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Sample records for randomly misoriented crystalline

  1. Misoriented dislocation substructures and the fracture of polycrystalline Cu-Al alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koneva, N. A.; Trishkina, L. I.; Cherkasova, T. V.; Kozlov, E. V.

    2016-10-01

    The evolution of the dislocation substructure in polycrystalline Cu-Al alloys with various grain sizes is studied during deformation to failure. A relation between the fracture of the alloys and the forming misorientation dislocation substructures is revealed. Microcracks in the alloy are found to form along grain boundaries and the boundaries of misoriented dislocation cells and microtwins.

  2. High uniformity of self-organized InAs quantum wires on InAlAs buffers grown on misoriented InP(001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yuanli; Jin, P.; Ye, X.L.; Zhang, C.L.; Shi, G.X.; Li, R.Y.; Chen, Y.H.; Wang, Z.G.

    2006-01-01

    Highly uniform InAs quantum wires (QWRs) have been obtained on the In 0.5 Al 0.5 As buffer layer grown on the InP substrate 8 (convolutionsign) off (001) towards (111) by molecular-beam epitaxy. The quasi-periodic composition modulation was spontaneously formed in the In 0.5 Al 0.5 As buffer layer on this misoriented InP (001). The width and period of the In-rich bands are about 10 and 40 nm, respectively. The periodic In-rich bands play a major role in the sequent InAs QWRs growth and the InAs QWRs are well positioned atop In-rich bands. The photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed a significant reduction in full width at half maximum and enhanced PL efficiency for InAs QWRs on misoriented InP(001) as compared to that on normal InP(001)

  3. Morphological dependent Indium incorporation in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells structure grown on 4° misoriented sapphire substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teng Jiang

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The epitaxial layers of InGaN/GaN MQWs structure were grown on both planar and vicinal sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. By comparing the epitaxial layers grown on planar substrate, the sample grown on 4° misoriented from c-plane toward m-plane substrate exhibited many variations both on surface morphology and optical properties according to the scanning electronic microscopy and cathodoluminescence (CL spectroscopy results. Many huge steps were observed in the misoriented sample and a large amount of V-shape defects located around the boundary of the steps. Atoms force microscopy images show that the steps were inclined and deep grooves were formed at the boundary of the adjacent steps. Phase separation was observed in the CL spectra. CL mapping results also indicated that the deep grooves could effectively influence the localization of Indium atoms and form an In-rich region.

  4. Occurrence and elimination of in-plane misoriented crystals in AlN epilayers on sapphire via pre-treatment control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Hu; Xiong Hui; Wu Zhi-Hao; Yu Chen-Hui; Tian Yu; Dai Jiang-Nan; Fang Yan-Yan; Zhang Jian-Bao; Chen Chang-Qing

    2014-01-01

    AlN epilayers are grown directly on sapphire (0001) substrates each of which has a low temperature AlN nucleation layer. The effects of pretreatments of sapphire substrates, including exposures to NH 3 /H 2 and to H 2 only ambients at different temperatures, before the growth of AlN epilayers is investigated. In-plane misoriented crystals occur in N-polar AlN epilayers each with pretreatment in a H 2 only ambient, and are characterized by six 60°-apart peaks with splits in each peak in (101-bar 2) phi scan and two sets of hexagonal diffraction patterns taken along the [0001] zone axis in electron diffraction. These misoriented crystals can be eliminated in AlN epilayers by the pretreatment of sapphire substrates in the NH 3 /H 2 ambient. AlN epilayers by the pretreatment of sapphire substrates in the NH 3 /H 2 ambient are Al-polar. Our results show the pretreatments and the nucleation layers are responsible for the polarities of the AlN epilayers. We ascribe these results to the different strain relaxation mechanisms induced by the lattice mismatch of AlN and sapphire. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  5. Refinement of the magnetic composite model of type 304 stainless steel by considering misoriented ferromagnetic martensite particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinoshita, Katsuyuki

    2017-05-01

    We improved a magnetic composite model that combines the Jiles-Atherton model and Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method to consider misoriented martensite particles. The magnetic permeability of type 304 stainless steel were analyzed by using both experimental data on the orientation distribution of type 304 stainless steel specimens and the improved model. We found that the model is able to qualitatively explain the variation of permeability with the orientation angle and orientation distribution, an effect that depends on the direction of the excitation magnetic field.

