitoring of the phytoplankton community together with an intensive sampling carried out in 2 contrasting scenarios during the summer and autumn in a mid-shelf area. Stratification was apparent on the shelf in summer, while the water column was comparatively well mixed in autumn. The size structure of the photoautotrophic community, from pico-to micro-phytoplankton, was tightly coupled with the meteo-climatic and hydrographical conditions. Over the short term, variations in the size structure and chlorophyll content of phytoplankton cells were related to changes in the physico-chemical environment, through changes in the availability of nutrients and light. Uncoupling between the dynamics of carbon biomass and chlorophyll resulted in chlorophyll to carbon ratios dependent on body size. The slope of the size dependence of chlorophyll content increased with increasing irradiance, reflecting different photoacclimation plasticity from pico-to micro-phytoplankton. The results have important implications for the productivity and the fate of biogenic carbon in this region, since the size dependence of photosynthetic rates is directly related to the size scaling of chlorophyll content.

Size-dependent and tunable crystallization of GeSbTe phase-change nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bin; Ten Brink, Gert H.; Palasantzas, George; Kooi, Bart J.

2016-12-01

Chalcogenide-based nanostructured phase-change materials (PCMs) are considered promising building blocks for non-volatile memory due to their high write and read speeds, high data-storage density, and low power consumption. Top-down fabrication of PCM nanoparticles (NPs), however, often results in damage and deterioration of their useful properties. Gas-phase condensation based on magnetron sputtering offers an attractive and straightforward solution to continuously down-scale the PCMs into sub-lithographic sizes. Here we unprecedentedly present the size dependence of crystallization for Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) NPs, whose production is currently highly challenging for chemical synthesis or top-down fabrication. Both amorphous and crystalline NPs have been produced with excellent size and composition control with average diameters varying between 8 and 17 nm. The size-dependent crystallization of these NPs was carefully analyzed through in-situ heating in a transmission electron microscope, where the crystallization temperatures (Tc) decrease when the NPs become smaller. Moreover, methane incorporation has been observed as an effective method to enhance the amorphous phase stability of the NPs. This work therefore elucidates that GST NPs synthesized by gas-phase condensation with tailored properties are promising alternatives in designing phase-change memories constrained by optical lithography limitations.

Chromospheric rotation. II. Dependence on the size of chromospheric features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azzarelli, L; Casalini, P; Cerri, S; Denoth, F [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa (Italy). Ist. di Elaborazione della Informazione

1979-08-01

The dependence of solar rotation on the size of the chromospheric tracers is considered. On the basis of an analysis of Ca II K/sub 3/ daily filtergrams taken in the period 8 May-14 August, 1972, chromospheric features can be divided into two classes according to their size. Features with size falling into the range 24 000-110 000 km can be identified with network elements, while those falling into the range 120 000-300 000 km with active regions, or brightness features of comparable size present at high latitudes. The rotation rate is determined separately for the two families of chromospheric features by means of a cross-correlation technique directly yields the average daily displacement of tracers due to rotation. Before computing the cross-correlation functions, chromospheric brightness data have been filtered with appropriate bandpass and highpass filters for separating spatial periodicities whose wavelengths fall into the two ranges of size, characteristic of the network pattern and of the activity centers. A difference less than 1% of the rotation rate of the two families of chromospheric features has been found. This is an indication for a substantial corotation at chromospheric levels of different short-lived features, both related to solar activity and controlled by the convective supergranular motions.

Size, Shape, and Sequence-Dependent Immunogenicity of RNA Nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Sijin; Li, Hui; Ma, Mengshi; Fu, Jian; Dong, Yizhou; Guo, Peixuan

2017-12-15

RNA molecules have emerged as promising therapeutics. Like all other drugs, the safety profile and immune response are important criteria for drug evaluation. However, the literature on RNA immunogenicity has been controversial. Here, we used the approach of RNA nanotechnology to demonstrate that the immune response of RNA nanoparticles is size, shape, and sequence dependent. RNA triangle, square, pentagon, and tetrahedron with same shape but different sizes, or same size but different shapes were used as models to investigate the immune response. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by these RNA nanoarchitectures were assessed in macrophage-like cells and animals. It was found that RNA polygons without extension at the vertexes were immune inert. However, when single-stranded RNA with a specific sequence was extended from the vertexes of RNA polygons, strong immune responses were detected. These immunostimulations are sequence specific, because some other extended sequences induced little or no immune response. Additionally, larger-size RNA square induced stronger cytokine secretion. 3D RNA tetrahedron showed stronger immunostimulation than planar RNA triangle. These results suggest that the immunogenicity of RNA nanoparticles is tunable to produce either a minimal immune response that can serve as safe therapeutic vectors, or a strong immune response for cancer immunotherapy or vaccine adjuvants. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Size-dependent cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposite size series

Science.gov (United States)

Injumpa, Wishulada; Ritprajak, Patcharee; Insin, Numpon

2017-04-01

incubation with the highest concentration of 1000 μg/mL. Although 1000 μg/mL of all sizes of the nanocomposites decreased macrophage viability, the cytotoxicity of the nanocomposites was notably less than silica. The inflammatory response of macrophage was also observed by ELISA, and we found that the size of 20 and 40 nm, but not 100 and 200 nm, obviously stimulated IL-6 production. From this study, the preparations of multifunctional superparamagnetic nanocomposites of different sizes along with the size-dependent effects on cellular toxicity and inflammatory response were demonstrated and could be applied for designing of new drug carriers.

Orientation dependent size effects in single crystalline anisotropic nanoplates with regard to surface energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assadi, Abbas; Salehi, Manouchehr; Akhlaghi, Mehdi

2015-01-01

In this work, size dependent behavior of single crystalline normal and auxetic anisotropic nanoplates is discussed with consideration of material surface stresses via a generalized model. Bending of pressurized nanoplates and their fundamental resonant frequency are discussed for different crystallographic directions and anisotropy degrees. It is explained that the orientation effects are considerable when the nanoplates' edges are pinned but for clamped nanoplates, the anisotropy effect may be ignored. The size effects are the highest when the simply supported nanoplates are parallel to [110] direction but as the anisotropy gets higher, the size effects are reduced. The orientation effect is also discussed for possibility of self-instability occurrence in nanoplates. The results in simpler cases are compared with previous experiments for nanowires but with a correction factor. There are still some open questions for future studies. - Highlights: • Size effects in single crystalline anisotropic nanoplates are discussed. • A generalized model is established containing some physical assumptions. • Orientation dependent size effects due to material anisotropy are explained. • Bending, instability and frequencies are studied at normal/auxetic domain

16 CFR 1633.9 - Glossary of terms.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... and stationary (see Figure 11). (m) Futon. A flexible mattress generally used on the floor that can be... riser. This is a frame of sofa seating height with two equal size mattresses without a backrest. The... or two single beds as in a high riser (see Figure 11). (dd) Tufted means buttoned or laced through...

Size dependent magnetic and electrical properties of Ba-doped nanocrystalline BiFeO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasan, Mehedi, E-mail: mhrizvi@gce.buet.ac.bd; Hakim, M. A.; Zubair, M. A.; Hussain, A.; Islam, Md. Fakhrul [Department of Glass and Ceramic Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000 (Bangladesh); Basith, M. A., E-mail: mabasith@phy.buet.ac.bd [Department of Physics, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka-1000 (Bangladesh); Hossain, Md. Sarowar [S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal 700098 (India); Ahmmad, Bashir [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa 992-8510 (Japan)

2016-03-15

Improvement in magnetic and electrical properties of multiferroic BiFeO{sub 3} in conjunction with their dependence on particle size is crucial due to its potential applications in multifunctional miniaturized devices. In this investigation, we report a study on particle size dependent structural, magnetic and electrical properties of sol-gel derived Bi{sub 0.9}Ba{sub 0.1}FeO{sub 3} nanoparticles of different sizes ranging from ∼ 12 to 49 nm. The substitution of Bi by Ba significantly suppresses oxygen vacancies, reduces leakage current density and Fe{sup 2+} state. An improvement in both magnetic and electrical properties is observed for 10 % Ba-doped BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles compared to its undoped counterpart. The saturation magnetization of Bi{sub 0.9}Ba{sub 0.1}FeO{sub 3} nanoparticles increase with reducing particle size in contrast with a decreasing trend of ferroelectric polarization. Moreover, a first order metamagnetic transition is noticed for ∼ 49 nm Bi{sub 0.9}Ba{sub 0.1}FeO{sub 3} nanoparticles which disappeared with decreasing particle size. The observed strong size dependent multiferroic properties are attributed to the complex interaction between vacancy induced crystallographic defects, multiple valence states of Fe, uncompensated surface spins, crystallographic distortion and suppression of spiral spin cycloid of BiFeO{sub 3}.

Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers reduced via air plasma treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Qiang; Song Xuefeng; Gao Jingyun; Han Xiaobing; Zhao Qing; Yu Dapeng; Jin Yu; Jiang Xingyu

2010-01-01

Organic nanowires/fibers have great potential in applications such as organic electronics and soft electronic techniques. Therefore investigation of their mechanical performance is of importance. The Young's modulus of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers was analyzed by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods. Air plasma treatment was used to reduce the nanofibers to different sizes. Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers were studied and revealed that the Young's modulus increased dramatically when the scales became very small (<80 nm).

Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers reduced via air plasma treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Qiang; Jin, Yu; Song, Xuefeng; Gao, Jingyun; Han, Xiaobing; Jiang, Xingyu; Zhao, Qing; Yu, Dapeng

2010-03-05

Organic nanowires/fibers have great potential in applications such as organic electronics and soft electronic techniques. Therefore investigation of their mechanical performance is of importance. The Young's modulus of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers was analyzed by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods. Air plasma treatment was used to reduce the nanofibers to different sizes. Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers were studied and revealed that the Young's modulus increased dramatically when the scales became very small (<80 nm).

Size and shape dependent lattice parameters of metallic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, W. H.; Wang, M. P.

2005-01-01

A model is developed to account for the size and shape dependent lattice parameters of metallic nanoparticles, where the particle shape difference is considered by introducing a shape factor. It is predicted that the lattice parameters of nanoparticles in several nanometers decrease with decreasing of the particle size, which is consistent with the corresponding experimental results. Furthermore, it is found that the particle shape can lead to 10% of the total lattice variation. The model is a continuous media model and can deal with the nanoparticles larger than 1 nm. Since the shape factor approaches to infinity for nanowires and nanofilms, therefore, the model cannot be generalized to the systems of nanowires and nanofilms. For the input parameters are physical constants of bulk materials, therefore, the present model may be used to predict the lattice variation of different metallic nanoparticles with different lattice structures

Size-dependent cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposite size series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Injumpa, Wishulada [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Ritprajak, Patcharee [Department of Microbiology, and RU in Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Insin, Numpon, E-mail: Numpon.I@chula.ac.th [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2017-04-01

incubation with the highest concentration of 1000 μg/mL. Although 1000 μg/mL of all sizes of the nanocomposites decreased macrophage viability, the cytotoxicity of the nanocomposites was notably less than silica. The inflammatory response of macrophage was also observed by ELISA, and we found that the size of 20 and 40 nm, but not 100 and 200 nm, obviously stimulated IL-6 production. From this study, the preparations of multifunctional superparamagnetic nanocomposites of different sizes along with the size-dependent effects on cellular toxicity and inflammatory response were demonstrated and could be applied for designing of new drug carriers. - Highlights: • Magnetic iron oxide-silica nanocomposites (MNCs) size series were synthesized. • PPEGMA-MNCs exhibited low cytotoxicity against fibroblast and macrophage lines. • The effects on the sizes of PPEGMA-coated MNCs on immune responses were observed.

Low Cost Plastic Optical Fiber Pressure Sensor Embedded in Mattress for Vital Signal Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Sartiano, Demetrio; Sales, Salvador

2017-12-13

The aim of this paper is to report the design of a low-cost plastic optical fiber (POF) pressure sensor, embedded in a mattress. We report the design of a multipoint sensor, a cheap alternative to the most common fiber sensors. The sensor is implemented using Arduino board, standard LEDs for optical communication in POF (λ = 645 nm) and a silicon light sensor. The Super ESKA ® plastic fibers were used to implement the fiber intensity sensor, arranged in a 4 × 4 matrix. During the breathing cycles, the force transmitted from the lungs to the thorax is in the order of tens of Newtons, and the respiration rate is of one breath every 2-5 s (0.2-0.5 Hz). The sensor has a resolution of force applied on a single point of 2.2-4.5%/N on the normalized voltage output, and a bandwidth of 10 Hz, it is then suitable to monitor the respiration movements. Another issue to be addressed is the presence of hysteresis over load cycles. The sensor was loaded cyclically to estimate the drift of the system, and the hysteresis was found to be negligible.

Low Cost Plastic Optical Fiber Pressure Sensor Embedded in Mattress for Vital Signal Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Demetrio Sartiano

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to report the design of a low-cost plastic optical fiber (POF pressure sensor, embedded in a mattress. We report the design of a multipoint sensor, a cheap alternative to the most common fiber sensors. The sensor is implemented using Arduino board, standard LEDs for optical communication in POF (λ = 645 nm and a silicon light sensor. The Super ESKA® plastic fibers were used to implement the fiber intensity sensor, arranged in a 4 × 4 matrix. During the breathing cycles, the force transmitted from the lungs to the thorax is in the order of tens of Newtons, and the respiration rate is of one breath every 2–5 s (0.2–0.5 Hz. The sensor has a resolution of force applied on a single point of 2.2–4.5%/N on the normalized voltage output, and a bandwidth of 10 Hz, it is then suitable to monitor the respiration movements. Another issue to be addressed is the presence of hysteresis over load cycles. The sensor was loaded cyclically to estimate the drift of the system, and the hysteresis was found to be negligible.

Influence of measuring temperature in size dependence of coercivity in nanostructured alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, M.; Marin, P.; Kulik, T.; Hernando, A.

2005-01-01

An increase of coercive field with decreasing particle size has been observed in ball milled nanocomposite of Fe-rich nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous matrix. Previous works (J. Appl. Phys. 64 (1998) 6044) have concluded that for high lattice strain, , the increase of coercivity is due to the magnetoelastic anisotropy generated by . Even though other effects can also be involved, the experimental results seem to indicate that the influence of the particle size on the average structural anisotropy noticeably contributes to the hardening observed for low . The influence of measuring temperature in size dependence of coercivity in nanostructured alloys has been analyzed. Some analogies and differences in respect of that observed in partially nanocrystallized samples have been found

Size-dependent abnormal thermo-enhanced luminescence of ytterbium-doped nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Xiangshui; Cheng, Yao; Lin, Hang; Huang, Feng; Wu, Qingping; Wang, Yuansheng

2017-09-21

Thermal quenching above 300 K is widely expected in photoluminescence. Luminescence quenching is usually ascribed to the non-radiative relaxation of excited electrons to the ground state of the activators, during which a high temperature always plays a role in pushing the excited electrons towards the quenching channels, leading to thermal quenching. For the lanthanide-doped nanoparticles, however, there is a special luminescence quenching channel that does not exist in their bulk counterparts, i.e., energy migration-induced surface quenching. Herein, a size-dependent abnormal thermal enhancement of luminescence in the temperature range of 300 K to 423 K in the ytterbium-doped fluoride nanoparticles is presented for the first time. Importantly, in this work, we originally demonstrate that the energy migration-induced surface quenching can be suppressed by increasing temperature, which results in the abnormal thermal enhancement of luminescence. According to the temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction and lifetime analyses, an underlying mechanism based on the effect of thermal lattice expansion on ytterbium-mediated energy migration is proposed. This new finding adds new insights to the size effect on the luminescent characteristics of nanoparticles, which could be utilized to construct some unique nanostructures, especially for many important temperature-related purposes, such as thermal sensing technology.

Age- and size-dependent mating performance and fertility in a pelagic copepod, Temora longicornis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sichlau, Mie Hylstofte; Kiørboe, Thomas

2011-01-01

Prepress abstract: In many species, size and age have been shown to be strong determinants of the reproductive success for both sexes. Here we examine age- and size dependent reproductive performance (egg- and sperm production, mating success) in a pelagic copepod. Compared to smaller males, larger...... males produce larger spermatophores containing more spermatozoa, and fertilize a larger fraction of available females. Females mating with large males produce more offspring than those mating with small males. Similarly, large females have higher egg production rates as well as a higher life-time egg...... fertilize females for only about eight days after they mature. The strong size- and age-dependent fertility observed in this species is conducive to the development of sexual selection via mate choice for young and large partners, as has been shown in one other copepod species...

Size dependence of 13C nuclear spin-lattice relaxation in micro- and nanodiamonds

Science.gov (United States)

Panich, A. M.; Sergeev, N. A.; Shames, A. I.; Osipov, V. Yu; Boudou, J.-P.; Goren, S. D.

2015-02-01

Size dependence of physical properties of nanodiamond particles is of crucial importance for various applications in which defect density and location as well as relaxation processes play a significant role. In this work, the impact of defects induced by milling of micron-sized synthetic diamonds was studied by magnetic resonance techniques as a function of the particle size. EPR and 13C NMR studies of highly purified commercial synthetic micro- and nanodiamonds were done for various fractions separated by sizes. Noticeable acceleration of 13C nuclear spin-lattice relaxation with decreasing particle size was found. We showed that this effect is caused by the contribution to relaxation coming from the surface paramagnetic centers induced by sample milling. The developed theory of the spin-lattice relaxation for such a case shows good compliance with the experiment.

Molecular size-dependent abundance and composition of dissolved organic matter in river, lake and sea waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Huacheng; Guo, Laodong

2017-06-15

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is ubiquitous in natural waters. The ecological role and environmental fate of DOM are highly related to the chemical composition and size distribution. To evaluate size-dependent DOM quantity and quality, water samples were collected from river, lake, and coastal marine environments and size fractionated through a series of micro- and ultra-filtrations with different membranes having different pore-sizes/cutoffs, including 0.7, 0.4, and 0.2 μm and 100, 10, 3, and 1 kDa. Abundance of dissolved organic carbon, total carbohydrates, chromophoric and fluorescent components in the filtrates decreased consistently with decreasing filter/membrane cutoffs, but with a rapid decline when the filter cutoff reached 3 kDa, showing an evident size-dependent DOM abundance and composition. About 70% of carbohydrates and 90% of humic- and protein-like components were measured in the definition of DOM and its size continuum in quantity and quality in aquatic environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Grain-size dependent accommodation due to intragranular distributions of dislocation loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richeton, T.; Berbenni, S.; Berveiller, M.

2009-01-01

A grain-size dependent accommodation law for polycrystals is deduced from an inclusion/matrix problem (i.e., each grain is seen as embedded in a homogeneous equivalent medium) where plastic strain inside the inclusion is given as a discrete distribution of circular coaxial glide dislocation loops. The loops are assumed constrained at spherical grain boundaries. From thermodynamic considerations specific to a process of identical plastification in all the loops (considered as 'super-dislocations'), an average back-stress over the grain is derived. In order to compute the very early stages of plastic deformation in a face-centred cubic polycrystal, this back-stress is incorporated into a diluted model in terms of concentration of plastic grains. Contrary to conventional mean-field approaches, a grain-size effect is obtained for the initial overall strain-hardening behaviour. This size effect results from an intrinsic contribution of intragranular slip heterogeneities on the kinematical hardening

An investigation of the general regularity of size dependence of reaction kinetics of nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Zixiang; Duan, Huijuan; Xue, Yongqiang; Li, Ping

2015-01-01

In the processes of preparation and application of nanomaterials, the chemical reactions of nanoparticles are often involved, and the size of nanoparticles has dramatic influence on the reaction kinetics. Nevertheless, there are many conflicts on regularities of size dependence of reaction kinetic parameters, and these conflicts have not been explained so far. In this paper, taking the reaction of nano-ZnO (average diameter is from 20.96 to 53.31 nm) with acrylic acid solution as a system, the influence regularities of the particle size on the kinetic parameters were researched. The regularities were consistent with that in most literatures, but inconsistent with that in a few of literatures, the reasons for the conflicts were interpreted. The reasons can be attributed to two factors: one is improper data processing for fewer data points, and the other is the difference between solid particles and porous particles. A general regularity of the size dependence of reaction kinetics for solid particles was obtained. The regularity shows that with the size of nanoparticles decreasing, the rate constant and the reaction order increase, while the apparent activation energy and the pre-exponential factor decrease; and the relationships of the logarithm of rate constant, the logarithm of pre-exponential factor, and the apparent activation energy to the reciprocal of the particle size are linear, respectively

Size dependence study of the ordering temperature in the Fast Monte Carlo method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velasquez, E. A., E-mail: eavelas@gmail.com [Universidad de San Buenaventura Seccional Medellin, Grupo de Investigacion en Modelamiento y Simulacion Computacional, Facultad de Ingenierias (Colombia); Mazo-Zuluaga, J., E-mail: johanmazo@gmail.com [Universidad de Antioquia, Grupo de Estado Solido, Grupo de Instrumentacion Cientifica y Microelectronica, Instituto de Fisica-FCEN (Colombia); Mejia-Lopez, J., E-mail: jmejia@puc.cl [Universidad de Antioquia, Instituto de Fisica-FCEN (Colombia)

2013-02-15

Based on the framework of the Fast Monte Carlo approach, we study the diameter dependence of the ordering temperature in magnetic nanostructures of cylindrical shape. For the purposes of this study, Fe cylindrical-shaped samples of different sizes (20 nm height, 30-100 nm in diameter) have been chosen, and their magnetic properties have been computed as functions of the scaled temperature. Two main set of results are concluded: (a) the ordering temperature of nanostructures follows a linear scaling relationship as a function of the scaling factor x, for all the studied sizes. This finding rules out a scaling relation T Prime {sub c} = x{sup 3{eta}}T{sub c} (where {eta} is a scaling exponent, and T Prime {sub c} and T{sub c} are the scaled and true ordering temperatures) that has been proposed in the literature, and suggests that temperature should scale linearly with the scaling factor x. (b) For the nanostructures, there are three different order-disorder magnetic transition modes depending on the system's size, in very good agreement with previous experimental reports.

Condition-Dependent Trade-Off Between Weapon Size and Immunity in Males of the European Earwig.

Science.gov (United States)

Körner, Maximilian; Vogelweith, Fanny; Foitzik, Susanne; Meunier, Joël

2017-08-11

Investigating the expression of trade-offs between key life-history functions is central to our understanding of how these functions evolved and are maintained. However, detecting trade-offs can be challenging due to variation in resource availability, which masks trade-offs at the population level. Here, we investigated in the European earwig Forficula auricularia whether (1) weapon size trades off with three key immune parameters - hemocyte concentration, phenoloxidase and prophenoloxidase activity - and whether (2) expression and strength of these trade-offs depend on male body condition (body size) and/or change after an immune challenge. Our results partially confirmed condition dependent trade-offs between weapon size and immunity in male earwigs. Specifically, we found that after an immune challenge, weapon size trades off with hemocyte concentrations in low-condition, but not in good-condition males. Contrastingly, weapon size was independent of pre-challenge hemocyte concentration. We also found no trade-off between weapon size and phenoloxidase activity, independent of body condition and immune challenge. Overall, our study reveals that trade-offs with sexual traits may weaken or disappear in good-condition individuals. Given the importance of weapon size for male reproductive success, our results highlight how low-condition individuals may employ alternative life-history investment strategies to cope with resource limitation.

Size-dependent mortality rate profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Roa-Ureta, Ruben H

2016-08-07

Knowledge of mortality rates is crucial to the understanding of population dynamics in populations of free-living fish and invertebrates in marine and freshwater environments, and consequently to sustainable resource management. There is a well developed theory of population dynamics based on age distributions that allow direct estimation of mortality rates. However, for most cases the aging of individuals is difficult or age distributions are not available for other reasons. The body size distribution is a widely available alternative although the theory underlying the formation of its shape is more complicated than in the case of age distributions. A solid theory of the time evolution of a population structured by any physiological variable has been developed in 1960s and 1970s by adapting the Hamilton-Jacobi formulation of classical mechanics, and equations to estimate the body size-distributed mortality profile have been derived for simple cases. Here I extend those results with regards to the size-distributed mortality profile to complex cases of non-stationary populations, individuals growing according to a generalised growth model and seasonally patterned recruitment pulses. I apply resulting methods to two cases in the marine environment, a benthic crustacean population that was growing during the period of observation and whose individuals grow with negative acceleration, and a sea urchin coastal population that is undergoing a stable cycle of two equilibrium points in population size whose individuals grow with varying acceleration that switches sign along the size range. The extension is very general and substantially widens the applicability of the theory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanotoxicity of silver nanoparticles to red blood cells: size dependent adsorption, uptake, and hemolytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li Qiang; Fang, Li; Ling, Jian; Ding, Cheng Zhi; Kang, Bin; Huang, Cheng Zhi

2015-03-16

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly being used as antimicrobial agents and drug carriers in biomedical fields. However, toxicological information on their effects on red blood cells (RBCs) and the mechanisms involved remain sparse. In this article, we examined the size dependent nanotoxicity of AgNPs using three different characteristic sizes of 15 nm (AgNPs15), 50 nm (AgNPs50), and 100 nm (AgNPs100) against fish RBCs. Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations showed that AgNPs exhibited a size effect on their adsorption and uptake by RBCs. The middle sized AgNPs50, compared with the smaller or bigger ones, showed the highest level of adsorption and uptake by the RBCs, suggesting an optimal size of ∼50 nm for passive uptake by RBCs. The toxic effects determined based on the hemolysis, membrane injury, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme production were fairly size and dose dependent. In particular, the smallest sized AgNPs15 displayed a greater ability to induce hemolysis and membrane damage than AgNPs50 and AgNPs100. Such cytotoxicity induced by AgNPs should be attributed to the direct interaction of the nanoparticle with the RBCs, resulting in the production of oxidative stress, membrane injury, and subsequently hemolysis. Overall, the results suggest that particle size is a critical factor influencing the interaction between AgNPs and the RBCs.

Measurements of the size dependence of the concentration of nonvolatile material in fog droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Ogren, J. A.; Noone, K. J.; Hallberg, A.; Heintzenberg, J.; Schell, D.; Berner, A.; Solly, I.; Kruisz, C.; Reischl, G.; Arends, B. G.; Wobrock, W.

1992-11-01

Measurements of the size dependence of the mass concentration of nonvolatile material dissolved and suspended in fog droplets were obtained with three complementary approaches, covering a size range from c. 1 50µm diameter: a counterflow virtual impactor, an eight-stage aerosol impactor, and a two-stage fogwater impactor. Concentrations were observed to decrease with size over the entire range, contrary to expectations of increasing concentrations at larger sizes. It is possible that the larger droplets had solute concentrations that increased with increasing size, but that the increase was too weak for the measurements to resolve. Future studies should consider the hypothesis that the droplets were coated with a surface-active substance that hindered their uptake of water.

Size-dependent impact of CNTs on dynamic properties of calmodulin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jian; Wang, Liming; Kang, Seung-gu; Zhao, Lina; Ji, Mingjuan; Chen, Chunying; Zhao, Yuliang; Zhou, Ruhong; Li, Jingyuan

2014-11-07

There are growing concerns about the biosafety of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as their applications become more widespread. We report here a theoretical and experimental study of the binding of various sizes of CNTs [CNT (4,4), (5,5), (6,6) and (7,7)] to calmodulin (CaM) protein and, in particular, their impact on the Ca(2+)-dependent dynamic properties of CaM. Our simulations show that all the CNTs can plug into the hydrophobic binding pocket of Ca(2+)-bound CaM with binding affinities comparable with the native substrate M13 peptide. Even though CNT (4,4) shows a similar behavior to the M13 peptide in its dissociation from Ca(2+)-free CaM, wider CNTs still bind firmly to CaM, indicating a potential failure of Ca(2+) regulation. Such a size-dependent impact of CNTs on the dynamic properties of CaM is a result of the excessively strong hydrophobic interactions between the wider CNTs and CaM. These simulation results were confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy, which showed that the secondary structures of CaM become insensitive to Ca(2+) concentrations after the addition of CNTs. Our findings indicate that the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles to proteins arises not only from the inhibition of static protein structures (binding pockets), but also from impacts on their dynamic properties.

New developments on size-dependent growth applied to the crystallization of sucrose

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, P. M.; Rocha, F.

2007-12-01

The effect of crystal size on the growth rate of sucrose (C 12H 22O 11) at 40 °C is investigated from a theoretical and an experimental point of view. Based on new perspectives resulting from the recently introduced spiral nucleation model [P.M. Martins, F. Rocha, Surf. Sci. 601 (2007) 3400], crystal growth rates are expressed in terms of mass deposition per time and crystal volume units. This alternative definition is demonstrated to be size-independent over the considered supersaturation range. The conventional overall growth rate expressed per surface area units is found to be linearly dependent on crystal size. The advantages of the "volumetric" growth rate concept are discussed. Sucrose dissolution rates were measured under reciprocal conditions of the growth experiments in order to investigate the two-way effect of crystal size on mass transfer rates and on the integration kinetics. Both effects are adequately described by combining a well-established diffusion-integration model and the spiral nucleation mechanism.

Size dependent photoluminescence property of hydrothermally synthesized crystalline carbon quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, S.; Banerjee, D.; Ghorai, U.K.; Das, N.S. [School of Material Science and Nanotechnology Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India); Chattopadhyay, K.K., E-mail: kalyan_chattopadhyay@yahoo.com [School of Material Science and Nanotechnology Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India); Thin Film and NanoScience Laboratory, Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India)

2016-10-15

In this work, simple hydrothermal synthesis of water soluble Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) of different sizes has been reported. The effect of synthesis temperature and synthesis time on the particle size has also been shown. The structures of all the as-prepared samples were studied by field emission scanning electron microscope and high resolution transmission electron microscope. Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometer analyzes the different bonding present in the sample whereas Raman spectrophotometer quantifies the hybridization state of the prepared samples. UV–vis spectrophotometer gives the variation of absorbance of all the samples with wavelength. Dynamic light scattering study shows the variation of particle size with deposition condition and corresponding zeta potential gives the idea about the stability of the CQD solutions. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the as prepared CQDs were also studied in detail. It is noticed that with the increase of excitation wavelength, the PL emissions for the different samples were red shifted. The results have been explained in terms of the excitation dependent emission, variations in size of the CQD and presence of different functional groups on the surface of CQDs.

Size dependent photoluminescence property of hydrothermally synthesized crystalline carbon quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, S.; Banerjee, D.; Ghorai, U.K.; Das, N.S.; Chattopadhyay, K.K.

2016-01-01

In this work, simple hydrothermal synthesis of water soluble Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) of different sizes has been reported. The effect of synthesis temperature and synthesis time on the particle size has also been shown. The structures of all the as-prepared samples were studied by field emission scanning electron microscope and high resolution transmission electron microscope. Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometer analyzes the different bonding present in the sample whereas Raman spectrophotometer quantifies the hybridization state of the prepared samples. UV–vis spectrophotometer gives the variation of absorbance of all the samples with wavelength. Dynamic light scattering study shows the variation of particle size with deposition condition and corresponding zeta potential gives the idea about the stability of the CQD solutions. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the as prepared CQDs were also studied in detail. It is noticed that with the increase of excitation wavelength, the PL emissions for the different samples were red shifted. The results have been explained in terms of the excitation dependent emission, variations in size of the CQD and presence of different functional groups on the surface of CQDs.

Particle size dependence of biogenic secondary organic aerosol molecular composition

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Peijun; Johnston, Murray V.

2017-06-01

Formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is initiated by the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase whose products subsequently partition to the particle phase. Non-volatile molecules have a negligible evaporation rate and grow particles at their condensation rate. Semi-volatile molecules have a significant evaporation rate and grow particles at a much slower rate than their condensation rate. Particle phase chemistry may enhance particle growth if it transforms partitioned semi-volatile molecules into non-volatile products. In principle, changes in molecular composition as a function of particle size allow non-volatile molecules that have condensed from the gas phase (a surface-limited process) to be distinguished from those produced by particle phase reaction (a volume-limited process). In this work, SOA was produced by β-pinene ozonolysis in a flow tube reactor. Aerosol exiting the reactor was size-selected with a differential mobility analyzer, and individual particle sizes between 35 and 110 nm in diameter were characterized by on- and offline mass spectrometry. Both the average oxygen-to-carbon (O / C) ratio and carbon oxidation state (OSc) were found to decrease with increasing particle size, while the relative signal intensity of oligomers increased with increasing particle size. These results are consistent with oligomer formation primarily in the particle phase (accretion reactions, which become more favored as the volume-to-surface-area ratio of the particle increases). Analysis of a series of polydisperse SOA samples showed similar dependencies: as the mass loading increased (and average volume-to-surface-area ratio increased), the average O / C ratio and OSc decreased, while the relative intensity of oligomer ions increased. The results illustrate the potential impact that particle phase chemistry can have on biogenic SOA formation and the particle size range where this chemistry becomes important.

Particle size dependence of biogenic secondary organic aerosol molecular composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Tu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA is initiated by the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs in the gas phase whose products subsequently partition to the particle phase. Non-volatile molecules have a negligible evaporation rate and grow particles at their condensation rate. Semi-volatile molecules have a significant evaporation rate and grow particles at a much slower rate than their condensation rate. Particle phase chemistry may enhance particle growth if it transforms partitioned semi-volatile molecules into non-volatile products. In principle, changes in molecular composition as a function of particle size allow non-volatile molecules that have condensed from the gas phase (a surface-limited process to be distinguished from those produced by particle phase reaction (a volume-limited process. In this work, SOA was produced by β-pinene ozonolysis in a flow tube reactor. Aerosol exiting the reactor was size-selected with a differential mobility analyzer, and individual particle sizes between 35 and 110 nm in diameter were characterized by on- and offline mass spectrometry. Both the average oxygen-to-carbon (O ∕ C ratio and carbon oxidation state (OSc were found to decrease with increasing particle size, while the relative signal intensity of oligomers increased with increasing particle size. These results are consistent with oligomer formation primarily in the particle phase (accretion reactions, which become more favored as the volume-to-surface-area ratio of the particle increases. Analysis of a series of polydisperse SOA samples showed similar dependencies: as the mass loading increased (and average volume-to-surface-area ratio increased, the average O ∕ C ratio and OSc decreased, while the relative intensity of oligomer ions increased. The results illustrate the potential impact that particle phase chemistry can have on biogenic SOA formation and the particle size range where this chemistry becomes

Size and composition dependence of the frozen structures in Co-based bimetallic clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Guojian; Wang, Qiang; Cao, Yongze; Du, Jiaojiao; He, Jicheng

2012-01-01

This Letter studies the size-dependent freezing of Co, Co–Ni, and Co–Cu clusters by using molecular dynamics with embedded atom method. Size effect occurs in these three types of clusters. The clusters with large sizes always freeze to form their bulk-like structures. However, the frozen structures for small sizes are generally related to their compositions. The icosahedral clusters are formed for Co clusters (for ⩽3.2 nm diameter) and also for Co–Ni clusters but at a larger size range (for ⩽4.08 nm). Upon the Co–Cu clusters, decahedral structure is obtained for small size (for 2.47 nm). The released energy induced the structural transformation plays a key role in the frozen structures. These results indicate that the preformed clusters with special structures can be tuned by controlling their compositions and sizes. -- Highlights: ► The size effect occurs in the Co, Co–Ni, and Co–Cu clusters. ► The clusters with large sizes always freeze to form their bulk-like structures. ► The frozen structures for small sizes are generally related to their compositions. ► Icosahedron is formed for Co and also for Co–Ni but at a larger size range. ► Upon the Co–Cu clusters, decahedral structure is obtained for small size.

Pore size dependent molecular adsorption of cationic dye in biomass derived hierarchically porous carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Long; Ji, Tuo; Mu, Liwen; Shi, Yijun; Wang, Huaiyuan; Zhu, Jiahua

2017-07-01

Hierarchically porous carbon adsorbents were successfully fabricated from different biomass resources (softwood, hardwood, bamboo and cotton) by a facile two-step process, i.e. carbonization in nitrogen and thermal oxidation in air. Without involving any toxic/corrosive chemicals, large surface area of up to 890 m 2 /g was achieved, which is comparable to commercial activated carbon. The porous carbons with various surface area and pore size were used as adsorbents to investigate the pore size dependent adsorption phenomenon. Based on the density functional theory, effective (E-SSA) and ineffective surface area (InE-SSA) was calculated considering the geometry of used probing adsorbate. It was demonstrated that the adsorption capacity strongly depends on E-SSA instead of total surface area. Moreover, a regression model was developed to quantify the adsorption capacities contributed from E-SSA and InE-SSA, respectively. The applicability of this model has been verified by satisfactory prediction results on porous carbons prepared in this work as well as commercial activated carbon. Revealing the pore size dependent adsorption behavior in these biomass derived porous carbon adsorbents will help to design more effective materials (either from biomass or other carbon resources) targeting to specific adsorption applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonlocal superelastic model of size-dependent hardening and dissipation in single crystal Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Lei; Rimoli, Julian J; Chen, Ying; Schuh, Christopher A; Radovitzky, Raul

2011-02-25

We propose a nonlocal continuum model to describe the size-dependent superelastic effect observed in recent experiments of single crystal Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys. The model introduces two length scales, one in the free energy and one in the dissipation, which account for the size-dependent hardening and dissipation in the loading and unloading response of micro- and nanopillars subject to compression tests. The information provided by the model suggests that the size dependence observed in the dissipation is likely to be associated with a nonuniform evolution of the distribution of the austenitic and martensitic phases during the loading cycle. © 2011 American Physical Society

Reversing Size-Dependent Trends in the Oxidation of Copper Clusters through Support Effects: Reversing Size-Dependent Trends in the Oxidation of Copper Clusters through Support Effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mammen, Nisha [Theoretical Sciences Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, -560064 Bangalore India; Spanu, Leonardo [Shell Technology Center, Shell India Markets Private Limited, -560048 Bangalore India; Tyo, Eric C. [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Yang, Bing [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Halder, Avik [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Seifert, Sönke [X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Pellin, Michael J. [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Vajda, Stefan [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 60637 Chicago IL USA; Narasimhan, Shobhana [Theoretical Sciences Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, -560064 Bangalore India

2017-12-22

Having the ability to tune the oxidation state of Cu nanoparticles is essential for their utility as catalysts. The degree of oxidation that maximizes product yield and selectivity is known to vary, depending on the particular reaction. Using first principles calculations and XANES measurements, we show that for subnanometer sizes in the gas phase, smaller Cu clusters are more resistant to oxidation. However, this trend is reversed upon deposition on an alumina support. We are able to explain this result in terms of strong cluster-support interactions, which differ significantly for the oxidized and elemental clusters. The stable cluster phases also feature novel oxygen stoichiometries. Our results suggest that one can tune the degree of oxidation of Cu catalysts by optimizing not just their size, but also the support they are deposited on.

The Dependence of Atomic Oxygen Undercutting of Protected Polyimide Kapton(tm) H upon Defect Size

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Aaron; deGroh, Kim K.

2001-01-01

Understanding the behavior of polymeric materials when exposed to the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) environment is important in predicting performance characteristics such as in-space durability. Atomic oxygen (AO) present in LEO is known to be the principal agent in causing undercutting erosion of SiO(x) protected polyimide Kapton(R) H film, which serves as a mechanically stable blanket material in solar arrays. The rate of undercutting is dependent on the rate of arrival, directionality and energy of the AO with respect to the film surface. The erosion rate also depends on the distribution of the size of defects existing in the protective coating. This paper presents results of experimental ground testing using low energy, isotropic AO flux together with numerical modeling to determine the dependence of undercutting erosion upon defect size.

Seasonal and particle size-dependent variations in gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Se-Jin; Ale, Debaki; Chang, Yoon-Seok; Oh, Jeong-Eun; Shin, Sun Kyoung

2008-01-01

This study monitored particle size-dependent variations in atmospheric polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Two gas/particle partitioning models, the subcooled liquid vapor pressure (P L 0 ) and the octanol-air partition coefficient (K OA ) model, were applied to each particle sizes. The regression coefficients of each fraction against the gas/particle partition coefficient (K P ) were similar for separated particles within the same sample set but differed for particles collected during different periods. Gas/particle partitioning calculated from the integral of fractions was similar to that of size-segregated particles and previously measured bulk values. Despite the different behaviors and production mechanisms of atmospheric particles of different sizes, PCDD/F partitioning of each size range was controlled by meteorological conditions such as atmospheric temperature, O 3 and UV, which reflects no source related with certain particle size ranges but mixed urban sources within this city. Our observations emphasize that when assessing environmental and health effects, the movement of PCDD/Fs in air should be considered in conjunction with particle size in addition to the bulk aerosol. - Gas/particle partitioning of atmospheric PCDD/Fs for different particle sizes reflects the impacts of emitters of different size ranges

Balancing the dilution and oddity effects: decisions depend on body size.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gwendolen M Rodgers

Full Text Available Grouping behaviour, common across the animal kingdom, is known to reduce an individual's risk of predation; particularly through dilution of individual risk and predator confusion (predator inability to single out an individual for attack. Theory predicts greater risk of predation to individuals more conspicuous to predators by difference in appearance from the group (the 'oddity' effect. Thus, animals should choose group mates close in appearance to themselves (eg. similar size, whilst also choosing a large group.We used the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata, a well known model species of group-living freshwater fish, in a series of binary choice trials investigating the outcome of conflict between preferences for large and phenotypically matched groups along a predation risk gradient. We found body-size dependent differences in the resultant social decisions. Large fish preferred shoaling with size-matched individuals, while small fish demonstrated no preference. There was a trend towards reduced preferences for the matched shoal under increased predation risk. Small fish were more active than large fish, moving between shoals more frequently. Activity levels increased as predation risk decreased. We found no effect of unmatched shoal size on preferences or activity.Our results suggest that predation risk and individual body size act together to influence shoaling decisions. Oddity was more important for large than small fish, reducing in importance at higher predation risks. Dilution was potentially of limited importance at these shoal sizes. Activity levels may relate to how much sampling of each shoal was needed by the test fish during decision making. Predation pressure may select for better decision makers to survive to larger size, or that older, larger fish have learned to make shoaling decisions more efficiently, and this, combined with their size relative to shoal-mates, and attractiveness as prey items influences shoaling

[Size dependent SERS activity of gold nanoparticles studied by 3D-FDTD simulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li-mei; Fang, Ping-ping; Yang, Zhi-lin; Huang, Wen-da; Wu, De-yin; Ren, Bin; Tian, Zhong-qun

2009-05-01

By synthesizing Au nanoparticles with the controllable size from about 16 to 160 nm and measuring their SERS activity, the authors found that Au nanoparticles film with a size in the range of 120-135 nm showed the highest SERS activity with the 632.8 nm excitation, which is different from previous experimental results and theoretical predictions. The three dimensional finite difference time domain (3D-FDTD)method was employed to simulate the size dependent SERS activity. At the 632.8 nm excitation, the particles with a size of 110 nm shows the highest enhancement under coupling condition and presents an enhancement as high as 10(9) at the hot site. If the enhancement is averaged over the whole surface, the enhancement can still be as high as 10(7), in good agreement with our experimental data. For Au nanoparticles with a larger size such as 220 nm, the multipolar effect leads to the appearance of the second maximum enhancement with the increase in particles size. The averaged enhancement for the excitation line of 325 nm is only 10(2).

Generalized Bragg-Williams model for the size-dependent order-disorder transition of bimetallic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y J; Qi, W H; Wang, M P; Liu, J F; Xiong, S Y; Huang, B Y

2011-01-01

Considering the different effects of exterior atoms (face, edge and corner atoms), the Bragg-Williams model is generalized to account for the size, shape and composition-dependent order-disorder transition of bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) with B 2 , L1 0 and L1 2 ordered structures. The results show that the order-disorder temperatures T C,p are different for different shapes even in the identical particle size. The order of order-disorder temperatures of different shapes varies for different sizes. The long-range order parameter decreases with the increase in temperature in all size ranges and decreases smoothly in large sizes, but drops dramatically in small sizes. Moreover, it is also found that the order-disorder temperature of bimetallic NPs rises with increasing particle sizes and decreases with a deviation from the ideal compositions. The present predictions are consistent with the available literature results, indicating its capability in predicting other order-disorder transition phenomena of bimetallic NPs.

Unravelling the size and temperature dependence of exciton lifetimes in colloidal ZnSe quantum dots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eilers, Joren; Van Hest, Jacobine; Meijerink, A; Donega, Celso De Mello

2014-01-01

We report on the temperature dependence of the band-edge photoluminescence decay of organically capped colloidal ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) in the size range from 4.0 to 7.5 nm. A similar trend is observed for all investigated sizes: the decay time is short (∼5 ns) above 20 K and increases sharply

Size and temperature dependence of the tensile mechanical properties of zinc blende CdSe nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Bing; Chen, Na; Xie, Yiqun; Ye, Xiang; Gu, Xiao

2013-01-01

The effect of size and temperature on the tensile mechanical properties of zinc blende CdSe nanowires is investigated by all atoms molecular dynamic simulation. We found the ultimate tensile strength and Young's modulus will decrease as the temperature and size of the nanowire increase. The size and temperature dependence are mainly attributed to surface effect and thermally elongation effect. High reversibility of tensile behavior will make zinc blende CdSe nanowires suitable for building efficient nanodevices.

Fractal and multifractal approaches for the analysis of crack-size dependent scaling laws in fatigue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paggi, Marco [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Structural Engineering and Geotechnics, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy)], E-mail: marco.paggi@polito.it; Carpinteri, Alberto [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Structural Engineering and Geotechnics, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy)

2009-05-15

The enhanced ability to detect and measure very short cracks, along with a great interest in applying fracture mechanics formulae to smaller and smaller crack sizes, has pointed out the so-called anomalous behavior of short cracks with respect to their longer counterparts. The crack-size dependencies of both the fatigue threshold and the Paris' constant C are only two notable examples of these anomalous scaling laws. In this framework, a unified theoretical model seems to be missing and the behavior of short cracks can still be considered as an open problem. In this paper, we propose a critical reexamination of the fractal models for the analysis of crack-size effects in fatigue. The limitations of each model are put into evidence and removed. At the end, a new generalized theory based on fractal geometry is proposed, which permits to consistently interpret the short crack-related anomalous scaling laws within a unified theoretical formulation. Finally, this approach is herein used to interpret relevant experimental data related to the crack-size dependence of the fatigue threshold in metals.

Fractal and multifractal approaches for the analysis of crack-size dependent scaling laws in fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paggi, Marco; Carpinteri, Alberto

2009-01-01

The enhanced ability to detect and measure very short cracks, along with a great interest in applying fracture mechanics formulae to smaller and smaller crack sizes, has pointed out the so-called anomalous behavior of short cracks with respect to their longer counterparts. The crack-size dependencies of both the fatigue threshold and the Paris' constant C are only two notable examples of these anomalous scaling laws. In this framework, a unified theoretical model seems to be missing and the behavior of short cracks can still be considered as an open problem. In this paper, we propose a critical reexamination of the fractal models for the analysis of crack-size effects in fatigue. The limitations of each model are put into evidence and removed. At the end, a new generalized theory based on fractal geometry is proposed, which permits to consistently interpret the short crack-related anomalous scaling laws within a unified theoretical formulation. Finally, this approach is herein used to interpret relevant experimental data related to the crack-size dependence of the fatigue threshold in metals.

Size-dependent sex allocation in Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae): physiological basis and effects of maternal family and environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Z-G; Meng, J-L; Fan, B-L; Du, G-Z

2008-11-01

Theory predicts size-dependent sex allocation (SDS): flowers on plants with a high-resource status should have larger investment in females than plants with a low-resource status. Through a pot experiment with Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae) in the field, we examined the relationship between sex allocation of individual flowers and plant size for different maternal families under different environmental conditions. We also determined the physiological base of variations in plant size. Our results support the prediction of SDS, and show that female-biased allocation with plant size is consistent under different environmental conditions. Negative correlations within families showed a plastic response of sex allocation to plant size. Negative genetic correlations between sex allocation and plant size at the family level indicate a genetic cause of the SDS pattern, although genetic correlation was influenced by environmental factors. Hence, the size-dependency of sex allocation in this species had both plastic and genetic causes. Furthermore, genotypes that grew large also had higher assimilation ability, thus showing a physiological basis for SDS.

A fourth gradient to overcome slice dependent phase effects of voxel-sized coils in planar arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosshard, John C; Eigenbrodt, Edwin P; McDougall, Mary P; Wright, Steven M

2010-01-01

The signals from an array of densely spaced long and narrow receive coils for MRI are complicated when the voxel size is of comparable dimension to the coil size. The RF coil causes a phase gradient across each voxel, which is dependent on the distance from the coil, resulting in a slice dependent shift of k-space. A fourth gradient coil has been implemented and used with the system's gradient set to create a gradient field which varies with slice. The gradients are pulsed together to impart a slice dependent phase gradient to compensate for the slice dependent phase due to the RF coils. However the non-linearity in the fourth gradient which creates the desired slice dependency also results in a through-slice phase ramp, which disturbs normal slice refocusing and leads to additional signal cancelation and reduced field of view. This paper discusses the benefits and limitations of using a fourth gradient coil to compensate for the phase due to RF coils.

Nonlinear primary resonance of micro/nano-beams made of nanoporous biomaterials incorporating nonlocality and strain gradient size dependency

Science.gov (United States)

Sahmani, S.; Aghdam, M. M.

2018-03-01

A wide range of biological applications such as drug delivery, biosensors and hemodialysis can be provided by nanoporous biomaterials due to their uniform pore size as well as considerable pore density. In the current study, the size dependency in the nonlinear primary resonance of micro/nano-beams made of nanoporous biomaterials is anticipated. To accomplish this end, a refined truncated cube is introduced to model the lattice structure of nanoporous biomaterial. Accordingly, analytical expressions for the mechanical properties of material are derived as functions of pore size. After that, based upon a nonlocal strain gradient beam model, the size-dependent nonlinear Duffing type equation of motion is constructed. The Galerkin technique together with the multiple time-scales method is employed to obtain the nonlocal strain gradient frequency-response and amplitude-response related to the nonlinear primary resonance of a micro/nano-beam made of the nanoporous biomaterial with different pore sizes. It is indicated that the nonlocality causes to decrease the response amplitudes associated with the both bifurcation points of the jump phenomenon, while the strain gradient size dependency causes to increase them. Also, it is found that increasing the pore size leads to enhance the nonlinearity, so the maximum deflection of response occurs at higher excitation frequency.

On grain size dependent void swelling in pure copper irradiated with fission neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, B.N.; Eldrup, M.; Golubov, S.I.; Zinkle, S.J.

2001-03-01

The effect of grain size on void swelling has its origin in the intrinsic property of grain boundaries as neutral and unsaturable sinks for both vacancies and self-interstitial atoms (SIAs). The phenomenon was investigated already in the 1970s and it was demonstrated that the grain size dependent void swelling measured under irradiation producing only Frenkel pairs could be satisfactorily explained in terms of the standard rate theory (SRT) and dislocation bias. Experimental results reported in the 1980s demonstrated, on the other hand, that the effect of grain boundaries on void swelling under cascade damage conditions was radically different and could not be explained in terms of the SRT. In an effort to understand the source of this significant difference, the effect of grain size on void swelling under cascade damage conditions has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically in pure copper irradiated with fission neutrons at 623K to a dose level of ∼0.3 dpa (displacement per atom). The post-irradiation defect microstructure including voids was investigated using transmission electron microscopy and positron annihilation spectroscopy. The evolution of void swelling was calculated within the framework of the production bias model (PBM) and the SRT. The grain size dependent void swelling measured experimentally is in good accord with the theoretical results obtained using PMB. Implications of these results on modeling of void swelling under cascade damage conditions are discussed. (au)

Size dependent nanomechanics of coil spring shaped polymer nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Ushiba, Shota; Masui, Kyoko; Taguchi, Natsuo; Hamano, Tomoki; Kawata, Satoshi; Shoji, Satoru

2015-11-27

Direct laser writing (DLW) via two-photon polymerization (TPP) has been established as a powerful technique for fabrication and integration of nanoscale components, as it enables the production of three dimensional (3D) micro/nano objects. This technique has indeed led to numerous applications, including micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), metamaterials, mechanical metamaterials, and photonic crystals. However, as the feature sizes decrease, an urgent demand has emerged to uncover the mechanics of nanosized polymer materials. Here, we fabricate coil spring shaped polymer nanowires using DLW via two-photon polymerization. We find that even the nanocoil springs follow a linear-response against applied forces, following Hooke's law, as revealed by compression tests using an atomic force microscope. Further, the elasticity of the polymer material is found to become significantly greater as the wire radius is decreased from 550 to 350 nm. Polarized Raman spectroscopy measurements show that polymer chains are aligned in nanowires along the axis, which may be responsible for the size dependence. Our findings provide insight into the nanomechanics of polymer materials fabricated by DLW, which leads to further applications based on nanosized polymer materials.

Nanoparticle separation based on size-dependent aggregation of nanoparticles due to the critical Casimir effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Hongyu; Stan, Gheorghe; Liu, Yun

2018-02-21

Nanoparticles typically have an inherent wide size distribution that may affect the performance and reliability of many nanomaterials. Because the synthesis and purification of nanoparticles with desirable sizes are crucial to the applications of nanoparticles in various fields including medicine, biology, health care, and energy, there is a great need to search for more efficient and generic methods for size-selective nanoparticle purification/separation. Here we propose and conclusively demonstrate the effectiveness of a size-selective particle purification/separation method based on the critical Casimir force. The critical Casimir force is a generic interaction between colloidal particles near the solvent critical point and has been extensively studied in the past several decades due to its importance in reversibly controlling the aggregation and stability of colloidal particles. Combining multiple experimental techniques, we found that the critical Casimir force-induced aggregation depends on relative particle sizes in a system with larger ones aggregating first and the smaller ones remaining in solution. Based on this observation, a new size-dependent nanoparticle purification/separation method is proposed and demonstrated to be very efficient in purifying commercial silica nanoparticles in the lutidine/water binary solvent. Due to the ubiquity of the critical Casimir force for many colloidal particles in binary solvents, this method might be applicable to many types of colloidal particles.

Origin of the Size-Dependent Stokes Shift in CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Michael C; Herr, John E; Nguyen-Beck, Triet S; Zinna, Jessica; Draguta, Sergiu; Rouvimov, Sergei; Parkhill, John; Kuno, Masaru

2017-09-06

The origin of the size-dependent Stokes shift in CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals (NCs) is explained for the first time. Stokes shifts range from 82 to 20 meV for NCs with effective edge lengths varying from ∼4 to 13 nm. We show that the Stokes shift is intrinsic to the NC electronic structure and does not arise from extrinsic effects such as residual ensemble size distributions, impurities, or solvent-related effects. The origin of the Stokes shift is elucidated via first-principles calculations. Corresponding theoretical modeling of the CsPbBr 3 NC density of states and band structure reveals the existence of an intrinsic confined hole state 260 to 70 meV above the valence band edge state for NCs with edge lengths from ∼2 to 5 nm. A size-dependent Stokes shift is therefore predicted and is in quantitative agreement with the experimental data. Comparison between bulk and NC calculations shows that the confined hole state is exclusive to NCs. At a broader level, the distinction between absorbing and emitting states in CsPbBr 3 is likely a general feature of other halide perovskite NCs and can be tuned via NC size to enhance applications involving these materials.

Size dependence of spin-torque induced magnetic switching in CoFeB-based perpendicular magnetization tunnel junctions (invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, J. Z.; Trouilloud, P. L.; Gajek, M. J.; Nowak, J.; Robertazzi, R. P.; Hu, G.; Abraham, D. W.; Gaidis, M. C.; Brown, S. L.; O'Sullivan, E. J.; Gallagher, W. J.; Worledge, D. C.

2012-04-01

CoFeB-based magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are used as a model system for studies of size dependence in spin-torque-induced magnetic switching. For integrated solid-state memory applications, it is important to understand the magnetic and electrical characteristics of these magnetic tunnel junctions as they scale with tunnel junction size. Size-dependent magnetic anisotropy energy, switching voltage, apparent damping, and anisotropy field are systematically compared for devices with different materials and fabrication treatments. Results reveal the presence of sub-volume thermal fluctuation and reversal, with a characteristic length-scale of the order of approximately 40 nm, depending on the strength of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and exchange stiffness. To have the best spin-torque switching efficiency and best stability against thermal activation, it is desirable to optimize the perpendicular anisotropy strength with the junction size for intended use. It also is important to ensure strong exchange-stiffness across the magnetic thin film. These combine to give an exchange length that is comparable or larger than the lateral device size for efficient spin-torque switching.

Size-dependent concentration of N0 paramagnetic centres in HPHT nanodiamonds

OpenAIRE

Yavkin, Boris V; Mamin, Georgy V; Gafurov, Marat R.; Orlinskii, Sergei B.

2015-01-01

Size-calibrated commercial nanodiamonds synthesized by high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) technique were studied by high-frequency W and conventional X band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The numbers of spins in the studied samples were estimated. The core-shell model of the HPHT nanodiamonds was proposed to explain the observed dependence of the concentration of the N0 paramagnetic centers. Two other observed paramagnetic centers are attributed to the two types of str...

On grain-size-dependent void swelling in pure copper irradiated with fission neutrons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singh, Bachu Narain; Eldrup, Morten Mostgaard; Zinkle, S.J.

2002-01-01

The effect of grain size on void swelling has its origin in the intrinsic property of grain boundaries as neutral and unsaturable sinks for both vacancies and self-interstitial atoms. The phenomenon had already been investigated in the 1970s and it was demonstrated that the grain......-size-dependent void swelling measured under irradiation producing only Frenkel pairs could be satisfactorily explained in terms of the standard rate theory (SRT) and dislocation bias. Experimental results reported in the 1980s demonstrated, on the other hand, that the effect of grain boundaries on void swelling under...

Film size-dependent voltage-modulated magnetism in multiferroic heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, J.-M.; Shu, L.; Li, Z.; Gao, Y.; Shen, Y.; Lin, Y. H.; Chen, L. Q.; Nan, C. W.

2014-01-01

The electric-voltage-modulated magnetism in multiferroic heterostructures, also known as the converse magnetoelectric (ME) coupling, has drawn increasing research interest recently owing to its great potential applications in future low-power, high-speed electronic and/or spintronic devices, such as magnetic memory and computer logic. In this article, based on combined theoretical analysis and experimental demonstration, we investigate the film size dependence of such converse ME coupling in multiferroic magnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures, as well as exploring the interaction between two relating coupling mechanisms that are the interfacial strain and possibly the charge effects. We also briefly discuss some issues for the next step and describe new device prototypes that can be enabled by this technology. PMID:24421375

Particle size dependent confinement and lattice strain effects in LiFePO4.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Raza; Murugavel, Sevi

2013-11-21

We report the intrinsic electronic properties of LiFePO4 (LFP) with different particle sizes measured by broad-band impedance spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The electronic properties show typical size-dependent effects with decreasing particle size (up to 150 nm). However, at the nanoscale level, we observed an enhancement in the polaronic conductivity about an order of magnitude. We found that the origin of the enhanced electronic conductivity in LFP is due to the significant lattice strain associated with the reduction of particle size. The observed lattice strain component corresponds to the compressive part which leads to a decrease in the hopping length of the polarons. We reproduce nonlinearities in the transport properties of LFP with particle size, to capture the interplay between confinement and lattice strain, and track the effects of strain on the electron-phonon interactions. These results could explain why nano-sized LFP has a better discharge capacity and higher rate capability than the bulk counterpart. We suggest that these new correlations will bring greater insight and better understanding for the optimization of LFP as a cathode material for advanced lithium ion batteries.

Size dependence investigations of hot electron cooling dynamics in metal/adsorbates nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, Christophe; Abid, Jean-Pierre; Girault, Hubert H.

2005-01-01

The size dependence of electron-phonon coupling rate has been investigated by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy for gold nanoparticles (NPs) wrapped in a shell of sulfate with diameter varying from 1.7 to 9.2 nm. Broad-band spectroscopy gives an overview of the complex dynamics of nonequilibrium electrons and permits the choice of an appropriate probe wavelength for studying the electron-phonon coupling dynamics. Ultrafast experiments were performed in the weak perturbation regime (less than one photon in average per nanoparticle), which allows the direct extraction of the hot electron cooling rates in order to compare different NPs sizes under the same conditions. Spectroscopic data reveals a decrease of hot electron energy loss rates with metal/adsorbates nanosystem sizes. Electron-phonon coupling time constants obtained for 9.2 nm NPs are similar to gold bulk materials (∼1 ps) whereas an increase of hot electron cooling time up to 1.9 ps is observed for sizes of 1.7 nm. This is rationalized by the domination of surface effects over size (bulk) effects. The slow hot electron cooling is attributed to the adsorbates-induced long-lived nonthermal regime, which significantly reduces the electron-phonon coupling strength (average rate of phonon emission)

Response dependence of a ring ionization chamber response on the size of the X radiation field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshizumi, Maira T.; Caldas, Linda V.E.

2009-01-01

A ring monitor ionization chamber was developed at the IPEN-Sao Paulo, Brazil, fixed on a system of collimators which determine the dimension of the radiation field size. This work verified that the ring chamber response depends on the exponential form with the size of de radiation field

Thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline silicon: importance of grain size and frequency-dependent mean free paths.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhaojie; Alaniz, Joseph E; Jang, Wanyoung; Garay, Javier E; Dames, Chris

2011-06-08

The thermal conductivity reduction due to grain boundary scattering is widely interpreted using a scattering length assumed equal to the grain size and independent of the phonon frequency (gray). To assess these assumptions and decouple the contributions of porosity and grain size, five samples of undoped nanocrystalline silicon have been measured with average grain sizes ranging from 550 to 64 nm and porosities from 17% to less than 1%, at temperatures from 310 to 16 K. The samples were prepared using current activated, pressure assisted densification (CAPAD). At low temperature the thermal conductivities of all samples show a T(2) dependence which cannot be explained by any traditional gray model. The measurements are explained over the entire temperature range by a new frequency-dependent model in which the mean free path for grain boundary scattering is inversely proportional to the phonon frequency, which is shown to be consistent with asymptotic analysis of atomistic simulations from the literature. In all cases the recommended boundary scattering length is smaller than the average grain size. These results should prove useful for the integration of nanocrystalline materials in devices such as advanced thermoelectrics.

Size-Dependent Regulation of Intracellular Trafficking of Polystyrene Nanoparticle-Based Drug-Delivery Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ting; Wang, Lu; Li, Xiaoming; Hu, Xingjie; Han, Yuping; Luo, Yao; Wang, Zejun; Li, Qian; Aldalbahi, Ali; Wang, Lihua; Song, Shiping; Fan, Chunhai; Zhao, Yun; Wang, Maolin; Chen, Nan

2017-06-07

Nanoparticles (NPs) have shown great promise as intracellular imaging probes or nanocarriers and are increasingly being used in biomedical applications. A detailed understanding of how NPs get "in and out" of cells is important for developing new nanomaterials with improved selectivity and less cytotoxicity. Both physical and chemical characteristics have been proven to regulate the cellular uptake of NPs. However, the exocytosis process and its regulation are less explored. Herein, we investigated the size-regulated endocytosis and exocytosis of carboxylated polystyrene (PS) NPs. PS NPs with a smaller size were endocytosed mainly through the clathrin-dependent pathway, whereas PS NPs with a larger size preferred caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Furthermore, our results revealed exocytosis of larger PS NPs and tracked the dynamic process at the single-particle level. These results indicate that particle size is a key factor for the regulation of intracellular trafficking of NPs and provide new insight into the development of more effective cellular nanocarriers.

Spot size and pulse number dependence of femtosecond laser ablation thresholds of silicon and stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armbruster, Oskar; Naghilou, Aida [University of Vienna, Department of Physical Chemistry, Währinger Straße 42, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Kitzler, Markus [TU Wien, Photonics Institute, Gusshausstraße 27-29, A-1040 Vienna (Austria); Kautek, Wolfgang, E-mail: wolfgang.kautek@univie.ac.at [University of Vienna, Department of Physical Chemistry, Währinger Straße 42, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Influence of laser spot size and pulse number on the ablation of solids. • An extended defect model describes the dependence of the threshold fluence on the basis of high and low density defects. • Successfully applied to silicon and stainless steel. - Abstract: Laser spot size and pulse number are two major parameters influencing the ablation of solids. The extended defect model describes the dependence of the threshold fluence on the basis of high and low density defects. This model was successfully applied to silicon and stainless steel. It is demonstrated that heat accumulation cannot describe the experimental results.

Self-assembled Au nanoparticles on heated Corning glass by dc magnetron sputtering: size-dependent surface plasmon resonance tuning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grammatikopoulos, S.; Pappas, S. D. [University of Patras, Laboratory of High-Tech Materials, School of Engineering (Greece); Dracopoulos, V. [Hellas-Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes, (FORTH/ICE-HT), Foundation for Research and Technology (Greece); Poulopoulos, P., E-mail: poulop@upatras.gr [University of Patras, Laboratory of High-Tech Materials, School of Engineering (Greece); Fumagalli, P. [Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institut fuer Experimentalphysik (Germany); Velgakis, M. J.; Politis, C. [University of Patras, Laboratory of High-Tech Materials, School of Engineering (Greece)

2013-02-15

We report on the growth of Au nanoparticles on Corning glass by direct current magnetron sputtering and on the optical absorption of the films. The substrate temperature was kept to relatively high temperatures of 100 or 450 Degree-Sign C. This lead to the growth of Au nanoparticles instead of smooth Au films as the surface energy of Au is much larger than the one of glass. The size of the particles depended on the substrate temperature and deposition time and was shown to follow a logarithmic normal distribution function. Both, the surface plasmon resonance position and bandwidth, were found to depend upon the average particle size. The surface plasmon resonance position showed a 75 nm continuous blue shift from 14 nm down to 2.5 nm average particle size. Thus, we have shown how to tune the nanoparticle size and surface plasmon resonance of Au by varying the substrate temperature and deposition time. The experimental results are reproduced reasonably using a method which is based on the size- and wavelength-dependent complex dielectric function of Au within the framework of the Mie theory for the optical properties of metallic nanospheres.

Size-dependent error of the density functional theory ionization potential in vacuum and solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Sosa Vazquez, Xochitl A; Isborn, Christine M

2015-12-28

Density functional theory is often the method of choice for modeling the energetics of large molecules and including explicit solvation effects. It is preferable to use a method that treats systems of different sizes and with different amounts of explicit solvent on equal footing. However, recent work suggests that approximate density functional theory has a size-dependent error in the computation of the ionization potential. We here investigate the lack of size-intensivity of the ionization potential computed with approximate density functionals in vacuum and solution. We show that local and semi-local approximations to exchange do not yield a constant ionization potential for an increasing number of identical isolated molecules in vacuum. Instead, as the number of molecules increases, the total energy required to ionize the system decreases. Rather surprisingly, we find that this is still the case in solution, whether using a polarizable continuum model or with explicit solvent that breaks the degeneracy of each solute, and we find that explicit solvent in the calculation can exacerbate the size-dependent delocalization error. We demonstrate that increasing the amount of exact exchange changes the character of the polarization of the solvent molecules; for small amounts of exact exchange the solvent molecules contribute a fraction of their electron density to the ionized electron, but for larger amounts of exact exchange they properly polarize in response to the cationic solute. In vacuum and explicit solvent, the ionization potential can be made size-intensive by optimally tuning a long-range corrected hybrid functional.

Size-dependent concentration of N0 paramagnetic centres in HPHT nanodiamonds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.V. Yavkin, G.V. Mamin, M.R. Gafurov, S.B. Orlinskii

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Size-calibrated commercial nanodiamonds synthesized by high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT technique were studied by high-frequency W- and conventional X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR spectroscopy. The numbers of spins in the studied samples were estimated. The core-shell model of the HPHT nanodiamonds was proposed to explain the observed dependence of the concentration of the N0 paramagnetic centers. Two other observed paramagnetic centers are attributed to the two types of structures in the nanodiamond shell.

Size-dependent standard deviation for growth rates: empirical results and theoretical modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Podobnik, Boris; Horvatic, Davor; Pammolli, Fabio; Wang, Fengzhong; Stanley, H Eugene; Grosse, I

2008-05-01

We study annual logarithmic growth rates R of various economic variables such as exports, imports, and foreign debt. For each of these variables we find that the distributions of R can be approximated by double exponential (Laplace) distributions in the central parts and power-law distributions in the tails. For each of these variables we further find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation sigma(R) on the average size of the economic variable with a scaling exponent surprisingly close to that found for the gross domestic product (GDP) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3275 (1998)]. By analyzing annual logarithmic growth rates R of wages of 161 different occupations, we find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation sigma(R) on the average value of the wages with a scaling exponent beta approximately 0.14 close to those found for the growth of exports, imports, debt, and the growth of the GDP. In contrast to these findings, we observe for payroll data collected from 50 states of the USA that the standard deviation sigma(R) of the annual logarithmic growth rate R increases monotonically with the average value of payroll. However, also in this case we observe a power-law dependence of sigma(R) on the average payroll with a scaling exponent beta approximately -0.08 . Based on these observations we propose a stochastic process for multiple cross-correlated variables where for each variable (i) the distribution of logarithmic growth rates decays exponentially in the central part, (ii) the distribution of the logarithmic growth rate decays algebraically in the far tails, and (iii) the standard deviation of the logarithmic growth rate depends algebraically on the average size of the stochastic variable.

Size-dependent standard deviation for growth rates: Empirical results and theoretical modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Podobnik, Boris; Horvatic, Davor; Pammolli, Fabio; Wang, Fengzhong; Stanley, H. Eugene; Grosse, I.

2008-05-01

We study annual logarithmic growth rates R of various economic variables such as exports, imports, and foreign debt. For each of these variables we find that the distributions of R can be approximated by double exponential (Laplace) distributions in the central parts and power-law distributions in the tails. For each of these variables we further find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation σ(R) on the average size of the economic variable with a scaling exponent surprisingly close to that found for the gross domestic product (GDP) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3275 (1998)]. By analyzing annual logarithmic growth rates R of wages of 161 different occupations, we find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation σ(R) on the average value of the wages with a scaling exponent β≈0.14 close to those found for the growth of exports, imports, debt, and the growth of the GDP. In contrast to these findings, we observe for payroll data collected from 50 states of the USA that the standard deviation σ(R) of the annual logarithmic growth rate R increases monotonically with the average value of payroll. However, also in this case we observe a power-law dependence of σ(R) on the average payroll with a scaling exponent β≈-0.08 . Based on these observations we propose a stochastic process for multiple cross-correlated variables where for each variable (i) the distribution of logarithmic growth rates decays exponentially in the central part, (ii) the distribution of the logarithmic growth rate decays algebraically in the far tails, and (iii) the standard deviation of the logarithmic growth rate depends algebraically on the average size of the stochastic variable.

Nano rare-earth oxides induced size-dependent vacuolization: an independent pathway from autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Yu, Chenguang; Huang, Guanyi; Wang, Changli; Wen, Longping

2010-09-07

Four rare earth oxides have been shown to induce autophagy. Interestingly, we often noticed plentiful vacuolization, which was not always involved in this autophagic process. In this study, we investigated three other rare-earth elements, including Yttrium (Y), Ytterbium (Yb), and Lanthanum (La). Autophagic effect could be induced by all of them but only Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) could cause massive vacuolization. Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) treated by sonication or centrifugation to reduce particle size were used to test vacuolization level in HeLa cell lines. The results showed that rare earth oxides-induced vacuolization is size-dependent and differs from autophagic pathway. To further clarify the characteristics of this autophagic process, we used MEF Atg-5 (autophagy associated gene 5) knockout cell line, and the result showed that the autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides is Atg-5-dependent and the observed vacuolization was independent from autophagy. Similar results could also be observed in our tests on 3-methyladenine(3-MA), a well-known autophagy inhibitor. In conclusion, for the first time, we clarified the relationship between massive vacuolization and autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides and pointed out the size effect of rare earth oxides on the formation of vacuoles, which give clues to further investigation on the mechanisms underlying their biological effects.

Size- and dose-dependent toxicity of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) on human fibroblasts and colon adenocarcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanif, Zahid; Ahmed, Farrukh R; Shin, Seung Won; Kim, Young-Kee; Um, Soong Ho

2014-07-01

A controlled preparation of cellulose nanocrystals of different sizes and shapes has been carried out by acid hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose. The size- and concentration-dependent toxicity effects of the resulting cellulose nanocrystals were evaluated against two different cell lines, NIH3T3 murine embryo fibroblasts and HCT116 colon adenocarcinoma. It could serve as a therapeutic platform for cancer treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Constitutive modeling of rate dependence and microinertia effects in porous-plastic materials with multi-sized voids (MSVs)

KAUST Repository

Liu, Jinxing

2012-11-27

Micro-voids of varying sizes exist in most metals and alloys. Both experiments and numerical studies have demonstrated the critical influence of initial void sizes on void growth. The classical Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman model summarizes the influence of voids with a single parameter, namely the void-volume fraction, excluding any possible effects of the void-size distribution. We extend our newly proposed model including the multi-sized void (MSV) effect and the void-interaction effect for the capability of working for both moderate and high loading rate cases, where either rate dependence or microinertia becomes considerable or even dominant. Parametric studies show that the MSV-related competitive mechanism among void growth leads to the dependence of the void growth rate on void size, which directly influences the void\\'s contribution to the total energy composition. We finally show that the stress-strain constitutive behavior is also affected by this MSV-related competitive mechanism. The stabilizing effect due to rate sensitivity and microinertia is emphasized. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Valence and atomic size dependent exchange barriers in vacancy-mediated dopant diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, J.S.; Schultz, P.A.; Wright, A.F.

1998-01-01

First-principles pseudopotential calculations of dopant-vacancy exchange barriers indicate a strong dependency on dopant valence and atomic size, in contrast to current models of vacancy-mediated dopant diffusion. First-row elements (B, C, N) are found to have exchange barriers which are an order of magnitude larger than the assumed value of 0.3 eV (the Si vacancy migration energy). copyright 1998 American Institute of Physics

Hierarchical and Size Dependent Mechanical Properties of Silica and Silicon Nanostructures Inspired by Diatom Algae

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

Chaniotakis. The physical and mechanical properties of composite cements manufactured with cal- careous and clayey greek diatomite mixtures. Cement and...Hierarchical and size dependent mechanical properties of silica and silicon nanostructures inspired by diatom algae by Andre Phillipe Garcia B.S...dependent mechanical properties of silica and silicon nanostructures inspired by diatom algae 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM

Size-dependent photodegradation of CdS particles deposited onto TiO2 mesoporous films by SILAR method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Rasin; Will, Geoffrey; Bell, John; Wang Hongxia

2012-01-01

The particle size, size distribution and photostability of CdS nanoparticles incorporated onto mesoporous TiO 2 films by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, UV–Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). High-resolution TEM indicated that the synthesized CdS particles were hexagonal phase and the particle sizes were less than 5 nm for up to nine SILAR deposition cycles. Quantum size effect was found with the CdS-sensitized TiO 2 films prepared with up to nine SILAR cycles. The band gap of CdS nanoparticles decreased from 2.65 to 2.37 eV with the increase of the SILAR cycles from 1 to 11. The investigation of the stability of the CdS/TiO 2 films in air under illumination (440.6 μW/cm 2 ) showed that the photodegradation rate was up to 85 % per day for the sample prepared with three SILAR cycles. XPS analysis indicated that the photodegradation was due to the oxidation of CdS, leading to the transformation from sulphide to sulphate (CdSO 4 ). Furthermore, the degradation rate was strongly dependent upon the particle size of CdS. Smaller particles showed faster degradation rate. The size-dependent photo-induced oxidization was rationalized with the variation of size-dependent distribution of surface atoms of CdS particles. Molecular dynamics-based theoretical calculation has indicated that the surface sulphide anion of a large CdS particle such as CdS made with 11 cycles (CdS × 11, average particle size = 5.6 nm) accounts for 9.6 % of the material whereas this value is increased to 19.2 % for (CdS × 3)-based smaller particles (average particle size = 2.7 nm). The photostability of CdS nanoparticles was significantly enhanced when coated with ZnS particles deposited with four SILAR cycles. The growth mechanism of ZnS upon CdS nanoparticles was discussed.

Dependence of tracer diffusion on atomic size in amorphous Ni-Zr

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, H.; Averback, R.S.

1988-01-01

Tracer diffusion coefficients for several impurities and Ni self-atoms were measured in amorphous (a-) Ni/sub 50/Zr/sub 50/ at 573 K using secondary-ion-mass spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering, and radioactive tracer methods. The results showed that atomic mobility in the a-Ni-Zr alloy depends strongly on atomic size, decreasing rapidly with increasing atomic radius. This diffusion behavior is similar to that in α-Zr and α-Ti and is suggestive of an interstitial-like mechanism of diffusion. The consequences of these results for solid-state amorphization transformations are discussed

Particle Size-Dependent Antibacterial Activity and Murine Cell Cytotoxicity Induced by Graphene Oxide Nanomaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Zhao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have indicated that graphene and its derivative graphene oxide (GO engage in a wide range of antibacterial activities with limited toxicity to human cells. Here, we systematically evaluate the dependence of GO toxicity on the size of the nanoparticles used in treatments: we compare the cytotoxic effects of graphene quantum dots (GQDs, <15 nm, small GOs (SGOs, 50–200 nm, and large GOs (LGOs, 0.5–3 μm. We synthesize the results of bacterial colony count assays and SEM-based observations of morphological changes to assess the antibacterial properties that these GOs bring into effect against E. coli. We also use Live/Dead assays and morphological analysis to investigate changes to mammalian (Murine macrophage-like Raw 264.7 cells induced by the presence of the various GO particle types. Our results demonstrate that LGOs, SGOs, and GQDs possess antibacterial activities and cause mammalian cell cytotoxicity at descending levels of potency. Placing our observations in the context of previous simulation results, we suggest that both the lateral size and surface area of GO particles contribute to cytotoxic effects. We hope that the size dependence elucidated here provides a useful schematic for tuning GO-cell interactions in biomedical applications.

Size and shape-dependent cytotoxicity profile of gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Woźniak, Anna; Malankowska, Anna; Nowaczyk, Grzegorz; Grześkowiak, Bartosz F; Tuśnio, Karol; Słomski, Ryszard; Zaleska-Medynska, Adriana; Jurga, Stefan

2017-06-01

Metallic nanoparticles, in particular gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), offer a wide spectrum of applications in biomedicine. A crucial issue is their cytotoxicity, which depends greatly on various factors, including morphology of nanoparticles. Because metallic nanoparticles have an effect on cell membrane integrity, their shape and size may affect the viability of cells, due to their different geometries as well as physical and chemical interactions with cell membranes. Variations in the size and shape of gold nanoparticles may indicate particular nanoparticle morphologies that provide strong cytotoxicity effects. Synthesis of different sized and shaped bare AuNPs was performed with spherical (~ 10 nm), nanoflowers (~ 370 nm), nanorods (~ 41 nm), nanoprisms (~ 160 nm) and nanostars (~ 240 nm) morphologies. These nanostructures were characterized and interacting with cancer (HeLa) and normal (HEK293T) cell lines and cell viability tests were performed by WST-1 tests and fluorescent live/dead cell imaging experiments. It was shown that various shapes and sizes of gold nanostructures may affect the viability of the cells. Gold nanospheres and nanorods proved to be more toxic than star, flower and prism gold nanostructures. This may be attributed to their small size and aggregation process. This is the first report concerning a comparison of cytotoxic profile in vitro with a wide spectrum of bare AuNPs morphology. The findings show their possible use in biomedical applications.

Evaluation of comfort in bedridden older adults using an air-cell mattress with an automated turning function: measurement of parasympathetic activity during night sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Futamura, Megumi; Sugama, Junko; Okuwa, Mayumi; Sanada, Hiromi; Tabata, Keiko

2008-12-01

This study objectively evaluated the degree of comfort in bedridden older adults using an air-cell mattress with an automated turning mechanism. The sample included 10 bedridden women with verbal communication difficulties. The high frequency (HF) components of heart rate variability, which reflect parasympathetic nervous activity, were compared for the manual and automated turning periods. No significant differences in the HF component were observed in 5 of the participants. Significant increases in the HF component associated with automated turning were observed in 3 participants; however, the two participants with the lowest body mass index values exhibited a significant reduction in the HF component during the automated turning period. The results revealed that comfort might not be disturbed during the automated turning period.

Measuring size dependent electrical properties from nanoneedle structures: Pt/ZnO Schottky diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Shimin; Anderson, Daniel D.; Shang, Tao; Park, Byoungnam; Dillon, Shen J.

2014-01-01

This work reports the fabrication and testing of nanoneedle devices with well-defined interfaces that are amenable to a variety of structural and electrical characterization, including transmission electron microscopy. Single Pt/ZnO nanoneedle Schottky diodes were fabricated by a top down method using a combination of electro-polishing, sputtering, and focused ion beam milling. The resulting structures contained nanoscale planar heterojunctions with low ideality factors, the dimensions of which were tuned to study size-dependent electrical properties. The diameter dependence of the Pt/ZnO diode barrier height is explained by a joule heating effect and/or electronic inhomogeneity in the Pt/ZnO contact area

Size effects on failure behaviour of reactor pressure vessel steel and their dependence on deformation inhomogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aktaa, J.; Klotz, M.; Schmitt, R.

2003-01-01

The investigation of the size dependence of the material behaviour and particularly of the failure strain is the main objective of the European research project LISSAC (Limit Strains for Severe Accident Conditions). Within our activities in LISSAC, tensile test series with specimens of similar geometry and different sizes are performed. The specimens, cut from the wall of a real reactor vessel, are flat with a central hole, flat with a double edge notch as well as round with a circumferential notch in order to obtain inhomogeneous deformation with high strain gradients, which will be higher in the smaller specimens and might be responsible for size effects. An additional variation of the strain gradient is obtained by varying the central hole radius of the flat specimens, with three different hole geometries being considered: round hole, increased round hole and slot. During the tests optical methods are used for measuring local deformations and partly local strain gradients. The results obtained show a size effect neither on the global nor on the local deformation behaviour, whereas the damage and failure behaviour is influenced significantly by the size of the specimen. On the basis of the surface deformation measurements, finite element calculations are performed to estimate the local failure strains as well as the corresponding strain gradients. A clear dependence of local failure strains on strain gradients is obtained. (author)

Characterization of Time-Dependent Contact Angles for Oleic Acid Mixed Sands with Different Particle Size Fractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wijewardana, Y. N. S.; Kawamoto, Ken; Komatsu, Toshiko

2014-01-01

) mixed sands representing four different particle size fractions ranging from 0.105 to 0.84 mm. Initial soil-water contact angle (αi), and the time dependence of contact angle were measured by the sessile drop method. Results showed that the αi value for fine and middle sand fractions increased rapidly...... in contact angle (α), well captured the time dependence of α....

CdSe quantum dots co-sensitized TiO2 photoelectrodes: particle size dependent properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prabakar, K; Minkyu, S; Inyoung, S; Heeje, K

2010-01-01

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) with different particle sizes have been used as an inorganic co-sensitizer in addition to organic dye for large band gap mesoporous TiO 2 dye sensitized solar cells. The QDs co-sensitized solar cells exhibited overall highest conversion efficiency of 3.65% at 1 sun irradiation for 3.3 nm particle size corresponding to a visible light absorption wavelength of 528 nm. The photovoltaic characteristics of CdSe QDs co-sensitized cells depend on the particle sizes rather than broad spectral light absorption as compared with CdSe QDs alone sensitized and standard dye-sensitized solar cells. Correlation between CdSe QDs adsorption on mesoporous TiO 2 surfaces and photoelectron injection into TiO 2 has been demonstrated. (fast track communication)

Size-Dependent Specific Surface Area of Nanoporous Film Assembled by Core-Shell Iron Nanoclusters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiji Antony

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Nanoporous films of core-shell iron nanoclusters have improved possibilities for remediation, chemical reactivity rate, and environmentally favorable reaction pathways. Conventional methods often have difficulties to yield stable monodispersed core-shell nanoparticles. We produced core-shell nanoclusters by a cluster source that utilizes combination of Fe target sputtering along with gas aggregations in an inert atmosphere at 7∘C. Sizes of core-shell iron-iron oxide nanoclusters are observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The specific surface areas of the porous films obtained from Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET process are size-dependent and compared with the calculated data.

Size dependent polaronic conduction in hematite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Monika; Banday, Azeem; Murugavel, Sevi

2016-01-01

Lithium Ion Batteries have been attracted as the major renewable energy source for all portable electronic devices because of its advantages like superior energy density, high theoretical capacity, high specific energy, stable cycling and less memory effects. Recently, α-Fe_2O_3 has been considered as a potential anode material due to high specific capacity, low cost, high abundance and environmental benignity. We have synthesized α-Fe_2O_3 with various sizes by using the ball milling and sol-gel procedure. Here, we report the dc conductivity measurement for the crystallite size ranging from 15 nm to 50 nm. It has been observed that the enhancement in the polaronic conductivity nearly two orders in magnitude while reducing the crystallite size from bulk into nano scale level. The enhancement in the conductivity is due to the augmented to compressive strain developed in the material which leads to pronounced decrease in the hopping length of polarons. Thus, nanocrystaline α-Fe_2O_3 may be a better alternative anode material for lithium ion batteries than earlier reported systems.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-11-01

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

Thermoluminescent dependence with the particle size in ionized foods by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teuffer Z, C.A.

2005-01-01

The influence of the particle size of poly minerals in the signals of the thermally stimulated luminescence (TL) is analysed. The poly minerals were extracted of Mexican spices such as Origanum vulgare L. (origanum) and Capsicum annum (Chilli guajillo), these underwent to an homogenization process to obtain four different particle sizes corresponding to 149, 74, 53 and 10 μ m, and later on to expose them to gamma radiation in an interval of 0.5- 45 kGy in the Gamma beam 651 PT of 60 Co irradiator of the Nuclear Sciences Institute, UNAM. The glow curves show a maximum of TL intensity for Capsicum annum to dose of 0.5- 10 kGy with particle size selected by means of a mesh of opening of 53 μ m, while for Origanum vulgare L., the more intense emission is observed with 149 μ m. In the interval of dose 12- 45 kGy the maximum in intensity emission it was presented in 53 μ m in both cases. For the case of 10 μ m, the TL emissions were of smaller intensity, and were achieved glow curves in a clear, defined way and an overlapping that allows to center the maximum of TL emission, in a defined temperature 126 C for Origanum vulgare L., and 166 C for Capsicum annum. The behavior before described is related with the composition of the samples. For Capsicum annum it was found Quartz (60%), Albite (30%) and Ortosa (10%), while Origanum vulgare stops L., Quartz (50%), Calcite (20%), Albite (20%) and Clay (10%). The homogenization of the samples is an important factor because exists high probability of avoiding as much as possible rests of organic matter traces that can contribute to the total signal of the glow curves. Likewise the defects that pollute from a natural way to each one of the minerals found in the samples, they play an outstanding role in the TL emissions. Although to the interacting the gamma radiation with the poly minerals of different particle sizes, there is a certain energy transfer that will be translated in the absorbed dose and this it will depend on the

Size-dependent tissue kinetics of PEG-coated gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Wan-Seob; Cho, Minjung; Jeong, Jinyoung; Choi, Mina; Han, Beom Seok; Shin, Hyung-Seon; Hong, Jin; Chung, Bong Hyun; Jeong, Jayoung; Cho, Myung-Haing

2010-01-01

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be used in various biomedical applications, however, very little is known about their size-dependent in vivo kinetics. Here, we performed a kinetic study in mice with different sizes of PEG-coated AuNPs. Small AuNPs (4 or 13 nm) showed high levels in blood for 24 h and were cleared by 7 days, whereas large (100 nm) AuNPs were completely cleared by 24 h. All AuNPs in blood re-increased at 3 months, which correlated with organ levels. Levels of small AuNPs were peaked at 7 days in the liver and spleen and at 1 month in the mesenteric lymph node, and remained high until 6 months, with slow elimination. In contrast, large AuNPs were taken up rapidly (∼ 30 min) into the liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes with less elimination phase. TEM showed that AuNPs were entrapped in cytoplasmic vesicles and lysosomes of Kupffer cells and macrophages of spleen and mesenteric lymph node. Small AuNPs transiently activated CYP1A1 and 2B, phase I metabolic enzymes, in liver tissues from 24 h to 7 days, which mirrored with elevated gold levels in the liver. Large AuNPs did not affect the metabolic enzymes. Thus, propensity to accumulate in the reticuloendothelial organs and activation of phase I metabolic enzymes, suggest that extensive further studies are needed for practical in vivo applications.