  6. Large-size, high-uniformity, random silver nanowire networks as transparent electrodes for crystalline silicon wafer solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Shouyi; Ouyang, Zi; Jia, Baohua; Gu, Min

    2013-05-06

    Metal nanowire networks are emerging as next generation transparent electrodes for photovoltaic devices. We demonstrate the application of random silver nanowire networks as the top electrode on crystalline silicon wafer solar cells. The dependence of transmittance and sheet resistance on the surface coverage is measured. Superior optical and electrical properties are observed due to the large-size, highly-uniform nature of these networks. When applying the nanowire networks on the solar cells with an optimized two-step annealing process, we achieved as large as 19% enhancement on the energy conversion efficiency. The detailed analysis reveals that the enhancement is mainly caused by the improved electrical properties of the solar cells due to the silver nanowire networks. Our result reveals that this technology is a promising alternative transparent electrode technology for crystalline silicon wafer solar cells.

  7. A study on thermal residual stresses in the matrix and fiber of a misoriented short fiber composite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Son, Bong Jin; Lee, Joon Hyun

    1994-01-01

    An elastic model is developed to predict the average thermal residual stresses in the matrix and fiber of a misoriented short fiber composite. The thermal residual stresses are induced by the mismatch in the coefficient of the thermal expansion of the matrix and fiber when the composite is subjected to a uniform temperature change. The model considers two special cases of fiber misorientation; two-dimensional in-plane and three-dimensional axisymmetric. The analytical formulation of the model is based on Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method and is unique in that it is able to account for interactions among fibers. The model is more general than past models and it is able to treat prior analyses of the simpler composite systems as extream cases. The present model is to investigate the effects of fiber volume fraction, distribution type, distribution cut-off angle, and aspect ratio on thermal residual stress for both in-plane and axisymmetric fiber misorientation. Fiber volume fraction, aspect ratio, and disturbution cut-off angle are shown to have more significant effects on the magnitude of the thermal residual stresses than fiber distrubution type for both in-plane and axisymmetric misorientation.

  8. The nucleation of HCl and Cl{sub 2}-based HVPE GaN on mis-oriented sapphire substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bohnen, Tim; Dreumel, Gerbe W.G. van; Enckevort, Willem J.P. van; Ashraf, Hina; Jong, Aryan E.F. de; Hageman, Paul R.; Vlieg, Elias [IMM, Radboud University, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Weyher, Jan L. [Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland)

    2010-07-15

    The nucleation of both classic HCl-based and novel Cl{sub 2{sup -}} based HVPE GaN on mis-oriented sapphire substrates was investigated. The use of Cl{sub 2}in HVPE increases the growth rate by a factor of 4-5 and strongly reduces the parasitic deposition, allowing for the growth of much thicker wafers than HCl-based HVPE. Morphological SEM surface studies of the HCl-based HVPE sample surface show that at 600 C a nanocrystalline layer is deposited on the sapphire. During the subsequent annealing phase, the morphology changes to a {mu}m-sized island structure. During overgrowth at 1080 C, the islands coalesce. Small voids or pinholes are then formed in between the coalescing GaN islands. These pinholes lead to numerous pits on the surface of the GaN at thicknesses of 5 {mu}m. The pits disappear during continued overgrowth and can no longer be found on the surface, when the GaN film reaches a thickness of 45 {mu}m. This particular coalescence mechanism also applies to Cl{sub 2}-based HVPE GaN on sapphire (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  9. Crystalline and Crystalline International Disposal Activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Viswanathan, Hari S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Chu, Shaoping [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Dittrich, Timothy M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hyman, Jeffrey De' Haven [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Karra, Satish [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Makedonska, Nataliia [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reimus, Paul William [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2017-03-06