Size-dependent photodegradation of CdS particles deposited onto TiO{sub 2} mesoporous films by SILAR method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Rasin; Will, Geoffrey; Bell, John; Wang Hongxia, E-mail: hx.wang@qut.edu.au [Queensland University of Technology, School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering (Australia)

2012-09-15

The particle size, size distribution and photostability of CdS nanoparticles incorporated onto mesoporous TiO{sub 2} films by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). High-resolution TEM indicated that the synthesized CdS particles were hexagonal phase and the particle sizes were less than 5 nm for up to nine SILAR deposition cycles. Quantum size effect was found with the CdS-sensitized TiO{sub 2} films prepared with up to nine SILAR cycles. The band gap of CdS nanoparticles decreased from 2.65 to 2.37 eV with the increase of the SILAR cycles from 1 to 11. The investigation of the stability of the CdS/TiO{sub 2} films in air under illumination (440.6 {mu}W/cm{sup 2}) showed that the photodegradation rate was up to 85 % per day for the sample prepared with three SILAR cycles. XPS analysis indicated that the photodegradation was due to the oxidation of CdS, leading to the transformation from sulphide to sulphate (CdSO{sub 4}). Furthermore, the degradation rate was strongly dependent upon the particle size of CdS. Smaller particles showed faster degradation rate. The size-dependent photo-induced oxidization was rationalized with the variation of size-dependent distribution of surface atoms of CdS particles. Molecular dynamics-based theoretical calculation has indicated that the surface sulphide anion of a large CdS particle such as CdS made with 11 cycles (CdS Multiplication-Sign 11, average particle size = 5.6 nm) accounts for 9.6 % of the material whereas this value is increased to 19.2 % for (CdS Multiplication-Sign 3)-based smaller particles (average particle size = 2.7 nm). The photostability of CdS nanoparticles was significantly enhanced when coated with ZnS particles deposited with four SILAR cycles. The growth mechanism of ZnS upon CdS nanoparticles was discussed.

Size dependence of adsorption kinetics of nano-MgO: a theoretical and experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Shuting; Wen, Yanzhen; Cui, Zixiang; Xue, Yongqiang

2016-01-01

Nanoparticles present tremendous differences in adsorption kinetics compared with corresponding bulk particles which have great influences on the applications of nanoparticles. A size-dependent adsorption kinetic theory was proposed, the relations between adsorption kinetic parameters, respectively, and particle size of nano-adsorbent were derived theoretically, and the influence mechanism of particle size on the adsorption kinetic parameters was discussed. In experiment, nanoscale magnesium oxide (nano-MgO) with different diameters between 11.5 and 41.4 nm with narrow size distribution and low agglomeration were prepared, and the kinetic parameters of adsorption of benzene on nano-MgO in aqueous solution were obtained. Then the influence regularities of the particle size on the adsorption kinetic parameters were obtained. The experimental results are consistent with the nano-adsorption kinetic theory. With particle size decreasing, the adsorption rate constant increases; the adsorption activation energy and the adsorption pre-exponential factor decrease. Furthermore, the logarithm of adsorption rate constant, the adsorption activation energy, and the logarithm of adsorption pre-exponential factor are linearly related to the reciprocal of particle diameter, respectively. The mechanism of particle size influence on the kinetic parameters is that the activation energy is influenced by the molar surface enthalpy of nano-adsorbent, the pre-exponential factor by the molar surface entropy, and the rate constant by both the molar surface enthalpy and the molar surface entropy

Precise large deviations of aggregate claims in a size-dependent renewal risk model with stopping time claim-number process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuo Zhang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this paper, we consider a size-dependent renewal risk model with stopping time claim-number process. In this model, we do not make any assumption on the dependence structure of claim sizes and inter-arrival times. We study large deviations of the aggregate amount of claims. For the subexponential heavy-tailed case, we obtain a precise large-deviation formula; our method substantially relies on a martingale for the structure of our models.

Quantitative size-dependent structure and strain determination of CdSe nanoparticles using atomic pair distribution function analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masadeh, A S; Bozin, E S; Farrow, C L; Paglia, G; Juhas, P; Billinge, S J. L.; Karkamkar, A; Kanatzidis, M G [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1116 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1116 (United States)

2007-09-15

The size-dependent structure of CdSe nanoparticles, with diameters ranging from 2 to 4 nm, has been studied using the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) method. The core structure of the measured CdSe nanoparticles can be described in terms of the wurtzite atomic structure with extensive stacking faults. The density of faults in the nanoparticles is {approx}50%. The diameter of the core region was extracted directly from the PDF data and is in good agreement with the diameter obtained from standard characterization methods, suggesting that there is little surface amorphous region. A compressive strain was measured in the Cd-Se bond length that increases with decreasing particle size being 0.5% with respect to bulk CdSe for the 2 nm diameter particles. This study demonstrates the size-dependent quantitative structural information that can be obtained even from very small nanoparticles using the PDF approach.

Uncovering the intrinsic size dependence of hydriding phase transformations in nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardhan, Rizia; Hedges, Lester O; Pint, Cary L; Javey, Ali; Whitelam, Stephen; Urban, Jeffrey J

2013-10-01

A quantitative understanding of nanocrystal phase transformations would enable more efficient energy conversion and catalysis, but has been hindered by difficulties in directly monitoring well-characterized nanoscale systems in reactive environments. We present a new in situ luminescence-based probe enabling direct quantification of nanocrystal phase transformations, applied here to the hydriding transformation of palladium nanocrystals. Our approach reveals the intrinsic kinetics and thermodynamics of nanocrystal phase transformations, eliminating complications of substrate strain, ligand effects and external signal transducers. Clear size-dependent trends emerge in nanocrystals long accepted to be bulk-like in behaviour. Statistical mechanical simulations show these trends to be a consequence of nanoconfinement of a thermally driven, first-order phase transition: near the phase boundary, critical nuclei of the new phase are comparable in size to the nanocrystal itself. Transformation rates are then unavoidably governed by nanocrystal dimensions. Our results provide a general framework for understanding how nanoconfinement fundamentally impacts broad classes of thermally driven solid-state phase transformations relevant to hydrogen storage, catalysis, batteries and fuel cells.

Size dependence in tunneling spectra of PbSe quantum-dot arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Ou, Y C; Cheng, S F; Jian, W B

2009-07-15

Interdot Coulomb interactions and collective Coulomb blockade were theoretically argued to be a newly important topic, and experimentally identified in semiconductor quantum dots, formed in the gate confined two-dimensional electron gas system. Developments of cluster science and colloidal synthesis accelerated the studies of electron transport in colloidal nanocrystal or quantum-dot solids. To study the interdot coupling, various sizes of two-dimensional arrays of colloidal PbSe quantum dots are self-assembled on flat gold surfaces for scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements at both room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. The tip-to-array, array-to-substrate, and interdot capacitances are evaluated and the tunneling spectra of quantum-dot arrays are analyzed by the theory of collective Coulomb blockade. The current-voltage of PbSe quantum-dot arrays conforms properly to a scaling power law function. In this study, the dependence of tunneling spectra on the sizes (numbers of quantum dots) of arrays is reported and the capacitive coupling between quantum dots in the arrays is explored.

Density dependence of avian clutch size in resident and migrant species: is there a constraint on the predictability of competitor density?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Both, C.

2000-01-01

The presence of density dependence of clutch size is tested in 57 long-term population studies of 10 passerine bird species. In about half of the studies of tit species Parus spp. density dependence of clutch size was found, while none was found in studies of two flycatcher species Ficedula spp. One

Size-dependent production of radicals in catalyzed reduction of Eosin Y using gold nanorods

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Guojun; Qi, Ying; Li, Jianjun; Zhao, Junwu

2015-09-01

Gold nanostructures have been widely used as catalysts for chemical processes, energy conversion, and pollution control. The size of gold nanocatalysts is thus paramount for their catalytic activity. In this paper, gold nanorods with different sizes were prepared by means of the improved seeding growth approach by adding aromatic additive. The sizes and aspect ratios of the obtained gold nanorods were calculated according to the TEM characterization. Then, we studied the catalytic activities of gold nanorods using a model reaction based on the reduction of Eosin Y by NaBH4. By monitoring the absorption intensities of the radicals induced by gold nanorods in real time, we observed the clear size-dependent activity in the conversion of EY2- to EY3-. The conversion efficiency indicated that the gold nanorods with the smallest size were catalytically the most active probably due to their high number of coordinatively unsaturated surface atoms. In addition, a compensation effect dominated by the surface area of nanorods was observed in this catalytic reduction, which could be primarily attributed to the configuration of Eosin Y absorbed onto the surfaces of gold nanorods.

Size-dependent production of radicals in catalyzed reduction of Eosin Y using gold nanorods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weng, Guojun; Qi, Ying; Li, Jianjun; Zhao, Junwu, E-mail: nanoptzhao@163.com [Xi’an Jiaotong University, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology (China)

2015-09-15

Gold nanostructures have been widely used as catalysts for chemical processes, energy conversion, and pollution control. The size of gold nanocatalysts is thus paramount for their catalytic activity. In this paper, gold nanorods with different sizes were prepared by means of the improved seeding growth approach by adding aromatic additive. The sizes and aspect ratios of the obtained gold nanorods were calculated according to the TEM characterization. Then, we studied the catalytic activities of gold nanorods using a model reaction based on the reduction of Eosin Y by NaBH{sub 4}. By monitoring the absorption intensities of the radicals induced by gold nanorods in real time, we observed the clear size-dependent activity in the conversion of EY{sup 2−} to EY{sup 3−}. The conversion efficiency indicated that the gold nanorods with the smallest size were catalytically the most active probably due to their high number of coordinatively unsaturated surface atoms. In addition, a compensation effect dominated by the surface area of nanorods was observed in this catalytic reduction, which could be primarily attributed to the configuration of Eosin Y absorbed onto the surfaces of gold nanorods.

Size-dependent production of radicals in catalyzed reduction of Eosin Y using gold nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, Guojun; Qi, Ying; Li, Jianjun; Zhao, Junwu

2015-01-01

Gold nanostructures have been widely used as catalysts for chemical processes, energy conversion, and pollution control. The size of gold nanocatalysts is thus paramount for their catalytic activity. In this paper, gold nanorods with different sizes were prepared by means of the improved seeding growth approach by adding aromatic additive. The sizes and aspect ratios of the obtained gold nanorods were calculated according to the TEM characterization. Then, we studied the catalytic activities of gold nanorods using a model reaction based on the reduction of Eosin Y by NaBH 4 . By monitoring the absorption intensities of the radicals induced by gold nanorods in real time, we observed the clear size-dependent activity in the conversion of EY 2− to EY 3− . The conversion efficiency indicated that the gold nanorods with the smallest size were catalytically the most active probably due to their high number of coordinatively unsaturated surface atoms. In addition, a compensation effect dominated by the surface area of nanorods was observed in this catalytic reduction, which could be primarily attributed to the configuration of Eosin Y absorbed onto the surfaces of gold nanorods

Effect of dislocation pile-up on size-dependent yield strength in finite single-crystal micro-samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Bo; Shibutani, Yoji, E-mail: sibutani@mech.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871 (Japan); Zhang, Xu [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001 (China); Shang, Fulin [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2015-07-07

Recent research has explained that the steeply increasing yield strength in metals depends on decreasing sample size. In this work, we derive a statistical physical model of the yield strength of finite single-crystal micro-pillars that depends on single-ended dislocation pile-up inside the micro-pillars. We show that this size effect can be explained almost completely by considering the stochastic lengths of the dislocation source and the dislocation pile-up length in the single-crystal micro-pillars. The Hall–Petch-type relation holds even in a microscale single-crystal, which is characterized by its dislocation source lengths. Our quantitative conclusions suggest that the number of dislocation sources and pile-ups are significant factors for the size effect. They also indicate that starvation of dislocation sources is another reason for the size effect. Moreover, we investigated the explicit relationship between the stacking fault energy and the dislocation “pile-up” effect inside the sample: materials with low stacking fault energy exhibit an obvious dislocation pile-up effect. Our proposed physical model predicts a sample strength that agrees well with experimental data, and our model can give a more precise prediction than the current single arm source model, especially for materials with low stacking fault energy.

Size dependent polaronic conduction in hematite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Monika; Banday, Azeem; Murugavel, Sevi [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi – 110 007 (India)

2016-05-23

Lithium Ion Batteries have been attracted as the major renewable energy source for all portable electronic devices because of its advantages like superior energy density, high theoretical capacity, high specific energy, stable cycling and less memory effects. Recently, α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been considered as a potential anode material due to high specific capacity, low cost, high abundance and environmental benignity. We have synthesized α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} with various sizes by using the ball milling and sol-gel procedure. Here, we report the dc conductivity measurement for the crystallite size ranging from 15 nm to 50 nm. It has been observed that the enhancement in the polaronic conductivity nearly two orders in magnitude while reducing the crystallite size from bulk into nano scale level. The enhancement in the conductivity is due to the augmented to compressive strain developed in the material which leads to pronounced decrease in the hopping length of polarons. Thus, nanocrystaline α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} may be a better alternative anode material for lithium ion batteries than earlier reported systems.

Size dependences of crystal structure and magnetic properties of DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tajiri, T., E-mail: tajiri@fukuoka-u.ac.jp [Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180 (Japan); Terashita, N.; Hamamoto, K.; Deguchi, H.; Mito, M. [Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu 804-8550 (Japan); Morimoto, Y.; Konishi, K. [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Kohno, A. [Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180 (Japan)

2013-11-15

We synthesized DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles with particle sizes of about 7.5–15.3 nm in the pores of mesoporous silica and investigated their crystal structure and magnetic properties. As the particle size decreased, the lattice constants of the DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles deviated from those of the bulk crystal, and the Jahn–Teller distortion in the nanoparticle systems decreased. In addition, the estimated lattice strain increased with decreasing particle size. The DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles showed superparamagnetic behavior. The blocking temperature and the coercive field increased with decreasing particle size, and this behavior was contrary to the usual magnetic size effects. It is deduced that these unique size dependences of the magnetic properties for the DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles were derived from the changes in lattice constants and lattice strain. The anisotropic lattice deformation in the crystal structure of the nanoparticles induces an enhancement of the magnetic anisotropy, which results in the increase in blocking temperature and coercive field with decreasing particle size. - Highlights: • We successfully synthesized DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles with particle size of 7.5–15.3 nm. • Lattice strain increases with decreasing particle size. • Lattice constants exhibit anisotropic change with decreasing particle size. • Distortion of crystal structure leads to enhancement of magnetic anisotropy constant. • Blocking temperature and coercive field increases with decreasing particle size.

Size- and coating-dependent cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of silver nanoparticles evaluated using in vitro standard assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiaoqing; Li, Yan; Yan, Jian; Ingle, Taylor; Jones, Margie Yvonne; Mei, Nan; Boudreau, Mary D; Cunningham, Candice K; Abbas, Mazhar; Paredes, Angel M; Zhou, Tong; Moore, Martha M; Howard, Paul C; Chen, Tao

2016-11-01

The physicochemical characteristics of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) may greatly alter their toxicological potential. To explore the effects of size and coating on the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of AgNPs, six different types of AgNPs, having three different sizes and two different coatings, were investigated using the Ames test, mouse lymphoma assay (MLA) and in vitro micronucleus assay. The genotoxicities of silver acetate and silver nitrate were evaluated to compare the genotoxicity of nanosilver to that of ionic silver. The Ames test produced inconclusive results for all types of the silver materials due to the high toxicity of silver to the test bacteria and the lack of entry of the nanoparticles into the cells. Treatment of L5718Y cells with AgNPs and ionic silver resulted in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, mutagenicity in the Tk gene and the induction of micronuclei from exposure to nearly every type of the silver materials. Treatment of TK6 cells with these silver materials also resulted in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and significantly increased micronucleus frequency. With both the MLA and micronucleus assays, the smaller the AgNPs, the greater the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The coatings had less effect on the relative genotoxicity of AgNPs than the particle size. Loss of heterozygosity analysis of the induced Tk mutants indicated that the types of mutations induced by AgNPs were different from those of ionic silver. These results suggest that AgNPs induce cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in a size- and coating-dependent manner. Furthermore, while the MLA and in vitro micronucleus assay (in both types of cells) are useful to quantitatively measure the genotoxic potencies of AgNPs, the Ames test cannot.

Nuclear size is sensitive to NTF2 protein levels in a manner dependent on Ran binding

Science.gov (United States)

Vuković, Lidija D.; Jevtić, Predrag; Zhang, Zhaojie; Stohr, Bradley A.; Levy, Daniel L.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Altered nuclear size is associated with many cancers, and determining whether cancer-associated changes in nuclear size contribute to carcinogenesis necessitates an understanding of mechanisms of nuclear size regulation. Although nuclear import rates generally positively correlate with nuclear size, NTF2 levels negatively affect nuclear size, despite the role of NTF2 (also known as NUTF2) in nuclear recycling of the import factor Ran. We show that binding of Ran to NTF2 is required for NTF2 to inhibit nuclear expansion and import of large cargo molecules in Xenopus laevis egg and embryo extracts, consistent with our observation that NTF2 reduces the diameter of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) in a Ran-binding-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ectopic NTF2 expression in Xenopus embryos and mammalian tissue culture cells alters nuclear size. Finally, we show that increases in nuclear size during melanoma progression correlate with reduced NTF2 expression, and increasing NTF2 levels in melanoma cells is sufficient to reduce nuclear size. These results show a conserved capacity for NTF2 to impact on nuclear size, and we propose that NTF2 might be a new cancer biomarker. PMID:26823604

Modelling size-dependent cannibalism in barramundi Lates calcarifer: cannibalistic polyphenism and its implication to aquaculture.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flavio F Ribeiro

Full Text Available This study quantified size-dependent cannibalism in barramundi Lates calcarifer through coupling a range of prey-predator pairs in a different range of fish sizes. Predictive models were developed using morphological traits with the alterative assumption of cannibalistic polyphenism. Predictive models were validated with the data from trials where cannibals were challenged with progressing increments of prey sizes. The experimental observations showed that cannibals of 25-131 mm total length could ingest the conspecific prey of 78-72% cannibal length. In the validation test, all predictive models underestimate the maximum ingestible prey size for cannibals of a similar size range. However, the model based on the maximal mouth width at opening closely matched the empirical observations, suggesting a certain degree of phenotypic plasticity of mouth size among cannibalistic individuals. Mouth size showed allometric growth comparing with body depth, resulting in a decreasing trend on the maximum size of ingestible prey as cannibals grow larger, which in parts explains why cannibalism in barramundi is frequently observed in the early developmental stage. Any barramundi has the potential to become a cannibal when the initial prey size was 58% of their size, suggesting that 50% of size difference can be the threshold to initiate intracohort cannibalism in a barramundi population. Cannibalistic polyphenism was likely to occur in barramundi that had a cannibalistic history. An experienced cannibal would have a greater ability to stretch its mouth size to capture a much larger prey than the models predict. The awareness of cannibalistic polyphenism has important application in fish farming management to reduce cannibalism.

Size-dependent tuning of horseradish peroxidase bioreactivity by gold nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Haohao; Liu, Yi; Li, Meng; Chong, Yu; Zeng, Mingyong; Lo, Y. Martin; Yin, Jun-Jie

2015-02-01

Molecules with diverse biological functions, such as heme peroxidases, can be useful tools for identifying potential biological effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the molecular level. Here, using UV-Vis, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, we report tuning of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) bioactivity by reactant-free AuNPs with diameters of 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 nm (Au-5 nm, Au-10 nm, Au-15 nm, Au-30 nm and Au-60 nm). HRP conjugation to AuNPs was observed with only Au-5 nm and Au-10 nm prominently increasing the α-helicity of the enzyme to extents inversely related to their size. Au-5 nm inhibited both HRP peroxidase activity toward 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine and HRP compound I/II reactivity toward 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide. Au-5 nm enhanced the HRP peroxidase activity toward ascorbic acid and the HRP compound I/II reactivity toward redox-active residues in the HRP protein moiety. Further, Au-5 nm also decreased the catalase- and oxidase-like activities of HRP. Au-10 nm showed similar, but weaker effects, while Au-15 nm, Au-30 nm and Au-60 nm had no effect. Results suggest that AuNPs can size-dependently enhance or inhibit HRP bioreactivity toward substrates with different redox potentials via a mechanism involving extension of the HRP substrate access channel and decline in the redox potentials of HRP catalytic intermediates.Molecules with diverse biological functions, such as heme peroxidases, can be useful tools for identifying potential biological effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the molecular level. Here, using UV-Vis, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, we report tuning of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) bioactivity by reactant-free AuNPs with diameters of 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 nm (Au-5 nm, Au-10 nm, Au-15 nm, Au-30 nm and Au-60 nm). HRP conjugation to AuNPs was observed with only Au-5 nm and Au-10 nm prominently increasing the �

Dependence of ultrasound attenuation in rare earth metals on ratio of grain size and wavelength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanevskij, I.N.; Nisnevich, M.M.; Spasskaya, A.A.; Kaz'mina, V.I.

1978-01-01

Results of investigation of dependences of ultrasound attenuation coefficient α on the ratio of grain average size D and wavelength lambda are presented. The investigations were carried out on rare earth metal samples produced by arc remelting in a vacuum furnace. It is shown that the way of α dependence curves of D/lambda for each of the rare earth metal is determined only by the D. This fact permits to use ultrasound measurement for control average diameter of the rare earth metal grain

Size Dependence of Doping by a Vacancy Formation Reaction in Copper Sulfide Nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elimelech, Orian [The Institute of Chemistry and The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 Israel; Liu, Jing [Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook NY 11794 USA; Plonka, Anna M. [Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook NY 11794 USA; Frenkel, Anatoly I. [Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook NY 11794 USA; Banin, Uri [The Institute of Chemistry and The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 Israel

2017-07-19

Doping of nanocrystals (NCs) is a key, yet underexplored, approach for tuning of the electronic properties of semiconductors. An important route for doping of NCs is by vacancy formation. The size and concentration dependence of doping was studied in copper(I) sulfide (Cu2S) NCs through a redox reaction with iodine molecules (I2), which formed vacancies accompanied by a localized surface plasmon response. X-ray spectroscopy and diffraction reveal transformation from Cu2S to Cu-depleted phases, along with CuI formation. Greater reaction efficiency was observed for larger NCs. This behavior is attributed to interplay of the vacancy formation energy, which decreases for smaller sized NCs, and the growth of CuI on the NC surface, which is favored on well-defined facets of larger NCs. This doping process allows tuning of the plasmonic properties of a semiconductor across a wide range of plasmonic frequencies by varying the size of NCs and the concentration of iodine. Controlled vacancy doping of NCs may be used to tune and tailor semiconductors for use in optoelectronic applications.

Large Time Asymptotics for a Continuous Coagulation-Fragmentation Model with Degenerate Size-Dependent Diffusion

KAUST Repository

Desvillettes, Laurent

2010-01-01

We study a continuous coagulation-fragmentation model with constant kernels for reacting polymers (see [M. Aizenman and T. Bak, Comm. Math. Phys., 65 (1979), pp. 203-230]). The polymers are set to diffuse within a smooth bounded one-dimensional domain with no-flux boundary conditions. In particular, we consider size-dependent diffusion coefficients, which may degenerate for small and large cluster-sizes. We prove that the entropy-entropy dissipation method applies directly in this inhomogeneous setting. We first show the necessary basic a priori estimates in dimension one, and second we show faster-than-polynomial convergence toward global equilibria for diffusion coefficients which vanish not faster than linearly for large sizes. This extends the previous results of [J.A. Carrillo, L. Desvillettes, and K. Fellner, Comm. Math. Phys., 278 (2008), pp. 433-451], which assumes that the diffusion coefficients are bounded below. © 2009 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Particle size dependence of zero-field microwave absorption in powdered Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductors

CERN Document Server

Topacli, C

1997-01-01

The non-resonant magnetically modulated microwave response measurements of powdered Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O samples using the conventional EPR spectrometer are presented. After cooling in a near zero magnetic field, all samples exhibited a sharp (about 12-37 mu T) microwave absorption with applied magnetic field, superimposed on the widely observed and well explained broader minimum. The width of the absorption maximum is found to be dependent on the particle size. It becomes broader with decreasing particle size. The effects of particle size and field history on the peak are given in detail and some possible mechanisms to account for the observations are presented. (author)

Aerosol size-dependent below-cloud scavenging by rain and snow in the ECHAM5-HAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Posselt

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Wet deposition processes are highly efficient in the removal of aerosols from the atmosphere, and thus strongly influence global aerosol concentrations, and clouds, and their respective radiative forcings. In this study, physically detailed size-dependent below-cloud scavenging parameterizations for rain and snow are implemented in the ECHAM5-HAM global aerosol-climate model. Previously, below-cloud scavenging by rain in the ECHAM5-HAM was simply a function of the aerosol mode, and then scaled by the rainfall rate. The below-cloud scavenging by snow was a function of the snowfall rate alone. The global mean aerosol optical depth, and sea salt burden are sensitive to the below-cloud scavenging coefficients, with reductions near to 15% when the more vigorous size-dependent below-cloud scavenging by rain and snow is implemented. The inclusion of a prognostic rain scheme significantly reduces the fractional importance of below-cloud scavenging since there is higher evaporation in the lower troposphere, increasing the global mean sea salt burden by almost 15%. Thermophoretic effects are shown to produce increases in the global and annual mean number removal of Aitken size particles of near to 10%, but very small increases (near 1% in the global mean below-cloud mass scavenging of carbonaceous and sulfate aerosols. Changes in the assumptions about the below-cloud scavenging by rain of particles with radius smaller than 10 nm do not cause any significant changes to the global and annual mean aerosol mass or number burdens, despite a change in the below-cloud number removal rate for nucleation mode particles by near to five-fold. Annual and zonal mean nucleation mode number concentrations are enhanced by up to 30% in the lower troposphere with the more vigourous size-dependent below-cloud scavenging. Closer agreement with different observations is found when the more physically detailed below-cloud scavenging parameterization is employed in the ECHAM5

16 CFR 1632.2 - Purpose, scope, and applicability.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... resistance of a mattress prototype or a mattress pad prototype. Use of the tests in §§ 1632.6 and 1632.7 is... prototype designs of mattresses and mattress pads before the sale in commerce or the introduction in... of a mattress prototype or a mattress pad prototype. (b) Scope. (1) All mattresses, as defined in...

Threat-level-dependent manipulation of signaled body size: dog growls' indexical cues depend on the different levels of potential danger.

Science.gov (United States)

Bálint, Anna; Faragó, Tamás; Miklósi, Ádám; Pongrácz, Péter

2016-11-01

Body size is an important feature that affects fighting ability; however, size-related parameters of agonistic vocalizations are difficult to manipulate because of anatomical constraints within the vocal production system. Rare examples of acoustic size modulation are due to specific features that enable the sender to steadily communicate exaggerated body size. However, one could argue that it would be more adaptive if senders could adjust their signaling behavior to the fighting potential of their actual opponent. So far there has been no experimental evidence for this possibility. We tested this hypothesis by exposing family dogs (Canis familiaris) to humans with potentially different fighting ability. In a within-subject experiment, 64 dogs of various breeds consecutively faced two threateningly approaching humans, either two men or two women of different stature, or a man and a woman of similar or different stature. We found that the dogs' vocal responses were affected by the gender of the threatening stranger and the dog owner's gender. Dogs with a female owner, or those dogs which came from a household where both genders were present, reacted with growls of lower values of the Pitch-Formant component (including deeper fundamental frequency and lower formant dispersion) to threatening men. Our results are the first to show that non-human animals react with dynamic alteration of acoustic parameters related to their individual indexical features (body size), depending on the level of threat in an agonistic encounter.

In Vivo Quantitative Study of Sized-Dependent Transport and Toxicity of Single Silver Nanoparticles Using Zebrafish Embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kerry J.; Browning, Lauren M.; Nallathamby, Prakash D.; Desai, Tanvi; Cherukui, Pavan K.; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

2012-01-01

Nanomaterials possess distinctive physicochemical properties (e.g., small sizes, high surface area-to-volume ratios) and promise a wide variety of applications, ranging from design of high quality consumer products to effective disease diagnosis and therapy. These properties can lead to toxic effects, potentially hindering advance in nanotechnology. In this study, we have synthesized and characterized purified and stable (non-aggregation) silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 41.6±9.1 nm in average diameters), and utilized early-developing (cleavage-stage) zebrafish embryos (critical aquatic and eco- species) as in vivo model organisms to probe diffusion and toxicity of Ag NPs. We found that single Ag NPs (30–72 nm diameters) passively diffused into the embryos through chorionic pores via random Brownian motion and stayed inside the embryos throughout their entire development (120 hours-post-fertilization, hpf). Dose and size dependent toxic effects of the NPs on embryonic development were observed, showing the possibility of tuning biocompatibility and toxicity of the NPs. At lower concentrations of the NPs (≤ 0.02 nM), 75–91% of embryos developed to normal zebrafish. At the higher concentrations of NPs (≥ 0.20 nM), 100% of embryos became dead. At the concentrations in between (0.02–0.2 nM), embryos developed to various deformed zebrafish. Number and sizes of individual Ag NPs embedded in tissues of normal and deformed zebrafish at 120 hpf were quantitatively analyzed, showing deformed zebrafish with higher number of larger NPs than normal zebrafish, and size-dependent nanotoxicity. By comparing with our previous studies of smaller Ag NPs (11.6±3.5 nm), the results further demonstrate striking size-dependent nanotoxicity that, at the same molar concentration, the larger Ag NPs (41.6±9.1 nm) are more toxic than the smaller Ag NPs (11.6±3.5 nm). PMID:22486336

The flexoelectric effect associated size dependent pyroelectricity in solid dielectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Gang; Liu, Zhiguo; Xie, Qiyun; Guo, Yanyan; Li, Wei; Yan, Xiaobing

2015-09-01

A phenomenological thermodynamic theory is used to investigate the effect of strain gradient on the pyroelectric effect in centrosymmetric dielectric solids. Direct pyroelectricity can exist as external mechanical stress is applied to non-pyroelectric dielectrics with shapes such as truncated pyramids, due to elastic strain gradient induced flexoelectric polarization. Effective pyroelectric coefficient was analyzed in truncated pyramids. It is found to be controlled by size, ambient temperature, stress, and aspect ratio and depends mainly on temperature sensitivity of flexoelectric coefficient (TSFC) and strain gradient of the truncated pyramids dielectric solids. These results show that the pyroelectric property of Ba0.67Sr0.33TiO3 above Tc similar to PZT and other lead-based ferroelectrics can be obtained. This feature might widely broaden the selection of materials for infrared detectors with preferable properties.

Dose dependency of the frequency of micronucleated binucleated clone cells and of division related median clone sizes difference. Pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagemann, G,; Kreczik, A.; Treichel, M.

1996-01-01

Following irradiation of the progenitor cells the clone growth of CHO cells decreases as a result of cell losses. Lethally acting expressions of micronuclei are produced by heritable lethal mutations. The dependency of the frequency of micronucleated binucleated clone cells and of the median clone sizes difference on the radiation dose was measured and compared to non-irradiated controls. Using the cytokinesis-block-micronucleus-method binucleated cells with micronuclei were counted as ratio of all binucleated cells within a clone size distribution. This ratio (shortened: micronucleus yield) was determined for all clone size distributions, which had been exposed to different irradiation doses and incubation times. The micronucleus yields were compared to the corresponding median clone sizes differences. The micronucleus yield is linearly dependent on the dose and is independent of the incubation time. The same holds true for the division related median clone sizes difference, which as a result is also linearly dependent on the micronucleus yield. Due to the inevitably errors of the cell count of micronucleated binucleated cells, an automatic measurement of the median clone sizes differences is the preferred method for evaluation of cellular radiation sensitivity for heritable lethal mutations. This value should always be determined in addition, if clone survival fractions are used as predictive test because it allows for an estimation of the remission probability of surviving cells. (orig.) [de

Size-dependent properties of silica nanoparticles for Pickering stabilization of emulsions and foams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ijung, E-mail: ijungkim@utexas.edu [The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (United States); Worthen, Andrew J.; Johnston, Keith P. [The University of Texas at Austin, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering (United States); DiCarlo, David A.; Huh, Chun [The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (United States)

2016-04-15

Nanoparticles are a promising alternative to surfactants to stabilize emulsions or foams in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes due to their effectiveness in very harsh environments found in many of the oilfields around the world. While the size-dependent properties of nanoparticles have been extensively studied in the area of optics or cellular uptake, little is known on the effects of nanoparticle size on emulsion/foam generation, especially for EOR applications. In this study, silica nanoparticles with four different sizes (5, 12, 25, and 80 nm nominal diameter) but with the same surface treatment were employed to test their emulsion or foam generation behavior in high-salinity conditions. The decane-in-brine emulsion generated by sonication or flowing through sandpack showed smaller droplet size and higher apparent viscosity as the nanoparticle size decreased. Similarly, the CO{sub 2}-in-brine foam generation in sandstone or sandpacks was also significantly affected by the nanoparticle size, exhibiting higher apparent foam viscosity as the nanoparticle size decreased. In case of foam generation in sandstone cores with 5 nm nanoparticles, a noticeable hysteresis occurred when the flow velocity was initially increased and then decreased, implying a strong foam generation initially; and then the trapping of the generated foam in the rock pores, as the flow velocity decreased. On the other hand, weak foams stabilized with larger nanoparticles indicated a rapid coalescence of bubbles which prevented foam generation. Overall, stable emulsions/foams were achievable by the smaller particles as a result of greater diffusivity and/or higher number concentration, thus allowing more nanoparticles with higher surface area to volume ratio to be adsorbed at the fluid/fluid interfaces of the emulsion/foam dispersion.Graphical abstract.

Antero-posterior (AP) pelvis x-ray imaging on a trolley: Impact of trolley design, mattress design and radiographer practice on image quality and radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tugwell, J.R.; England, A.; Hogg, P.

2017-01-01

Introduction: Physical and technical differences exist between imaging on an x-ray tabletop and imaging on a trolley. This study evaluates how trolley imaging impacts image quality and radiation dose for an antero-posterior (AP) pelvis projection whilst subsequently exploring means of optimising this imaging examination. Methods: An anthropomorphic pelvis phantom was imaged on a commercially available trolley under various conditions. Variables explored included two mattresses, two image receptor holder positions, three source to image distances (SIDs) and four mAs values. Image quality was evaluated using relative visual grading analysis with the reference image acquired on the x-ray tabletop. Contrast to noise ratio (CNR) was calculated. Effective dose was established using Monte Carlo simulation. Optimisation scores were derived as a figure of merit by dividing effective dose with visual image quality scores. Results: Visual image quality reduced significantly (p < 0.05) whilst effective dose increased significantly (p < 0.05) for images acquired on the trolley using identical acquisition parameters to the reference image. The trolley image with the highest optimisation score was acquired using 130 cm SID, 20 mAs, the standard mattress and platform not elevated. A difference of 12.8 mm was found between the image with the lowest and highest magnification factor (18%). Conclusion: The acquisition parameters used for AP pelvis on the x-ray tabletop are not transferable to trolley imaging and should be modified accordingly to compensate for the differences that exist. Exposure charts should be developed for trolley imaging to ensure optimal image quality at lowest possible dose. - Highlights: • Acquisition parameters used for AP pelvis imaging on a trolley need adapting from those used on the x-ray tabletop. • Radiation dose significantly increases for trolley imaging. • An increase in SID can reduce radiation dose and magnification for trolley imaging

Particle size dependence on oxygen reduction reaction activity of electrodeposited TaOx catalysts in acidic media

KAUST Repository

Seo, J.; Cha, Dong Kyu; Takanabe, Kazuhiro; Kubota, J.; Domen, K.

2013-01-01

The size dependence of the oxygen reduction reaction activity was studied for TaOx nanoparticles electrodeposited on carbon black for application to polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Compared with a commercial Ta2O5 material, the ultrafine

Size-dependent endocytosis of gold nanoparticles studied by three-dimensional mapping of plasmonic scattering images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Chia-Wei

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the endocytosis process of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs is important for the drug delivery and photodynamic therapy applications. The endocytosis in living cells is usually studied by fluorescent microscopy. The fluorescent labeling suffers from photobleaching. Besides, quantitative estimation of the cellular uptake is not easy. In this paper, the size-dependent endocytosis of AuNPs was investigated by using plasmonic scattering images without any labeling. Results The scattering images of AuNPs and the vesicles were mapped by using an optical sectioning microscopy with dark-field illumination. AuNPs have large optical scatterings at 550-600 nm wavelengths due to localized surface plasmon resonances. Using an enhanced contrast between yellow and blue CCD images, AuNPs can be well distinguished from cellular organelles. The tracking of AuNPs coated with aptamers for surface mucin glycoprotein shows that AuNPs attached to extracellular matrix and moved towards center of the cell. Most 75-nm-AuNPs moved to the top of cells, while many 45-nm-AuNPs entered cells through endocytosis and accumulated in endocytic vesicles. The amounts of cellular uptake decreased with the increase of particle size. Conclusions We quantitatively studied the endocytosis of AuNPs with different sizes in various cancer cells. The plasmonic scattering images confirm the size-dependent endocytosis of AuNPs. The 45-nm-AuNP is better for drug delivery due to its higher uptake rate. On the other hand, large AuNPs are immobilized on the cell membrane. They can be used to reconstruct the cell morphology.

On the size and temperature dependence of the energy gap in cadmium-selenide quantum dots embedded in fluorophosphate glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lipatova, Zh. O., E-mail: zluka-yo@mail.ru; Kolobkova, E. V.; Babkina, A. N.; Nikonorov, N. V. [ITMO University (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

The temperature and size dependences of the energy gap in CdSe quantum dots with diameters of 2.4, 4.0, and 5.2 nm embedded in fluorophosphate glasses are investigated. It is shown that the temperature coefficient of the band gap dE{sub g}/dT in the quantum dots differs from the bulk value and depends strictly on the dot size. It is found that, furthermore, the energy of each transition in these quantum dots is characterized by an individual temperature coefficient dE/dT.

Direct observation of hierarchical nucleation of martensite and size-dependent superelasticity in shape memory alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lifeng; Ding, Xiangdong; Li, Ju; Lookman, Turab; Sun, Jun

2014-02-21

Martensitic transformation usually creates hierarchical internal structures beyond mere change of the atomic crystal structure. Multi-stage nucleation is thus required, where nucleation (level-1) of the underlying atomic crystal lattice does not have to be immediately followed by the nucleation of higher-order superstructures (level-2 and above), such as polysynthetic laths. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we directly observe the nucleation of the level-2 superstructure in a Cu-Al-Ni single crystal under compression, with critical super-nuclei size L2c around 500 nm. When the sample size D decreases below L2c, the superelasticity behavior changes from a flat stress plateau to a continuously rising stress-strain curve. Such size dependence definitely would impact the application of shape memory alloys in miniaturized MEMS/NEMS devices.

Dependence of strength on particle size in graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, E.P.; Kennedy, C.R.

The strength to particle size relationship for specially fabricated graphites has been demonstrated and rationalized using fracture mechanics. In the past, similar studies have yielded empirical data using only commercially available material. Thus, experimental verification of these relationships has been difficult. However, the graphites of this study were fabricated by controlling the particle size ranges for a series of isotropic graphites. All graphites that were evaluated had a constant 1.85 g/cm 3 density. Thus, particle size was the only variable. This study also considered the particle size effect on other physical properties; coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), electrical resistivity, fracture strain, and Young's modulus

Silver Nanoparticles Incite Size and Dose-Dependent Developmental Phenotypes and Nanotoxicity in Zebrafish Embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Browning, Lauren M.; Lee, Kerry J.; Nallathamby, Prakash D.; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

2013-01-01

Nanomaterials possess distinctive physicochemical properties and promise a wide range of applications, from advanced technology to leading-edge medicine. However, their effects on living organisms remain largely unknown. Here we report that the purified silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 97 ± 13 nm) incite specific developmental stage embryonic phenotypes and nanotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, upon acute exposure of given-stage embryos to the NPs (0–24 pM) for only 2 h. The critical concentrations of the NPs that cause 50% of embryos develop normally for cleavage, early-gastrula, early-segmentation, late-segmentation, and hatching stage zebrafish embryos are 3.5, 4, 6, 6, and 8 pM, respectively, showing that the earlier developmental stage embryos are much more sensitive to the effects of the NPs than the later stage. Interestingly, distinctive phenotypes (head abnormality and no eyes) are observed only in cleavage and early-gastrula stage embryos treated with the NPs, showing the stage-specific effects of the NPs. By comparing with our study of the smaller Ag NPs (13.1 ± 2.5 nm), we found that the embryonic phenotypes strikingly depend upon the sizes of Ag NPs and embryonic developmental stages. These notable findings suggest that the Ag NPs are unlike any conventional chemicals or ions. They can potentially enable target specific study and therapy for early embryonic development in size, stage, dose, and exposure-duration dependent manners. PMID:24024906

Silver nanoparticles incite size- and dose-dependent developmental phenotypes and nanotoxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Browning, Lauren M; Lee, Kerry J; Nallathamby, Prakash D; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

2013-10-21

Nanomaterials possess distinctive physicochemical properties and promise a wide range of applications, from advanced technology to leading-edge medicine. However, their effects on living organisms remain largely unknown. Here we report that the purified silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (97 ± 13 nm) incite specific developmental stage embryonic phenotypes and nanotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, upon acute exposure of given stage embryos to the NPs (0-24 pM) for only 2 h. The critical concentrations of the NPs that cause 50% of embryos to develop normally for cleavage, early gastrula, early segmentation, late segmentation, and hatching stage zebrafish embryos are 3.5, 4, 6, 6, and 8 pM, respectively, showing that the earlier developmental stage embryos are much more sensitive to the effects of the NPs than the later stage embryos. Interestingly, distinctive phenotypes (head abnormality and no eyes) are observed only in cleavage and early gastrula stage embryos treated with the NPs, showing the stage-specific effects of the NPs. By comparing these Ag NPs with smaller Ag NPs (13.1 ± 2.5 nm), we found that the embryonic phenotypes strikingly depend upon the sizes of Ag NPs and embryonic developmental stages. These notable findings suggest that the Ag NPs are unlike any conventional chemicals or ions. They can potentially enable target-specific study and therapy for early embryonic development in size-, stage-, dose-, and exposure duration-dependent manners.

Dimerization of eosin on nanostructured gold surfaces: Size regime dependence of the small metallic particles

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Sujit Kumar; Pal, Anjali; Nath, Sudip; Kundu, Subrata; Panigrahi, Sudipa; Pal, Tarasankar

2005-08-01

Gold nanoparticles of variable sizes have been exploited to study their influence on the absorption and emission spectral characteristics of eosin, a fluorescent dye. It has been found that smaller particles of gold stimulate J-aggregation of eosin on the surface of metal particles whereas larger particles cannot induce any kind of aggregation amongst the dye molecules. The size regime dependence of the gold nanoparticles has been attributed to the intercluster interactions induced by the dye molecules for smaller gold nanoparticles and consequently, close packing of the dye molecules around the gold surface engenders intermolecular interactions amongst the dye molecules leading to dimerization.