    This report presents the results of work conducted between September 2015 and July 2016 at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the crystalline disposal and crystalline international disposal work packages of the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) for DOE-NE’s Fuel Cycle Research and Development program. Los Alamos focused on two main activities during this period: Discrete fracture network (DFN) modeling to describe flow and radionuclide transport in complex fracture networks that are typical of crystalline rock environments, and a comprehensive interpretation of three different colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport experiments conducted in a fractured granodiorite at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland between 2002 and 2013. Chapter 1 presents the results of the DFN work and is divided into three main sections: (1) we show results of our recent study on the correlation between fracture size and fracture transmissivity (2) we present an analysis and visualization prototype using the concept of a flow topology graph for characterization of discrete fracture networks, and (3) we describe the Crystalline International work in support of the Swedish Task Force. Chapter 2 presents interpretation of the colloidfacilitated radionuclide transport experiments in the crystalline rock at the Grimsel Test Site.

  10. Crystalline and Crystalline International Disposal Activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Viswanathan, Hari S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Chu, Shaoping [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reimus, Paul William [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Makedonska, Nataliia [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hyman, Jeffrey De' Haven [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Karra, Satish [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Dittrich, Timothy M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2015-12-21

    This report presents the results of work conducted between September 2014 and July 2015 at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the crystalline disposal and crystalline international disposal work packages of the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) for DOE-NE’s Fuel Cycle Research and Development program.

  11. Crystalline Silica Primer

    Science.gov (United States)

    ,

    1992-01-01

    Crystalline silica is the scientific name for a group of minerals composed of silicon and oxygen. The term crystalline refers to the fact that the oxygen and silicon atoms are arranged in a threedimensional repeating pattern. This group of minerals has shaped human history since the beginning of civilization. From the sand used for making glass to the piezoelectric quartz crystals used in advanced communication systems, crystalline silica has been a part of our technological development. Crystalline silica's pervasiveness in our technology is matched only by its abundance in nature. It's found in samples from every geologic era and from every location around the globe. Scientists have known for decades that prolonged and excessive exposure to crystalline silica dust in mining environments can cause silicosis, a noncancerous lung disease. During the 1980's, studies were conducted that suggested that crystalline silica also was a carcinogen. As a result of these findings, crystalline silica has been regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Under HCS, OSHAregulated businesses that use materials containing 0.1% or more crystalline silica must follow Federal guidelines concerning hazard communication and worker training. Although the HCS does not require that samples be analyzed for crystalline silica, mineral suppliers or OSHAregulated

  12. Distinct crystallinity and orientations of hydroxyapatite thin films deposited on C- and A-plane sapphire substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akazawa, Housei; Ueno, Yuko

    2014-10-01

    We report how the crystallinity and orientation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) films deposited on sapphire substrates depend on the crystallographic planes. Both solid-phase crystallization of amorphous HAp films and crystallization during sputter deposition at elevated temperatures were examined. The low-temperature epitaxial phase on C-plane sapphire substrates has c-axis orientated HAp crystals regardless of the crystallization route, whereas the preferred orientation switches to the (310) direction at higher temperatures. Only the symmetric stretching mode (ν1) of PO43- units appears in the Raman scattering spectra, confirming well-ordered crystalline domains. In contrast, HAp crystals grown on A-plane sapphire substrates are always oriented toward random orientations. Exhibiting all vibrational modes (ν1, ν3, and ν4) of PO43- units in the Raman scattering spectra reflects random orientation, violating the Raman selection rule. If we assume that Raman intensities of PO43- units represent the crystallinity of HAp films, crystallization terminating the surface with the C-plane is hindered by the presence of excess H2O and OH species in the film, whereas crystallization at random orientations on the A-plane sapphire is rather promoted by these species. Such contrasting behaviors between C-plane and A-plane substrates will reflect surface-plane dependent creation of crystalline seeds and eventually determine the orientation of resulting HAp films.

  13. Tailoring the morphology and crystallinity of poly(L-lactide acid) electrospun membranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ribeiro, Clarisse; Sencadas, Vitor; Costa, Carlos Miguel; Lanceros-Mendez, Senentxu [Centro/Departamento de Fisica da Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal); Gomez Ribelles, Jose Luis, E-mail: lanceros@fisica.uminho.pt [Centro de Biomateriales e Ingenieria Tisular, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia (Spain)

    2011-02-15

    Biodegradable poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) microfibers were prepared by electrospinning by varying the applied potential, solution flow rate and collector conditions. PLLA fibers with smoothly oriented and random morphologies were obtained and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The optimum fiber orientation was obtained at 1000 rpm using a 20.3 cm diameter collecting drum, while for higher and lower drum rotation speeds, the rapid random motion of the jets resulted in a random fiber distribution. The deformation of the jet with rapid solidification during electrospinning often results in a metastable phase. PLLA electrospun fibers are amorphous but contain numerous crystal nuclei that rapidly grow when the sample is heated to 70-140 {sup 0}C. In this way, the degree of crystallinity of the fibers can be tailored between 0 and 50% by annealing. Infrared transmission spectra revealed that the processing conditions do not affect the PLLA samples at the molecular level and that the crystallinity of the samples is related to the presence of {alpha}-crystals.

  14. Plasmonic Physics of 2D Crystalline Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Torbatian

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Collective modes of doped two-dimensional crystalline materials, namely graphene, MoS 2 and phosphorene, both monolayer and bilayer structures, are explored using the density functional theory simulations together with the random phase approximation. The many-body dielectric functions of the materials are calculated using an ab initio based model involving material-realistic physical properties. Having calculated the electron energy-loss, we calculate the collective modes of each material considering the in-phase and out-of-phase modes for bilayer structures. Furthermore, owing to many band structures and intreband transitions, we also find high-energy excitations in the systems. We explain that the material-specific dielectric function considering the polarizability of the crystalline material such as MoS 2 are needed to obtain realistic plasmon dispersions. For each material studied here, we find different collective modes and describe their physical origins.

  15. Schottky barrier formation at amorphous-crystalline interfaces of GeSb phase change materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kroezen, H. J.; Eising, G.; ten Brink, Gert; Palasantzas, G.; Kooi, B. J.; Pauza, A.

    2012-01-01

    The electrical properties of amorphous-crystalline interfaces in phase change materials, which are important for rewritable optical data storage and for random access memory devices, have been investigated by surface scanning potential microscopy. Analysis of GeSb systems indicates that the surface

  16. Simulation of channelled ion ranges in crystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabadayi, Oender; Guemues, Hasan

    2004-01-01

    We present results from a channelled ion range simulation model based on separation of ion trajectories into three different categories known as random, channelled, and well-channelled. We present this for boron projectiles incident along the Si direction. Stopping powers for channelled particles, well-channelled, and random particles are determined using experimental ratios of random and channelled stopping powers for a boron/silicon system. We have found the particle range distributions and the mean range of particles in crystalline channels. A new program code has been developed for the implementation of the presented model. The results are compared with experimental data as well as Crystal-transport and range of ions in matter, stopping and ranges of ions in matter, and projected range algorithm programs. We have found good agreement between our calculations and experiment, with an average discrepancy of 7%. Our model is also able to simulate the observed shift towards larger depths for the main ion distribution under channelling conditions

  17. Comparative Community Proteomics Demonstrates the Unexpected Importance of Actinobacterial Glycoside Hydrolase Family 12 Protein for Crystalline Cellulose Hydrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hiras, Jennifer; Wu, Yu-Wei; Deng, Kai; Nicora, Carrie D.; Aldrich, Joshua T.; Frey, Dario; Kolinko, Sebastian; Robinson, Errol W.; Jacobs, Jon M.; Adams, Paul D.; Northen, Trent R.; Simmons, Blake A.; Singer, Steven W.