Size-dependent interaction of silica nanoparticles with lysozyme and bovine serum albumin proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Indresh; Aswal, Vinod K.; Kohlbrecher, Joachim

2016-05-01

The interaction of three different sized (diameter 10, 18, and 28 nm) anionic silica nanoparticles with two model proteins—cationic lysozyme [molecular weight (MW) 14.7 kDa)] and anionic bovine serum albumin (BSA) (MW 66.4 kDa) has been studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The adsorption behavior of proteins on the nanoparticles, measured by UV-vis spectroscopy, is found to be very different for lysozyme and BSA. Lysozyme adsorbs strongly on the nanoparticles and shows exponential behavior as a function of lysozyme concentration irrespective of the nanoparticle size. The total amount of adsorbed lysozyme, as governed by the surface-to-volume ratio, increases on lowering the size of the nanoparticles for a fixed volume fraction of the nanoparticles. On the other hand, BSA does not show any adsorption for all the different sizes of the nanoparticles. Despite having different interactions, both proteins induce similar phase behavior where the nanoparticle-protein system transforms from one phase (clear) to two phase (turbid) as a function of protein concentration. The phase behavior is modified towards the lower concentrations for both proteins with increasing the nanoparticle size. DLS suggests that the phase behavior arises as a result of the nanoparticles' aggregation on the addition of proteins. The size-dependent modifications in the interaction potential, responsible for the phase behavior, have been determined by SANS data as modeled using the two-Yukawa potential accounting for the repulsive and attractive interactions in the systems. The protein-induced interaction between the nanoparticles is found to be short-range attraction for lysozyme and long-range attraction for BSA. The magnitude of attractive interaction irrespective of protein type is enhanced with increase in the size of the nanoparticles. The total (attractive+repulsive) potential leading to two-phase formation is found to be

Flavivirus internalization is regulated by a size-dependent endocytic pathway.

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Hackett, Brent A; Cherry, Sara

2018-04-17

Flaviviruses enter host cells through the process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and the spectrum of host factors required for this process are incompletely understood. Here we found that lymphocyte antigen 6 locus E (LY6E) promotes the internalization of multiple flaviviruses, including West Nile virus, Zika virus, and dengue virus. Perhaps surprisingly, LY6E is dispensable for the internalization of the endogenous cargo transferrin, which is also dependent on clathrin-mediated endocytosis for uptake. Since viruses are substantially larger than transferrin, we reasoned that LY6E may be required for uptake of larger cargoes and tested this using transferrin-coated beads of similar size as flaviviruses. LY6E was indeed required for the internalization of transferrin-coated beads, suggesting that LY6E is selectively required for large cargo. Cell biological studies found that LY6E forms tubules upon viral infection and bead internalization, and we found that tubule formation was dependent on RNASEK, which is also required for flavivirus internalization, but not transferrin uptake. Indeed, we found that RNASEK is also required for the internalization of transferrin-coated beads, suggesting it functions upstream of LY6E. These LY6E tubules resembled microtubules, and we found that microtubule assembly was required for their formation and flavivirus uptake. Since microtubule end-binding proteins link microtubules to downstream activities, we screened the three end-binding proteins and found that EB3 promotes virus uptake and LY6E tubularization. Taken together, these results highlight a specialized pathway required for the uptake of large clathrin-dependent endocytosis cargoes, including flaviviruses. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Thermoluminescent dependence with the particle size of polyminerals in food irradiated of Mexican spices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teuffer Z, C.; Cruz Z, E.; Calderon, T.; Chernov, V.; Barboza F, M.

2004-01-01

The influence of grain size on Tl was analysed in poly minerals extracted from Mexican spices as Origanum vulgare L. (oregano) y Capsicum annun (chile guajillo). The poly minerals size were selected by Zimmerman method up to 10 μm and exposed to 0.5-10 kGy range from 60 Co. The glow curves were centered at 166 C for Capsicum annun and at 126 C for Origanum vulgare l. In both cases was observed at 5 kGy a weak saturation for Tl response. This behaviour is attributed to feldspar and quartz are present in the samples and this results is in agreement with other european spices obtained. For >10 μm particle size the Tl response increased respect to the doses, and it is possible that increase the organic impurities quantities are present in the samples and contributed to the Tl when the samples were thermally excited. The aim of this work is provide more ideas with regard to the behaviour of luminescence emission as dependent of the size particle in the irradiated spices. The methodology might useful for quality control also in radiation processing. (Author)

The effects of density dependent resource limitation on size of wild reindeer.

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Skogland, Terje

1983-11-01

A density-dependent decrement in size for wild reindeer from 12 different Norwegian herds at 16 different densities was shown using lower jawbone-length as the criterion of size. This criterion was tested and found to adequately predict body size of both bucks and does. Lactation in does did not affect jaw length but significantly affected dressed weights.A decrement in the size of does as a result of gross density was found. This size decrement was further analysed in relation to the habitat densities in winter (R 2 =0.85) and in summer (R 2 =0.75) separately, in order to estimate the relative effects of each factor. For herds with adequate food in winter (no signs of overgrazing of lichens) density in relation to summer habitat and mires yielded the highest predictive power in a multiple regression. For herds with adequate summer pastures, densities per winter habitat and lichen volumes showed likewise a highly significant correlation. The inclusion of the lichen volume data in the regression increased its predictive power. The major effect of resource limitation was to delay the time of calving because a maternal carry-over effect allowed the calf a shorter period of growth to be completed during its first summer. Neonate size at birth was highly correlated with maternal size regardless of the mean calving date although the latter was significantly delayed for small-sized does in food resource-limited herds. Likewise the postnatal growth rate of all calves were not significantly different during 50 days postpartum regardless of maternal conditions in winter feeding. The summer growth rates of bucks ≧1 year did not vary significantly between herds. The age of maturity of food resource-limited does was delayed by one year and growth ceased after the initiation of reproduction. This shows that under conditions of limited resources the does with delayed births of calves allocated less energy to body growth simply because they had less time to replenish body

Modeling the effect of intermolecular force on the size-dependent pull-in behavior of beam-type NEMS using modified couple stress theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beni, Yaghoub Tadi; Karimipour, Iman [Shahrekord University, Shahrekord (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Abadyan, Mohamadreza [Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-09-15

Experimental observations reveal that the physical response of nano structures is size-dependent. Herein, modified couple stress theory has been used to study the effect of intermolecular van der Waals force on the size dependent pull-in of nano bridges and nano cantilevers. Three approaches including using differential transformation method, applying numerical method and developing a simple lumped parameter model have been employed to solve the governing equation of the systems. The pull-in parameters i.e. critical tip deflection and instability voltage of the nano structures have been determined. Effect of the van der Waals attraction and the size dependency and the importance of coupling between them on the pull-in performance have been discussed.

Modeling the effect of intermolecular force on the size-dependent pull-in behavior of beam-type NEMS using modified couple stress theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beni, Yaghoub Tadi; Karimipour, Iman; Abadyan, Mohamadreza

2014-01-01

Experimental observations reveal that the physical response of nano structures is size-dependent. Herein, modified couple stress theory has been used to study the effect of intermolecular van der Waals force on the size dependent pull-in of nano bridges and nano cantilevers. Three approaches including using differential transformation method, applying numerical method and developing a simple lumped parameter model have been employed to solve the governing equation of the systems. The pull-in parameters i.e. critical tip deflection and instability voltage of the nano structures have been determined. Effect of the van der Waals attraction and the size dependency and the importance of coupling between them on the pull-in performance have been discussed.

The flexoelectric effect associated size dependent pyroelectricity in solid dielectrics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, Gang, E-mail: baigang@njupt.edu.cn [Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Laboratory for RF Integration and Micropackaging and College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023 (China); Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Liu, Zhiguo [Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Xie, Qiyun; Guo, Yanyan; Li, Wei [Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Laboratory for RF Integration and Micropackaging and College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023 (China); Yan, Xiaobing [College of Electronic and information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding 071002 (China)

2015-09-15

A phenomenological thermodynamic theory is used to investigate the effect of strain gradient on the pyroelectric effect in centrosymmetric dielectric solids. Direct pyroelectricity can exist as external mechanical stress is applied to non-pyroelectric dielectrics with shapes such as truncated pyramids, due to elastic strain gradient induced flexoelectric polarization. Effective pyroelectric coefficient was analyzed in truncated pyramids. It is found to be controlled by size, ambient temperature, stress, and aspect ratio and depends mainly on temperature sensitivity of flexoelectric coefficient (TSFC) and strain gradient of the truncated pyramids dielectric solids. These results show that the pyroelectric property of Ba{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}TiO{sub 3} above T{sub c} similar to PZT and other lead-based ferroelectrics can be obtained. This feature might widely broaden the selection of materials for infrared detectors with preferable properties.

Size-dependent magnetic anisotropy of PEG coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles; comparing two magnetization methods

Science.gov (United States)

Nayek, C.; Manna, K.; Imam, A. A.; Alqasrawi, A. Y.; Obaidat, I. M.

2018-02-01

Understanding the size dependent magnetic anisotropy of iron oxide nanoparticles is essential for the successful application of these nanoparticles in several technological and medical fields. PEG-coated iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with core diameters of 12 nm, 15 nm, and 16 nm were synthesized by the usual co-precipitation method. The morphology and structure of the nanoparticles were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Magnetic measurements were conducted using a SQUID. The effective magnetic anisotropy was calculated using two methods from the magnetization measurements. In the first method the zero-field-cooled magnetization versus temperature measurements were used at several applied magnetic fields. In the second method we used the temperature-dependent coercivity curves obtained from the zero-field-cooled magnetization versus magnetic field hysteresis loops. The role of the applied magnetic field on the effective magnetic anisotropy, calculated form the zero-field-cooled magnetization versus temperature measurements, was revealed. The size dependence of the effective magnetic anisotropy constant Keff obtained by the two methods are compared and discussed.

Concentration-dependent, size-independent toxicity of citrate capped AuNPs in Drosophila melanogaster.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Vecchio

Full Text Available The expected potential benefits promised by nanotechnology in various fields have led to a rapid increase of the presence of engineered nanomaterials in a high number of commercial goods. This is generating increasing questions about possible risks for human health and environment, due to the lack of an in-depth assessment of the physical/chemical factors responsible for their toxic effects. In this work, we evaluated the toxicity of monodisperse citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs of different sizes (5, 15, 40, and 80 nm in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, upon ingestion. To properly evaluate and distinguish the possible dose- and/or size-dependent toxicity of the AuNPs, we performed a thorough assessment of their biological effects, using two different dose-metrics. In the first approach, we kept constant the total surface area of the differently sized AuNPs (Total Exposed Surface area approach, TES, while, in the second approach, we used the same number concentration of the four different sizes of AuNPs (Total Number of Nanoparticles approach, TNN. We observed a significant AuNPs-induced toxicity in vivo, namely a strong reduction of Drosophila lifespan and fertility performance, presence of DNA fragmentation, as well as a significant modification in the expression levels of genes involved in stress responses, DNA damage recognition and apoptosis pathway. Interestingly, we found that, within the investigated experimental conditions, the toxic effects in the exposed organisms were directly related to the concentration of the AuNPs administered, irrespective of their size.

Size dependent emission stimulation in ZnO nanosheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torchynska, T.V.; El Filali, B.

2014-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL), X ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering have been studied in crystalline ZnO nanosheets (NSs) of different sizes, estimated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). ZnO NSs with the size from the range of 60–600 nm were created by the electrochemical (anodization) method and followed thermal annealing at 400 °C for 2 h in ambient air. XRD study confirms the wurtzite structure of ZnO NSs and has revealed that the lattice parameters increase monotonically with decreasing NS sizes. Simultaneously the intensity of a set of Raman peaks increases and Raman peaks shift into the low energy range. The surface phonon has been detected in smallest size ZnO NSs. Two types of PL bands deal with a set of phonon replicas of free excitons and the defect related emission have been detected in ZnO NSs. The intensity enhancement of exciton- and defect-related PL bands with decreasing ZnO NS sizes has been detected. The intensity stimulation of exciton-related PL bands is attributed to the realization of the week confinement and the exciton-light coupling with the formation of polariton in small size ZnO NSs of 67–170 nm. The intensity rising of defect-related PL bands is attributed to the concentration enlargement of surface defects when the surface to volume ration increases at decreasing ZnO NS sizes. Numerical simulations of radiative lifetimes and exciton radiative recombination rates in ZnO NSs for different emission wavelengths have been done using the exciton-light coupling model. Then the experimental and numerically simulated PL results have been compared and discussed. - Highlights: • Optical and structural investigations of the ZnO nanosheets with the sizes 60–600 nm. • The enlargement of interplanar distances in the wurtzite ZnO crystal lattice is detected. • The change of optic phonon energy and surface phonon appearing are reveled. • ZnO emission stimulation at the week confinement and electron-light coupling with the

Possible pore size effects on the state of tris(8-quinolinato)aluminum(III) (Alq3) adsorbed in mesoporous silicas and their temperature dependence.

Science.gov (United States)

Tagaya, Motohiro; Ogawa, Makoto

2008-12-07

The states of tris(8-quinolinato)aluminum(III) (Alq3) adsorbed in mesoporous silicas with different pore sizes (2.5, 3.1 and 5.0 nm) were investigated. Alq3 was successfully occluded into the mesoporous silicas from solution and the adsorbed amount of Alq3 per BET surface area was effectively controlled by changing the added amount Alq3 to the solution. The state of Alq3 in the mesopore varied depending on the pore size as well as the adsorbed amount of Alq3 as revealed by variation of the photoluminescence spectra. The luminescence of the adsorbed Alq3 was found to be temperature-dependent, indicating the mobility of the adsorbed Alq3 to temperature variations. The temperature-dependence also depended on the pore size. The guest-guest interactions between Alq3 molecules as well as the host-guest interactions between Alq3 and the mesopore were controlled by the pore size.

Size-dependent responses of zooplankton to submerged macrophyte restoration in a subtropical shallow lake

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Lei; He, Feng; Zhang, Yi; Liu, Biyun; Dai, Zhigang; Zhou, Qiaohong; Wu, Zhenbin

2018-03-01

To explore the size-dependent responses of zooplankton to submerged macrophyte restoration, we collected macrophyte, zooplankton and water quality samples seasonally from a subtropical shallow lake from 2010 to 2012. Special attention was given to changes in rotifers and crustaceans (cladocerans and copepods). The rotifers were grouped into three size classes (400 μm) to explore their size-related responses to macrophyte restoration. The results showed that during the restoration, the annual mean biomass and macrophyte coverage increased significantly from 0 to 637 g/m2 and 0 to 27%, respectively. In response, the density and biomass of crustaceans and the crustacean-to-rotifer ratio increased significantly, while the rotifer density decreased significantly. Moreover, rotifers showed significant sizedependent responses to macrophyte restoration. Specially, rotifers sized zooplankton tended to boom, while that of small rotifers was inhibited during macrophyte restoration. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed positive correlations between macrophytes and crustaceans, rotifers and COD or Chl- a, but negative correlations between macrophytes and COD or Chl- a, and between crustaceans and Chl- a. Moreover, the results indicate that increased predation on phytoplankton by large-sized zooplankton might be an important mechanism for macrophyte restoration during development of aquatic ecosystems, and that this mechanism played a very important role in promoting the formation of a clear-water state in subtropical shallow lakes.

Size-dependent optical properties of colloidal PbS quantum dots.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreels, Iwan; Lambert, Karel; Smeets, Dries; De Muynck, David; Nollet, Tom; Martins, José C; Vanhaecke, Frank; Vantomme, André; Delerue, Christophe; Allan, Guy; Hens, Zeger

2009-10-27

We quantitatively investigate the size-dependent optical properties of colloidal PbS nanocrystals or quantum dots (Qdots), by combining the Qdot absorbance spectra with detailed elemental analysis of the Qdot suspensions. At high energies, the molar extinction coefficient epsilon increases with the Qdot volume d(3) and agrees with theoretical calculations using the Maxwell-Garnett effective medium theory and bulk values for the Qdot dielectric function. This demonstrates that quantum confinement has no influence on epsilon in this spectral range, and it provides an accurate method to calculate the Qdot concentration. Around the band gap, epsilon only increases with d(1.3), and values are comparable to the epsilon of PbSe Qdots. The data are related to the oscillator strength f(if) of the band gap transition and results agree well with theoretical tight-binding calculations, predicting a linear dependence of f(if) on d. For both PbS and PbSe Qdots, the exciton lifetime tau is calculated from f(if). We find values ranging between 1 and 3 mus, in agreement with experimental literature data from time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. Our results provide a thorough general framework to calculate and understand the optical properties of suspended colloidal quantum dots. Most importantly, it highlights the significance of the local field factor in these systems.

Size- and Wavelength-Dependent Two-Photon Absorption Cross-Section of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Junsheng; Žídek, Karel; Chábera, Pavel; Liu, Dongzhou; Cheng, Pengfei; Nuuttila, Lauri; Al-Marri, Mohammed J; Lehtivuori, Heli; Messing, Maria E; Han, Keli; Zheng, Kaibo; Pullerits, Tõnu

2017-05-18

All-inorganic colloidal perovskite quantum dots (QDs) based on cesium, lead, and halide have recently emerged as promising light emitting materials. CsPbBr 3 QDs have also been demonstrated as stable two-photon-pumped lasing medium. However, the reported two photon absorption (TPA) cross sections for these QDs differ by an order of magnitude. Here we present an in-depth study of the TPA properties of CsPbBr 3 QDs with mean size ranging from 4.6 to 11.4 nm. By using femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy we found that TPA cross section is proportional to the linear one photon absorption. The TPA cross section follows a power law dependence on QDs size with exponent 3.3 ± 0.2. The empirically obtained power-law dependence suggests that the TPA process through a virtual state populates exciton band states. The revealed power-law dependence and the understanding of TPA process are important for developing high performance nonlinear optical devices based on CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals.

Particle-size dependent sorption and desorption of pesticides within a water-soil-nonionic surfactant system.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng; Keller, Arturo A

2008-05-01

Although nonionic surfactants have been considered in surfactant-aided soil washing systems, there is little information on the particle-size dependence of these processes, and this may have significant implications for the design of these systems. In this study, Triton-100 (TX) was selected to study its effect on the sorption and desorption of two pesticides (Atrazine and Diuron) from different primary soil size fractions (clay, silt, and sand fractions) under equilibrium sorption and sequential desorption. Soil properties, TX sorption, and pesticide sorption and desorption all exhibited significant particle-size dependence. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the bulk soils and the soil fractions determined TX sorption capacity, which in turn determined the desorption efficiency. Desorption of pesticide out of the clay raction is the limiting factor in a surfactant-aided washing system. The solubilization efficiency of the individual surfactant micelles decreased as the amount of surfactant added to the systems increased. Thus, instead of attempting to wash the bulk soil, a better strategy might be to either (1) use only the amount of surfactant that is sufficient to clean the coarse fraction, then separate the fine fraction, and dispose or treat it separately, or (2) to separate the coarse fractions mechanically and then treatthe coarse and fine fractions separately. These results may be applicable to many other hydrophobic organic compounds such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) strongly sorbed onto soils and sediments.

Ion-size dependent electroosmosis of viscoelastic fluids in microfluidic channels with interfacial slip

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Siddhartha; Goswami, Prakash; Dhar, Jayabrata; Dasgupta, Sunando; Chakraborty, Suman

2017-07-01

We report a study on the ion-size dependent electroosmosis of viscoelastic fluids in microfluidic channels with interfacial slip. Here, we derive an analytical solution for the potential distribution in a parallel plate microchannel, where the effects of finite sized ionic species are taken into account by invoking the free energy formalism. Following this, a purely electroosmotic flow of a simplified Phan-Thien-Tanner (sPTT) fluid is considered. For the sPTT model, linear, quadratic, and exponential kernels are chosen for the stress coefficient function describing its viscoelastic nature across various ranges of Deborah number. The theoretical framework presented in our analysis has been successfully compared with experimental results available in the literature. We believe that the implications of the considered effects on the net volumetric throughput will not only provide a deeper theoretical insight to interpret the electrokinetic data in the presence of ionic species but also serve as a fundamental design tool for novel electrokinetically driven lab-on-a-chip biofluidic devices.

The grain size dependency of vesicular particle shapes strongly affects the drag of particles. First results from microtomography investigations of Campi Flegrei fallout deposits

Science.gov (United States)

Mele, Daniela; Dioguardi, Fabio

2018-03-01

Acknowledging the grain size dependency of shape is important in volcanology, in particular when dealing with tephra produced and emplaced during and after explosive volcanic eruptions. A systematic measurement of the tridimensional shape of vesicular pyroclasts of Campi Flegrei fallout deposits (Agnano-Monte Spina, Astroni 6 and Averno 2 eruptions) varying in size from 8.00 to 0.016 mm has been carried out by means of X-Ray Microtomography. Data show that particle shape changes with size, especially for juvenile vesicular clasts, since it is dependent on the distribution and size of vesicles that contour the external clast outline. Two drag laws that include sphericity in the formula were used for estimating the dependency of settling velocity on shape. Results demonstrate that it is not appropriate to assume a size-independent shape for vesicular particles, in contrast with the approach commonly employed when simulating the ash dispersion in the atmosphere.

Size dependence of upconversion photoluminescence in MPA capped CdTe quantum dots: Existence of upconversion bright point

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ananthakumar, S. [Crystal Growth Centre, Anna University, Chennai 600025 (India); Jayabalan, J., E-mail: jjaya@rrcat.gov.in [Laser Physics Applications Section, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013 (India); Singh, Asha; Khan, Salahuddin [Laser Physics Applications Section, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013 (India); Babu, S. Moorthy [Crystal Growth Centre, Anna University, Chennai 600025 (India); Chari, Rama [Laser Physics Applications Section, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013 (India)

2016-01-15

The photoluminescence (PL) from semiconductor quantum dots can show a “PL bright point”, that is the PL from as prepared quantum dots is maximum at a particular size. In this work we show that, for CdTe quantum dots, upconversion photoluminescence (UCPL) originating from nonlinear absorption shows a similar “UCPL bright point”. The PL and UCPL bright points occur at nearly the same size. The existence of a UCPL bright point has important implications for upconversion microscopy applications. - Highlights: • The size dependence of the upconversion photoluminescence (UCPL) spectrum of CdTe quantum dots has been reported. • We show that the UCPL from the CdTe quantum dots is highest at a particular size. • Thus the occurrence of a 'UCPL bright point' in CdTe quantum dots has been demonstrated. • It has been shown that the UCPL bright point occurs at nearly the same size as a normal bright point.

Size dependence of upconversion photoluminescence in MPA capped CdTe quantum dots: Existence of upconversion bright point

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ananthakumar, S.; Jayabalan, J.; Singh, Asha; Khan, Salahuddin; Babu, S. Moorthy; Chari, Rama

2016-01-01

The photoluminescence (PL) from semiconductor quantum dots can show a “PL bright point”, that is the PL from as prepared quantum dots is maximum at a particular size. In this work we show that, for CdTe quantum dots, upconversion photoluminescence (UCPL) originating from nonlinear absorption shows a similar “UCPL bright point”. The PL and UCPL bright points occur at nearly the same size. The existence of a UCPL bright point has important implications for upconversion microscopy applications. - Highlights: • The size dependence of the upconversion photoluminescence (UCPL) spectrum of CdTe quantum dots has been reported. • We show that the UCPL from the CdTe quantum dots is highest at a particular size. • Thus the occurrence of a "UCPL bright point" in CdTe quantum dots has been demonstrated. • It has been shown that the UCPL bright point occurs at nearly the same size as a normal bright point.

Size dependent elastic modulus and mechanical resilience of dental enamel.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Simona; Shaw, Jeremy; Zhao, Xiaoli; Abbott, Paul V; Munroe, Paul; Xu, Jiang; Habibi, Daryoush; Xie, Zonghan

2014-03-21

Human tooth enamel exhibits a unique microstructure able to sustain repeated mechanical loading during dental function. Although notable advances have been made towards understanding the mechanical characteristics of enamel, challenges remain in the testing and interpretation of its mechanical properties. For example, enamel was often tested under dry conditions, significantly different from its native environment. In addition, constant load, rather than indentation depth, has been used when mapping the mechanical properties of enamel. In this work, tooth specimens are prepared under hydrated conditions and their stiffnesses are measured by depth control across the thickness of enamel. Crystal arrangement is postulated, among other factors, to be responsible for the size dependent indentation modulus of enamel. Supported by a simple structure model, effective crystal orientation angle is calculated and found to facilitate shear sliding in enamel under mechanical contact. In doing so, the stress build-up is eased and structural integrity is maintained. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size and Sex-Dependent Shrinkage of Dutch Bees during One-and-a-Half Centuries of Land-Use Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Mikail O; Freitas, Breno M; Scheper, Jeroen; Kleijn, David

2016-01-01

Land-use change and global warming are important factors driving bee decline, but it is largely unknown whether these drivers have resulted in changes in the life-history traits of bees. Recent studies have shown a stronger population decline of large- than small-bodied bee species, suggesting there may have been selective pressure on large, but not on small species to become smaller. Here we test this hypothesis by analyzing trends in bee body size of 18 Dutch species over a 147-year period using specimens from entomological collections. Large-bodied female bees shrank significantly faster than small-bodied female bees (6.5% and 0.5% respectively between 1900 and 2010). Changes in temperature during the flight period of bees did not influence the size-dependent shrinkage of female bees. Male bees did not shrink significantly over the same time period. Our results could imply that under conditions of declining habitat quantity and quality it is advantageous for individuals to be smaller. The size and sex-dependent responses of bees point towards an evolutionary response but genetic studies are required to confirm this. The declining body size of the large bee species that currently dominate flower visitation of both wild plants and insect-pollinated crops may have negative consequences for pollination service delivery.

Big maggots dig deeper: size-dependent larval dispersal in flies.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeremy M; Coogan, Laura E; Papaj, Daniel R

2015-09-01

The ability of individual animals to select habitats optimal for development and survival can be constrained by the costs of moving through the environment. Animals that seek overwintering sites underground, for example, may be constrained by the energy required to burrow into the soil. We conducted field and laboratory studies to determine the relationship between individual size and overwintering site selection in the tephritid flies, Rhagoletis juglandis and Rhagoletis suavis. We also explored the effect of site selection on pupal mortality, parasitism, and the ability to emerge from overwintering sites after eclosion. In both species, and in both lab and field tests, larger pupae were found at deeper soil depths. In addition, marginally non-significant trends indicated pupae in deeper sites were 48% more likely to survive the overwintering period. Finally, larger individuals were more likely to eclose and emerge from the soil at a given depth, but flies in deep overwintering sites were less likely to emerge from those sites than flies in shallow sites. Our data indicate that overwintering site selection represents a trade-off between avoiding predators and parasites that occur at shallow sites, and the energetic and mortality costs of burrowing to, overwintering in, and emerging from, deeper sites. The size-dependent overwintering site selection demonstrated here has implications for population dynamics and pest control strategies. Some fly control measures, such as the introduction of parasites or predators, will be mitigated when the deepest and least accessible overwintering pupae represent a disproportionately large amount of the population's reproductive capacity.

Analytical determination of size-dependent natural frequencies of fully clamped rectangular microplates based on the modified couple stress theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Askari, Amir R.; Tahani, Masoud [Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-05-15

This paper presents an analytical and size-dependent model for vibrational analysis of fully clamped rectangular microplates. Modified couple stress theory (MCST) and the Kirchhoff plate model are considered, and Hamilton's principle is employed to derive the size dependent equation of motion that accounts for the effect of residual stresses. The natural frequencies of the microplate are extracted analytically by extended Kantorovich method. The present findings are validated with the available results in the literature, and an excellent agreement is observed between them. In addition, a parametric study is conducted to demonstrate the significant effects of couple stress components on the natural frequencies of fully clamped microplates. The ratio of MCST natural frequencies to those obtained with classical theory depends only on the Poisson's ratio of the plate and is independent of the aspect ratio of the plate for cases with no residual stresses.

Analytical determination of size-dependent natural frequencies of fully clamped rectangular microplates based on the modified couple stress theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Askari, Amir R.; Tahani, Masoud

2015-01-01

This paper presents an analytical and size-dependent model for vibrational analysis of fully clamped rectangular microplates. Modified couple stress theory (MCST) and the Kirchhoff plate model are considered, and Hamilton's principle is employed to derive the size dependent equation of motion that accounts for the effect of residual stresses. The natural frequencies of the microplate are extracted analytically by extended Kantorovich method. The present findings are validated with the available results in the literature, and an excellent agreement is observed between them. In addition, a parametric study is conducted to demonstrate the significant effects of couple stress components on the natural frequencies of fully clamped microplates. The ratio of MCST natural frequencies to those obtained with classical theory depends only on the Poisson's ratio of the plate and is independent of the aspect ratio of the plate for cases with no residual stresses.

Size-dependent plastic deformation of twinned nanopillars in body-centered cubic tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shuozhi; Startt, Jacob K.; Payne, Thomas G.; Deo, Chaitanya S.; McDowell, David L.

2017-05-01

Compared with face-centered cubic metals, twinned nanopillars in body-centered cubic (BCC) systems are much less explored partly due to the more complicated plastic deformation behavior and a lack of reliable interatomic potentials for the latter. In this paper, the fault energies predicted by two semi-empirical interatomic potentials in BCC tungsten (W) are first benchmarked against density functional theory calculations. Then, the more accurate potential is employed in large scale molecular dynamics simulations of tensile and compressive loading of twinned nanopillars in BCC W with different cross sectional shapes and sizes. A single crystal, a twinned crystal, and single crystalline nanopillars are also studied as references. Analyses of the stress-strain response and defect nucleation reveal a strong tension-compression asymmetry and a weak pillar size dependence in the yield strength. Under both tensile and compressive loading, plastic deformation in the twinned nanopillars is dominated by dislocation slip on {110} planes that are nucleated from the intersections between the twin boundary and the pillar surface. It is also found that the cross sectional shape of nanopillars affects the strength and the initial site of defect nucleation but not the overall stress-strain response and plastic deformation behavior.

Particle size dependence on oxygen reduction reaction activity of electrodeposited TaOx catalysts in acidic media

KAUST Repository

Seo, J.

2013-11-13

The size dependence of the oxygen reduction reaction activity was studied for TaOx nanoparticles electrodeposited on carbon black for application to polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Compared with a commercial Ta2O5 material, the ultrafine oxide nanoparticles exhibited a distinctively high onset potential different from that of the bulky oxide particles.

Hydrothermal synthesis of HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods and their size-dependent magnetic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lv, Yichao; Wu, Songping, E-mail: chwsp@scut.edu.cn; Xu, Rui

2017-03-01

The HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods were synthesized by a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal process. The length of nanorods is readily controllable with basically constant diameter. HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods show recognizable divagation at T{sub N}(Ho) of 13 K between FC and ZFC curve due to the contribution of the magnetic ordering of holmium. Size-dependent magnetic properties (i.e. a critical length for magnetization) of HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods can be ascribed to the competition between surface strain and uncompensated spin at the surface. - Highlights: • HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods were synthesized by a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal route. • HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods show recognizable divagation at T{sub N}(Ho) of 13 K between FC and ZFC. • Size-dependent magnetic properties of HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods can be observed.

Size and Sex-Dependent Shrinkage of Dutch Bees during One-and-a-Half Centuries of Land-Use Change.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikail O Oliveira

Full Text Available Land-use change and global warming are important factors driving bee decline, but it is largely unknown whether these drivers have resulted in changes in the life-history traits of bees. Recent studies have shown a stronger population decline of large- than small-bodied bee species, suggesting there may have been selective pressure on large, but not on small species to become smaller. Here we test this hypothesis by analyzing trends in bee body size of 18 Dutch species over a 147-year period using specimens from entomological collections. Large-bodied female bees shrank significantly faster than small-bodied female bees (6.5% and 0.5% respectively between 1900 and 2010. Changes in temperature during the flight period of bees did not influence the size-dependent shrinkage of female bees. Male bees did not shrink significantly over the same time period. Our results could imply that under conditions of declining habitat quantity and quality it is advantageous for individuals to be smaller. The size and sex-dependent responses of bees point towards an evolutionary response but genetic studies are required to confirm this. The declining body size of the large bee species that currently dominate flower visitation of both wild plants and insect-pollinated crops may have negative consequences for pollination service delivery.

Season-dependent size distribution of aerosols over the tropical coastal environment of south-west India

Science.gov (United States)

Aryasree, S.; Nair, Prabha R.

2018-01-01

This paper presents the results of a detailed study on the size characteristics of aerosols at the tropical coastal site Thiruvananthapuram based on the in-situ measurements of size resolved aerosol number density using an aerosol spectrometer, covering a period of 28 months from September 2011 to December 2013. The diurnal pattern of aerosol number density is characterized by day time low and a two-fold increase during nighttime and these changes are closely associated with the strong mesoscale features namely the sea breeze and land breeze prevailing at the site. Aerosol Number Size Distribution (NSD) depicts a multi-modal nature with two prominent modes, one ≤0.1 μm and other ∼1 μm. Two other less pronounced modes are also observed in the NSD, one ∼0.3-0.5 μm and other ∼5-8 μm. The NSDs also exhibited strong seasonal changes linked with the synoptic meteorological feature of this region namely the South Asian monsoon. The seasonal NSDs were parameterized and analyzed. In addition to this, the effects of meteorological parameters temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and airflow patterns on aerosol number density as revealed by partial correlation analysis were found to be aerosol size dependent.

Size-dependent penetrant diffusion in polymer glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Dong; Zhang, Kai; Kumar, Sanat K

2018-05-18

Molecular Dynamics simulations are used to understand the underpinning basis of the transport of gas-like solutes in deeply quenched polymeric glasses. As found in previous work, small solutes, with sizes smaller than 0.15 times the chain monomer size, move as might be expected in a medium with large pores. In contrast, the motion of larger solutes is activated and is strongly facilitated by matrix motion. In particular, solute motion is coupled to the local elastic fluctuations of the matrix as characterized by the Debye-Waller factor. While similar ideas have been previously proposed for the viscosity of supercooled liquids above their glass transition, to our knowledge, this is the first illustration of this concept in the context of solute mass transport in deeply quenched polymer glasses.

Size-dependent effective properties of anisotropic piezoelectric composites with piezoelectric nano-particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Ming-Juan; Fang, Xue-Qian; Liu, Jin-Xi; Feng, Wen-Jie; Zhao, Yong-Mao

2015-01-01

Based on the electro-elastic surface/interface theory, the size-dependent effective piezoelectric and dielectric coefficients of anisotropic piezoelectric composites that consist of spherically piezoelectric inclusions under a uniform electric field are investigated, and the analytical solutions for the elastic displacement and electric potentials are derived. With consideration of the coupling effects of elasticity, permittivity and piezoelectricity, the effective field method is introduced to derive the effective dielectric and piezoelectric responses in the dilute limit. The numerical examples show that the effective dielectric constant exhibits a significant variation due to the surface/interface effect. The dielectric property of the surface/interface displays greater effect than the piezoelectric property, and the elastic property shows little effect. A comparison with the existing results validates the present approach. (paper)

Femoral sizing in total knee arthroplasty is rotation dependant.

Science.gov (United States)

Koninckx, Angelique; Deltour, Arnaud; Thienpont, Emmanuel

2014-12-01

The mismatch between the medio-lateral (ML) and the antero-posterior (AP) size of femoral components in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been linked to gender, ethnicity, morphotype and height differences in patients. The hypothesis of this study was that the AP size measurement of a femoral component increases with more external rotation in posterior referencing TKA. During a 2-year period, 201 patients were included in this prospective study. The AP distance of the distal femur was measured with an AP sizer of the Vanguard (Biomet, Warsaw, US) knee system. This AP sizer allows to dial in external rotation by 1° increments and to determine the femoral size with an anterior boom. AP size was noted at 0°, 3° and 5° of external rotation and then compared for ML matching. Antero-posterior and corresponding ML sizes match perfectly for the Vanguard at 0° of external rotation and a central boom position on the anterior femoral surface. Then, the anterior boom was positioned on the antero-lateral cortex and the AP size increased a mean (SD) 1 (0.5) mm. With 3° of external rotation, the AP size increased a mean (SD) 2.3 (0.4) mm and for 5° a mean (SD) 3.8 (0.3) mm (P external rotation that is dialled in during surgery. Since these parameters vary case per case, the availability of narrow components offers more surgical options to the surgeon and its importance extends beyond the gender aspect allowing different amounts of external rotation to be used without ML overhang. II.

Application of a time-dependent coalescence process for inferring the history of population size changes from DNA sequence data.

Science.gov (United States)

Polanski, A; Kimmel, M; Chakraborty, R

1998-05-12

Distribution of pairwise differences of nucleotides from data on a sample of DNA sequences from a given segment of the genome has been used in the past to draw inferences about the past history of population size changes. However, all earlier methods assume a given model of population size changes (such as sudden expansion), parameters of which (e.g., time and amplitude of expansion) are fitted to the observed distributions of nucleotide differences among pairwise comparisons of all DNA sequences in the sample. Our theory indicates that for any time-dependent population size, N(tau) (in which time tau is counted backward from present), a time-dependent coalescence process yields the distribution, p(tau), of the time of coalescence between two DNA sequences randomly drawn from the population. Prediction of p(tau) and N(tau) requires the use of a reverse Laplace transform known to be unstable. Nevertheless, simulated data obtained from three models of monotone population change (stepwise, exponential, and logistic) indicate that the pattern of a past population size change leaves its signature on the pattern of DNA polymorphism. Application of the theory to the published mtDNA sequences indicates that the current mtDNA sequence variation is not inconsistent with a logistic growth of the human population.

The pressure-induced, lactose-dependent changes in the composition and size of casein micelles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pengjie; Jin, Shaoming; Guo, Huiyuan; Zhao, Liang; Ren, Fazheng

2015-04-15

The effects of lactose on the changes in the composition and size of casein micelles induced by high-pressure treatment and the related mechanism of action were investigated. Dispersions of ultracentrifuged casein micelle pellets with 0-10% (w/v) lactose were subjected to high pressure (400 MPa) at 20 °C for 40 min. The results indicated that the level of non-sedimentable caseins was positively related to the amount of lactose added prior to pressure treatment, and negatively correlated to the size. A mechanism for the pressure-induced, lactose-dependent changes in the casein micelles is proposed. Lactose inhibits the hydrophobic interactions between the micellar fragments during or after pressure release, through the hydrophilic layer formed by their hydrogen bonds around the micellar fragments. In addition, lactose does not favour the association between calcium and the casein aggregates after pressure release. Due to these two functions, lactose inhibited the formation of larger micelles after pressure treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Robust Variance Estimation with Dependent Effect Sizes: Practical Considerations Including a Software Tutorial in Stata and SPSS

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner-Smith, Emily E.; Tipton, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Methodologists have recently proposed robust variance estimation as one way to handle dependent effect sizes in meta-analysis. Software macros for robust variance estimation in meta-analysis are currently available for Stata (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA) and SPSS (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA), yet there is little guidance for authors regarding…

Significance of size dependent and material structure coupling on the characteristics and performance of nanocrystalline micro/nano gyroscopes

Science.gov (United States)

Larkin, K.; Ghommem, M.; Abdelkefi, A.

2018-05-01

Capacitive-based sensing microelectromechanical (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) gyroscopes have significant advantages over conventional gyroscopes, such as low power consumption, batch fabrication, and possible integration with electronic circuits. However, inadequacies in the modeling of these inertial sensors have presented issues of reliability and functionality of micro-/nano-scale gyroscopes. In this work, a micromechanical model is developed to represent the unique microstructure of nanocrystalline materials and simulate the response of micro-/nano-gyroscope comprising an electrostatically-actuated cantilever beam with a tip mass at the free end. Couple stress and surface elasticity theories are integrated into the classical Euler-Bernoulli beam model in order to derive a size-dependent model. This model is then used to investigate the influence of size-dependent effects on the static pull-in instability, the natural frequencies and the performance output of gyroscopes as the scale decreases from micro-to nano-scale. The simulation results show significant changes in the static pull-in voltage and the natural frequency as the scale of the system is decreased. However, the differential frequency between the two vibration modes of the gyroscope is observed to drastically decrease as the size of the gyroscope is reduced. As such, the frequency-based operation mode may not be an efficient strategy for nano-gyroscopes. The results show that a strong coupling between the surface elasticity and material structure takes place when smaller grain sizes and higher void percentages are considered.

Bug bites and stings: When to see a dermatologist

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... it under the mattress for maximum protection. Pay attention to outbreaks. Check the CDC Travel Health Notices ... aad-aad-6", "site=ehs.con.aad.aad", "size=320x50", "vpos=t", "hpos=r", "zone=public", "mcat1= ...

Size dependence of the wavefunction of self-assembled InAs quantum dots from time-resolved optical measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Jeppe; Stobbe, Søren; Nikolaev, Ivan S.

2008-01-01

and a theoretical model, we determine the striking dependence of the overlap of the electron and hole wavefunctions on the quantum dot size. We conclude that the optical quality is best for large quantum dots, which is important in order to optimally tailor quantum dot emitters for, e.g., quantum electrodynamics......The radiative and nonradiative decay rates of InAs quantum dots are measured by controlling the local density of optical states near an interface. From time-resolved measurements, we extract the oscillator strength and the quantum efficiency and their dependence on emission energy. From our results...

Size-dependent surface plasmon resonance in silver silica nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2008-01-01

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

Implications of late-in-life density-dependent growth for fishery size-at-entry leading to maximum sustainable yield

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Gemert, Rob; Andersen, Ken Haste

2018-01-01

-in-life density-dependent growth: North Sea plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), Northeast Atlantic (NEA) mackerel (Scomber scombrus), and Baltic sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus). For all stocks, the model predicts exploitation at MSY with a large size-at-entry into the fishery, indicating that late-in-life density...

16 CFR 1632.1 - Definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... resilient material used alone or in combination with other products intended or promoted for sleeping upon... Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FLAMMABLE FABRICS ACT REGULATIONS STANDARD FOR THE... mattresses, day bed mattresses, roll-a-way bed mattresses, high risers, and trundle bed mattresses. See...

Management of Anterior Skull Base Defect Depending on Its Size and Location

Science.gov (United States)

Bernal-Sprekelsen, Manuel; Rioja, Elena; Enseñat, Joaquim; Enriquez, Karla; Viscovich, Liza; Agredo-Lemos, Freddy Enrique; Alobid, Isam

2014-01-01

Introduction. We present our experience in the reconstruction of these leaks depending on their size and location. Material and Methods. Fifty-four patients who underwent advanced skull base surgery (large defects, >20 mm) and 62 patients with CSF leaks of different origin (small, 2–10 mm, and midsize, 11–20 mm, defects) were included in the retrospective study. Large defects were reconstructed with a nasoseptal pedicled flap positioned on fat and fascia lata. In small and midsized leaks. Fascia lata in an underlay position was used for its reconstruction covered with mucoperiosteum of either the middle or the inferior turbinate. Results. The most frequent etiology for small and midsized defects was spontaneous (48.4%), followed by trauma (24.2%), iatrogenic (5%). The success rate after the first surgical reconstruction was 91% and 98% in large skull base defects and small/midsized, respectively. Rescue surgery achieved 100%. Conclusions. Endoscopic surgery for any type of skull base defect is the gold standard. The size of the defects does not seem to play a significant role in the success rate. Fascia lata and mucoperiosteum of the turbinate allow a two-layer reconstruction of small and midsized defects. For larger skull base defects, a combination of fat, fascia lata, and nasoseptal pedicled flaps provides a successful reconstruction. PMID:24895567

Origin of temperature and field dependence of magnetic skyrmion size in ultrathin nanodots

Science.gov (United States)

Tomasello, R.; Guslienko, K. Y.; Ricci, M.; Giordano, A.; Barker, J.; Carpentieri, M.; Chubykalo-Fesenko, O.; Finocchio, G.

2018-02-01

Understanding the physical properties of magnetic skyrmions is important for fundamental research with the aim to develop new spintronic device paradigms where both logic and memory can be integrated at the same level. Here, we show a universal model based on the micromagnetic formalism that can be used to study skyrmion stability as a function of magnetic field and temperature. We consider ultrathin, circular ferromagnetic magnetic dots. Our results show that magnetic skyrmions with a small radius—compared to the dot radius—are always metastable, while large radius skyrmions form a stable ground state. The change of energy profile determines the weak (strong) size dependence of the metastable (stable) skyrmion as a function of temperature and/or field.