    2016-08-23

    ABSTRACT

    Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) are key enzymes in the depolymerization of plant-derived cellulose, a process central to the global carbon cycle and the conversion of plant biomass to fuels and chemicals. A limited number of GH families hydrolyze crystalline cellulose, often by a processive mechanism along the cellulose chain. During cultivation of thermophilic cellulolytic microbial communities, substantial differences were observed in the crystalline cellulose saccharification activities of supernatants recovered from divergent lineages. Comparative community proteomics identified a set of cellulases from a population closely related to actinobacteriumThermobispora bisporathat were highly abundant in the most active consortium. Among the cellulases fromT. bispora, the abundance of a GH family 12 (GH12) protein correlated most closely with the changes in crystalline cellulose hydrolysis activity. This result was surprising since GH12 proteins have been predominantly characterized as enzymes active on soluble polysaccharide substrates. Heterologous expression and biochemical characterization of the suite ofT. bisporahydrolytic cellulases confirmed that the GH12 protein possessed the highest activity on multiple crystalline cellulose substrates and demonstrated that it hydrolyzes cellulose chains by a predominantly random mechanism. This work suggests that the role of GH12 proteins in crystalline cellulose hydrolysis by cellulolytic microbes should be reconsidered.

    IMPORTANCECellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on earth, and its enzymatic hydrolysis is a key reaction in the global carbon cycle and the conversion of plant biomass to biofuels. The glycoside hydrolases that depolymerize crystalline cellulose have been primarily characterized from isolates. In this study, we demonstrate that adapting microbial consortia from compost to grow on crystalline cellulose

  18. InGaAs/GaAsP strain balanced multi-quantum wires grown on misoriented GaAs substrates for high efficiency solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alonso-Álvarez, D.; Thomas, T.; Führer, M.; Hylton, N. P.; Ekins-Daukes, N. J.; Lackner, D.; Philipps, S. P.; Bett, A. W.; Sodabanlu, H.; Fujii, H.; Watanabe, K.; Sugiyama, M.; Nasi, L.; Campanini, M.

    2014-01-01

    Quantum wires (QWRs) form naturally when growing strain balanced InGaAs/GaAsP multi-quantum wells (MQW) on GaAs [100] 6° misoriented substrates under the usual growth conditions. The presence of wires instead of wells could have several unexpected consequences for the performance of the MQW solar cells, both positive and negative, that need to be assessed to achieve high conversion efficiencies. In this letter, we study QWR properties from the point of view of their performance as solar cells by means of transmission electron microscopy, time resolved photoluminescence and external quantum efficiency (EQE) using polarised light. We find that these QWRs have longer lifetimes than nominally identical QWs grown on exact [100] GaAs substrates, of up to 1 μs, at any level of illumination. We attribute this effect to an asymmetric carrier escape from the nanostructures leading to a strong 1D-photo-charging, keeping electrons confined along the wire and holes in the barriers. In principle, these extended lifetimes could be exploited to enhance carrier collection and reduce dark current losses. Light absorption by these QWRs is 1.6 times weaker than QWs, as revealed by EQE measurements, which emphasises the need for more layers of nanostructures or the use light trapping techniques. Contrary to what we expected, QWR show very low absorption anisotropy, only 3.5%, which was the main drawback a priori of this nanostructure. We attribute this to a reduced lateral confinement inside the wires. These results encourage further study and optimization of QWRs for high efficiency solar cells.

  19. Crystalline color superconductivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alford, Mark; Bowers, Jeffrey A.; Rajagopal, Krishna

    2001-01-01

    In any context in which color superconductivity arises in nature, it is likely to involve pairing between species of quarks with differing chemical potentials. For suitable values of the differences between chemical potentials, Cooper pairs with nonzero total momentum are favored, as was first realized by Larkin, Ovchinnikov, Fulde, and Ferrell (LOFF). Condensates of this sort spontaneously break translational and rotational invariance, leading to gaps which vary periodically in a crystalline pattern. Unlike the original LOFF state, these crystalline quark matter condensates include both spin-zero and spin-one Cooper pairs. We explore the range of parameters for which crystalline color superconductivity arises in the QCD phase diagram. If in some shell within the quark matter core of a neutron star (or within a strange quark star) the quark number densities are such that crystalline color superconductivity arises, rotational vortices may be pinned in this shell, making it a locus for glitch phenomena

  20. Effect of isothermal annealing on degree of crystallinity and mechanical properties of poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Na; Wang, Liansong [Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041 (China); Graduated School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039 (China); Huang, Dongling; Zhang, Tianyao; Zhang, Lifang [Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041 (China); Xiong, Chengdong

    2010-03-15

    We investigated the effect of isothermal annealing on the degree of crystallinity and mechanical properties of a random copolymer-poly(l-lactide-co -glycolide) (PLLGA)-with monomer molar ratios of 85/15 (PLLGA85/15) by performing polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction, and studying the tensile properties. Isothermal annealing of PLLGA at 130 C was conducted to improve the degree of crystallinity of the copolymer; the maximum degree of crystallinity (44.5%) was achieved after 60 min of annealing. The crystal size/perfection was observed to increase with annealing time. The highest tensile strength of 65.8 MPa was achieved after 80 min of annealing. However, the degree of crystallinity and tensile strength can only reach to certain extent. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  1. RNA aptamers targeted for human αA-crystallin do not bind αB-crystallin, and spare the α-crystallin domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallik, Prabhat K; Shi, Hua; Pande, Jayanti

    2017-09-16

    The molecular chaperones, α-crystallins, belong to the small heat shock protein (sHSP) family and prevent the aggregation and insolubilization of client proteins. Studies in vivo have shown that the chaperone activity of the α-crystallins is raised or lowered in various disease states. Therefore, the development of tools to control chaperone activity may provide avenues for therapeutic intervention, as well as enable a molecular understanding of chaperone function. The major human lens α-crystallins, αA- (HAA) and αB- (HAB), share 57% sequence identity and show similar activity towards some clients, but differing activities towards others. Notably, both crystallins contain the "α-crystallin domain" (ACD, the primary client binding site), like all other members of the sHSP family. Here we show that RNA aptamers selected for HAA, in vitro, exhibit specific affinity to HAA but do not bind HAB. Significantly, these aptamers also exclude the ACD. This study thus demonstrates that RNA aptamers against sHSPs can be designed that show high affinity and specificity - yet exclude the primary client binding region - thereby facilitating the development of RNA aptamer-based therapeutic intervention strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Liquid crystalline order in polymers

    CERN Document Server

    Blumstein, Alexandre

    1978-01-01

    Liquid Crystalline Order in Polymers examines the topic of liquid crystalline order in systems containing rigid synthetic macromolecular chains. Each chapter of the book provides a review of one important area of the field. Chapter 1 discusses scattering in polymer systems with liquid crystalline order. It also introduces the field of liquid crystals. Chapter 2 treats the origin of liquid crystalline order in macromolecules by describing the in-depth study of conformation of such macromolecules in their unassociated state. The chapters that follow describe successively the liquid crystalli

  3. Trilayered Morphology of an ABC Triple Crystalline Triblock Terpolymer

    KAUST Repository

    Palacios, Jordana K.