Queen-worker caste ratio depends on colony size in the pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Anna Mosegaard; Linksvayer, Timothy Arnold; Boomsma, Jacobus Jan

2011-01-01

The success of an ant colony depends on the simultaneous presence of reproducing queens and nonreproducing workers in a ratio that will maximize colony growth and reproduction. Despite its presumably crucial role, queen–worker caste ratios (the ratio of adult queens to workers) and the factors...... affecting this variable remain scarcely studied. Maintaining polygynous pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis) colonies in the laboratory has provided us with the opportunity to experimentally manipulate colony size, one of the key factors that can be expected to affect colony level queen–worker caste ratios...... species with budding colonies may adaptively adjust caste ratios to ensure rapid growth....

Unravelling the dependence of hydrogen oxidation kinetics on the size of Pt nanoparticles by in operando nanoplasmonic temperature sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wettergren, Kristina; Hellman, Anders; Cavalca, Filippo Carlo

2015-01-01

We use a noninvasive nanoscale optical-temperature measurement method based on localized surface plasmon resonance to investigate the particle size-dependence of the hydrogen oxidation reaction kinetics on model supported Pt nanocatalysts at atmospheric pressure in operando. With decreasing average...

Size- and shape-dependent surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Qingshan; Xue, Yongqiang; Cui, Zixiang

2018-05-01

As the fundamental properties, the surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals play a key role in the physical and chemical changes. However, it remains ambiguous about the quantitative influence regularities of size and shape on the surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals. Thus by introducing interface variables into the Gibbs energy and combining Young-Laplace equation, relations between the surface thermodynamic properties (surface Gibbs energy, surface enthalpy, surface entropy, surface energy and surface heat capacity), respectively, and size of nanocrystals with different shapes were derived. Theoretical estimations of the orders of the surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals agree with available experimental values. Calculated results of the surface thermodynamic properties of Au, Bi and Al nanocrystals suggest that when r > 10 nm, the surface thermodynamic properties linearly vary with the reciprocal of particle size, and when r < 10 nm, the effect of particle size on the surface thermodynamic properties becomes greater and deviates from linear variation. For nanocrystals with identical equivalent diameter, the more the shape deviates from sphere, the larger the surface thermodynamic properties (absolute value) are.

Size-dependent elastic moduli and vibrational properties of fivefold twinned copper nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Y. G.; Zhao, Y. T.; Ye, H. F.; Zhang, H. W.

2014-08-01

Based on atomistic simulations, the elastic moduli and vibration behaviors of fivefold twinned copper nanowires are investigated in this paper. Simulation results show that the elastic (i.e., Young’s and shear) moduli exhibit size dependence due to the surface effect. The effective Young’s modulus is found to decrease slightly whereas the effective shear modulus increases slightly with the increase in the wire radius. Both moduli tend to approach certain values at a larger radius and can be suitably described by core-shell composite structure models. Furthermore, we show by comparing simulation results and continuum predictions that, provided the effective Young’s and shear moduli are used, classic elastic theory can be applied to describe the small-amplitude vibration of fivefold twinned copper nanowires. Moreover, for the transverse vibration, the Timoshenko beam model is more suitable because shear deformation becomes apparent.

Size-dependent elastic moduli and vibrational properties of fivefold twinned copper nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Y G; Zhao, Y T; Ye, H F; Zhang, H W

2014-01-01

Based on atomistic simulations, the elastic moduli and vibration behaviors of fivefold twinned copper nanowires are investigated in this paper. Simulation results show that the elastic (i.e., Young’s and shear) moduli exhibit size dependence due to the surface effect. The effective Young’s modulus is found to decrease slightly whereas the effective shear modulus increases slightly with the increase in the wire radius. Both moduli tend to approach certain values at a larger radius and can be suitably described by core-shell composite structure models. Furthermore, we show by comparing simulation results and continuum predictions that, provided the effective Young’s and shear moduli are used, classic elastic theory can be applied to describe the small-amplitude vibration of fivefold twinned copper nanowires. Moreover, for the transverse vibration, the Timoshenko beam model is more suitable because shear deformation becomes apparent. (paper)

Size- and charge selectivity of glomerular filtration in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with and without albuminuria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deckert, T; Kofoed-Enevoldsen, A; Vidal, P

1993-01-01

Albuminuria is the first clinical event in the development of diabetic nephropathy. We assessed glomerular charge- and size selectivity in 51 patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus of juvenile onset and 11 healthy individuals. Patients were allocated to five groups. The urinary...... techniques and tubular protein reabsorption by excretion of beta 2-microglobulin. Charge selectivity was estimated from the IgG/IgG4 selectivity index. Size selectivity was measured by dextran clearance. Dextran was measured by refractive index detection after fractionation (2 A fractions in the range 26...... macromolecular pathways in the development of diabetic nephropathy....

Association between stall surface and some animal welfare measurements in freestall dairy herds using recycled manure solids for bedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Husfeldt, A W; Endres, M I

2012-10-01

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between stall surface and some animal welfare measurements in upper Midwest US dairy operations using recycled manure solids as bedding material. The study included 34 dairy operations with herd sizes ranging from 130 to 3,700 lactating cows. Forty-five percent of the herds had mattresses and 55% had deep-bedded stalls. Farms were visited once between July and October 2009. At the time of visit, at least 50% of the cows in each lactating pen were scored for locomotion, hygiene, and hock lesions. On-farm herd records were collected for the entire year and used to investigate mortality, culling, milk production, and mastitis incidence. Stall surface was associated with lameness and hock lesion prevalence. Lameness prevalence (locomotion score ≥ 3 on a 1 to 5 scale) was lower in deep-bedded freestalls (14.4%) than freestalls with mattresses (19.8%). Severe lameness prevalence (locomotion score ≥ 4) was also lower for cows housed in deep-bedded freestalls (3.6%) than for cows housed in freestalls with mattresses (5.9%). In addition, the prevalence of hock lesions (hock lesion scores ≥ 2 on a 1 to 3 scale, with 1=no lesion, 2=hair loss or mild lesion, and 3=swelling or severe lesion) and severe hock lesions (hock lesion score=3) was lower in herds with deep-bedded freestalls (49.4%; 6.4%) than in herds with mattresses (67.3%; 13.2%). Herd turnover rates were not associated with stall surface; however, the percentage of removals due to voluntary (low milk production, disposition, and dairy) and involuntary (death, illness, injury, and reproductive) reasons was different between deep-bedded and mattress-based freestalls. Voluntary removals averaged 16% of all herd removals in deep-bedded herds, whereas in mattress herds, these removals were 8%. Other welfare measurements such as cow hygiene, mortality rate, mastitis incidence, and milk production were not associated with stall surface

Size-dependent impairment of cognition in mice caused by the injection of gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yu-Shiun; Hong, Meng-Yeng; Huang, G Steve; Hung, Yao-Ching; Lin, Li-Wei; Liau, Ian

2010-01-01

We explored the size-dependent impairment of cognition in mice caused by the injection of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). GNPs of 17 and 37 nm in diameter were injected intraperitoneally into BALB/c mice at doses ranging from 0.5 to 14.6 mg kg -1 . ICP-MS was performed on brain tissue collected 1, 14 and 21 days after the injection. A passive-avoidance test was performed on day 21. Monoamine levels were determined on day 21. The microscopic distribution of GNPs in the hippocampus was examined using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that 17 nm GNPs passed through the blood-brain barrier more rapidly than 37 nm GNPs. Treatment with 17 nm GNPs decreased the latency time, which was comparable to the effect of scopolamine treatment, while 37 nm GNPs showed no significant effect. Dopamine levels and serotonin levels in the brain were significantly altered by the injection of 17 and 37 nm GNPs. GNPs affected dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. CARS microscopy indicated that 17 nm GNPs entered the Cornu Ammonis (CA) region of the hippocampus, while 37 nm GNPs were excluded from the CA region. TEM verified the presence of 17 nm GNPs in the cytoplasm of pyramidal cells. In this study, we showed that the ability of GNPs to damage cognition in mice was size-dependent and associated with the ability of the particles to invade the hippocampus. The dosage and duration of the treatment should be taken into account if GNPs are used in the future as vehicles to carry therapeutic agents into the brain.

Size-dependent impairment of cognition in mice caused by the injection of gold nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yu-Shiun; Hong, Meng-Yeng; Huang, G Steve [Institute of Nanotechnology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Hung, Yao-Ching [Section of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China Medical University and Hospital, 91 Hsueh Shih Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan (China); Lin, Li-Wei [School of Chinese Medicine for Post-Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, 8 Yida Road, Yanchao Township, Kaohsiung Country 82445, Taiwan (China); Liau, Ian, E-mail: gstevehuang@mail.nctu.edu.tw [Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China)

2010-12-03

We explored the size-dependent impairment of cognition in mice caused by the injection of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). GNPs of 17 and 37 nm in diameter were injected intraperitoneally into BALB/c mice at doses ranging from 0.5 to 14.6 mg kg{sup -1}. ICP-MS was performed on brain tissue collected 1, 14 and 21 days after the injection. A passive-avoidance test was performed on day 21. Monoamine levels were determined on day 21. The microscopic distribution of GNPs in the hippocampus was examined using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that 17 nm GNPs passed through the blood-brain barrier more rapidly than 37 nm GNPs. Treatment with 17 nm GNPs decreased the latency time, which was comparable to the effect of scopolamine treatment, while 37 nm GNPs showed no significant effect. Dopamine levels and serotonin levels in the brain were significantly altered by the injection of 17 and 37 nm GNPs. GNPs affected dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. CARS microscopy indicated that 17 nm GNPs entered the Cornu Ammonis (CA) region of the hippocampus, while 37 nm GNPs were excluded from the CA region. TEM verified the presence of 17 nm GNPs in the cytoplasm of pyramidal cells. In this study, we showed that the ability of GNPs to damage cognition in mice was size-dependent and associated with the ability of the particles to invade the hippocampus. The dosage and duration of the treatment should be taken into account if GNPs are used in the future as vehicles to carry therapeutic agents into the brain.

Size-dependent antibacterial activities of silver nanoparticles against oral anaerobic pathogenic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zhong; Rong, Kaifeng; Li, Ju; Yang, Hao; Chen, Rong

2013-06-01

Dental caries and periodontal disease are widespread diseases for which microorganism infections have been identified as the main etiology. Silver nanoparticles (Ag Nps) were considered as potential control oral bacteria infection agent due to its excellent antimicrobial activity and non acute toxic effects on human cells. In this work, stable Ag Nps with different sizes (~5, 15 and 55 nm mean values) were synthesized by using a simple reduction method or hydrothermal method. The Nps were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The antibacterial activities were evaluated by colony counting assay and growth inhibition curve method, and corresponding minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against five anaerobic oral pathogenic bacteria and aerobic bacteria E. coli were determined. The results showed that Ag Nps had apparent antibacterial effects against the anaerobic oral pathogenic bacteria and aerobic bacteria. The MIC values of 5-nm Ag against anaerobic oral pathogenic bacteria A. actinomycetemcomitans, F. nuceatum, S. mitis, S. mutans and S. sanguis were 25, 25, 25, 50 and 50 μg/mL, respectively. The aerobic bacteria were more susceptible to Ag NPs than the anaerobic oral pathogenic bacteria. In the mean time, Ag NPs displayed an obvious size-dependent antibacterial activity against the anaerobic bacteria. The 5-nm Ag presents the highest antibacterial activity. The results of this work indicated a potential application of Ag Nps in the inhibition of oral microorganism infections.

Quality control considerations for size exclusion chromatography with online ICP-MS: a powerful tool for evaluating the size dependence of metal-organic matter complexation.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenzie, Erica R; Young, Thomas M

2013-01-01

Size exclusion chromatography (SEC), which separates molecules based on molecular volume, can be coupled with online inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to explore size-dependent metal-natural organic matter (NOM) complexation. To make effective use of this analytical dual detector system, the operator should be mindful of quality control measures. Al, Cr, Fe, Se, and Sn all exhibited columnless attenuation, which indicated unintended interactions with system components. Based on signal-to-noise ratio and peak reproducibility between duplicate analyses of environmental samples, consistent peak time and height were observed for Mg, Cl, Mn, Cu, Br, and Pb. Al, V, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Se, Cd, Sn, and Sb were less consistent overall, but produced consistent measurements in select samples. Ultrafiltering and centrifuging produced similar peak distributions, but glass fiber filtration produced more high molecular weight (MW) peaks. Storage in glass also produced more high MW peaks than did plastic bottles.

Magnetic properties of natural pyrrhotite Part I : Behaviour of initial susceptibility and saturation-magnetization-related rock-magnetic parameters in a grain-size dependent framework

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dekkers, M.J.

1988-01-01

The grain-size dependence of the initial susceptibility, saturation magnetization, saturation remanence , coercive force, remanent coercive force and remanent acquisition coercive force, is reported for four natural pyrrhotites in a grain-size range from 250 µm down to <5 µm.

Size-dependent antimicrobial properties of the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Žalnėravičius, Rokas; Paškevičius, Algimantas; Kurtinaitiene, Marija; Jagminas, Arūnas

2016-10-01

The growing resistance of bacteria to conventional antibiotics elicited considerable interest to non-typical drugs. In this study, antimicrobial investigations were performed on low-size dispersion cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (Nps) fabricated by co-precipitation approach in several average sizes, in particular, 15.0, 5.0, and 1.65 nm. A variety of experimental tests demonstrated that the size of these Nps is determinant for antimicrobial efficiency against S. cerevisiae and several Candida species, in particular, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, and C. albicans. The small and ultra-small fractions of CoFe2O4 Nps possess especially strong antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms. The possible reasons are discussed. Nps were characterized by means of transmission and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, chemical analysis and magnetic measurements.

Size-dependent antimicrobial properties of the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Žalnėravičius, Rokas; Paškevičius, Algimantas; Kurtinaitiene, Marija; Jagminas, Arūnas

2016-01-01

The growing resistance of bacteria to conventional antibiotics elicited considerable interest to non-typical drugs. In this study, antimicrobial investigations were performed on low-size dispersion cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (Nps) fabricated by co-precipitation approach in several average sizes, in particular, 15.0, 5.0, and 1.65 nm. A variety of experimental tests demonstrated that the size of these Nps is determinant for antimicrobial efficiency against S. cerevisiae and several Candida species, in particular, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, and C. albicans. The small and ultra-small fractions of CoFe_2O_4 Nps possess especially strong antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms. The possible reasons are discussed. Nps were characterized by means of transmission and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, chemical analysis and magnetic measurements.Graphical Abstract

Mechanistic study on lowering the sensitivity of positive atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometric analyses: size-dependent reactivity of solvent clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Arif; Choi, Cheol Ho; Kim, Sunghwan

2015-11-15

Understanding the mechanism of atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) is important for studies employing APPI liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). In this study, the APPI mechanism for polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds dissolved in toluene and methanol or water mixture was investigated by use of MS analysis and quantum mechanical simulation. In particular, four different mechanisms that could contribute to the signal reduction were considered based on a combination of MS data and quantum mechanical calculations. The APPI mechanism is clarified by combining MS data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. To obtain MS data, a positive-mode (+) APPI Q Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer was used to analyze each solution. DFT calculations were performed using the general atomic and molecular electronic structure system (GAMESS). The experimental results indicated that methanol significantly reduced the signal in (+) APPI, but no significative signal reduction was observed when water was used as a co-solvent with toluene. The signal reduction is more significant especially for molecular ions than for protonated ions. Therefore, important information about the mechanism of methanol-induced signal reduction in (+) APPI-MS can be gained due its negative impact on APPI efficiency. The size-dependent reactivity of methanol clusters ((CH3 OH)n , n = 1-8) is an important factor in determining the sensitivity of (+) APPI-MS analyses. Clusters can compete with toluene radical ions for electrons. The reactivity increases as the sizes of the methanol clusters increase and this effect can be caused by the size-dependent ionization energy of the solvent clusters. The resulting increase in cluster reactivity explains the flow rate and temperature-dependent signal reduction observed in the analytes. Based on the results presented here, minimizing the sizes of methanol clusters can improve the sensitivity of LC/(+)-APPI-MS. Copyright © 2015 John

SHOEBOX Modulates Root Meristem Size in Rice through Dose-Dependent Effects of Gibberellins on Cell Elongation and Proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jintao; Zhao, Yu; Chu, Huangwei; Wang, Likai; Fu, Yanru; Liu, Ping; Upadhyaya, Narayana; Chen, Chunli; Mou, Tongmin; Feng, Yuqi; Kumar, Prakash; Xu, Jian

2015-08-01

Little is known about how the size of meristem cells is regulated and whether it participates in the control of meristem size in plants. Here, we report our findings on shoebox (shb), a mild gibberellin (GA) deficient rice mutant that has a short root meristem size. Quantitative analysis of cortical cell length and number indicates that shb has shorter, rather than fewer, cells in the root meristem until around the fifth day after sowing, from which the number of cortical cells is also reduced. These defects can be either corrected by exogenous application of bioactive GA or induced in wild-type roots by a dose-dependent inhibitory effect of paclobutrazol on GA biosynthesis, suggesting that GA deficiency is the primary cause of shb mutant phenotypes. SHB encodes an AP2/ERF transcription factor that directly activates transcription of the GA biosynthesis gene KS1. Thus, root meristem size in rice is modulated by SHB-mediated GA biosynthesis that regulates the elongation and proliferation of meristem cells in a developmental stage-specific manner.

SHOEBOX Modulates Root Meristem Size in Rice through Dose-Dependent Effects of Gibberellins on Cell Elongation and Proliferation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jintao Li

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Little is known about how the size of meristem cells is regulated and whether it participates in the control of meristem size in plants. Here, we report our findings on shoebox (shb, a mild gibberellin (GA deficient rice mutant that has a short root meristem size. Quantitative analysis of cortical cell length and number indicates that shb has shorter, rather than fewer, cells in the root meristem until around the fifth day after sowing, from which the number of cortical cells is also reduced. These defects can be either corrected by exogenous application of bioactive GA or induced in wild-type roots by a dose-dependent inhibitory effect of paclobutrazol on GA biosynthesis, suggesting that GA deficiency is the primary cause of shb mutant phenotypes. SHB encodes an AP2/ERF transcription factor that directly activates transcription of the GA biosynthesis gene KS1. Thus, root meristem size in rice is modulated by SHB-mediated GA biosynthesis that regulates the elongation and proliferation of meristem cells in a developmental stage-specific manner.

The Influence of Pituitary Size on Outcome After Transsphenoidal Hypophysectomy in a Large Cohort of Dogs with Pituitary-Dependent Hypercortisolism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Rijn, Sarah; Galac, S.; Tryfonidou, M. A.; Hesselink, J. W.; Penning, L. C.; Kooistra, H. S.; Meij, B. P.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy is one of the treatment strategies in the comprehensive management of dogs with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (PDH). OBJECTIVES To describe the influence of pituitary size at time of pituitary gland surgery on long-term outcome. ANIMALS

Size-dependent antimicrobial properties of the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Žalnėravičius, Rokas [State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (Lithuania); Paškevičius, Algimantas [Nature Research Centre, Laboratory of Biodeterioration Research (Lithuania); Kurtinaitiene, Marija; Jagminas, Arūnas, E-mail: arunas.jagminas@ftmc.lt [State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (Lithuania)

2016-10-15

The growing resistance of bacteria to conventional antibiotics elicited considerable interest to non-typical drugs. In this study, antimicrobial investigations were performed on low-size dispersion cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (Nps) fabricated by co-precipitation approach in several average sizes, in particular, 15.0, 5.0, and 1.65 nm. A variety of experimental tests demonstrated that the size of these Nps is determinant for antimicrobial efficiency against S. cerevisiae and several Candida species, in particular, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, and C. albicans. The small and ultra-small fractions of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} Nps possess especially strong antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms. The possible reasons are discussed. Nps were characterized by means of transmission and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, chemical analysis and magnetic measurements.Graphical Abstract.

Determining the size and concentration dependence of gold nanoparticles in vitro cytotoxicity (IC50) test using WST-1 assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosli, Nur Shafawati binti; Rahman, Azhar Abdul; Aziz, Azlan Abdul; Shamsuddin, Shaharum

2015-01-01

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) received a great deal of attention for biomedical applications, especially in diagnostic imaging and therapeutics. Even though AuNPs have potential benefits in biomedical applications, the impact of AuNPs on human and environmental health still remains unclear. The use of AuNPs which is a high-atomic-number materials, provide advantages in terms of radiation dose enhancement. However, before this can become a clinical reality, cytotoxicity of the AuNPs has to be carefully evaluated. Cytotoxicity test is a rapid, standardized test that is very sensitive to determine whether the nanoparticles produced are harmful or benign on cellular components. In this work the size and concentration dependence of AuNPs cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) are tested by using WST-1 assay. The sizes of AuNPs tested were 13 nm, 50 nm, and 70 nm. The cells were seeded in the 96-well plate and were treated with different concentrations of AuNPs by serial dilution for each size of AuNPs. The high concentration of AuNPs exhibit lower cell viability compared to low concentration of AuNPs. We quantified the toxicity of AuNPs in MCF-7 cell lines by determining the IC 50 values in WST-1 assays. The IC 50 values (inhibitory concentrations that effected 50% growth inhibition) of 50 nm AuNPs is lower than 13 nm and 70 nm AuNPs. Mean that, 50nm AuNPs are more toxic to the MCF-7 cells compared to smaller and larger sizes AuNPs. The presented results clearly indicate that the cytotoxicity of AuNPs depend not only on the concentration, but also the size of the nanoparticles

Nanowire size dependence on sensitivity of silicon nanowire field-effect transistor-based pH sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ryoongbin; Kwon, Dae Woong; Kim, Sihyun; Kim, Sangwan; Mo, Hyun-Sun; Kim, Dae Hwan; Park, Byung-Gook

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of nanowire size on the current sensitivity of silicon nanowire (SiNW) ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs). The changes in on-current (I on) and resistance according to pH were measured in fabricated SiNW ISFETs of various lengths and widths. As a result, it was revealed that the sensitivity expressed as relative I on change improves as the width decreases. Through technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation analysis, the width dependence on the relative I on change can be explained by the observation that the target molecules located at the edge region along the channel width have a stronger effect on the sensitivity as the SiNW width is reduced. Additionally, the length dependence on the sensitivity can be understood in terms of the resistance ratio of the fixed parasitic resistance, including source/drain resistance, to the varying channel resistance as a function of channel length.

Dependence of CuO particle size and diameter of reaction tubing on tritium recovery for tritium safety operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Cui, E-mail: cdxohc10000@163.com [Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku Shizuoka 422-8529 (Japan); Uemura, Yuki; Yuyama, Kenta; Fujita, Hiroe; Sakurada, Shodai; Azuma, Keisuke [Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku Shizuoka 422-8529 (Japan); Taguchi, Akira; Hara, Masanori; Hatano, Yuji [University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama 939-8555 (Japan); Chikada, Takumi; Oya, Yasuhisa [Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku Shizuoka 422-8529 (Japan)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Influence of CuO particle size and diameter of reaction tubing on the tritium recovery was evaluated. • Reaction rate constant of tritium with CuO particle has been calculated by the combination of experimental results and a simulation code. • Dependence of reaction tubing length on tritium conversion ratio has been explored. - Abstract: Usage of CuO and water bubbler is one of the conventional and convenient methods for tritium recovery. In present work, influence of CuO particle size and diameter of reaction tubing on the tritium recovery was evaluated. Reaction rate constant of tritium with CuO particle has been calculated by the combination of experimental results and a simulation code. Then, these results were applied for exploring the dependence of reaction tubing length on tritium conversion ratio. The results showed that the surface area of CuO has a great influence on the oxidation rate constant. The frequency factor of the reaction would be approximately doubled by reducing the CuO particle size from 1.0 mm to 0.2 mm. Cross section of reaction tubing mainly affected on the duration of tritium at the temperature below 600 K. Reaction tubing with length of 1 m at temperature of 600 K would be suitable for keeping the tritium conversion ratio above 99.9%. The length of reaction tubing can be reduced by using the smaller CuO particle or increasing the CuO temperature.

Better backs by better beds?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergholdt, Kim; Fabricius, Rasmus N; Bendix, Tom

2008-01-01

mattresses have a positive effect on LBP, and especially a hard mattress is commonly believed to have a positive effect. METHODS: One hundred sixty CLBP patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups, having a mattress/bed mounted in their sleeping room for 1 month. The beds were: (1) waterbed (Akva), (2) body......-conforming foam mattress (Tempur), and (3) a hard mattress (Innovation Futon). At baseline and after 4 weeks, a blinded observer interviewed the patients on LBP levels (0-10), daily function (activities of daily living, 0-30), and on the amount of sleeping hours/night. RESULTS: Because of dropout of 19 patients...... using the probably most relevant "worst case" data. There were no relevant difference between the effects of the water bed and the foam bed. CONCLUSION: The Waterbed and foam mattress' did influence back symptoms, function and sleep more positively as apposed to the hard mattress, but the differences...

Improving drug accumulation and photothermal efficacy in tumor depending on size of ICG loaded lipid-polymer nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Pengfei; Zheng, Mingbin; Yue, Caixia; Luo, Zhenyu; Gong, Ping; Gao, Guanhui; Sheng, Zonghai; Zheng, Cuifang; Cai, Lintao

2014-07-01

A key challenge to strengthen anti-tumor efficacy is to improve drug accumulation in tumors through size control. To explore the biodistribution and tumor accumulation of nanoparticles, we developed indocyanine green (ICG) loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) -lecithin-polyethylene glycol (PEG) core-shell nanoparticles (INPs) with 39 nm, 68 nm and 116 nm via single-step nanoprecipitation. These INPs exhibited good monodispersity, excellent fluorescence and size stability, and enhanced temperature response after laser irradiation. Through cell uptake and photothermal efficiency in vitro, we demonstrated that 39 nm INPs were more easily be absorbed by pancreatic carcinoma tumor cells (BxPC-3) and showed better photothermal damage than that of 68 nm and 116 nm size of INPs. Simultaneously, the fluorescence of INPs offered a real-time imaging monitor for subcellular locating and in vivo metabolic distribution. Near-infrared imaging in vivo and photothermal therapy illustrated that 68 nm INPs showed the strongest efficiency to suppress tumor growth due to abundant accumulation in BxPC-3 xenograft tumor model. The findings revealed that a nontoxic, size-dependent, theranostic INPs model was built for in vivo cancer imaging and photothermal therapy without adverse effect. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DEPENDENCE OF THE SPECKLE-PATTERNS SIZE AND THEIR CONTRAST ON THE BIOPHYSICAL AND STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF BIOLOGICAL TISSUES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. D. Abramovich

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Speckle fields are widely used in optical diagnostics of biotissues and evaluation of the functional state of bioobjects. The speckle field is formed by laser radiation scattered from the object under study. It bears information about the average dimensions of the scatterers, the degree of surface roughness makes it possible to judge the structural and biophysical characteristics of individual tissue cells (particles, on the one hand, and the integral optical characteristics of the entire biological tissue. The aim of the study was – the determination of connections between the biophysical and structural characteristics of the biotissue and the light fields inside the biotissues.The model developed of the medium gives a direct relationship between the optical and biophysical parameters of the biotissue. Calculations were carried out using known solutions of the radiation transfer equation, taking into account the multilayer structure of the tissue, multiple scattering in the medium, and multiple reflection of irradiation between the layers.With the increase wavelength, the size of speckles formed by the non-scattered component (direct light of laser radiation increases by a factor of 2 from 400 to 800 μm in the stratum corneum and 5 times from 0.6 to 3 μm for the epidermis and from 0.27 to 1.4 μm to the dermis. Typical values of sizes of speckles formed by the diffraction component of laser radiation for the stratum corneum and epidermis range from 0.02 to 0.15 μm. For the dermis typical spot sizes are up to 0.03 μm. The speckle-spot size of the diffusion component in the dermis can vary from ±10 % at 400 nm and up to ±23 % for 800 nm when the volume concentration of blood capillaries changes. Characteristic dependencies are obtained and biophysical factors associated with the volume concentration of blood and the degree of it’s oxygenation that affect the contrast of the speckle structure in the dermis are discussed.The of speckles

Match or mismatch: the influence of phenology on size-dependent life history and divergence in population structure

Science.gov (United States)

Borcherding, Jost; Beeck, Peter; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Scharf, Werner R.

2010-01-01

age cohort of the predator. 6. The results demonstrate that the switch between competitive interactions and a predator-prey relationship depended on phenology. This resulted in pronounced size differences in the YOY age cohort, which had far-reaching consequences for the entire predator population.

The relationship between urban form and air pollution depends on seasonality and city size.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yupeng; Wu, Jianguo; Yu, Deyong; Ma, Qun

2018-06-01

Understanding how urban form is related to air pollution is important to urban planning and sustainability, but the urban form-air pollution relationship is currently muddled by inconsistent findings. In this study, we investigated how the compositional and configurational attributes of urban form were related to different air pollution measures (PM 2.5 , API, and exceedance) in 83 Chinese cities, with explicit consideration of city size and seasonality. Ten landscape metrics were selected to quantify urban form attributes, and Spearman's correlation was used to quantify the urban form-air pollution relationship. Our results show that the urban form and air pollution relationship was dominated by city size and moderated by seasonality. Specifically, urban air pollution levels increased consistently and substantially from small to medium, large, and megacities. The urban form-air pollution relationship depended greatly on seasonality and monsoons. That is, the relationship was more pronounced in spring and summer than fall and winter, as well as in cities affected by monsoons. Urban air pollution was correlated more strongly with landscape composition metrics than landscape configuration metrics which seemed to affect only PM 2.5 concentrations. Our study suggests that, to understand how air pollution levels are related to urban form, city size and seasonality must be explicitly considered (or controlled). Also, in order to mitigate urban air pollution problems, regional urban planning is needed to curb the spatial extent of built-up areas, reduce the degree of urban fragmentation, and increase urban compactness and contiguity, especially for large and megacities.

SPEED DEPENDENCE OF ACOUSTIC VIBRATION PROPAGATION FROM THE FERRITIC GRAIN SIZE IN LOW-CARBON STEEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. A. Vakulenko

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose. It is determining the nature of the ferrite grain size influence of low-carbon alloy steel on the speed propagation of acoustic vibrations. Methodology. The material for the research served a steel sheet of thickness 1.4 mm. Steel type H18T1 had a content of chemical elements within grade composition: 0, 12 % C, 17, 5 % Cr, 1 % Mn, 1, 1 % Ni, 0, 85 % Si, 0, 9 % Ti. The specified steel belongs to the semiferritic class of the accepted classification. The structural state of the metal for the study was obtained by cold plastic deformation by rolling at a reduction in the size range of 20-30 % and subsequent recrystallization annealing at 740 – 750 ° C. Different degrees of cold plastic deformation was obtained by pre-selection of the initial strip thickness so that after a desired amount of rolling reduction receives the same final thickness. The microstructure was observed under a light microscope, the ferrite grain size was determined using a quantitative metallographic technique. The using of X-ray structural analysis techniques allowed determining the level of second-order distortion of the crystal latitude of the ferrite. The speed propagation of acoustic vibrations was measured using a special device such as an ISP-12 with a working frequency of pulses 1.024 kHz. As the characteristic of strength used the hardness was evaluated by the Brinell’s method. Findings. With increasing of ferrite grain size the hardness of the steel is reduced. In the case of constant structural state of metal, reducing the size of the ferrite grains is accompanied by a natural increasing of the phase distortion. The dependence of the speed propagation of acoustic vibrations up and down the rolling direction of the ferrite grain size remained unchanged and reports directly proportional correlation. Originality. On the basis of studies to determine the direct impact of the proportional nature of the ferrite grain size on the rate of propagation of sound

Effect of grain size on amplitude-dependent internal friction in polycrystalline copper. Do takessho no naibu masatsu no shinpuku izon sei ni oyobosu kessho ryukei no eikyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goto, H.; Nishino, Y.; Asano, S. (Nagoya Inst. of Technology, Nagoya (Japan))

1991-08-20

In this research, amplitude-dependency of internal friction was measured on various polycrystalline copper of varying grain size. Furthermore, the measurement data of amplitude-dependency of internal friction were analyzed from the phenomenological standpoint and microplastic strain was calculated as a function of stress. The obtained correlation between microplastic strain and stress corresponded to the stress-strain curve obtainable from normal tensile tests. Hence, comparing with the Hall-Petch relation, the relationship between flow stress and grain size in the microplastiic zone was discussed. The obtained results are summarized as follows: When grains were refined, amplitude dependency of internal friction was inhibited. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained, it was found that the flow stress in the microplastic zone increased following refining of grains. This agreed qualitatively with the macro deformation obtained from normal tensile tests. The grain size dependency of flow stress in the microplastic zone did not follow the normal Hall-Pitch relation, but the plastic strain increased, the dependency moved towards it. 16 refs., 4 figs.

Modeling and Analysis of Size-Dependent Structural Problems by Using Low- Order Finite Elements with Strain Gradient Plasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Moon Shik; Suh, Yeong Sung; Song, Seung

2011-01-01

An elasto-plastic finite element method using the theory of strain gradient plasticity is proposed to evaluate the size dependency of structural plasticity that occurs when the configuration size decreases to micron scale. For this method, we suggest a low-order plane and three-dimensional displacement-based elements, eliminating the need for a high order, many degrees of freedom, a mixed element, or super elements, which have been considered necessary in previous researches. The proposed method can be performed in the framework of nonlinear incremental analysis in which plastic strains are calculated and averaged at nodes. These strains are then interpolated and differentiated for gradient calculation. We adopted a strain-gradient-hardening constitutive equation from the Taylor dislocation model, which requires the plastic strain gradient. The developed finite elements are tested numerically on the basis of typical size-effect problems such as micro-bending, micro-torsion, and micro-voids. With respect to the strain gradient plasticity, i.e., the size effects, the results obtained by using the proposed method, which are simple in their calculation, are in good agreement with the experimental results cited in previously published papers

Size dependent magnetic and magneto-optical properties of Ni{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Oksana A., E-mail: log85@mail.ru [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 90003, Taiwan (China); Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041 (Russian Federation); Lin, Chun-Rong, E-mail: crlin@mail.nptu.edu.tw [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 90003, Taiwan (China); Chen, Hung-Yi; Hsu, Hua-Shu [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 90003, Taiwan (China); Shih, Kun-Yauh [Department of Applied Chemistry, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 90003, Taiwan (China); Edelman, Irina S. [L.V. Kirensky Institute of Physics, SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk 660036 (Russian Federation); Wu, Kai-Wun; Tseng, Yaw-Teng [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 90003, Taiwan (China); Ovchinnikov, Sergey G. [Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041 (Russian Federation); L.V. Kirensky Institute of Physics, SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk 660036 (Russian Federation); Lee, Jiann-Shing [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 90003, Taiwan (China)

2016-06-15

Ni{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} spinel nanoparticles have been synthesized by combustion method. Average particles size varies from 15.5 to 50.0 nm depending on annealing temperature. Correlations between particles size and magnetic and magneto-optical properties are investigated. Magnetization dependences on temperature and external magnetic field correspond to the sum of paramagnetic and superparamagnetic response. Critical size of single-domain transition is found to be 15.9 nm. Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) studies of nickel zinc spinel are presented here for the first time. The features in magnetic circular dichroism spectrum are assigned to the one-ion d–d transitions in Fe{sup 3+} and Ni{sup 2+} ions, as well to the intersublattice and intervalence charge transfer transitions. The MCD spectrum rearrangement was revealed with the change of the nanoparticles size. - Highlights: • Ni{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles were synthesized by combustion method. • Structure and magnetic properties are studied. • Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of nickel zinc spinel was measured for the first time. • The MCD spectrum rearrangement was revealed with the change of the nanoparticles size.

O the Size Dependence of the Chemical Properties of Cloud Droplets: Exploratory Studies by Aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Twohy, Cynthia H.

1992-09-01

Clouds play an important role in the climate of the earth and in the transport and transformation of chemical species, but many questions about clouds remain unanswered. In particular, the chemical properties of droplets may vary with droplet size, with potentially important consequences. The counterflow virtual impactor (CVI) separates droplets from interstitial particles and gases in a cloud and also can collect droplets in discrete size ranges. As such, the CVI is a useful tool for investigating the chemical components present in droplets of different sizes and their potential interactions with cloud processes. The purpose of this work is twofold. First, the sampling characteristics of the airborne CVI are investigated, using data from a variety of experiments. A thorough understanding of CVI properties is necessary in order to utilize the acquired data judiciously and effectively. Although the impaction characteristics of the CVI seem to be predictable by theory, the airborne instrument is subject to influences that may result in a reduced transmission efficiency for droplets, particularly if the inlet is not properly aligned. Ways to alleviate this problem are being investigated, but currently the imperfect sampling efficiency must be taken into account during data interpretation. Relationships between the physical and chemical properties of residual particles from droplets collected by the CVI and droplet size are then explored in both stratiform and cumulus clouds. The effects of various cloud processes and measurement limitations upon these relationships are discussed. In one study, chemical analysis of different -sized droplets sampled in stratiform clouds showed a dependence of chemical composition on droplet size, with larger droplets containing higher proportions of sodium than non-sea-salt sulfate and ammonium. Larger droplets were also associated with larger residual particles, as expected from simple cloud nucleation theory. In a study of marine

Size-dependent oriented attachment in the growth of pure and defect-free hexagonal boron nitride nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, L X; Zheng, Y [College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007 (China); Li, Z H [Research Institute of Photocatalysis, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002 (China); Ahmed, A S, E-mail: mtq10ll@sheffield.ac.uk, E-mail: zhaohuili@fzu.edu.cn, E-mail: zyingth@sina.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD (United Kingdom)

2011-05-27

Pure and defect-free hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanocrystals with deep-ultraviolet light emissions at around 215 nm were prepared via a solid state reaction. This involved preparing a precursor from potassium borohydride and ammonium chloride powders, and then heating the precursor and additional ammonium chloride to 1000 deg. C within a nitrogen atmosphere. The hBN nanocrystals were studied using a variety of characterization techniques (e.g., TEM, AFM, N{sub 2} absorption/desorption). A growth mechanism based on size-dependent oriented attachment was proposed for the nanocrystals.

Size-dependent giant-magnetoresistance in millimeter scale GaAs/AlGaAs 2D electron devices

Science.gov (United States)

Mani, R. G.

2013-01-01

Large changes in the electrical resistance induced by the application of a small magnetic field are potentially useful for device-applications. Such Giant Magneto-Resistance (GMR) effects also provide new insights into the physical phenomena involved in the associated electronic transport. This study examines a “bell-shape” negative GMR that grows in magnitude with decreasing temperatures in mm-wide devices fabricated from the high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs 2-Dimensional Electron System (2DES). Experiments show that the span of this magnetoresistance on the magnetic-field-axis increases with decreasing device width, W, while there is no concurrent Hall resistance, Rxy, correction. A multi-conduction model, including negative diagonal-conductivity, and non-vanishing off-diagonal conductivity, reproduces experimental observations. The results suggest that a size effect in the mm-wide 2DES with mm-scale electron mean-free-paths is responsible for the observed “non-ohmic” size-dependent negative GMR. PMID:24067264

Size dependent diffusive parameters and tensorial diffusion equations in neutronic models for optically small nuclear systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Premuda, F.

1983-01-01

Two lines in improved neutron diffusion theory extending the efficiency of finite-difference diffusion codes to the field of optically small systems, are here reviewed. The firs involves the nodal solution for tensorial diffusion equation in slab geometry and tensorial formulation in parallelepiped and cylindrical gemometry; the dependence of critical eigenvalue from small slab thicknesses is also analitically investigated and finally a regularized tensorial diffusion equation is derived for slab. The other line refer to diffusion models formally unchanged with respect to the classical one, but where new size-dependent RTGB definitions for diffusion parameters are adopted, requiring that they allow to reproduce, in diffusion approach, the terms of neutron transport global balance; the trascendental equation for the buckling, arising in slab, sphere and parallelepiped geometry from the above requirement, are reported and the sizedependence of the new diffusion coefficient and extrapolated end point is investigated

Size-dependent filtration of nanoparticles on porous films composed by polystyrene microsphere monolayers and applications in site-selective deposition of nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan, Weidong; Zhou, Tieli; Sun, Chengbin; Tao, Yanchun; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xu; Zhao, Bing; Cui, Yinqiu

2015-01-01

Composite films composed of polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayers and gold (Au) and/or silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) decorations were prepared by a novel size-dependent filtration effect on close-packed PS microsphere arrays. The uniform pores inlaid in the PS monolayer films acted as the transport tunnels for NPs. The steric restriction induced by the size of the pores was used as a main strategy to fabricate hybrid micro/nano films, which were composed of PS microspheres with inhomogeneous anisotropic decorations. The Au and Ag NPs were used as the building blocks to decorate the PS microspheres through a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique with the aid of polyelectrolyte coupling agents. Only the small particles which could pass through the micropores could reach to and deposit on the inner surfaces of the PS microsphere monolayer films. Large particles remained on the outside and could only deposit on the outer surfaces. Thus, the inhomogeneous anisotropic decoration was obtained. This study provides a novel strategy for fabricating anisotropic micro/nanostructures by the size-dependent filtration effect of NPs on porous films and has the potential in applications of anisotropic self-assembly, sensor, and surface modifications at nanoscale.

Size-dependent filtration of nanoparticles on porous films composed by polystyrene microsphere monolayers and applications in site-selective deposition of nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruan, Weidong [Jilin University, State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials (China); Zhou, Tieli [Changchun University, College of Food Engineering and Landscape Architecture (China); Sun, Chengbin; Tao, Yanchun; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xu; Zhao, Bing, E-mail: zhaob@mail.jlu.edu.cn [Jilin University, State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials (China); Cui, Yinqiu, E-mail: cuiyq@jlu.edu.cn [Jilin University, School of Life Sciences (China)

2015-10-15

Composite films composed of polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayers and gold (Au) and/or silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) decorations were prepared by a novel size-dependent filtration effect on close-packed PS microsphere arrays. The uniform pores inlaid in the PS monolayer films acted as the transport tunnels for NPs. The steric restriction induced by the size of the pores was used as a main strategy to fabricate hybrid micro/nano films, which were composed of PS microspheres with inhomogeneous anisotropic decorations. The Au and Ag NPs were used as the building blocks to decorate the PS microspheres through a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique with the aid of polyelectrolyte coupling agents. Only the small particles which could pass through the micropores could reach to and deposit on the inner surfaces of the PS microsphere monolayer films. Large particles remained on the outside and could only deposit on the outer surfaces. Thus, the inhomogeneous anisotropic decoration was obtained. This study provides a novel strategy for fabricating anisotropic micro/nanostructures by the size-dependent filtration effect of NPs on porous films and has the potential in applications of anisotropic self-assembly, sensor, and surface modifications at nanoscale.

Particle size-dependent radical generation from wildland fire smoke

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonard, Stephen S.; Castranova, Vince; Chen, Bean T.; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; Hoover, Mark; Piacitelli, Chris; Gaughan, Denise M.

2007-01-01

Firefighting, along with construction, mining and agriculture, ranks among the most dangerous occupations. In addition, the work environment of firefighters is unlike that of any other occupation, not only because of the obvious physical hazards but also due to the respiratory and systemic health hazards of smoke inhalation resulting from combustion. A significant amount of research has been devoted to studying municipal firefighters; however, these studies may not be useful in wildland firefighter exposures, because the two work environments are so different. Not only are wildland firefighters exposed to different combustion products, but their exposure profiles are different. The combustion products wildland firefighters are exposed to can vary greatly in characteristics due to the type and amount of material being burned, soil conditions, temperature and exposure time. Smoke inhalation is one of the greatest concerns for firefighter health and it has been shown that the smoke consists of a large number of particles. These smoke particles contain intermediates of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen free radicals, which may pose a potential health risk. Our investigation looked into the involvement of free radicals in smoke toxicity and the relationship between particle size and radical generation. Samples were collected in discrete aerodynamic particle sizes from a wildfire in Alaska, preserved and then shipped to our laboratory for analysis. Electron spin resonance was used to measure carbon-centered as well as hydroxyl radicals produced by a Fenton-like reaction with wildfire smoke. Further study of reactive oxygen species was conducted using analysis of cellular H 2 O 2 generation, lipid peroxidation of cellular membranes and DNA damage. Results demonstrate that coarse size-range particles contained more carbon radicals per unit mass than the ultrafine particles; however, the ultrafine particles generated more ·OH radicals in the acellular Fenton-like reaction. The

Size-dependent melting of nanoparticles: Hundred years of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

point depression of nanoparticles and the variation is linear with the inverse of the particle size. An attempt to ... Different expressions can be derived by assuming different melting hypothesis that explains different variations. ... process, the entire solid is in equilibrium with entire melted particles [1,15] which corresponds to ...