    2017-09-07

    Triple crystalline triblock terpolymers are materials with remarkable semicrystalline superstructures. In this work, we report for first time the alternating triple lamellar morphology that self-assembles inside spherulites of a triblock terpolymer composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), and poly(l-lactide) (PLLA). The morphology of the PEO-b-PCL-b-PLLA triblock terpolymer is compared to an analogous PCL-b-PLLA diblock copolymer. Both diblock and triblock form a single phase in the melt. Two crystallization protocols were employed to create particular crystalline morphologies. In both cases, the isothermal crystallization of the PLA block is induced first (at 81 °C, a temperature above the melting points of both PCL and PEO blocks) and PLLA spherulites form a template, whereupon cooling the other two blocks can crystallize within the PLLA interlamellar spaces. WAXS analysis demonstrated the double crystalline and triple crystalline nature of the materials. The lamellar structure was evaluated by AFM observations and SAXS measurements. Moreover, theoretical SAXS curves of one-dimensional structural models were calculated. AFM micrographs of the triblock terpolymer evidenced the three different lamellae of PLLA, PCL and PEO that coexist together within the same spherulite. Three different lamellar thickness were determined, and their dimensions suggested that all blocks crystallized in chain-folded conformations. The evolution of the triple lamellar morphology during heating of tricrystalline samples was followed by in situ synchrotron SAXS measurements. The theoretical analysis of the SAXS curves of the triblock terpolymer allowed us to propose a stacking morphological model, in which a particular trilayer structure exists, where one lamella of PCL or one lamella of PEO is inserted randomly between two adjacent PLLA lamellae.

  4. Effect of. gamma. -irradiation on the crystalline structure of silk fibroin and silk sericin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsukada, Masuhiro; Aoki, Akira

    1985-02-01

    Changes in the crystalline structure of silk sericin and silk fibroin induced by gamma-irradiation in the atmosphere described. The crystalline structure of silk sericin which had been subjected to gamma-irradiation remained unchanged. However the decomposition temperature of the specimen decreased to about 230 deg C, when the total dose of ..gamma.. rays exceeded 4.6 Mrad. The structure of the silk 1 type crystal of silk fibroin in the solid state, with a low degree of molecular orientation, changed into the silk 2 type crystal, when the total dose of ..gamma.. rays exceeded 4.6 Mrad. No changes in the crystalline structure were observed in the solid state of the silk 2 type crystal regardless of gamma-irradiation. The decrease in the decomposition temperature of the specimen was attributed to the decrease in the molecular orientation. However, the molecular conformation of silk fibroin with a randomly coiled structure remained unchanged even after gamma-irradiation.

  5. Confined crystallization, crystalline phase deformation and their effects on the properties of crystalline polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Haopeng

    With the recent advances in processing and catalyst technology, novel morphologies have been created in crystalline polymers and they are expected to substantially impact the properties. To reveal the structure-property relationships of some of these novel polymeric systems becomes the primary focus of this work. In the first part, using an innovative layer-multiplying coextrusion process to obtain assemblies with thousands of polymer nanolayers, dominating "in-plane" lamellar crystals were created when the confined poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) layers were made progressively thinner. When the thickness was confined to 25 nanometers, the PEO crystallized as single, high-aspect-ratio lamellae that resembled single crystals. This crystallization habit imparted more than two orders of magnitude reduction in the gas permeability. The dramatic decrease in gas permeability was attributed to the reduced diffusion coefficient, because of the increase in gas diffusion path length through the in-plane lamellae. The temperature dependence of lamellar orientation and the crystallization kinetics in the confined nanolayers were also investigated. The novel olefinic block copolymer (OBC) studied in the second part consisted of long crystallizable sequences with low comonomer content alternating with rubbery amorphous blocks with high comonomer content. The crystallizable blocks formed lamellae that organized into space-filling spherulites even when the fraction of crystallizable block was so low that the crystallinity was only 7%. These unusual spherulites were highly elastic and recovered from strains as high as 300%. These "elastic spherulites" imparted higher strain recovery and temperature resistance than the conventional random copolymers that depend on isolated, fringed micellar-like crystals to provide the junctions for the elastomeric network. In the third part, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) was used to obtain the temperature dependence of the free

  6. Controlling the melting transition of semi-crystalline self-assembled block copolymer aggregates : Controlling release rates of ibuprofen

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Monaghan, O.R.; Bomans, P.H.H.; Sommerdijk, N.A.J.M.; Holder, S.J.