Laboratory dust generation and size-dependent characterization of metal and metalloid-contaminated mine tailings deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzales, Patricia; Felix, Omar [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Alexander, Caitlin; Lutz, Eric [Division of Community, Environment, and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1656 E. Mabel St., Tucson, AZ 85724 (United States); Ela, Wendell [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Eduardo Sáez, A., E-mail: esaez@arizona.edu [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • A laboratory dust fractionator was developed for the production of respirable dust. • The size-dependent distribution of arsenic and lead in mine tailings dust is reported. • Metal and metalloid contaminants are enriched in particles smaller than 10 μm. • Lead isotope signatures show spread of mine tailings particles onto surrounding soils. - Abstract: The particle size distribution of mine tailings material has a major impact on the atmospheric transport of metal and metalloid contaminants by dust. Implications to human health should be assessed through a holistic size-resolved characterization involving multidisciplinary research, which requires large uniform samples of dust that are difficult to collect using conventional atmospheric sampling instruments. To address this limitation, we designed a laboratory dust generation and fractionation system capable of producing several grams of dust from bulk materials. The equipment was utilized in the characterization of tailings deposits from the arsenic and lead-contaminated Iron King Superfund site in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona. Results show that metal and metalloid contaminants are more concentrated in particles of <10 μm aerodynamic diameter, which are likely to affect surrounding communities and ecosystems. In addition, we traced the transport of contaminated particles from the tailings to surrounding soils by identifying Pb and Sr isotopic signatures in soil samples. The equipment and methods developed for this assessment ensure uniform samples for further multidisciplinary studies, thus providing a tool for comprehensive representation of emission sources and associated risks of exposure.

Laboratory dust generation and size-dependent characterization of metal and metalloid-contaminated mine tailings deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzales, Patricia; Felix, Omar; Alexander, Caitlin; Lutz, Eric; Ela, Wendell; Eduardo Sáez, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A laboratory dust fractionator was developed for the production of respirable dust. • The size-dependent distribution of arsenic and lead in mine tailings dust is reported. • Metal and metalloid contaminants are enriched in particles smaller than 10 μm. • Lead isotope signatures show spread of mine tailings particles onto surrounding soils. - Abstract: The particle size distribution of mine tailings material has a major impact on the atmospheric transport of metal and metalloid contaminants by dust. Implications to human health should be assessed through a holistic size-resolved characterization involving multidisciplinary research, which requires large uniform samples of dust that are difficult to collect using conventional atmospheric sampling instruments. To address this limitation, we designed a laboratory dust generation and fractionation system capable of producing several grams of dust from bulk materials. The equipment was utilized in the characterization of tailings deposits from the arsenic and lead-contaminated Iron King Superfund site in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona. Results show that metal and metalloid contaminants are more concentrated in particles of <10 μm aerodynamic diameter, which are likely to affect surrounding communities and ecosystems. In addition, we traced the transport of contaminated particles from the tailings to surrounding soils by identifying Pb and Sr isotopic signatures in soil samples. The equipment and methods developed for this assessment ensure uniform samples for further multidisciplinary studies, thus providing a tool for comprehensive representation of emission sources and associated risks of exposure

Implication of oxidative stress in size-dependent toxicity of silica nanoparticles in kidney cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passagne, Isabelle; Morille, Marie; Rousset, Marine; Pujalté, Igor; L’Azou, Béatrice

2012-01-01

Silica nanoparticles (nano-SiO 2 ) are one of the most popular nanomaterials used in industrial manufacturing, synthesis, engineering and medicine. While inhalation of nanoparticles causes pulmonary damage, nano-SiO 2 can be transported into the blood and deposit in target organs where they exert potential toxic effects. Kidney is considered as such a secondary target organ. However, toxicological information of their effect on renal cells and the mechanisms involved remain sparse. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of nano-SiO 2 of different sizes was investigated on two renal proximal tubular cell lines (human HK-2 and porcine LLC-PK 1 ). The molecular pathways involved were studied with a focus on the involvement of oxidative stress. Nanoparticle characterization was performed (primary nanoparticle size, surface area, dispersion) in order to investigate a potential relationship between their physical properties and their toxic effects. Firstly, evidence of particle internalization was obtained by transmission electron microscopy and conventional flux cytometry techniques. The use of specific inhibitors of endocytosis pathways showed an internalization process by macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis for 100 nm nano-SiO 2 nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were localized in vesicles. Toxicity was size- and time-dependent (24 h, 48 h, 72 h). Indeed, it increased as nanoparticles became smaller. Secondly, analysis of oxidative stress based on the assessment of ROS (reactive oxygen species) production (DHE, dihydroethidium) or lipid peroxidation (MDA, malondialdehyde) clearly demonstrated the involvement of oxidative stress in the toxicity of 20 nm nano-SiO 2 . The induction of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, GSTpi, thioredoxin reductase) could explain their lesser toxicity with 100 nm nano-SiO 2 .

Determining the size and concentration dependence of gold nanoparticles in vitro cytotoxicity (IC{sub 50}) test using WST-1 assay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosli, Nur Shafawati binti; Rahman, Azhar Abdul [School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Aziz, Azlan Abdul [School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Nano-Biotechnology Research and Innovation (NanoBRI), Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Shamsuddin, Shaharum [Nano-Biotechnology Research and Innovation (NanoBRI), Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan (Malaysia)

2015-04-24

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) received a great deal of attention for biomedical applications, especially in diagnostic imaging and therapeutics. Even though AuNPs have potential benefits in biomedical applications, the impact of AuNPs on human and environmental health still remains unclear. The use of AuNPs which is a high-atomic-number materials, provide advantages in terms of radiation dose enhancement. However, before this can become a clinical reality, cytotoxicity of the AuNPs has to be carefully evaluated. Cytotoxicity test is a rapid, standardized test that is very sensitive to determine whether the nanoparticles produced are harmful or benign on cellular components. In this work the size and concentration dependence of AuNPs cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) are tested by using WST-1 assay. The sizes of AuNPs tested were 13 nm, 50 nm, and 70 nm. The cells were seeded in the 96-well plate and were treated with different concentrations of AuNPs by serial dilution for each size of AuNPs. The high concentration of AuNPs exhibit lower cell viability compared to low concentration of AuNPs. We quantified the toxicity of AuNPs in MCF-7 cell lines by determining the IC{sub 50} values in WST-1 assays. The IC{sub 50} values (inhibitory concentrations that effected 50% growth inhibition) of 50 nm AuNPs is lower than 13 nm and 70 nm AuNPs. Mean that, 50nm AuNPs are more toxic to the MCF-7 cells compared to smaller and larger sizes AuNPs. The presented results clearly indicate that the cytotoxicity of AuNPs depend not only on the concentration, but also the size of the nanoparticles.

Length and temperature dependence of the mechanical properties of finite-size carbyne

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xueming; Huang, Yanhui; Cao, Bingyang; To, Albert C.

2017-09-01

Carbyne is an ideal one-dimensional conductor and the thinnest interconnection in an ultimate nano-device and it requires an understanding of the mechanical properties that affect device performance and reliability. Here, we report the mechanical properties of finite-size carbyne, obtained by a molecular dynamics simulation study based on the adaptive intermolecular reactive empirical bond order potential. To avoid confusion in assigning the effective cross-sectional area of carbyne, the value of the effective cross-sectional area of carbyne (4.148 Å2) was deduced via experiment and adopted in our study. Ends-constraints effects on the ultimate stress (maximum force) of the carbyne chains are investigated, revealing that the molecular dynamics simulation results agree very well with the experimental results. The ultimate strength, Young's Modulus and maximum strain of carbyne are rather sensitive to the temperature and all decrease with the temperature. Opposite tendencies of the length dependence of the overall ultimate strength and maximum strain of carbyne at room temperature and very low temperature have been found, and analyses show that this originates in the ends effect of carbyne.

Shape, size and temperature dependency of thermal expansion ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

M GOYAL

2018-05-19

May 19, 2018 ... Oriental J. Chem.32(4), 2193 (2016), is extended in the present study using Qi and Wang model [Mater. Chem. Phys. ... Nanomaterials; shape factor; size effect; thermal expansion; equation of state. ... als are different from that of their bulk material. ..... and 1c along with the present calculated results. It is.

Considerable Variation of Antibacterial Activity of Cu Nanoparticles Suspensions Depending on the Storage Time, Dispersive Medium, and Particle Sizes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga V. Zakharova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Suspensions of Cu nanoparticles are promising for creating the new class of alternative antimicrobial products. In this study we examined copper nanoparticles of various sizes obtained by the method of wire electric explosion: nanopowder average size 50 nm (Cu 50 and 100 nm (Cu 100. The paper presents the complex study of the influence of physicochemical properties such as particle size and concentration of the freshly prepared and 24-hour suspensions of Cu nanoparticles in distilled water and physiological solution upon their toxicity to bacteria E. coli M-17. Ionic solution of Cu2+ and sodium dichloroisocyanurate was used for comparison study. It has been shown that decrease in the nanoparticle size leads to changes in the correlation between toxicity and concentration as toxicity peaks are observed at low concentrations (0.0001⋯0.01 mg/L. It has been observed that antibacterial properties of Cu 50 nanoparticle suspensions are ceased after 24-hour storage, while for Cu 100 suspensions no correlation between antibacterial properties and storage time has been noted. Cu 100 nanoparticle suspensions at 10 mg/L concentration display higher toxicity at substituting physiological solution for water than Cu 50 suspensions. Dependence of the toxicity on the mean particle aggregates size in suspension was not revealed.

Factors affecting stall use for different freestall bases.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner-Storch, A M; Palmer, R W; Kammel, D W

2003-06-01

The objective of this study was to compare stall use (stall occupancy and cow position) by barn side for factors affecting stall use. A closed circuit television system recorded stall use four times per day for a 9-mo period starting May 9, 2001. Six factors were analyzed: stall base, distance to water, stall location within stall base section, stall location within barn, inside barn temperature, and length of time cows were exposed to stall bases. Two barn sides with different stocking densities were analyzed: low (66%), with cows milked by robotic milker; and high (100%), with cows milked 2X in parlor. Six stall base types were tested: two mattresses, a waterbed, a rubber mat, concrete, and sand (high side only). The base types were grouped 3 to 7 stalls/section and randomly placed in each row. Cows spent more time in mattress-based stalls, but the highest percentage lying was in sand-based stalls. The following significant stall occupancy percentages were found: sand had the highest percentage of cows lying on the high stocking density side (69%), followed by mattress type 1 (65%) > mattress type 2 (57%) > waterbed (45%) > rubber mat (33%) > concrete (23%). Mattress type 1 had the highest percentage stalls occupied (88%), followed by mattress type 2 (84%) > sand (79%) > soft rubber mat (65%) > waterbed (62%) > concrete (39%). On the low stocking rate side, mattress type 1 had the highest percentage cows lying (45%) and occupied (59.6%), followed by mattress type 2 > waterbed > soft rubber mat > concrete. Cow lying and stalls occupied percentages were highest for stalls 1) not at the end of a section, and 2) on the outside row, and varied by base type for time cows exposed to stalls and inside barn temperature. Lying and occupied percentages were different for different mattress types. The percentage of stalls with cows standing was higher for mat and mattress-based stalls. Results show mattress type 1 and sand to be superior and rubber mats and concrete inferior

Size-dependent piezoelectric energy-harvesting analysis of micro/nano bridges subjected to random ambient excitations

Science.gov (United States)

Radgolchin, Moeen; Moeenfard, Hamid

2018-02-01

The construction of self-powered micro-electro-mechanical units by converting the mechanical energy of the systems into electrical power has attracted much attention in recent years. While power harvesting from deterministic external excitations is state of the art, it has been much more difficult to derive mathematical models for scavenging electrical energy from ambient random vibrations, due to the stochastic nature of the excitations. The current research concerns analytical modeling of micro-bridge energy harvesters based on random vibration theory. Since classical elasticity fails to accurately predict the mechanical behavior of micro-structures, strain gradient theory is employed as a powerful tool to increase the accuracy of the random vibration modeling of the micro-harvester. Equations of motion of the system in the time domain are derived using the Lagrange approach. These are then utilized to determine the frequency and impulse responses of the structure. Assuming the energy harvester to be subjected to a combination of broadband and limited-band random support motion and transverse loading, closed-form expressions for mean, mean square, correlation and spectral density of the output power are derived. The suggested formulation is further exploited to investigate the effect of the different design parameters, including the geometric properties of the structure as well as the properties of the electrical circuit on the resulting power. Furthermore, the effect of length scale parameters on the harvested energy is investigated in detail. It is observed that the predictions of classical and even simple size-dependent theories (such as couple stress) appreciably differ from the findings of strain gradient theory on the basis of random vibration. This study presents a first-time modeling of micro-scale harvesters under stochastic excitations using a size-dependent approach and can be considered as a reliable foundation for future research in the field of

Critical currents in polycrystalline Y Ba2Cu3O7-x: Self-field and grain size dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babic, E.; Prester, M.; Dobrac, D.; Marohnic, Z.; Nazar, P.; Stastny, P.; Matacotta, F.C.

1991-10-01

The variation of critical currents (I c ) and their distributions (CCD) with thickness (t) has been investigated for two high quality YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x samples with different average grain size (AG≅10 and 30 μm for samples S 1 and S 2 respectively) in the temperature range 78-90K and in the applied magnetic field H c ) for S 1 initially increased but later on leveled off on reducing the thickness, whereas for S 2 remained essentially unchanged even after three-fold reduction in thickness. Since the other parameters related to macroscopic homogeneity have not changed on reducing the thickness of the samples, the variations of J c are interpreted in terms of thickness and grain size dependent self-field effects. The same model explains well the changes of CCD curves with thickness and may also explain the variation of J c with the grain size, as reported recently for ceramic YBaCuO samples. (author). 18 refs, 7 figs, 2 tabs

Quantum-Size Dependence of the Energy for Vacancy Formation in Charged Small Metal Clusters. Drop Model

Science.gov (United States)

Pogosov, V. V.; Reva, V. I.

2018-04-01

Self-consistent computations of the monovacancy formation energy are performed for Na N , Mg N , and Al N (12 < N ≤ 168) spherical clusters in the drop model for stable jelly. Scenarios of the Schottky vacancy formation and "bubble vacancy blowing" are considered. It is shown that the asymptotic behavior of the size dependences of the energy for the vacancy formation by these two mechanisms is different and the difference between the characteristics of a charged and neutral cluster is entirely determined by the difference between the ionization potentials of clusters and the energies of electron attachment to them.

Nano/micro Sr{sub 2}Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 18} crystallites: Size dependent structural, second harmonic and piezoelectric properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tukaram, Shet; Bhimireddi, Rajasekhar; Varma, K.B.R., E-mail: kbrvarma@mrc.iisc.ernet.in

2016-09-15

Graphical abstract: Synthesis of Sr{sub 2}Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 18} nano/micro crystallites and their size dependent non-linear optical and piezoelectric responses. - Highlights: • Nano/microcrystallites of Sr{sub 2}Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 18} were synthesized via sol-gel route. • Crystallite size dependent structural and physical properties were studied. • SHG intensity (1.4 times that of KDP powder) from these crystallites was recorded. • PFM studies on isolated crystallite of 480 nm exhibited d{sub 33} as high as 27 pm/V. • Single domain nature of the crystallites below 160 nm was observed. - Abstract: Strontium bismuth titanate (Sr{sub 2}Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 18}) powders comprising crystallites of average sizes in the range of 94–1400 nm were prepared via citrate-assisted sol-gel route. With an increase in the average crystallite size there was a change in the lattice parameters and shift in the Raman vibration modes. Second harmonic signal (532 nm) intensity of the Sr{sub 2}Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 18} powders increased with the increase in the average crystallite size and the maximum intensity obtained in the reflection mode was 1.4 times as high as that of the powdered KH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}. Piezo Force Microscopic analyses carried out on isolated crystallite of size 74 nm, established a single domain nature with the coercive field as high as 347 kV/cm. There was a systematic increase in the d{sub 33} value with an increase in the size of the isolated crystallites and a high piezoelectric coefficient of ∼27 pm/V was obtained from an isolated crystallite of size 480 nm.

Two models of the sound-signal frequency dependence on the animal body size as exemplified by the ground squirrels of Eurasia (mammalia, rodentia).

Science.gov (United States)

Nikol'skii, A A

2017-11-01

Dependence of the sound-signal frequency on the animal body length was studied in 14 ground squirrel species (genus Spermophilus) of Eurasia. Regression analysis of the total sample yielded a low determination coefficient (R 2 = 26%), because the total sample proved to be heterogeneous in terms of signal frequency within the dimension classes of animals. When the total sample was divided into two groups according to signal frequency, two statistically significant models (regression equations) were obtained in which signal frequency depended on the body size at high determination coefficients (R 2 = 73 and 94% versus 26% for the total sample). Thus, the problem of correlation between animal body size and the frequency of their vocal signals does not have a unique solution.

Implication of oxidative stress in size-dependent toxicity of silica nanoparticles in kidney cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Passagne, Isabelle; Morille, Marie; Rousset, Marine; Pujalté, Igor; L'azou, Béatrice

2012-09-28

Silica nanoparticles (nano-SiO(2)) are one of the most popular nanomaterials used in industrial manufacturing, synthesis, engineering and medicine. While inhalation of nanoparticles causes pulmonary damage, nano-SiO(2) can be transported into the blood and deposit in target organs where they exert potential toxic effects. Kidney is considered as such a secondary target organ. However, toxicological information of their effect on renal cells and the mechanisms involved remain sparse. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of nano-SiO(2) of different sizes was investigated on two renal proximal tubular cell lines (human HK-2 and porcine LLC-PK(1)). The molecular pathways involved were studied with a focus on the involvement of oxidative stress. Nanoparticle characterization was performed (primary nanoparticle size, surface area, dispersion) in order to investigate a potential relationship between their physical properties and their toxic effects. Firstly, evidence of particle internalization was obtained by transmission electron microscopy and conventional flux cytometry techniques. The use of specific inhibitors of endocytosis pathways showed an internalization process by macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis for 100 nm nano-SiO(2) nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were localized in vesicles. Toxicity was size- and time-dependent (24h, 48 h, 72 h). Indeed, it increased as nanoparticles became smaller. Secondly, analysis of oxidative stress based on the assessment of ROS (reactive oxygen species) production (DHE, dihydroethidium) or lipid peroxidation (MDA, malondialdehyde) clearly demonstrated the involvement of oxidative stress in the toxicity of 20 nm nano-SiO(2). The induction of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, GSTpi, thioredoxin reductase) could explain their lesser toxicity with 100 nm nano-SiO(2). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The protein corona protects against size- and dose-dependent toxicity of amorphous silica nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominic Docter

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Besides the lung and skin, the gastrointestinal (GI tract is one of the main targets for accidental exposure or biomedical applications of nanoparticles (NP. Biological responses to NP, including nanotoxicology, are caused by the interaction of the NP with cellular membranes and/or cellular entry. Here, the physico-chemical characteristics of NP are widely discussed as critical determinants, albeit the exact mechanisms remain to be resolved. Moreover, proteins associate with NP in physiological fluids, forming the protein corona potentially transforming the biological identity of the particle and thus, adding an additional level of complexity for the bio–nano responses.Here, we employed amorphous silica nanoparticles (ASP and epithelial GI tract Caco-2 cells as a model to study the biological impact of particle size as well as of the protein corona. Caco-2 or mucus-producing HT-29 cells were exposed to thoroughly characterized, negatively charged ASP of different size in the absence or presence of proteins. Comprehensive experimental approaches, such as quantifying cellular metabolic activity, microscopic observation of cell morphology, and high-throughput cell analysis revealed a dose- and time-dependent toxicity primarily upon exposure with ASP30 (Ø = 30 nm. Albeit smaller (ASP20, Ø = 20 nm or larger particles (ASP100; Ø = 100 nm showed a similar zeta potential, they both displayed only low toxicity. Importantly, the adverse effects triggered by ASP30/ASP30L were significantly ameliorated upon formation of the protein corona, which we found was efficiently established on all ASP studied. As a potential explanation, corona formation reduced ASP30 cellular uptake, which was however not significantly affected by ASP surface charge in our model. Collectively, our study uncovers an impact of ASP size as well as of the protein corona on cellular toxicity, which might be relevant for processes at the nano–bio interface in general.

Ash dust co-centration in the vicinity of the ash disposal site depending on the size of the pond (“Water Mirror”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoran Gršić

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Thermal power plants Nikola Tesla “A” and “B” are large sources of ash from their ashes/slag deposit sites. Total sizes of ashes/slag depots are 600ha and 382ha, with active cassettes having dimensions ∼200 ha and ∼130 ha. The active cassettes of the disposal sites are covered by rather large waste ponds, the sizes of vary depending on the working condition of a sluice system and on meteorological conditions. Modeling of ash lifting was attempted using results from the dust lifting research. The relation between sizes of ponds and air dust concentration in the vicinity of ash disposal sites was analyzed. As expected, greater sizes of dried disposal site surfaces in combination with stronger winds gave greater dust emission and greater air dust concentration.

Size-dependence of tree growth response to drought for Norway spruce and European beech individuals in monospecific and mixed-species stands.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, H; Pretzsch, H; Schütze, G; Rötzer, T

2017-09-01

Climate anomalies have resulted in changing forest productivity, increasing tree mortality in Central and Southern Europe. This has resulted in more severe and frequent ecological disturbances to forest stands. This study analysed the size-dependence of growth response to drought years based on 384 tree individuals of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] and European beech [Fagus sylvatica ([L.)] in Bavaria, Germany. Samples were collected in both monospecific and mixed-species stands. To quantify the growth response to drought stress, indices for basal area increment, resistance, recovery and resilience were calculated from tree ring measurements of increment cores. Linear mixed models were developed to estimate the influence of drought periods. The results show that ageing-related growth decline is significant in drought years. Drought resilience and resistance decrease significantly with growth size among Norway spruce individuals. Evidence is also provided for robustness in the resilience capacity of European beech during drought stress. Spruce benefits from species mixing with deciduous beech, with over-yielding spruce in pure stands. The importance of the influence of size-dependence within tree growth studies during disturbances is highlighted and should be considered in future studies of disturbances, including drought. © 2017 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Size-dependent single electron transfer and semi-metal-to-insulator transitions in molecular metal oxide electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Balliou, Angelika; Bouroushian, Mirtat; Douvas, Antonios M.; Skoulatakis, George; Kennou, Stella; Glezos, Nikos

2018-07-01

All-inorganic self-arranged molecular transition metal oxide hyperstructures based on polyoxometalate molecules (POMs) are fabricated and tested as electronically tunable components in emerging electronic devices. POM hyperstructures reveal great potential as charging nodes of tunable charging level for molecular memories and as enhancers of interfacial electron/hole injection for photovoltaic stacks. STM, UPS, UV–vis spectroscopy and AFM measurements show that this functionality stems from the films’ ability to structurally tune their HOMO–LUMO levels and electron localization length at room temperature. By adapting POM nanocluster size in solution, self-doping and current modulation of four orders of magnitude is monitored on a single nanocluster on SiO2 at voltages as low as 3 Volt. Structurally driven insulator-to-semi-metal transitions and size-dependent current regulation through single electron tunneling are demonstrated and examined with respect to the stereochemical and electronic structure of the molecular entities. This extends the value of self-assembly as a tool for correlation length and electronic properties tuning and demonstrate POM hyperstructures’ plausibility for on-chip molecular electronics operative at room temperature.

Size-dependent single electron transfer and semi-metal-to-insulator transitions in molecular metal oxide electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Balliou, Angelika; Bouroushian, Mirtat; Douvas, Antonios M; Skoulatakis, George; Kennou, Stella; Glezos, Nikos

2018-07-06

All-inorganic self-arranged molecular transition metal oxide hyperstructures based on polyoxometalate molecules (POMs) are fabricated and tested as electronically tunable components in emerging electronic devices. POM hyperstructures reveal great potential as charging nodes of tunable charging level for molecular memories and as enhancers of interfacial electron/hole injection for photovoltaic stacks. STM, UPS, UV-vis spectroscopy and AFM measurements show that this functionality stems from the films' ability to structurally tune their HOMO-LUMO levels and electron localization length at room temperature. By adapting POM nanocluster size in solution, self-doping and current modulation of four orders of magnitude is monitored on a single nanocluster on SiO 2 at voltages as low as 3 Volt. Structurally driven insulator-to-semi-metal transitions and size-dependent current regulation through single electron tunneling are demonstrated and examined with respect to the stereochemical and electronic structure of the molecular entities. This extends the value of self-assembly as a tool for correlation length and electronic properties tuning and demonstrate POM hyperstructures' plausibility for on-chip molecular electronics operative at room temperature.

Size-dependent binding energies and fine-structure splitting of excitonic complexes in single InAs/GaAs quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodt, S.; Seguin, R.; Schliwa, A.; Guffarth, F.; Poetschke, K.; Pohl, U.W.; Bimberg, D.

2007-01-01

A systematic study of excitonic complexes confined in single InAs/GaAs quantum dots is presented. Emphasis is placed on the recombination energies of the excitonic complexes and on the fine-structure splitting of the bright exciton ground state. The values depend in a characteristic way on the size of the respective quantum dot which controls the number of bound hole states and the piezoelectric potential

Size-dependent melting modes and behaviors of Ag nanoparticles: a molecular dynamics study

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Tianshou; Zhou, Dejian; Wu, Zhaohua; Shi, Pengpeng

2017-12-01

The size-dependent melting behaviors and mechanisms of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of 3.5-16 nm were investigated by molecular dynamics (MD). Two distinct melting modes, non-premelting and premelting with transition ranges of about 7-8 nm, for Ag NPs were demonstrated via the evolution of distribution and transition of atomic physical states during annealing. The small Ag NPs (3.5-7 nm) melt abruptly without a stable liquid shell before the melting point, which is characterized as non-premelting. A solid-solid crystal transformation is conducted through the migration of adatoms on the surface of Ag NPs with diameters of 3.5-6 nm before the initial melting, which is mainly responsible for slightly increasing the melting point of Ag NPs. On the other hand, surface premelting of Ag NPs with diameters of 8-16 nm propagates from the outer shell to the inner core with initial anisotropy and late isotropy as the temperature increases, and the close-packed facets {111} melt by a side-consumed way which is responsible for facets {111} melting in advance relative to the crystallographic plane {111}. Once a stable liquid shell is formed, its size-independent minimum thickness is obtained, and a three-layer structure of atomic physical states is set up. Lastly, the theory of point defect-pair (vacancy-interstitial) severing as the mechanism of formation and movement of the solid-liquid interface was also confirmed. Our study provides a basic understanding and theoretical guidance for the research, production and application of Ag NPs.

Effect of particle size on the glass transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Ryan J; Zukoski, Charles F

2011-05-01

The glass transition temperature of a broad class of molecules is shown to depend on molecular size. This dependency results from the size dependence of the pair potential. A generalized equation of state is used to estimate how the volume fraction at the glass transition depends on the size of the molecule, for rigid molecule glass-formers. The model shows that at a given pressure and temperature there is a size-induced glass transition: For molecules larger than a critical size, the volume fraction required to support the effective pressure due to particle attractions is above that which characterizes the glassy state. This observation establishes the boundary between nanoparticles, which exist in liquid form only as dispersions in low molecular weight solvents and large molecules which form liquids that have viscosities below those characterized by the glassy state.

Dependence of in-situ Bose condensate size on final frequency of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-03-08

Mar 8, 2017 ... first time to the best of our knowledge, the measured variation in the sizes of the .... frequency shifting, switching or controlling power, expanding size, etc., of ... currents in anti-Helmholtz configuration is used. Each coil has 150 ...

Why get big in the cold? Size-fecundity relationships explain the temperature-size rule in a pulmonate snail (Physa).

Science.gov (United States)

Arendt, J

2015-01-01

Most ectotherms follow a pattern of size plasticity known as the temperature-size rule where individuals reared in cold environments are larger at maturation than those reared in warm environments. This pattern seems maladaptive because growth is slower in the cold so it takes longer to reach a large size. However, it may be adaptive if reaching a large size has a greater benefit in a cold than in a warm environment such as when size-dependent mortality or size-dependent fecundity depends on temperature. I present a theoretical model showing how a correlation between temperature and the size-fecundity relationship affects optimal size at maturation. I parameterize the model using data from a freshwater pulmonate snail from the genus Physa. Nine families were reared from hatching in one of three temperature regimes (daytime temperature of 22, 25 or 28 °C, night-time temperature of 22 °C, under a 12L:12D light cycle). Eight of the nine families followed the temperature-size rule indicating genetic variation for this plasticity. As predicted, the size-fecundity relationship depended upon temperature; fecundity increases steeply with size in the coldest treatment, less steeply in the intermediate treatment, and shows no relationship with size in the warmest treatment. Thus, following the temperature-size rule is adaptive for this species. Although rarely measured under multiple conditions, size-fecundity relationships seem to be sensitive to a number of environmental conditions in addition to temperature including local productivity, competition and predation. If this form of plasticity is as widespread as it appears to be, this model shows that such plasticity has the potential to greatly modify current life-history theory. © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Portion Size Labeling and Intended Soft Drink Consumption: The Impact of Labeling Format and Size Portfolio

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeer, Willemijn M.; Steenhuis, Ingrid H. M.; Leeuwis, Franca H.; Bos, Arjan E. R.; de Boer, Michiel; Seidell, Jacob C.

2010-01-01

Objective: To assess what portion size labeling "format" is most promising in helping consumers selecting appropriate soft drink sizes, and whether labeling impact depends on the size portfolio. Methods: An experimental study was conducted in fast-food restaurants in which 2 labeling formats (ie, reference portion size and small/medium/large…

Signal or noise? Separating grain size-dependent Nd isotope variability from provenance shifts in Indus delta sediments, Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Jonell, T. N.; Li, Y.; Blusztajn, J.; Giosan, L.; Clift, P. D.

2017-12-01

Rare earth element (REE) radioisotope systems, such as neodymium (Nd), have been traditionally used as powerful tracers of source provenance, chemical weathering intensity, and sedimentary processes over geologic timescales. More recently, the effects of physical fractionation (hydraulic sorting) of sediments during transport have called into question the utility of Nd isotopes as a provenance tool. Is source terrane Nd provenance resolvable if sediment transport strongly induces noise? Can grain-size sorting effects be quantified? This study works to address such questions by utilizing grain size analysis, trace element geochemistry, and Nd isotope geochemistry of bulk and grain-size fractions (Pakistan. Here we evaluate how grain size effects drive Nd isotope variability and further resolve the total uncertainties associated with Nd isotope compositions of bulk sediments. Results from the Indus delta indicate bulk sediment ɛNd compositions are most similar to the <63 µm fraction as a result of strong mineralogical control on bulk compositions by silt- to clay-sized monazite and/or allanite. Replicate analyses determine that the best reproducibility (± 0.15 ɛNd points) is observed in the 125-250 µm fraction. The bulk and finest fractions display the worst reproducibility (±0.3 ɛNd points). Standard deviations (2σ) indicate that bulk sediment uncertainties are no more than ±1.0 ɛNd points. This argues that excursions of ≥1.0 ɛNd points in any bulk Indus delta sediments must in part reflect an external shift in provenance irrespective of sample composition, grain size, and grain size distribution. Sample standard deviations (2s) estimate that any terrigenous bulk sediment composition should vary no greater than ±1.1 ɛNd points if provenance remains constant. Findings from this study indicate that although there are grain-size dependent Nd isotope effects, they are minimal in the Indus delta such that resolvable provenance-driven trends can be

Size asymmetry in intraspecific competition and the density-dependence of inbreeding depression in a natural plant population: a case study in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz, Euphorbiaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Pujol, B; McKey, D

2006-01-01

The effects of competition on the genetic composition of natural populations are not well understood. We combined demography and molecular genetics to study how intraspecific competition affects microevolution in cohorts of volunteer plants of cassava (Manihot esculenta) originating from seeds in slash-and-burn fields of Palikur Amerindians in French Guiana. In this clonally propagated crop, genotypic diversity is enhanced by the incorporation of volunteer plants into farmers' stocks of clonal propagules. Mortality of volunteer plants was density-dependent. Furthermore, the size asymmetry of intraspecific competition increased with local clustering of plants. Size of plants was correlated with their multilocus heterozygosity, and stronger size-dependence of survival in clusters of plants, compared with solitary plants, increased the magnitude of inbreeding depression when competition was severe. The density-dependence of inbreeding depression of volunteer plants helps explain the high heterozygosity of volunteers that survive to harvest time and thus become candidates for clonal propagation. This effect could help favour the maintenance of sex in this 'vegetatively' propagated crop plant.

Evidence for density-dependent changes in growth, downstream movement, and size of Chinook salmon subyearlings in a large-river landscape

Science.gov (United States)

Connor, William P.; Tiffan, Kenneth F.; Plumb, John M.; Moffit, Christine M.

2013-01-01

We studied the growth rate, downstream movement, and size of naturally produced fall Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha subyearlings (age 0) for 20 years in an 8th-order river landscape with regulated riverine upstream rearing areas and an impounded downstream migration corridor. The population transitioned from low to high abundance in association with U.S. Endangered Species Act and other federally mandated recovery efforts. The mean growth rate of parr in the river did not decline with increasing abundance, but during the period of higher abundance the timing of dispersal from riverine habitat into the reservoir averaged 17 d earlier and the average size at the time of downstream dispersal was smaller by 10 mm and 1.8 g. Changes in apparent abundance, measured by catch per unit effort, largely explained the time of dispersal, measured by median day of capture, in riverine habitat. The growth rate of smolts in the reservoir declined from an average of 0.6 to 0.2 g/d between the abundance periods because the reduction in size at reservoir entry was accompanied by a tendency to migrate rather than linger and by increasing concentrations of smolts in the reservoir. The median date of passage through the reservoir was 14 d earlier on average, and average smolt size was smaller by 38 mm and 22.0 g, in accordance with density-dependent behavioral changes reflected by decreased smolt growth. Unexpectedly, smolts during the high-abundance period had begun to reexpress the migration timing and size phenotypes observed before the river was impounded, when abundance was relatively high. Our findings provide evidence for density-dependent phenotypic change in a large river that was influenced by the expansion of a recovery program. Thus, this study shows that efforts to recover native fishes can have detectable effects in large-river landscapes. The outcome of such phenotypic change, which will be an important area of future research, can only be fully judged by

Size- and composition-dependent toxicity of synthetic and soil-derived Fe oxide colloids for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Höss, Sebastian; Fritzsche, Andreas; Meyer, Carolin; Bosch, Julian; Meckenstock, Rainer U; Totsche, Kai Uwe

2015-01-06

Colloidal iron oxides (FeOx) are increasingly released to the environment due to their use in environmental remediation and biomedical applications, potentially harming living organisms. Size and composition could affect the bioavailability and toxicity of such colloids. Therefore, we investigated the toxicity of selected FeOx with variable aggregate size and variably composed FeOx-associated organic matter (OM) toward the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Ferrihydrite colloids containing citrate were taken up by C. elegans with the food and accumulated inside their body. The toxicity of ferrihydrite, goethite, and akaganeite was dependent on aggregate size and specific surface area, with EC50 values for reproduction ranging from 4 to 29 mg Fe L(-1). Experiments with mutant strains lacking mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (sod-2) showed oxidative stress for two FeOx and Fe(3+)-ions, however, revealed that it was not the predominant mechanism of toxicity. The OM composition determined the toxicity of mixed OM-FeOx phases on C. elegans. FeOx associated with humic acids or citrate were less toxic than OM-free FeOx. In contrast, soil-derived ferrihydrite, containing proteins and polysaccharides from mobile OM, was even more toxic than OM-free Fh of similar aggregate size. Consequently, the careful choice of the type of FeOx and the type of associated OM may help in reducing the ecological risks if actively applied to the subsurface.

Size scale dependence of compressive instabilities in layered composites in the presence of stress gradients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulios, Konstantinos; Niordson, Christian Frithiof

2016-01-01

The compressive strength of unidirectionally or layer-wise reinforced composite materials in direction parallel to their reinforcement is limited by micro-buckling instabilities. Although the inherent compressive strength of a given material micro-structure can easily be determined by assessing its...... compressive stress but also on spatial stress or strain gradients, rendering failure initiation size scale dependent. The present work demonstrates and investigates the aforementioned effect through numerical simulations of periodically layered structures withnotches and holes under bending and compressive...... loads, respectively. The presented results emphasize the importance of the reinforcing layer thickness on the load carrying capacity of the investigated structures, at a constant volumetric fraction of the reinforcement. The observed strengthening at higher values of the relative layer thickness...

The Dependence of Cloud Particle Size on Non-Aerosol-Loading Related Variables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, H.; Liu, G.

2005-03-18

An enhanced concentration of aerosol may increase the number of cloud drops by providing more cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), which in turn results in a higher cloud albedo at a constant cloud liquid water path. This process is often referred to as the aerosol indirect effect (AIE). Many in situ and remote sensing observations support this hypothesis (Ramanathan et al. 2001). However, satellite observed relations between aerosol concentration and cloud drop size are not always in agreement with the AIE. Based on global analysis of cloud effective radius (r{sub e}) and aerosol number concentration (N{sub a}) derived from satellite data, Sekiguchi et al. (2003) found that the correlations between the two variables can be either negative, or positive, or none, depending on the location of the clouds. They discovered that significantly negative r{sub e} - N{sub a} correlation can only be identified along coastal regions of the continents where abundant continental aerosols inflow from land, whereas Feingold et al. (2001) found that the response of r{sub e} to aerosol loading is the greatest in the region where aerosol optical depth ({tau}{sub a}) is the smallest. The reason for the discrepancy is likely due to the variations in cloud macroscopic properties such as geometrical thickness (Brenguier et al. 2003). Since r{sub e} is modified not only by aerosol but also by cloud geometrical thickness (H), the correlation between re and {tau}{sub a} actually reflects both the aerosol indirect effect and dependence of H. Therefore, discussing AIE based on the r{sub e}-{tau}{sub a} correlation without taking into account variations in cloud geometrical thickness may be misleading. This paper is motivated to extract aerosols' effect from overall effects using the independent measurements of cloud geometrical thickness, {tau}{sub a} and r{sub e}.

Synthesis of high efficient Cu/TiO2 photocatalysts by grinding and their size-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni, Dawei; Shen, Haiyan; Li, Huiqiao; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Cu nanodots were decorated on TiO 2 surface through ball milling method. • Its size distribution was investigated in water and ethanolic medium. • Photocurrent response and hydrogen evolution was improved. • Performance was found to be dependent on size of Cu nanodots. - Abstract: Recently, copper species have been extensively investigated to replace Pt as efficient co-catalysts for the evolution of H 2 due to their low cost and relatively high activity. Cu nanoparticles less than 5 nm are successfully decorated on TiO 2 surface in this work by an easy and mild milling process. These Cu nanoparticles are highly dispersed on TiO 2 when the loading amount of Cu is no more than 10 wt%. The sizes of Cu nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the milling environment and decrease in the order of Cu-ethanol > Cu-water > Cu nanoparticles obtained through drying milling. The highest and stable hydrogen generation can be realized on Cu/TiO 2 with 2.0 wt% Cu and sizes of Cu nanoparticles ranging from 2 to 4 nm, in which high and stable photocurrent confirms promoted photogenerated charge separation. Smaller Cu clusters are demonstrated to be detrimental to hydrogen evolution at same Cu content. High loading of Cu nanoparticles of 2–4 nm will benefit photogenerated electron-hole recombination and thus decrease the activity of Cu/TiO 2 . The results here demonstrate the key roles of Cu cluster size in addition to Cu coverage on photocatalytic activity of Cu/TiO 2 composite photocatalysts.

On the Size Dependence of Molar and Specific Properties of Independent Nano-phases and Those in Contact with Other Phases

Science.gov (United States)

Kaptay, George

2018-05-01

Nano-materials are materials with at least one nano-phase. A nano-phase is a phase with at least one of its dimensions below 100 nm. It is shown here that nano-phases have at least 1% of their atoms along their surface layer. The ratio of surface atoms is proportional to the specific surface area of the phase, defined as the ratio of its surface area to its volume. Each specific/molar property has its bulk value and its surface value for the given phase, being always different, as the energetic states of the atoms in the bulk and in the surface layer of a phase are different. The average specific/molar property of a nano-phase is modeled here as a linear combination of the bulk and surface values of the same property, scaled with the ratio of the surface atoms. That makes the performance of all nano-phases proportional to their specific surface area. As the characteristic size of the nano-phase is inversely proportional to its specific surface area, all specific/molar properties of nano-phases are inversely proportional to the characteristic size of the phase. This is applied to the size dependence of the molar Gibbs energy of the nano-phase, which appears to be in agreement with the thermodynamics of Gibbs. This agreement proves the general validity of the present model on the size dependence of the specific/molar properties of independent nano-phases. It is shown that the properties of nano-phases are different for independent nano-phases (surrounded only by their equilibrium vapor phase) and for nano-phases in multi-phase situations, such as a liquid nano-droplet in the sessile drop configuration.

Grain size dependent electrical studies on nanocrystalline SnO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bose, A. Chandra; Thangadurai, P.; Ramasamy, S.

2006-01-01

Nanocrystalline tin oxide (n-SnO 2 ) with different grain sizes were synthesized by chemical precipitation method. Size variation was achieved by changing the hydrolysis processing time. Structural phases of the nanocrystalline SnO 2 were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The grain sizes of the prepared n-SnO 2 were found to be in the range 5-20 nm which were estimated using the Scherrer formula and they were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. The electrical properties of nanocrystalline SnO 2 were studied using impedance spectroscopy. The impedance spectroscopy results showed that, in the temperature range between 25 and 650 deg. C, the conductivity has contributions from two different mechanisms, which are attributed to different conduction mechanisms in the grain and the grain boundary regions. This is because of the different relaxation times available for the conduction species in those regions. However, for the temperatures above 300 deg. C, there is no much difference between these two different relaxation times. The Arrhenius plots gave the activation energies for the conduction process in all the samples

The mean-size dependence of the exchange narrowing in molecular J-aggregates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yulu; Zhao Jijun

2011-01-01

The effect of segment-size fluctuations on exchange narrowing in a molecular J-aggregate of site-energy disordered distributions is studied using a one-dimensional Frenkel-exciton model. It is found that the segment-size disorder leads to the width of the absorption spectra deviating from the scaling law, σ 4/3 of the site-energy disordered standard deviation σ, being suitable for the system only with the site-energy disorder. In larger σ, the segment-size disorder has little influence on the linear absorption spectra. With increasing segment mean-length, the absorption line width monotonically increases, and then approaches a saturated value. By comparing a system of larger mean-length segment with a smaller one, both with the same segment-size disorder, it is found that the absorption line width of the former is broadened, and the exchange narrowing effect is reduced. The present result shows that the correlation effect can be partially maintained for the system with larger mean-length segment. -- Research Highlights: → Segment fluctuations affect the exchange narrowing of molecular J-aggregates. → The width of the absorption spectra is found to deviate from the scaling law. → Increase in segment size causes increase in the width and then saturates. → Exchange narrowing is reduced for larger mean-size segment. → Correlation can be kept partly in the larger size segment.

Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nanowire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Wei-Ting; Hsiao, Chun-I.; Hsu, Wen-Dung

2014-01-01

In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nanowires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nanowires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress–strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nanowire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nanowire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nanowire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Wei-Ting [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Chun-I. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Hsu, Wen-Dung, E-mail: wendung@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China)

2014-01-15

In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nanowires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nanowires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress–strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nanowire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nanowire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

Size-dependent cytotoxicity of europium doped NaYF4 nanoparticles in endothelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Shizhu; Zhang, Cuimiao; Jia, Guang; Duan, Jianlei; Wang, Shuxiang; Zhang, Jinchao

2014-01-01

Lanthanide-doped sodium yttrium fluoride (NaYF 4 ) nanoparticles exhibit novel optical properties which make them be widely used in various fields. The extensive applications increase the chance of human exposure to these nanoparticles and thus raise deep concerns regarding their riskiness. In the present study, we have synthesized europium doped NaYF 4 (NaYF 4 :Eu 3+ ) nanoparticles with three diameters and used endothelial cells (ECs) as a cell model to explore the potential toxic effect. The cell viability, cytomembrane integrity, cellular uptake, intracellular localization, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), apoptosis detection, caspase-3 activity and expression of inflammatory gene were studied. The results indicated that these nanoparticles could be uptaken into ECs and decrease the cell viability, induce the intracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, increase the ROS level, and decrease the cell MMP in a size-dependent manner. Besides that, the cells were suffered to apoptosis with the caspase-3 activation, and the inflammation specific gene expressions (ICAM1 and VCAM1) were also increased. Our results suggest that the damage pathway may be related to the ROS generation and mitochondrial damage. The results provide novel evidence to elucidate their toxicity mechanisms and may be helpful for more rational applications of these compounds in the future. - Highlights: • NaYF 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles with three diameters have been synthesized. • NaYF 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles could be uptaken by endothelial cells (ECs). • NaYF 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles show a significant cytotoxicity on ECs. • The size of NaYF 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles may be important to their toxicology effect

Dependence of some transmission factors on field size and treatment depth in external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) using the theratron equinox 100 cobalt 60 machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odonkor, P.

2015-07-01

The use of beam modifiers in today’s radiotherapy is very important as it attenuates the beam and reduces the dose to the patient; therefore the need to know the amount of attenuation (in terms of a transmission factor) they provide during treatment. The purpose of this research work is to evaluate the variation (or dependence) of the transmission factors (TFs) of block tray and physical wedges (of different angles) as a function of treatment depth and field size using both iso-centric setups, SAD and SSD; and thus compare the results from the two setup techniques. Wedge and tray TF measurements were performed in a full scatter, large water phantom using a 0.04cc ionization chamber and an average photon energy of 1.25MV from a cobalt-60 unit at an SAD/SSD of 100cm at various depths and field sizes with gantry and collimator angles fixed at 0°. From the measurements carried out, the wedge TF of the 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°, wedges were found to be 0.775±0.005, 0.650±0.010, 0.505±0.015, and 0.280±0.015 respectively; and the tray TF was found to be 0.960±0.003. Also, the results obtained showed that both the wedge TF and the tray TF has a strong linear dependence on treatment depth; however, the variation of the 15°, wedge TF and the tray TF with depth is less significant (less than 2%). Maximum percentage variation for the 15°, wedge for the SAD setup was 1.1% and 1.59% for the SSD setup; and that for the tray was 0.60% for the SAD setup and 0.12% for the SSD setup. Also, the variation of the 15°, 30°, and 45°, wedge TF with field size was less significant (less than 2%); and a weaker dependence was observed with field size as compared to the treatment depth. However, the 60°, wedge showed a significant variation (maximum of 2.22% and 2.88% for the SAD and SSD setups respectively) as an increase in field size was accompanied by an increase in its wedge TF. Also though the tray TF graphically showed a strong linear dependence on field size the

Size and Site Dependence of the Catalytic Activity of Iridium Clusters toward Ethane Dehydrogenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Yingbin; Jiang, Hao; Kato, Russell; Gummagatta, Prasuna

2016-12-01

This research focuses on optimizing transition metal nanocatalyst immobilization and activity to enhance ethane dehydrogenation. Ethane dehydrogenation, catalyzed by thermally stable Ir n (n = 8, 12, 18) atomic clusters that exhibit a cuboid structure, was studied using the B3LYP method with triple-ζ basis sets. Relativistic effects and dispersion corrections were included in the calculations. In the dehydrogenation reaction Ir n + C 2 H 6 → H-Ir n -C 2 H 5 → (H) 2 -Ir n -C 2 H 4 , the first H-elimination is the rate-limiting step, primarily because the reaction releases sufficient heat to facilitate the second H-elimination. The catalytic activity of the Ir clusters strongly depends on the Ir cluster size and the specific catalytic site. Cubic Ir 8 is the least reactive toward H-elimination in ethane: Ir 8 + C 2 H 6 → H-Ir 8 -C 2 H 5 has a large (65 kJ/mol) energy barrier, whereas Ir 12 (3 × 2 × 2 cuboid) and Ir 18 (3 × 3 × 2 cuboid) lower this energy barrier to 22 and 3 kJ/mol, respectively. The site dependence is as prominent as the size effect. For example, the energy barrier for the Ir 18 + C 2 H 6 → H-Ir 18 -C 2 H 5 reaction is 3, 48, and 71 kJ/mol at the corner, edge, or face-center sites of the Ir 18 cuboid, respectively. Energy release due to Ir cluster insertion into an ethane C-H bond facilitates hydrogen migration on the Ir cluster surface, and the second H-elimination of ethane. In an oxygen-rich environment, oxygen molecules may be absorbed on the Ir cluster surface. The oxygen atoms bonded to the Ir cluster surface may slightly increase the energy barrier for H-elimination in ethane. However, the adsorption of oxygen and its reaction with H atoms on the Ir cluster releases sufficient heat to yield an overall thermodynamically favored reaction: Ir n + C 2 H 6 + 1 / 2 O 2 → Ir n + C 2 H 4 + H 2 O. These results will be useful toward reducing the energy cost of ethane dehydrogenation in industry.

Dependence of exponents on text length versus finite-size scaling for word-frequency distributions

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Corral, Álvaro; Font-Clos, Francesc

2017-08-01

Some authors have recently argued that a finite-size scaling law for the text-length dependence of word-frequency distributions cannot be conceptually valid. Here we give solid quantitative evidence for the validity of this scaling law, using both careful statistical tests and analytical arguments based on the generalized central-limit theorem applied to the moments of the distribution (and obtaining a novel derivation of Heaps' law as a by-product). We also find that the picture of word-frequency distributions with power-law exponents that decrease with text length [X. Yan and P. Minnhagen, Physica A 444, 828 (2016), 10.1016/j.physa.2015.10.082] does not stand with rigorous statistical analysis. Instead, we show that the distributions are perfectly described by power-law tails with stable exponents, whose values are close to 2, in agreement with the classical Zipf's law. Some misconceptions about scaling are also clarified.

The optimal fraction size in high-dose-rate brachytherapy: dependency on tissue repair kinetics and low-dose rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sminia, Peter; Schneider, Christoph J.; Fowler, Jack F.

2002-01-01

Background and Purpose: Indications of the existence of long repair half-times on the order of 2-4 h for late-responding human normal tissues have been obtained from continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (CHART). Recently, these data were used to explain, on the basis of the biologically effective dose (BED), the potential superiority of fractionated high-dose rate (HDR) with large fraction sizes of 5-7 Gy over continuous low-dose rate (LDR) irradiation at 0.5 Gy/h in cervical carcinoma. We investigated the optimal fraction size in HDR brachytherapy and its dependency on treatment choices (overall treatment time, number of HDR fractions, and time interval between fractions) and treatment conditions (reference low-dose rate, tissue repair characteristics). Methods and Materials: Radiobiologic model calculations were performed using the linear-quadratic model for incomplete mono-exponential repair. An irradiation dose of 20 Gy was assumed to be applied either with HDR in 2-12 fractions or continuously with LDR for a range of dose rates. HDR and LDR treatment regimens were compared on the basis of the BED and BED ratio of normal tissue and tumor, assuming repair half-times between 1 h and 4 h. Results: With the assumption that the repair half-time of normal tissue was three times longer than that of the tumor, hypofractionation in HDR relative to LDR could result in relative normal tissue sparing if the optimum fraction size is selected. By dose reduction while keeping the tumor BED constant, absolute normal tissue sparing might therefore be achieved. This optimum HDR fraction size was found to be largely dependent on the LDR dose rate. On the basis of the BED NT/TUM ratio of HDR over LDR, 3 x 6.7 Gy would be the optimal HDR fractionation scheme for replacement of an LDR scheme of 20 Gy in 10-30 h (dose rate 2-0.67 Gy/h), while at a lower dose rate of 0.5 Gy/h, four fractions of 5 Gy would be preferential, still assuming large differences between tumor

Estudio comparativo de microsutura vascular en ratas: punto simple y punto de colchonero horizontal Comparative study about vascular microsurgery on rats: classic interrupted suture versus horizontal mattress suture

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C. Casado Sánchez

2009-09-01

Full Text Available La Microcirugía es la técnica empleada para la realización de la microanastomosis vascular. El objetivo del presente estudio es comparar dos tipos de técnicas de microsutura: los puntos simples clásicos, de empleo habitual en la microcirugía vascular, y los puntos de colchonero horizontales, no evaluados habitualmente para este tipo de cirugía. Fueron intervenidas 20 ratas albinas de la cepa Wistar (peso medio de 250 - 300 gr. bajo anestesia general; realizamos sección transversal en la arteria femoral, procediendo a su reparación microquirúrgica inmediata. Se establecieron 2 grupos de animales: en el grupo A (n=10, la microsutura se hizo mediante 6 puntos sueltos simples, y en el grupo B (n=10, empleando 3 puntos de colchonero horizontal. Comprobamos la patencia en el desclampado inmediato y tras una hora del desclampado (para ambas técnicas fue positiva en el 100% de los casos, y la hemorragia en ambos tiempos (se registró un único caso de sangrado en el postoperatorio inmediato en el grupo B, que requirió la revisión de la microsutura. El tiempo medio de ejecución de la sutura en el grupo B, 15 minutos aproximadamente, fue más corto que en el grupo A, 21 minutos aproximadamente, diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p Microsurgery is the procedure of choice for vascular microanastamoses. The objective of this study was to compare two types of suture techniques: classic interrupted suture anastomoses, commonly used for vascular anastamoses in microsurgery, and another technique using horizontal mattress sutures, rarely evaluated in this type of surgery. Twenty albino Wistar rats were operated (average weight: 250 - 300 gr. under general anaesthesia. A transverse section of the femoral artery was performed and immediately followed by an anastamoses. The animals were placed into two groups of ten. The classic 6 interrupted suture anastomoses technique was performed in group A (n = 10 and another technique using 3

Unimodal tree size distributions possibly result from relatively strong conservatism in intermediate size classes.

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Yue Bin

Full Text Available Tree size distributions have long been of interest to ecologists and foresters because they reflect fundamental demographic processes. Previous studies have assumed that size distributions are often associated with population trends or with the degree of shade tolerance. We tested these associations for 31 tree species in a 20 ha plot in a Dinghushan south subtropical forest in China. These species varied widely in growth form and shade-tolerance. We used 2005 and 2010 census data from that plot. We found that 23 species had reversed J shaped size distributions, and eight species had unimodal size distributions in 2005. On average, modal species had lower recruitment rates than reversed J species, while showing no significant difference in mortality rates, per capita population growth rates or shade-tolerance. We compared the observed size distributions with the equilibrium distributions projected from observed size-dependent growth and mortality. We found that observed distributions generally had the same shape as predicted equilibrium distributions in both unimodal and reversed J species, but there were statistically significant, important quantitative differences between observed and projected equilibrium size distributions in most species, suggesting that these populations are not at equilibrium and that this forest is changing over time. Almost all modal species had U-shaped size-dependent mortality and/or growth functions, with turning points of both mortality and growth at intermediate size classes close to the peak in the size distribution. These results show that modal size distributions do not necessarily indicate either population decline or shade-intolerance. Instead, the modal species in our study were characterized by a life history strategy of relatively strong conservatism in an intermediate size class, leading to very low growth and mortality in that size class, and thus to a peak in the size distribution at intermediate sizes.

Relative efficiency and sample size for cluster randomized trials with variable cluster sizes.

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You, Zhiying; Williams, O Dale; Aban, Inmaculada; Kabagambe, Edmond Kato; Tiwari, Hemant K; Cutter, Gary

2011-02-01

The statistical power of cluster randomized trials depends on two sample size components, the number of clusters per group and the numbers of individuals within clusters (cluster size). Variable cluster sizes are common and this variation alone may have significant impact on study power. Previous approaches have taken this into account by either adjusting total sample size using a designated design effect or adjusting the number of clusters according to an assessment of the relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes. This article defines a relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes using noncentrality parameters, investigates properties of this measure, and proposes an approach for adjusting the required sample size accordingly. We focus on comparing two groups with normally distributed outcomes using t-test, and use the noncentrality parameter to define the relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes and show that statistical power depends only on this parameter for a given number of clusters. We calculate the sample size required for an unequal cluster sizes trial to have the same power as one with equal cluster sizes. Relative efficiency based on the noncentrality parameter is straightforward to calculate and easy to interpret. It connects the required mean cluster size directly to the required sample size with equal cluster sizes. Consequently, our approach first determines the sample size requirements with equal cluster sizes for a pre-specified study power and then calculates the required mean cluster size while keeping the number of clusters unchanged. Our approach allows adjustment in mean cluster size alone or simultaneous adjustment in mean cluster size and number of clusters, and is a flexible alternative to and a useful complement to existing methods. Comparison indicated that we have defined a relative efficiency that is greater than the relative efficiency in the literature under some conditions. Our measure

Synthesis of Silica Nanoparticles by Sol-Gel: Size-Dependent Properties, Surface Modification, and Applications in Silica-Polymer Nano composites-A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, A.R.; Vejayakumaran, P.

2012-01-01

Application of silica nanoparticles as fillers in the preparation of nano composite of polymers has drawn much attention, due to the increased demand for new materials with improved thermal, mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Recent developments in the synthesis of monodispersed, narrow-size distribution of nanoparticles by sol-gel method provide significant boost to development of silica-polymer nano composites. This paper is written by emphasizing on the synthesis of silica nanoparticles, characterization on size-dependent properties, and surface modification for the preparation of homogeneous nano composites, generally by sol-gel technique. The effect of nano silica on the properties of various types of silica-polymer composites is also summarized.

Spot size dependence of laser accelerated protons in thin multi-ion foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Tung-Chang; Shao, Xi; Liu, Chuan-Sheng; Eliasson, Bengt; Wang, Jyhpyng; Chen, Shih-Hung

2014-01-01

We present a numerical study of the effect of the laser spot size of a circularly polarized laser beam on the energy of quasi-monoenergetic protons in laser proton acceleration using a thin carbon-hydrogen foil. The used proton acceleration scheme is a combination of laser radiation pressure and shielded Coulomb repulsion due to the carbon ions. We observe that the spot size plays a crucial role in determining the net charge of the electron-shielded carbon ion foil and consequently the efficiency of proton acceleration. Using a laser pulse with fixed input energy and pulse length impinging on a carbon-hydrogen foil, a laser beam with smaller spot sizes can generate higher energy but fewer quasi-monoenergetic protons. We studied the scaling of the proton energy with respect to the laser spot size and obtained an optimal spot size for maximum proton energy flux. Using the optimal spot size, we can generate an 80 MeV quasi-monoenergetic proton beam containing more than 10 8 protons using a laser beam with power 250 TW and energy 10 J and a target of thickness 0.15 wavelength and 49 critical density made of 90% carbon and 10% hydrogen

MASSIVE GALAXIES ARE LARGER IN DENSE ENVIRONMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCE OF MASS–SIZE RELATION OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Yongmin; Im, Myungshin; Kim, Jae-Woo, E-mail: yymx2@astro.snu.ac.kr, E-mail: mim@astro.snu.ac.kr [Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU), Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, 599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-01

Under the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological models, massive galaxies are expected to be larger in denser environments through frequent hierarchical mergers with other galaxies. Yet, observational studies of low-redshift early-type galaxies have shown no such trend, standing as a puzzle to solve during the past decade. We analyzed 73,116 early-type galaxies at 0.1 ≤  z  < 0.15, adopting a robust nonparametric size measurement technique and extending the analysis to many massive galaxies. We find for the first time that local early-type galaxies heavier than 10{sup 11.2} M {sub ⊙} show a clear environmental dependence in mass–size relation, in such a way that galaxies are as much as 20%–40% larger in the densest environments than in underdense environments. Splitting the sample into the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and non-BCGs does not affect the result. This result agrees with the ΛCDM cosmological simulations and suggests that mergers played a significant role in the growth of massive galaxies in dense environments as expected in theory.

The effect of alcohols on red blood cell mechanical properties and membrane fluidity depends on their molecular size.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonmez, Melda; Ince, Huseyin Yavuz; Yalcin, Ozlem; Ajdžanović, Vladimir; Spasojević, Ivan; Meiselman, Herbert J; Baskurt, Oguz K

2013-01-01

The role of membrane fluidity in determining red blood cell (RBC) deformability has been suggested by a number of studies. The present investigation evaluated alterations of RBC membrane fluidity, deformability and stability in the presence of four linear alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol) using ektacytometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. All alcohols had a biphasic effect on deformability such that it increased then decreased with increasing concentration; the critical concentration for reversal was an inverse function of molecular size. EPR results showed biphasic changes of near-surface fluidity (i.e., increase then decrease) and a decreased fluidity of the lipid core; rank order of effectiveness was butanol > propanol > ethanol > methanol, with a significant correlation between near-surface fluidity and deformability (r = 0.697; palcohol enhanced the impairment of RBC deformability caused by subjecting cells to 100 Pa shear stress for 300 s, with significant differences from control being observed at higher concentrations of all four alcohols. The level of hemolysis was dependent on molecular size and concentration, whereas echinocytic shape transformation (i.e., biconcave disc to crenated morphology) was observed only for ethanol and propanol. These results are in accordance with available data obtained on model membranes. They document the presence of mechanical links between RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity, chain length-dependence of the ability of alcohols to alter RBC mechanical behavior, and the biphasic response of RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity to increasing alcohol concentrations.

The evolution of biomass-burning aerosol size distributions due to coagulation: dependence on fire and meteorological details and parameterization

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K. M. Sakamoto

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Biomass-burning aerosols have a significant effect on global and regional aerosol climate forcings. To model the magnitude of these effects accurately requires knowledge of the size distribution of the emitted and evolving aerosol particles. Current biomass-burning inventories do not include size distributions, and global and regional models generally assume a fixed size distribution from all biomass-burning emissions. However, biomass-burning size distributions evolve in the plume due to coagulation and net organic aerosol (OA evaporation or formation, and the plume processes occur on spacial scales smaller than global/regional-model grid boxes. The extent of this size-distribution evolution is dependent on a variety of factors relating to the emission source and atmospheric conditions. Therefore, accurately accounting for biomass-burning aerosol size in global models requires an effective aerosol size distribution that accounts for this sub-grid evolution and can be derived from available emission-inventory and meteorological parameters. In this paper, we perform a detailed investigation of the effects of coagulation on the aerosol size distribution in biomass-burning plumes. We compare the effect of coagulation to that of OA evaporation and formation. We develop coagulation-only parameterizations for effective biomass-burning size distributions using the SAM-TOMAS large-eddy simulation plume model. For the most-sophisticated parameterization, we use the Gaussian Emulation Machine for Sensitivity Analysis (GEM-SA to build a parameterization of the aged size distribution based on the SAM-TOMAS output and seven inputs: emission median dry diameter, emission distribution modal width, mass emissions flux, fire area, mean boundary-layer wind speed, plume mixing depth, and time/distance since emission. This parameterization was tested against an independent set of SAM-TOMAS simulations and yields R2 values of 0.83 and 0.89 for Dpm and modal width

The evolution of biomass-burning aerosol size distributions due to coagulation: dependence on fire and meteorological details and parameterization

Science.gov (United States)

Sakamoto, Kimiko M.; Laing, James R.; Stevens, Robin G.; Jaffe, Daniel A.; Pierce, Jeffrey R.

2016-06-01

Biomass-burning aerosols have a significant effect on global and regional aerosol climate forcings. To model the magnitude of these effects accurately requires knowledge of the size distribution of the emitted and evolving aerosol particles. Current biomass-burning inventories do not include size distributions, and global and regional models generally assume a fixed size distribution from all biomass-burning emissions. However, biomass-burning size distributions evolve in the plume due to coagulation and net organic aerosol (OA) evaporation or formation, and the plume processes occur on spacial scales smaller than global/regional-model grid boxes. The extent of this size-distribution evolution is dependent on a variety of factors relating to the emission source and atmospheric conditions. Therefore, accurately accounting for biomass-burning aerosol size in global models requires an effective aerosol size distribution that accounts for this sub-grid evolution and can be derived from available emission-inventory and meteorological parameters. In this paper, we perform a detailed investigation of the effects of coagulation on the aerosol size distribution in biomass-burning plumes. We compare the effect of coagulation to that of OA evaporation and formation. We develop coagulation-only parameterizations for effective biomass-burning size distributions using the SAM-TOMAS large-eddy simulation plume model. For the most-sophisticated parameterization, we use the Gaussian Emulation Machine for Sensitivity Analysis (GEM-SA) to build a parameterization of the aged size distribution based on the SAM-TOMAS output and seven inputs: emission median dry diameter, emission distribution modal width, mass emissions flux, fire area, mean boundary-layer wind speed, plume mixing depth, and time/distance since emission. This parameterization was tested against an independent set of SAM-TOMAS simulations and yields R2 values of 0.83 and 0.89 for Dpm and modal width, respectively. The

Nano-crystals of cerium–hafnium binary oxide: Their size-dependent structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raitano, Joan M. [Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Khalid, Syed [National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Marinkovic, Nebojsa [Chemical Engineering Department, Columbia University, 500 W 120th St, Mudd 801, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Chan, Siu-Wai, E-mail: sc174@columbia.edu [Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States)

2015-09-25

Highlights: • (1 − x)CeO{sub 2}–xHfO{sub 2} was precipitated (0 < x < 1) and calcined in air. • For x ⩽ 0.14, crystallites ⩽140 nm in size exhibit only the fluorite structure. • This low hafnia solubility is attributable to no auto-reduction (Ce{sup 3+} = 0). • The low solubility is also due to the high temperature required for homogenization. • Coarsening is lessened as Hf{sup 4+} ions slow cation diffusion in these crystallites. - Abstract: Cerium oxide (CeO{sub 2}, “ceria”) and hafnium oxide (HfO{sub 2}, “hafnia”) were aqueously co-precipitated and subsequently calcined to allow for homogenization. The size of the (1−x)CeO{sub 2}–xHfO{sub 2} crystallites, determined by the Scherrer equation, varied from 140 nm for x = 0 to 15 nm for x = 0.73. For x ⩽ 0.14, only cubic structures are visible in X-ray diffractograms, and the lattice parameters are consistent with the values expected for structurally cubic solid solutions of hafnia in ceria. At x = 0.26, tetragonal and monoclinic phases nucleated with the former not being observed in the bulk phase diagram for ceria–hafnia. Therefore, the solubility limit of the cubic structure is between x = 0.14 and x = 0.26 for 40–61 nm crystallites, the sizes of these respective compositions. More specifically, for the 40 nm crystallites of x = 0.26 (1 − x)CeO{sub 2}–xHfO{sub 2}, 15% of the hafnia remains in a structurally cubic solid solution with ceria based on the observed cubic lattice parameter. The compositional domain for the cubic fluorite structure in this study is narrower than other nanostructured (1 − x)CeO{sub 2}–xHfO{sub 2} studies, especially studies with crystallite sizes less than 10 nm, but wider than observed in the bulk and helps to expand the size regime over which the relationship between crystallite size and phase stability is known. The extent of this cubic-structure domain is mainly attributable to the intermediate crystallite size and the roughly zero Ce{sup 3

Nanoscale size dependence parameters on lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamand, S.M.; Omar, M.S.; Muhammad, A.J.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Temperature dependence of calculated lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. Highlights: ► A modified Callaway model is used to calculate lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. ► A direct method is used to calculate phonon group velocity for these nanowires. ► 3-Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations are successfully investigated. ► Dislocation densities are decreases with the decrease of wires diameter. -- Abstract: A detailed calculation of lattice thermal conductivity of freestanding Wurtzite GaN nanowires with diameter ranging from 97 to 160 nm in the temperature range 2–300 K, was performed using a modified Callaway model. Both longitudinal and transverse modes are taken into account explicitly in the model. A method is used to calculate the Debye and phonon group velocities for different nanowire diameters from their related melting points. Effect of Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations as structure dependent parameters are successfully used to correlate the calculated values of lattice thermal conductivity to that of the experimentally measured curves. It was observed that Gruneisen parameter will decrease with decreasing nanowire diameters. Scattering of phonons is assumed to be by nanowire boundaries, imperfections, dislocations, electrons, and other phonons via both normal and Umklapp processes. Phonon confinement and size effects as well as the role of dislocation in limiting thermal conductivity are investigated. At high temperatures and for dislocation densities greater than 10 14 m −2 the lattice thermal conductivity would be limited by dislocation density, but for dislocation densities less than 10 14 m −2 , lattice thermal conductivity would be independent of that.

Nanoscale size dependence parameters on lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mamand, S.M., E-mail: soran.mamand@univsul.net [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimanyah, Iraqi Kurdistan (Iraq); Omar, M.S. [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Salahaddin, Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan (Iraq); Muhammad, A.J. [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Kirkuk, Kirkuk (Iraq)

2012-05-15

Graphical abstract: Temperature dependence of calculated lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A modified Callaway model is used to calculate lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A direct method is used to calculate phonon group velocity for these nanowires. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 3-Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations are successfully investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dislocation densities are decreases with the decrease of wires diameter. -- Abstract: A detailed calculation of lattice thermal conductivity of freestanding Wurtzite GaN nanowires with diameter ranging from 97 to 160 nm in the temperature range 2-300 K, was performed using a modified Callaway model. Both longitudinal and transverse modes are taken into account explicitly in the model. A method is used to calculate the Debye and phonon group velocities for different nanowire diameters from their related melting points. Effect of Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations as structure dependent parameters are successfully used to correlate the calculated values of lattice thermal conductivity to that of the experimentally measured curves. It was observed that Gruneisen parameter will decrease with decreasing nanowire diameters. Scattering of phonons is assumed to be by nanowire boundaries, imperfections, dislocations, electrons, and other phonons via both normal and Umklapp processes. Phonon confinement and size effects as well as the role of dislocation in limiting thermal conductivity are investigated. At high temperatures and for dislocation densities greater than 10{sup 14} m{sup -2} the lattice thermal conductivity would be limited by dislocation density, but for dislocation densities less than 10{sup 14} m{sup -2}, lattice thermal conductivity would be independent of that.

The reference frame for encoding and retention of motion depends on stimulus set size.

Science.gov (United States)

Huynh, Duong; Tripathy, Srimant P; Bedell, Harold E; Öğmen, Haluk

2017-04-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the reference frames used in perceptual encoding and storage of visual motion information. In our experiments, observers viewed multiple moving objects and reported the direction of motion of a randomly selected item. Using a vector-decomposition technique, we computed performance during smooth pursuit with respect to a spatiotopic (nonretinotopic) and to a retinotopic component and compared them with performance during fixation, which served as the baseline. For the stimulus encoding stage, which precedes memory, we found that the reference frame depends on the stimulus set size. For a single moving target, the spatiotopic reference frame had the most significant contribution with some additional contribution from the retinotopic reference frame. When the number of items increased (Set Sizes 3 to 7), the spatiotopic reference frame was able to account for the performance. Finally, when the number of items became larger than 7, the distinction between reference frames vanished. We interpret this finding as a switch to a more abstract nonmetric encoding of motion direction. We found that the retinotopic reference frame was not used in memory. Taken together with other studies, our results suggest that, whereas a retinotopic reference frame may be employed for controlling eye movements, perception and memory use primarily nonretinotopic reference frames. Furthermore, the use of nonretinotopic reference frames appears to be capacity limited. In the case of complex stimuli, the visual system may use perceptual grouping in order to simplify the complexity of stimuli or resort to a nonmetric abstract coding of motion information.

Dependence of radiotherapeutic results on tumor size in patients with cervix uteri carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabelov, A.A.; Zharinov, G.M.

1981-01-01

A method is suggested that permits specifying the primary tumor size on the basis of clinical examination of patients with cervix uteri carcinoma. The values of tumor size have been correlated with long-term results of concomitant radiotherapy in 1358 patients with cervix uteri carcinoma. The data obtained have shown that the primary tumor size is a factor that determines to a large extent radiotherapeutic results in patients with cervix uteri carcinoma. The specification of tumor size values makes it possible to considerably lessen prognostic uncertainty of present-day staging classifications. The structure of radiotherapeutic failures also turned out to be closely associated with the primary tumor size

Size-dependent structure and magnetic properties of DyMnO3 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Xuan; Shi, Lei; Zhou, Shiming; Zhao, Jiyin; Guo, Yuqiao; Wang, Cailin

2014-01-01

The structure and magnetic properties of orthorhombic DyMnO 3 nanoparticles with different particle sizes are investigated in this paper. With decreasing particle size, all the lattice parameters a, b, and c gradually decrease, whereas the orthorhombic distortion increases. Magnetic measurements reveal that the antiferromagnetic interaction of Mn ions is weakened due to the decrease in Mn-O-Mn bond angle. Above a critical field H*, DyMnO 3 undergoes a field-induced metamagnetic transition at 4 K, which is related to the spin reversal of Dy moments. The critical field H* increases monotonically with size reduction, indicating an enhancement of the antiferromagnetic interaction of Dy ions due to the decreased distance between rare earth ions. The magnetization at 4 K and 5 T, i.e., M(4 K, 5 T) shows a non-monotonic variation with particle size d, i.e., M(4 K, 5 T) initially increases with size reduction but decreases again for d < 68 nm. A modified core-shell model, in which the ferromagnetic ordering (Dy magnetic structure) and antiferromagnetic ordering (Mn magnetic structure) coexist in the core, is proposed to explain this behavior.

Size- and time-dependent growth properties of human induced pluripotent stem cells in the culture of single aggregate.

Science.gov (United States)

Nath, Suman C; Horie, Masanobu; Nagamori, Eiji; Kino-Oka, Masahiro

2017-10-01

Aggregate culture of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is a promising method to obtain high number of cells for cell therapy applications. This study quantitatively evaluated the effects of initial cell number and culture time on the growth of hiPSCs in the culture of single aggregate. Small size aggregates ((1.1 ± 0.4) × 10 1 -(2.8 ± 0.5) × 10 1 cells/aggregate) showed a lower growth rate in comparison to medium size aggregates ((8.8 ± 0.8) × 10 1 -(6.8 ± 1.1) × 10 2 cells/aggregate) during early-stage of culture (24-72 h). However, when small size aggregates were cultured in conditioned medium, their growth rate increased significantly. On the other hand, large size aggregates ((1.1 ± 0.2) × 10 3 -(3.5 ± 1.1) × 10 3 cells/aggregate) showed a lower growth rate and lower expression level of proliferation marker (ki-67) in the center region of aggregate in comparison to medium size aggregate during early-stage of culture. Medium size aggregates showed the highest growth rate during early-stage of culture. Furthermore, hiPSCs proliferation was dependent on culture time because the growth rate decreased significantly during late-stage of culture (72-120 h) at which point collagen type I accumulated on the periphery of aggregate, suggesting blockage of diffusive transport of nutrients, oxygen and metabolites into and out of the aggregates. Consideration of initial cell number and culture time are important to maintain balance between autocrine factors secretion and extracellular matrix accumulation on the aggregate periphery to achieve optimal growth of hiPSCs in the culture of single aggregate. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of the molecular structure on indentation size effect in polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Chung-Souk

2010-01-01

Size dependent deformation of polymers has been observed by various researchers in various experimental settings including micro beam bending, foams and indentation testing. Here in this article the indentation size effect in polymers is examined which manifests itself in increased hardness at decreasing indentation depths. Based on previously suggested rationale of size dependent deformation and depth dependent hardness model the depth dependent hardness of various polymers are analyzed. It is found that polymers containing aromatic rings in their molecular structure exhibit depth dependent hardness above the micron length scale. For polymers not containing aromatic rings polymers the indentation size effect starts at smaller indentation depths if they are present at all.

Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nano-wire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei-Ting; Hsiao, Chun-I.; Hsu, Wen-Dung

2014-01-01

In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nano-wires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nano-wires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nano-wires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress-strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nano-wire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nano-wire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

Diurnal and seasonal variability in size-dependent atmospheric deposition fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an urban center

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kai; Zhang, Bao-Zhong; Li, Shao-Meng; Zhang, Lei-Ming; Staebler, Ralf; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2012-09-01

Atmospheric gaseous and size-segregated particle samples were collected from urban Guangzhou at the heights of 100 and 150 m above the ground in daytime and at night in August and December 2010, and were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Particulate PAHs were more abundant at night than in daytime, and significantly higher in winter than in summer. The observed vertical, diurnal, and seasonal variability in the occurrences of PAH were attributed to varying meteorological conditions and atmospheric boundary layers. More than 60% of the particulate PAHs were contained in particles in the accumulation mode with an aerodynamic diameter (Dp) in the range of 0.1-1.8 μm. Different mass transfer velocities by volatilization and condensation are considered the main causes for the different particle size distributions among individual PAHs, while combustion at different temperatures and atmospheric transport were probable causes of the observed seasonal variation in the size distribution of PAHs. Based on the modeled size-dependent dry deposition velocities, daily mean dry deposition fluxes of particulate PAHs ranged from 604 to 1190 ng m-2 d-1, with PAHs in coarse particles (Dp > 1.8 μm) accounting for 55-95% of the total fluxes. In addition, gaseous PAHs were estimated to contribute 0.6-3.1% to the total dry deposition fluxes if a conservative dry deposition velocity for gaseous species (2 × 10-4 m s-1) were used. Finally, disequilibrium phase partitioning, meteorological conditions and atmospheric transport were regarded as the main reasons for the variances in dry deposition velocities of individual PAHs.

Size-Dependent Materials Properties Toward a Universal Equation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guisbiers G

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Due to the lack of experimental values concerning some material properties at the nanoscale, it is interesting to evaluate this theoretically. Through a “top–down” approach, a universal equation is developed here which is particularly helpful when experiments are difficult to lead on a specific material property. It only requires the knowledge of the surface area to volume ratio of the nanomaterial, its size as well as the statistic (Fermi–Dirac or Bose–Einstein followed by the particles involved in the considered material property. Comparison between different existing theoretical models and the proposed equation is done.

Measurement of carbon nanotube microstructure relative density by optical attenuation and observation of size-dependent variations.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sei Jin; Schmidt, Aaron J; Bedewy, Mostafa; Hart, A John

2013-07-21

Engineering the density of carbon nanotube (CNT) forest microstructures is vital to applications such as electrical interconnects, micro-contact probes, and thermal interface materials. For CNT forests on centimeter-scale substrates, weight and volume can be used to calculate density. However, this is not suitable for smaller samples, including individual microstructures, and moreover does not enable mapping of spatial density variations within the forest. We demonstrate that the relative mass density of individual CNT microstructures can be measured by optical attenuation, with spatial resolution equaling the size of the focused spot. For this, a custom optical setup was built to measure the transmission of a focused laser beam through CNT microstructures. The transmittance was correlated with the thickness of the CNT microstructures by Beer-Lambert-Bouguer law to calculate the attenuation coefficient. We reveal that the density of CNT microstructures grown by CVD can depend on their size, and that the overall density of arrays of microstructures is affected significantly by run-to-run process variations. Further, we use the technique to quantify the change in CNT microstructure density due to capillary densification. This is a useful and accessible metrology technique for CNTs in future microfabrication processes, and will enable direct correlation of density to important properties such as stiffness and electrical conductivity.

Size-dependent response of foraminiferal calcification to seawater carbonate chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Henehan, Michael J.; Evans, David; Shankle, Madison; Burke, Janet E.; Foster, Gavin L.; Anagnostou, Eleni; Chalk, Thomas B.; Stewart, Joseph A.; Alt, Claudia H. S.; Durrant, Joseph; Hull, Pincelli M.

2017-07-01

The response of the marine carbon cycle to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations will be determined, in part, by the relative response of calcifying and non-calcifying organisms to global change. Planktonic foraminifera are responsible for a quarter or more of global carbonate production, therefore understanding the sensitivity of calcification in these organisms to environmental change is critical. Despite this, there remains little consensus as to whether, or to what extent, chemical and physical factors affect foraminiferal calcification. To address this, we directly test the effect of multiple controls on calcification in culture experiments and core-top measurements of Globigerinoides ruber. We find that two factors, body size and the carbonate system, strongly influence calcification intensity in life, but that exposure to corrosive bottom waters can overprint this signal post mortem. Using a simple model for the addition of calcite through ontogeny, we show that variable body size between and within datasets could complicate studies that examine environmental controls on foraminiferal shell weight. In addition, we suggest that size could ultimately play a role in determining whether calcification will increase or decrease with acidification. Our models highlight that knowledge of the specific morphological and physiological mechanisms driving ontogenetic change in calcification in different species will be critical in predicting the response of foraminiferal calcification to future change in atmospheric pCO2.

The effect of alcohols on red blood cell mechanical properties and membrane fluidity depends on their molecular size.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melda Sonmez

Full Text Available The role of membrane fluidity in determining red blood cell (RBC deformability has been suggested by a number of studies. The present investigation evaluated alterations of RBC membrane fluidity, deformability and stability in the presence of four linear alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol using ektacytometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR spectroscopy. All alcohols had a biphasic effect on deformability such that it increased then decreased with increasing concentration; the critical concentration for reversal was an inverse function of molecular size. EPR results showed biphasic changes of near-surface fluidity (i.e., increase then decrease and a decreased fluidity of the lipid core; rank order of effectiveness was butanol > propanol > ethanol > methanol, with a significant correlation between near-surface fluidity and deformability (r = 0.697; p<0.01. The presence of alcohol enhanced the impairment of RBC deformability caused by subjecting cells to 100 Pa shear stress for 300 s, with significant differences from control being observed at higher concentrations of all four alcohols. The level of hemolysis was dependent on molecular size and concentration, whereas echinocytic shape transformation (i.e., biconcave disc to crenated morphology was observed only for ethanol and propanol. These results are in accordance with available data obtained on model membranes. They document the presence of mechanical links between RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity, chain length-dependence of the ability of alcohols to alter RBC mechanical behavior, and the biphasic response of RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity to increasing alcohol concentrations.

Regulation of number and size of digits by posterior Hox genes: A dose-dependent mechanism with potential evolutionary implications

OpenAIRE

Zákány, József; Fromental-Ramain, Catherine; Warot, Xavier; Duboule, Denis

1997-01-01

The proper development of digits, in tetrapods, requires the activity of several genes of the HoxA and HoxD homeobox gene complexes. By using a variety of loss-of-function alleles involving the five Hox genes that have been described to affect digit patterning, we report here that the group 11, 12, and 13 genes control both the size and number of murine digits in a dose-dependent fashion, rather than through a Hox code involving differential qualitative functions. A similar dose–response is o...

Measuring agglomerate size distribution and dependence of localized surface plasmon resonance absorbance on gold nanoparticle agglomerate size using analytical ultracentrifugation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zook, Justin M; Rastogi, Vinayak; Maccuspie, Robert I; Keene, Athena M; Fagan, Jeffrey

2011-10-25

Agglomeration of nanoparticles during measurements in relevant biological and environmental media is a frequent problem in nanomaterial property characterization. The primary problem is typically that any changes to the size distribution can dramatically affect the potential nanotoxicity or other size-determined properties, such as the absorbance signal in a biosensor measurement. Herein we demonstrate analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) as a powerful method for measuring two critical characteristics of nanoparticle (NP) agglomerates in situ in biological media: the NP agglomerate size distribution, and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorbance spectrum of precise sizes of gold NP agglomerates. To characterize the size distribution, we present a theoretical framework for calculating the hydrodynamic diameter distribution of NP agglomerates from their sedimentation coefficient distribution. We measure sedimentation rates for monomers, dimers, and trimers, as well as for larger agglomerates with up to 600 NPs. The AUC size distributions were found generally to be broader than the size distributions estimated from dynamic light scattering and diffusion-limited colloidal aggregation theory, an alternative bulk measurement method that relies on several assumptions. In addition, the measured sedimentation coefficients can be used in nanotoxicity studies to predict how quickly the agglomerates sediment out of solution under normal gravitational forces, such as in the environment. We also calculate the absorbance spectra for monomer, dimer, trimer, and larger gold NP agglomerates up to 600 NPs, to enable a better understanding of LSPR biosensors. Finally, we validate a new method that uses these spectra to deconvolute the net absorbance spectrum of an unknown bulk sample and approximate the proportions of monomers, dimers, and trimers in a polydisperse sample of small agglomerates, so that every sample does not need to be measured by AUC. These results

Universal Exciton Size in Organic Polymers is Determined by Nonlocal Orbital Exchange in Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Mewes, Stefanie A; Plasser, Felix; Dreuw, Andreas

2017-03-16

The exciton size of the lowest singlet excited state in a diverse set of organic π-conjugated polymers is studied and found to be a universal, system-independent quantity of approximately 7 Å in the single-chain picture. With time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), its value as well as the overall description of the exciton is almost exclusively governed by the amount of nonlocal orbital exchange. This is traced back to the lack of the Coulomb attraction between the electron and hole quasiparticles in pure TDDFT, which is reintroduced only with the admixture of nonlocal orbital exchange.

Queue Length and Server Content Distribution in an Infinite-Buffer Batch-Service Queue with Batch-Size-Dependent Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U. C. Gupta

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We analyze an infinite-buffer batch-size-dependent batch-service queue with Poisson arrival and arbitrarily distributed service time. Using supplementary variable technique, we derive a bivariate probability generating function from which the joint distribution of queue and server content at departure epoch of a batch is extracted and presented in terms of roots of the characteristic equation. We also obtain the joint distribution of queue and server content at arbitrary epoch. Finally, the utility of analytical results is demonstrated by the inclusion of some numerical examples which also includes the investigation of multiple zeros.

Dependence of alpha particle track diameter on the free volume holes size using positron annihilation lifetime technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Gamal, S. [Physics Department, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, 11711 Cairo (Egypt); Abdalla, Ayman M., E-mail: aymanabdalla62@hotmail.com [Physics Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Najran University, Najran (Saudi Arabia); Centre for Advanced Materials and Nano-Engineering, Najran University, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia); Abdel-Hady, E.E. [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, BO 61519, Minia (Egypt)

2015-09-15

The alpha particle track diameter dependence of the free volume holes size (V{sub f}) in DAM–ADC and CR-39 nuclear track detectors was investigated using positron annihilation lifetime technique. The effect of temperature on the alpha particle track diameter and free volume were also investigated in the T-range (RT-130 °C). The obtained results revealed that the values of ortho-positronium lifetime τ{sub 3} and V{sub f} increases while I{sub 3} slightly increases as T increases for the two detectors. The values of τ{sub 3}, V{sub f} and I{sub 3} are higher in CR-39 than DAM–ADC. The interpretation of obtained results is based on the fact that increasing T leads to significant enhancement of thermal expansion of the polymer matrix and consequently V{sub f} increases. The track diameter increases as T increases. This can be explained by the fact that the increase in T increases the crystal size and V{sub f} in the polymer. A relationship between V{sub f} and the alpha particle track diameter was obtained. Moreover results of detector irradiation, along with free volume evaluation are addressed and thoroughly discussed.

Size-dependent dynamic stability analysis of microbeams actuated by piezoelectric voltage based on strain gradient elasticity theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahmani, Saeid; Bahrami, Mohsen [Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-01-15

In the current paper, dynamic stability analysis of microbeams subjected to piezoelectric voltage is presented in which the microbeam is integrated with piezoelectric layers on the lower and upper surfaces. Both of the flutter and divergence instabilities of microbeams with clamped-clamped and clamped-free boundary conditions are predicted corresponding to various values of applied voltage. To take size effect into account, the classical Timoshenko beam theory in conjunction with strain gradient elasticity theory is utilized to develop nonclassical beam model containing three additional internal length scale parameters. By using Hamilton's principle, the higher-order governing differential equations and associated boundary conditions are derived. Afterward, generalized differential quadrature method is employed to discretize the size-dependent governing differential equations along with clamped-clamped and clamped-free end supports. The critical piezoelectric voltages corresponding to various values dimensionless length scale parameter are evaluated and compared with those predicted by the classical beam theory. It is revealed that in the case of clamped-free boundary conditions, the both of flutter and divergence instabilities occur. However, for the clamped-clamped microbeams, only divergence instability takes place.

Synthesis of high efficient Cu/TiO{sub 2} photocatalysts by grinding and their size-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ni, Dawei; Shen, Haiyan; Li, Huiqiao; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou, E-mail: yingma@hust.edu.cn

2017-07-01

Highlights: • Cu nanodots were decorated on TiO{sub 2} surface through ball milling method. • Its size distribution was investigated in water and ethanolic medium. • Photocurrent response and hydrogen evolution was improved. • Performance was found to be dependent on size of Cu nanodots. - Abstract: Recently, copper species have been extensively investigated to replace Pt as efficient co-catalysts for the evolution of H{sub 2} due to their low cost and relatively high activity. Cu nanoparticles less than 5 nm are successfully decorated on TiO{sub 2} surface in this work by an easy and mild milling process. These Cu nanoparticles are highly dispersed on TiO{sub 2} when the loading amount of Cu is no more than 10 wt%. The sizes of Cu nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the milling environment and decrease in the order of Cu-ethanol > Cu-water > Cu nanoparticles obtained through drying milling. The highest and stable hydrogen generation can be realized on Cu/TiO{sub 2} with 2.0 wt% Cu and sizes of Cu nanoparticles ranging from 2 to 4 nm, in which high and stable photocurrent confirms promoted photogenerated charge separation. Smaller Cu clusters are demonstrated to be detrimental to hydrogen evolution at same Cu content. High loading of Cu nanoparticles of 2–4 nm will benefit photogenerated electron-hole recombination and thus decrease the activity of Cu/TiO{sub 2}. The results here demonstrate the key roles of Cu cluster size in addition to Cu coverage on photocatalytic activity of Cu/TiO{sub 2} composite photocatalysts.

Threshold-dependent sample sizes for selenium assessment with stream fish tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Hitt, Nathaniel P.; Smith, David R.

2015-01-01

Natural resource managers are developing assessments of selenium (Se) contamination in freshwater ecosystems based on fish tissue concentrations. We evaluated the effects of sample size (i.e., number of fish per site) on the probability of correctly detecting mean whole-body Se values above a range of potential management thresholds. We modeled Se concentrations as gamma distributions with shape and scale parameters fitting an empirical mean-to-variance relationship in data from southwestern West Virginia, USA (63 collections, 382 individuals). We used parametric bootstrapping techniques to calculate statistical power as the probability of detecting true mean concentrations up to 3 mg Se/kg above management thresholds ranging from 4 to 8 mg Se/kg. Sample sizes required to achieve 80% power varied as a function of management thresholds and Type I error tolerance (α). Higher thresholds required more samples than lower thresholds because populations were more heterogeneous at higher mean Se levels. For instance, to assess a management threshold of 4 mg Se/kg, a sample of eight fish could detect an increase of approximately 1 mg Se/kg with 80% power (given α = 0.05), but this sample size would be unable to detect such an increase from a management threshold of 8 mg Se/kg with more than a coin-flip probability. Increasing α decreased sample size requirements to detect above-threshold mean Se concentrations with 80% power. For instance, at an α-level of 0.05, an 8-fish sample could detect an increase of approximately 2 units above a threshold of 8 mg Se/kg with 80% power, but when α was relaxed to 0.2, this sample size was more sensitive to increasing mean Se concentrations, allowing detection of an increase of approximately 1.2 units with equivalent power. Combining individuals into 2- and 4-fish composite samples for laboratory analysis did not decrease power because the reduced number of laboratory samples was compensated for by increased

Size-dependent nonlinear bending of micro/nano-beams made of nanoporous biomaterials including a refined truncated cube cell

Science.gov (United States)

Sahmani, S.; Aghdam, M. M.

2017-12-01

Morphology and pore size plays an essential role in the mechanical properties as well as the associated biological capability of a porous structure made of biomaterials. The objective of the current study is to predict the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of nanoporous biomaterials including refined truncated cube cells based on a hyperbolic shear deformable beam model. Analytical relationships for the mechanical properties of nanoporous biomaterials are given as a function of the refined cell's dimensions. After that, the size dependency in the nonlinear bending behavior of micro/nano-beams made of such nanoporous biomaterials is analyzed using the nonlocal strain gradient elasticity theory. It is assumed that the micro/nano-beam has one movable end under axial compression in conjunction with a uniform distributed lateral load. The Galerkin method together with an improved perturbation technique is employed to propose explicit analytical expression for nonlocal strain gradient load-deflection curves of the micro/nano-beams made of nanoporous biomaterials subjected to uniform transverse distributed load. It is found that through increment of the pore size, the micro/nano-beam will undergo much more deflection corresponding to a specific distributed load due to the reduction in the stiffness of nanoporous biomaterial. This pattern is more prominent for lower value of applied axial compressive load at the free end of micro/nano-beam.

Nanocrystal Size-Dependent Efficiency of Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells in the Strongly Coupled CdSe Nanocrystals/TiO2 System.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Hyeong Jin; Paik, Taejong; Diroll, Benjamin; Edley, Michael E; Baxter, Jason B; Murray, Christopher B

2016-06-15

Light absorption and electron injection are important criteria determining solar energy conversion efficiency. In this research, monodisperse CdSe quantum dots (QDs) are synthesized with five different diameters, and the size-dependent solar energy conversion efficiency of CdSe quantum dot sensitized solar cell (QDSSCs) is investigated by employing the atomic inorganic ligand, S(2-). Absorbance measurements and transmission electron microscopy show that the diameters of the uniform CdSe QDs are 2.5, 3.2, 4.2, 6.4, and 7.8 nm. Larger CdSe QDs generate a larger amount of charge under the irradiation of long wavelength photons, as verified by the absorbance results and the measurements of the external quantum efficiencies. However, the smaller QDs exhibit faster electron injection kinetics from CdSe QDs to TiO2 because of the high energy level of CBCdSe, as verified by time-resolved photoluminescence and internal quantum efficiency results. Importantly, the S(2-) ligand significantly enhances the electronic coupling between the CdSe QDs and TiO2, yielding an enhancement of the charge transfer rate at the interfacial region. As a result, the S(2-) ligand helps improve the new size-dependent solar energy conversion efficiency, showing best performance with 4.2-nm CdSe QDs, whereas conventional ligand, mercaptopropionic acid, does not show any differences in efficiency according to the size of the CdSe QDs. The findings reported herein suggest that the atomic inorganic ligand reinforces the influence of quantum confinement on the solar energy conversion efficiency of QDSSCs.

Size-dependent free vibration and dynamic analyses of piezo-electro-magnetic sandwich nanoplates resting on viscoelastic foundation

Science.gov (United States)

Arefi, Mohammad; Zenkour, Ashraf M.

2017-09-01

In this paper, size-dependent free vibration analysis of a sandwich nanoplate is presented. The sandwich nanoplate is including an elastic nano core and two piezo-electro-magnetic face-sheets as sensor and actuator actuated by electric and magnetic potentials. The sandwich nanoplate is resting on visco-Pasternak's foundation. Hamilton's principle is employed to derive the governing equations of motion based on Kirchhoff plate and nonlocal elasticity theory. The numerical results are presented to study the influence of important parameters of the problem such as applied electric and magnetic potentials, nonlocal parameter and visco-Pasternak's parameters. Furthermore, the influence of various boundary conditions is discussed on the vibration characteristics of the sandwich nanoplate.

Robust variance estimation with dependent effect sizes: practical considerations including a software tutorial in Stata and spss.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner-Smith, Emily E; Tipton, Elizabeth

2014-03-01

Methodologists have recently proposed robust variance estimation as one way to handle dependent effect sizes in meta-analysis. Software macros for robust variance estimation in meta-analysis are currently available for Stata (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA) and spss (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA), yet there is little guidance for authors regarding the practical application and implementation of those macros. This paper provides a brief tutorial on the implementation of the Stata and spss macros and discusses practical issues meta-analysts should consider when estimating meta-regression models with robust variance estimates. Two example databases are used in the tutorial to illustrate the use of meta-analysis with robust variance estimates. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Source size and time dependence of multifragmentation induced by GeV 3He beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, G.; Kwiatkowski, K.; Bracken, D.S.; Renshaw Foxford, E.; Hsi, W.; Morley, K.B.; Viola, V.E.; Yoder, N.R.; Volant, C.; Legrain, R.; Pollacco, E.C.; Korteling, R.G.; Botvina, A.; Brzychczyk, J.; Breuer, H.

1999-01-01

To investigate the source size and time dependence of multifragmentation reactions, small- and large-angle relative velocity correlations between coincident complex fragments have been measured for the 1.8 - 4.8 GeV 3 He+ nat Ag, 197 Au systems. The results support an evolutionary scenario for the fragment emission process in which lighter IMFs (Z approx-lt 6) are emitted from a hot, more dense source prior to breakup of an expanded residue. For the most highly excited residues, for which there is a significant yield of fragments with very soft energy spectra (E/A≤3 MeV), comparisons with an N-body simulation suggest a breakup time of τ∼50 fm/c for the expanded residue. Comparison of these data with both the evolutionary expanding emitting source model and the Copenhagen statistical multifragmentation model shows good agreement for heavier IMF close-quote s formed in the final breakup stage, but only the evolutionary model is successful in accounting for the lighter IMFs. copyright 1999 The American Physical Society

Elucidating mechanisms for insect body size: partial support for the oxygen-dependent induction of moulting hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kivelä, Sami M; Viinamäki, Sonja; Keret, Netta; Gotthard, Karl; Hohtola, Esa; Välimäki, Panu

2018-01-25

Body size is a key life history trait, and knowledge of its mechanistic basis is crucial in life history biology. Such knowledge is accumulating for holometabolous insects, whose growth is characterised and body size affected by moulting. According to the oxygen-dependent induction of moulting (ODIM) hypothesis, moult is induced at a critical mass at which oxygen demand of growing tissues overrides the supply from the tracheal respiratory system, which principally grows only at moults. Support for the ODIM hypothesis is controversial, partly because of a lack of proper data to explicitly test the hypothesis. The ODIM hypothesis predicts that the critical mass is positively correlated with oxygen partial pressure ( P O 2 ) and negatively with temperature. To resolve the controversy that surrounds the ODIM hypothesis, we rigorously test these predictions by exposing penultimate-instar Orthosia gothica (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae to temperature and moderate P O 2  manipulations in a factorial experiment. The relative mass increment in the focal instar increased along with increasing P O 2 , as predicted, but there was only weak suggestive evidence of the temperature effect. Probably owing to a high measurement error in the trait, the effect of P O 2  on the critical mass was sex specific; high P O 2  had a positive effect only in females, whereas low P O 2  had a negative effect only in males. Critical mass was independent of temperature. Support for the ODIM hypothesis is partial because of only suggestive evidence of a temperature effect on moulting, but the role of oxygen in moult induction seems unambiguous. The ODIM mechanism thus seems worth considering in body size analyses. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Experimental determination of size distributions: analyzing proper sample sizes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buffo, A; Alopaeus, V

2016-01-01

The measurement of various particle size distributions is a crucial aspect for many applications in the process industry. Size distribution is often related to the final product quality, as in crystallization or polymerization. In other cases it is related to the correct evaluation of heat and mass transfer, as well as reaction rates, depending on the interfacial area between the different phases or to the assessment of yield stresses of polycrystalline metals/alloys samples. The experimental determination of such distributions often involves laborious sampling procedures and the statistical significance of the outcome is rarely investigated. In this work, we propose a novel rigorous tool, based on inferential statistics, to determine the number of samples needed to obtain reliable measurements of size distribution, according to specific requirements defined a priori. Such methodology can be adopted regardless of the measurement technique used. (paper)

Morphological evolution of dissolving feldspar particles with anisotropic surface kinetics and implications for dissolution rate normalization and grain size dependence: A kinetic modeling study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Lüttge, Andreas

2009-11-01

With previous two-dimensional (2D) simulations based on surface-specific feldspar dissolution succeeding in relating the macroscopic feldspar kinetics to the molecular-scale surface reactions of Si and Al atoms ( Zhang and Lüttge, 2008, 2009), we extended our modeling effort to three-dimensional (3D) feldspar particle dissolution simulations. Bearing on the same theoretical basis, the 3D feldspar particle dissolution simulations have verified the anisotropic surface kinetics observed in the 2D surface-specific simulations. The combined effect of saturation state, pH, and temperature on the surface kinetics anisotropy has been subsequently evaluated, found offering diverse options for morphological evolution of dissolving feldspar nanoparticles with varying grain sizes and starting shapes. Among the three primary faces on the simulated feldspar surface, the (1 0 0) face has the biggest dissolution rate across an extensively wide saturation state range and thus acquires a higher percentage of the surface area upon dissolution. The slowest dissolution occurs to either (0 0 1) or (0 1 0) faces depending on the bond energies of Si-(O)-Si ( ΦSi-O-Si/ kT) and Al-(O)-Si ( ΦAl-O-Si/ kT). When the ratio of ΦSi-O-Si/ kT to ΦAl-O-Si/ kT changes from 6:3 to 7:5, the dissolution rates of three primary faces change from the trend of (1 0 0) > (0 1 0) > (0 0 1) to the trend of (1 0 0) > (0 0 1) > (0 1 0). The rate difference between faces becomes more distinct and accordingly edge rounding becomes more significant. Feldspar nanoparticles also experience an increasing degree of edge rounding from far-from-equilibrium to close-to-equilibrium. Furthermore, we assessed the connection between the continuous morphological modification and the variation in the bulk dissolution rate during the dissolution of a single feldspar particle. Different normalization treatments equivalent to the commonly used mass, cube assumption, sphere assumption, geometric surface area, and reactive

Pressure ulcer prevention and healing using alternating pressure mattress at home: the PARESTRY project.

Science.gov (United States)

Meaume, S; Marty, M

2015-08-01

Specialised pressure-relieving supports reduce or relieve the interface pressure between the skin and the support surface. The comparative effectiveness of dynamic support surfaces is debated. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of using an alternating pressure air mattress (APAM) on pressure ulcer (PU) incidence in patients receiving home-based care. A second aim was to determine the level of patient/family satisfaction with comfort and gain the views of the care team that used the APAM. The PARESTRY study was a prospective observational study conducted in patients with a high risk of PUs (Braden score prevention groups consisted of patients with no PU at baseline who were in bed for at least 20 hours a day. Patients at baseline with a category 3 or 4 PU or a category 1 or 2 PU in association with poor general health or end-of-life status were included in the secondary prevention group. All patients were laid on an APAM. The primary end point was the % of patients with a worsening skin condition in the pressure area (heel, sacrum, ischium) at day 90 or at the end of the study. The primary analysis was done on the full analysis set (patients included with at least a second assessment), using the last observation carried forward technique to handle missing data, at day 90. A 95% confidence interval was calculated. Analysis was performed on 92 patients (30 in primary prevention and 62 in secondary prevention). The average time spent in bed was 22.7 (SD 2.7) hours a day and 22.6 (SD 2.2) hours in the primary and secondary prevention groups, respectively. At baseline, in the secondary group, 77% of patients had a sacral PU, 63% a heel PU, 8% an ischial tuberosity PU and 45% a PU in another area, a number of patients having multiple PUs. In the primary prevention group, 63% (19/30) of patients dropped out of the study (5 were hospitalised, 9 died, 5 other causes). In the secondary prevention group, 61% (38/62) dropped out (7 were hospitalised, 23 died, 8

TiO2 nanoparticles disrupt cell adhesion and the architecture of cytoskeletal networks of human osteoblast-like cells in a size dependent manner.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Mohamed; Schoelermann, Julia; Mustafa, Kamal; Cimpan, Mihaela R

2018-04-30

Human exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO 2 ) is increasing. An internal source of nano-TiO 2 is represented by titanium-based orthopedic and dental implants can release nanoparticles (NPs) upon abrasion. Little is known about how the size of NPs influences their interaction with cytoskeletal protein networks and the functional/homeostatic consequences that might follow at the implant-bone interface with regard to osteoblasts. We investigated the effects of size of anatase nano-TiO 2 on SaOS-2 human osteoblast-like cells exposed to clinically relevant concentrations (0.05, 0.5, 5 mg/L) of 5 and 40 nm spherical nano-TiO 2 . Cell viability and proliferation, adhesion, spread and migration were assessed, as well as the orientation of actin and microtubule cytoskeletal networks. The phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK Y397 ) and the expression of vinculin in response to nano-TiO 2 were also assessed. Treatment with nano-TiO 2 disrupted the actin and microtubule cytoskeletal networks leading to morphological modifications of SaOS-2 cells. The phosphorylation of p-FAK Y397 and the expression of vinculin were also modified depending on the particle size, which affected cell adhesion. Consequently, the cell migration was significantly impaired in the 5 nm-exposed cells compared to unexposed cells. The present work shows that the orientation of cytoskeletal networks and the focal adhesion proteins and subsequently the adhesion, spread and migration of SaOS-2 cells were affected by the selected nano-TiO 2 in a size dependent manner. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Size-dependent nonlocal effects in plasmonic semiconductor particles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maack, Johan Rosenkrantz; Mortensen, N. Asger; Wubs, Martijn

2017-01-01

Localized surface plasmons (LSP) in semiconductor particles are expected to exhibit spatial nonlocal response effects as the geometry enters the nanometer scale. To investigate these nonlocal effects, we apply the hydrodynamic model to nanospheres of two different semiconductor materials: intrinsic...... InSb and n-doped GaAs. Our results show that the semiconductors indeed display nonlocal effects, and that these effects are even more pronounced than in metals. In a 150 nm InSb particle at 300 K, the LSP frequency is blueshifted 35%, which is orders of magnitude larger than the blueshift in a metal...... particle of the same size. This property, together with their tunability, makes semiconductors a promising platform for experiments in nonlocal effects. Copyright (C)EPLA, 2017...

Size-dependent elastic/inelastic behavior of enamel over millimeter and nanometer length scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Siang Fung; Bortel, Emely L; Swain, Michael V; Klocke, Arndt; Schneider, Gerold A

2010-03-01

The microstructure of enamel like most biological tissues has a hierarchical structure which determines their mechanical behavior. However, current studies of the mechanical behavior of enamel lack a systematic investigation of these hierarchical length scales. In this study, we performed macroscopic uni-axial compression tests and the spherical indentation with different indenter radii to probe enamel's elastic/inelastic transition over four hierarchical length scales, namely: 'bulk enamel' (mm), 'multiple-rod' (10's microm), 'intra-rod' (100's nm with multiple crystallites) and finally 'single-crystallite' (10's nm with an area of approximately one hydroxyapatite crystallite). The enamel's elastic/inelastic transitions were observed at 0.4-17 GPa depending on the length scale and were compared with the values of synthetic hydroxyapatite crystallites. The elastic limit of a material is important as it provides insights into the deformability of the material before fracture. At the smallest investigated length scale (contact radius approximately 20 nm), elastic limit is followed by plastic deformation. At the largest investigated length scale (contact size approximately 2 mm), only elastic then micro-crack induced response was observed. A map of elastic/inelastic regions of enamel from millimeter to nanometer length scale is presented. Possible underlying mechanisms are also discussed. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-effectiveness of pressure-relieving devices for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleurence, Rachael L

2005-01-01

The cost-effectiveness of alternating pressure-relieving devices, mattress replacements, and mattress overlays compared with a standard hospital (high-specification foam mattress) for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers in hospital patients in the United Kingdom was investigated. A decision-analytic model was constructed to evaluate different strategies to prevent or treat pressure ulcers. Three scenarios were evaluated: the prevention of pressure ulcers, the treatment of superficial ulcers, and the treatment of severe ulcers. Epidemiological and effectiveness data were obtained from the clinical literature. Expert opinion using a rating scale technique was used to obtain quality of life data. Costs of the devices were obtained from manufacturers, whereas costs of treatment were obtained from the literature. Uncertainty was explored through probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Using 30,000 pounds sterling/QALY (quality-adjusted life year) as the decision-maker's cut off point (the current UK standard), in scenario 1 (prevention), the cost-effective strategy was the mattress overlay at 1, 4, and 12 weeks. In scenarios 2 and 3, the cost-effective strategy was the mattress replacement at 1, 4, and 12 weeks. Standard care was a dominated intervention in all scenarios for values of the decision-maker's ceiling ratio ranging from 5,000 pounds sterling to 100,000 pounds sterling/QALY. However, the probabilistic sensitivity analysis results reflected the high uncertainty surrounding the choice of devices. Current information suggests that alternating pressure mattress overlays may be cost-effective for the prevention of pressure ulcers, whereas alternating pressure mattress replacements appears to be cost-effective for the treatment of superficial and severe pressure ulcers.

Characterization of combustion-generated carbonaceous nanoparticles by size-dependent ultraviolet laser photoionization.

Science.gov (United States)

Commodo, Mario; Sgro, Lee Anne; Minutolo, Patrizia; D'Anna, Andrea

2013-05-16

Photoelectric charging of particles is a powerful tool for online characterization of submicrometer aerosol particles. Indeed photoionization based techniques have high sensitivity and chemical selectivity. Moreover, they yield information on electronic properties of the material and are sensitive to the state of the surface. In the present study the photoionization charging efficiency, i.e., the ratio between the generated positive ions and the corresponding neutral ones, for different classes of flame-generated carbonaceous nanoparticles was measured. The fifth harmonics of a Nd:YAG laser, 213 nm (5.82 eV), was used as an ionization source for the combustion generated nanoparticles, whereas a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) coupled to a Faraday cup electrometer was used for particle classification and detection. Carbonaceous nanoparticles in the nucleation mode, i.e., sizes ranging from 1 to 10 nm, show a photoionization charging efficiency clearly dependent on the flame conditions. In particular, we observed that the richer the flame is, i.e., the higher the equivalent ratio is, the higher the photon charging efficiency is. We hypothesized that such an increase in the photoionization propensity of the carbonaceous nanoparticles from richer flame condition is associated to the presence within the particles of larger aromatic moieties. The results clearly show that photoionization is a powerful diagnostic tool for the physical-chemical characterization of combustion aerosol, and it may lead to further insights into the soot formation mechanism.

Field size and dose distribution of electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Wee Saing

1980-01-01

The author concerns some relations between the field size and dose distribution of electron beams. The doses of electron beams are measured by either an ion chamber with an electrometer or by film for dosimetry. We analyzes qualitatively some relations; the energy of incident electron beams and depths of maximum dose, field sizes of electron beams and depth of maximum dose, field size and scatter factor, electron energy and scatter factor, collimator shape and scatter factor, electron energy and surface dose, field size and surface dose, field size and central axis depth dose, and field size and practical range. He meets with some results. They are that the field size of electron beam has influence on the depth of maximum dose, scatter factor, surface dose and central axis depth dose, scatter factor depends on the field size and energy of electron beam, and the shape of the collimator, and the depth of maximum dose and the surface dose depend on the energy of electron beam, but the practical range of electron beam is independent of field size

Size-dependent electro-magneto-elastic bending analyses of the shear-deformable axisymmetric functionally graded circular nanoplates

Science.gov (United States)

Arefi, Mohammad; Zenkour, Ashraf M.

2017-10-01

This paper develops nonlocal elasticity equations and magneto-electro-elastic relations to size-dependent electro-magneto-elastic bending analyses of the functionally graded axisymmetric circular nanoplates based on the first-order shear deformation theory. All material properties are graded along the thickness direction based on exponential varying. It is assumed that a circular nanoplate is made from piezo-magnetic materials. The energy method and Ritz approach is employed for the derivation of governing equations of electro-magneto-elastic bending and the solution of the problem, respectively. The nanoplate is subjected to applied electric and magnetic potentials at top and transverse loads while it is rested on Pasternak's foundation. Some important numerical results are presented in various figures to show the influence of applied electric and magnetic potentials, small scale parameter and inhomogeneous index of an exponentially graded nanoplate.

SU-F-18C-12: On the Relationship of the Weighted Dose to the Surface Dose In Abdominal CT - Patient Size Dependency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Y; Scott, A; Allahverdian, J [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2014-06-15

Purpose: It is possible to measure the patient surface dose non-invasively using radiolucent dosimeters. However, the patient size specific weighted dose remains unknown. We attempted to study the weighted dose to surface dose relationship as the patient size varies in abdominal CT. Methods: Seven abdomen phantoms (CIRS TE series) simulating patients from an infant to a large adult were used. Size specific doses were measured with a 100 mm CT chamber under axial scans using a Siemens Sensation 64 (mCT) and a GE 750 HD. The scanner settings were 120 kVp, 200 mAs with fully opened collimations. Additional kVps (80, 100, 140) were added depending on the phantom sizes. The ratios (r) of the weighted CT dose (Dw) to the surface dose (Ds) were related to the phantom size (L) defined as the diameter resulting the equivalent cross-sectional area. Results: The Dw versus Ds ratio (r) was fitted to a linear relationship: r = 1.083 − 0.007L (R square = 0.995), and r = 1.064 − 0.007L (R square = 0.953), for Siemens Sensation 64 and GE 750 HD, respectively. The relationship appears to be independent of the scanner specifics. Conclusion: The surface dose to the weighted dose ratio decreases linearly as the patient size increases. The result is independent of the scanner specifics. The result can be used to obtain in vivo CT dosimetry in abdominal CT.

SU-F-18C-12: On the Relationship of the Weighted Dose to the Surface Dose In Abdominal CT - Patient Size Dependency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Y; Scott, A; Allahverdian, J

2014-01-01

Purpose: It is possible to measure the patient surface dose non-invasively using radiolucent dosimeters. However, the patient size specific weighted dose remains unknown. We attempted to study the weighted dose to surface dose relationship as the patient size varies in abdominal CT. Methods: Seven abdomen phantoms (CIRS TE series) simulating patients from an infant to a large adult were used. Size specific doses were measured with a 100 mm CT chamber under axial scans using a Siemens Sensation 64 (mCT) and a GE 750 HD. The scanner settings were 120 kVp, 200 mAs with fully opened collimations. Additional kVps (80, 100, 140) were added depending on the phantom sizes. The ratios (r) of the weighted CT dose (Dw) to the surface dose (Ds) were related to the phantom size (L) defined as the diameter resulting the equivalent cross-sectional area. Results: The Dw versus Ds ratio (r) was fitted to a linear relationship: r = 1.083 − 0.007L (R square = 0.995), and r = 1.064 − 0.007L (R square = 0.953), for Siemens Sensation 64 and GE 750 HD, respectively. The relationship appears to be independent of the scanner specifics. Conclusion: The surface dose to the weighted dose ratio decreases linearly as the patient size increases. The result is independent of the scanner specifics. The result can be used to obtain in vivo CT dosimetry in abdominal CT

Effects of nanoscale size dependent parameters on lattice thermal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

diameter dependence also indicates a strong control of surface effect in surface to bulk ratio for the 22 nm wire diameter. ... dimensional systems of variable transverse dimension using a large scale numerical transverse .... include unharmonic interaction (three-phonon Umklapp scattering,τU ), mass difference scat-.

75 FR 72944 - Third Party Testing for Certain Children's Products; Mattresses, Mattress Pads, and/or Mattress...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-29

...: Revisions to Terms of Acceptance of Children's Product Certifications Based on Third Party Conformity... under which it will accept certifications for children's products based on third party conformity..., requires that certification be based on testing of sufficient samples of the product, or samples that are...

75 FR 51020 - Third Party Testing for Certain Children's Products; Mattresses, Mattress Pads, and/or Mattress...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-18

... Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 17025:2005, ``General Requirements... and of the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 laboratory accreditation standard is provided in the... body that was ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by an ILAC-MRA member at the time of the test. For firewalled...

Thermal conductivity of graphene mediated by strain and size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuang, Youdi; Shi, Sanqiang; Wang, Xinjiang

2016-01-01

Based on first-principles calculations and full iterative solution of the linearized Boltzmann–Peierls transport equation for phonons, we systematically investigate effects of strain, size and temperature on the thermal conductivity k of suspended graphene. The calculated size-dependent and temperature-dependent k for finite samples agree well with experimental data. The results show that, contrast to the convergent room-temperature k = 5450 W/m-K of unstrained graphene at a sample size ~8 cm, k of strained graphene diverges with increasing the sample size even at high temperature. Out-of-plane acoustic phonons are responsible for the significant size effect in unstrained and strained graphene due to their ultralong mean free path and acoustic phonons with wavelength smaller than 10 nm contribute 80% to the intrinsic room temperature k of unstrained graphene. Tensile strain hardens the flexural modes and increases their lifetimes, causing interesting dependence of k on sample size and strain due to the competition between boundary scattering and intrinsic phonon–phonon scattering. k of graphene can be tuned within a large range by strain for the size larger than 500 μm. These findings shed light on the nature of thermal transport in two-dimensional materials and may guide predicting and engineering k of graphene by varying strain and size

Size effects in foams : Experiments and modeling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tekoglu, C.; Gibson, L. J.; Pardoen, T.; Onck, P. R.

Mechanical properties of cellular solids depend on the ratio of the sample size to the cell size at length scales where the two are of the same order of magnitude. Considering that the cell size of many cellular solids used in engineering applications is between 1 and 10 mm, it is not uncommon to

Renal tissue alterations were size-dependent with smaller ones induced more effects and related with time exposure of gold nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarrar Bashir M

2011-09-01

interfering with the antioxidant defense mechanism and leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS generation which in turn may induce stress in the renal cells to undergo atrophy and necrosis. The produced alterations were size-dependent with smaller ones induced more affects and related with time exposure of GNPs.

Biomechanical characteristics of single-row repair in comparison to double-row repair with consideration of the suture configuration and suture material.

Science.gov (United States)

Baums, M H; Buchhorn, G H; Spahn, G; Poppendieck, B; Schultz, W; Klinger, H-M

2008-11-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the time zero mechanical properties of single- versus double-row configuration for rotator cuff repair in an animal model with consideration of the stitch technique and suture material. Thirty-two fresh-frozen sheep shoulders were randomly assigned to four repair groups: suture anchor single-row repair coupled with (1) braided, nonabsorbable polyester suture sized USP No. 2 (SRAE) or (2) braided polyblend polyethylene suture sized No. 2 (SRAH). The double-row repair was coupled with (3) USP No. 2 (DRAE) or (4) braided polyblend polyethylene suture No. 2 (DRAH). Arthroscopic Mason-Allen stitches were used (single-row) and combined with medial horizontal mattress stitches (double-row). Shoulders were cyclically loaded from 10 to 180 N. Displacement to gap formation of 5- and 10-mm at the repair site, cycles to failure, and the mode of failure were determined. The ultimate tensile strength was verified in specimens that resisted to 3,000 cycles. DRAE and DRAH had a lower frequency of 5- (P = 0.135) and 10-mm gap formation (P = 0.135). All DRAE and DRAH resisted 3,000 cycles while only three SRAE and one SRAH resisted 3,000 cycles (P row specimens was significantly higher than in others (P 0.05). Double-row suture anchor repair with arthroscopic Mason-Allen/medial mattress stitches provides initial strength superior to single-row repair with arthroscopic Mason-Allen stitches under isometric cyclic loading as well as under ultimate loading conditions. Our results support the concept of double-row fixation with arthroscopic Mason-Allen/medial mattress stitches in rotator cuff tears with improvement of initial fixation strength and ultimate tensile load. Use of new polyblend polyethylene suture material seems not to increase the initial biomechanical aspects of the repair construct.

Modeling and optimization of wet sizing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thai Ba Cau; Vu Thanh Quang and Nguyen Ba Tien

2004-01-01

Mathematical simulation on basis of Stock law has been done for wet sizing process on cylinder equipment of laboratory and semi-industrial scale. The model consists of mathematical equations describing relations between variables, such as: - Resident time distribution function of emulsion particles in the separating zone of the equipment depending on flow-rate, height, diameter and structure of the equipment. - Size-distribution function in the fine and coarse parts depending on resident time distribution function of emulsion particles, characteristics of the material being processed, such as specific density, shapes, and characteristics of the environment of classification, such as specific density, viscosity. - Experimental model was developed on data collected from an experimental cylindrical equipment with diameter x height of sedimentation chamber equal to 50 x 40 cm for an emulsion of zirconium silicate in water. - Using this experimental model allows to determine optimal flow-rate in order to obtain product with desired grain size in term of average size or size distribution function. (author)

Firm size and taxes

OpenAIRE

Chongvilaivan, Aekapol; Jinjarak, Yothin

2010-01-01

The scale dependence in firm growth (smaller firms grow faster) is systematically reflected in the size distribution. This paper studies whether taxes affect the equilibrium firm size distribution in a cross-country context. The main finding is that the empirical association between firm growth and corporate tax (VAT) is positive (negative), with notable differences in the response of manufacturing firms and that of the others. We draw implications for recent debate on the impact of taxes and...

Feature-size dependent selective edge enhancement of x-ray images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herman, S.

1988-01-01

Morphological filters are nonlinear signal transformations that operate on a picture directly in the space domain. Such filters are based on the theory of mathematical morphology previously formulated. The filt4er being presented here features a ''mask'' operator (called a ''structuring element'' in some of the literature) which is a function of the two spatial coordinates x and y. The two basic mathematical operations are called ''masked erosion'' and ''masked dilation''. In the case of masked erosion the mask is passed over the input image in a raster pattern. At each position of the mask, the pixel values under the mask are multiplied by the mask pixel values. Then the output pixel value, located at the center position of the mask,is set equal to the minimum of the product of the mask and input values. Similarity, for masked dilation, the output pixel value is the maximum of the product of the input and the mask pixel values. The two basic processes of dilation and erosion can be used to construct the next level of operations the ''positive sieve'' (also called ''opening'') and the ''negative sieve'' (''closing''). The positive sieve modifies the peaks in the image whereas the negative sieve works on image valleys. The positive sieve is implemented by passing the output of the masked erosion step through the masked dilation function. The negative sieve reverses this procedure, using a dilation followed by an erosion. Each such sifting operator is characterized by a ''hole size''. It will be shown that the choice of hole size will select the range of pixel detail sizes which are to be enhanced. The shape of the mask will govern the shape of the enhancement. Finally positive sifting is used to enhance positive-going (peak) features, whereas negative enhances the negative-going (valley) landmarks

Hall measurements and grain-size effects in polycrystalline silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, A.K.; Rose, A.; Maruska, H.P.; Eustace, D.J.; Feng, T.

1980-01-01

The effects of grain size on Hall measurements in polycrystalline silicon are analyzed and interpreted, with some modifications, using the model proposed by Bube. This modified model predicts that the measured effective Hall voltage is composed of components originating from the bulk and space-charge regions. For materials with large grain sizes, the carrier concentration is independent of the intergrain boundary barrier, whereas the mobility is dependent on it. However, for small grains, both the carrier density and mobility depend on the barrier. These predictions are consistent with experimental results of mm-size Wacker and μm-size neutron-transmutation-doped polycrystalline silicon

An epidemiological model of viral infections in a Varroa-infested bee colony: the case of a bee-dependent mite population size

OpenAIRE

Bernardi, Sara; Venturino, Ezio

2016-01-01

In recent years the spread of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor has become the most serious threat to worldwide apiculture. In the model presented here we extend the bee population dynamics with mite viral epidemiology examined in an earlier paper by allowing a bee-dependent mite population size. The results of the analysis match field observations well and give a clear explanation of how Varroa affects the epidemiology of certain naturally occurring bee viruses, causing considerable d...

A bacteriological study of hospital beds before and after disinfection with phenolic disinfectant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrade Denise de

2000-01-01

Full Text Available In hospitals, one of the ways to control microbial contamination is by disinfecting the furniture used by patients. This study's main objective was to evaluate the microbiological condition of hospital mattresses before and after such disinfection, in order to identify bacteria that are epidemiologically important in nosocomial infection, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. RODAC plates with two different culture media were used to collect specimens. Patient beds were selected according to previously established criteria, and surface areas on the mattresses were chosen at random. From the total of 1 040 plate cultures from 52 mattresses, positive results were obtained from 500 of them (48.1%, 263 before disinfection and 237 after disinfection. Considering the selectivity of the culture media, the positivity rate was high. There were high prevalences of S. aureus both before and after mattress disinfection. The study results suggest that the usual disinfection procedures, instead of diminishing the number of microbes, merely displace them from one part of the mattress to another, and the number of microorganisms remains the same.

A bacteriological study of hospital beds before and after disinfection with phenolic disinfectant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise de Andrade

2000-03-01

Full Text Available In hospitals, one of the ways to control microbial contamination is by disinfecting the furniture used by patients. This study's main objective was to evaluate the microbiological condition of hospital mattresses before and after such disinfection, in order to identify bacteria that are epidemiologically important in nosocomial infection, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. RODAC plates with two different culture media were used to collect specimens. Patient beds were selected according to previously established criteria, and surface areas on the mattresses were chosen at random. From the total of 1 040 plate cultures from 52 mattresses, positive results were obtained from 500 of them (48.1%, 263 before disinfection and 237 after disinfection. Considering the selectivity of the culture media, the positivity rate was high. There were high prevalences of S. aureus both before and after mattress disinfection. The study results suggest that the usual disinfection procedures, instead of diminishing the number of microbes, merely displace them from one part of the mattress to another, and the number of microorganisms remains the same.

On size effects in fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinclair, G.B.

1985-01-01

This paper discusses the dependence of fracture stress on size. This conclusion is based on classical energy arguments. For an in-plane scaled specimen pair, the larger the specimen the smaller the fracture stress. In contrast the same theory gives a different dependence for out-of-plane specimen and the dependence involves plane stress, strain, fracture stresses and Poisson's ratio. The objective of this paper is to examine how well these predictions are actually complied with

Size-dependent magnetism in nanocrystals of spin-chain α-CoV2O6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu, H.; Ouyang, Z.W.; Sun, Y.C.; Ruan, M.Y.; Li, J.J.; Yue, X.Y.; Wang, Z.X.; Xia, Z.C.; Rao, G.H.

2016-01-01

Magnetization and high-field ESR measurements have been performed to study the magnetism of nanocrystals of α-CoV 2 O 6 , an Ising spin-chain system without triangular lattice but presenting interesting 1/3 magnetization step. The results demonstrated the antiferromagnetic (AFM) enhancement and gradual suppression of the 1/3 magnetization step in nanoparticle samples. Within the framework of core–shell model consisting of the AFM core spins and the uncompensated/disordered shell spins, the AFM enhancement below T N =13 K is a result of enhanced shell disorder with weak ferromagnetism. This AFM enhancement, along with the suppression of saturation magnetization, results in the suppression of 1/3 magnetization step. Furthermore, the paramagnetism of the shell was confirmed by our high-field ESR measurements. The time-dependent magnetization suggests the presence of spin-glass-like freezing. This is expected for nanoparticles with surface shell disorder with ferromagnetic correlations, but is not expected for bulk material of α-CoV 2 O 6 without spin frustration. These findings demonstrate that size tuning is an effective parameter for controlling the ground state of α-CoV 2 O 6 .

Egg size and offspring quality: a meta-analysis in birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Krist, Miloš

2011-08-01

Parents affect offspring fitness by propagule size and quality, selection of oviposition site, quality of incubation, feeding of dependent young, and their defence against predators and parasites. Despite many case studies on each of these topics, this knowledge has not been rigorously integrated into individual parental care traits for any taxon. Consequently, we lack a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of how parental care modifies offspring phenotypes. This meta-analysis of 283 studies with 1805 correlations between egg size and offspring quality in birds is intended to fill this gap. The large sample size enabled testing of how the magnitude of the relationship between egg size and offspring quality depends on a number of variables. Egg size was positively related to nearly all studied offspring traits across all stages of the offspring life cycle. Not surprisingly, the relationship was strongest at hatching but persisted until the post-fledging stage. Morphological traits were the most closely related to egg size but significant relationships were also found with hatching success, chick survival, and growth rate. Non-significant effect sizes were found for egg fertility, chick immunity, behaviour, and life-history or sexual traits. Effect size did not depend on whether chicks were raised by their natural parents or were cross-fostered to other territories. Effect size did not depend on species-specific traits such as developmental mode, clutch size, and relative size of the egg, but was larger if tested in captive compared to wild populations and between rather than within broods. In sum, published studies support the view that egg size affects juvenile survival. There are very few studies that tested the relationship between egg size and the fecundity component of offspring fitness, and no studies on offspring survival as adults or on global fitness. More data are also needed for the relationships between egg size and offspring behavioural and

Size-dependent structure and magnetic properties of DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cai, Xuan; Shi, Lei, E-mail: shil@ustc.edu.cn; Zhou, Shiming; Zhao, Jiyin; Guo, Yuqiao; Wang, Cailin [Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)

2014-09-14

The structure and magnetic properties of orthorhombic DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles with different particle sizes are investigated in this paper. With decreasing particle size, all the lattice parameters a, b, and c gradually decrease, whereas the orthorhombic distortion increases. Magnetic measurements reveal that the antiferromagnetic interaction of Mn ions is weakened due to the decrease in Mn-O-Mn bond angle. Above a critical field H*, DyMnO{sub 3} undergoes a field-induced metamagnetic transition at 4 K, which is related to the spin reversal of Dy moments. The critical field H* increases monotonically with size reduction, indicating an enhancement of the antiferromagnetic interaction of Dy ions due to the decreased distance between rare earth ions. The magnetization at 4 K and 5 T, i.e., M(4 K, 5 T) shows a non-monotonic variation with particle size d, i.e., M(4 K, 5 T) initially increases with size reduction but decreases again for d < 68 nm. A modified core-shell model, in which the ferromagnetic ordering (Dy magnetic structure) and antiferromagnetic ordering (Mn magnetic structure) coexist in the core, is proposed to explain this behavior.

Turbulent Concentration of mm-Size Particles in the Protoplanetary Nebula: Scale-Dependent Cascades

Science.gov (United States)

Cuzzi, J. N.; Hartlep, T.

2015-01-01

The initial accretion of primitive bodies (here, asteroids in particular) from freely-floating nebula particles remains problematic. Traditional growth-by-sticking models encounter a formidable "meter-size barrier" (or even a mm-to-cm-size barrier) in turbulent nebulae, making the preconditions for so-called "streaming instabilities" difficult to achieve even for so-called "lucky" particles. Even if growth by sticking could somehow breach the meter size barrier, turbulent nebulae present further obstacles through the 1-10km size range. On the other hand, nonturbulent nebulae form large asteroids too quickly to explain long spreads in formation times, or the dearth of melted asteroids. Theoretical understanding of nebula turbulence is itself in flux; recent models of MRI (magnetically-driven) turbulence favor low-or- no-turbulence environments, but purely hydrodynamic turbulence is making a comeback, with two recently discovered mechanisms generating robust turbulence which do not rely on magnetic fields at all. An important clue regarding planetesimal formation is an apparent 100km diameter peak in the pre-depletion, pre-erosion mass distribution of asteroids; scenarios leading directly from independent nebula particulates to large objects of this size, which avoid the problematic m-km size range, could be called "leapfrog" scenarios. The leapfrog scenario we have studied in detail involves formation of dense clumps of aerodynamically selected, typically mm-size particles in turbulence, which can under certain conditions shrink inexorably on 100-1000 orbit timescales and form 10-100km diameter sandpile planetesimals. There is evidence that at least the ordinary chondrite parent bodies were initially composed entirely of a homogeneous mix of such particles. Thus, while they are arcane, turbulent concentration models acting directly on chondrule size particles are worthy of deeper study. The typical sizes of planetesimals and the rate of their formation can be

Finite-size modifications of the magnetic properties of clusters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hendriksen, Peter Vang; Linderoth, Søren; Lindgård, Per-Anker