    2017-01-01

    Bicontinuous nanospheres and multi-lamellar micelles were self-assembled from poly[ethylene oxide]-block-(poly[octadecyl methacrylate]-random-poly[docosyl methacrylate]), (PEO-b-[PODMA-co-PDSMA]) where PEO is the hydrophilic block (25 wt%) and PODMA/PDSMA is the semi-crystalline hydrophobic block

  7. Blending crystalline/liquid crystalline small molecule semiconductors: A strategy towards high performance organic thin film transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Chao; He, Yaowu; Li, Aiyuan; Zhang, Dongwei; Meng, Hong

    2016-10-01

    Solution processed small molecule polycrystalline thin films often suffer from the problems of inhomogeneity and discontinuity. Here, we describe a strategy to solve these problems through deposition of the active layer from a blended solution of crystalline (2-phenyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene, Ph-BTBT) and liquid crystalline (2-(4-dodecylphenyl) [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene, C12-Ph-BTBT) small molecule semiconductors with the hot spin-coating method. Organic thin film transistors with average hole mobility approaching 1 cm2/V s, much higher than that of single component devices, have been demonstrated, mainly due to the improved uniformity, continuity, crystallinity, and stronger intermolecular π-π stacking in blend thin films. Our results indicate that the crystalline/liquid crystalline semiconductor blend method is an effective way to enhance the performance of organic transistors.

  8. Thermal behavior for a nanoscale two ferromagnetic phase system based on random anisotropy model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muraca, D.; Sanchez, F.H.; Pampillo, L.G.; Saccone, F.D.

    2010-01-01

    Advances in theory that explain the magnetic behavior as function of temperature for two phase nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials are presented. The theory developed is based on the well known random anisotropy model, which includes the crystalline exchange stiffness and anisotropy energies in both amorphous and crystalline phases. The phenomenological behavior of the coercivity was obtained in the temperature range between the amorphous phase Curie temperature and the crystalline phase one.

  9. Effect of Ultrasonic Vibration on Mechanical Properties of 3D Printing Non-Crystalline and Semi-Crystalline Polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guiwei; Zhao, Ji; Wu, Wenzheng; Jiang, Jili; Wang, Bofan; Jiang, Hao; Fuh, Jerry Ying Hsi

    2018-05-17

    Fused deposition modeling 3D printing has become the most widely used additive manufacturing technology because of its low manufacturing cost and simple manufacturing process. However, the mechanical properties of the 3D printing parts are not satisfactory. Certain pressure and ultrasonic vibration were applied to 3D printed samples to study the effect on the mechanical properties of 3D printed non-crystalline and semi-crystalline polymers. The tensile strength of the semi-crystalline polymer polylactic acid was increased by 22.83% and the bending strength was increased by 49.05%, which were almost twice the percentage increase in the tensile strength and five times the percentage increase in the bending strength of the non-crystalline polymer acrylonitrile butadiene styrene with ultrasonic strengthening. The dynamic mechanical properties of the non-crystalline and semi-crystalline polymers were both improved after ultrasonic enhancement. Employing ultrasonic energy can significantly improve the mechanical properties of samples without modifying the 3D printed material or adjusting the forming process parameters.

  10. Silicon Monoxide at 1 atm and Elevated Pressures: Crystalline or Amorphous?

    KAUST Repository

    AlKaabi, Khalid

    2014-03-05

    The absence of a crystalline SiO phase under ordinary conditions is an anomaly in the sequence of group 14 monoxides. We explore theoretically ordered ground-state and amorphous structures for SiO at P = 1 atm, and crystalline phases also at pressures up to 200 GPa. Several competitive ground-state P = 1 atm structures are found, perforce with Si-Si bonds, and possessing Si-O-Si bridges similar to those in silica (SiO2) polymorphs. The most stable of these static structures is enthalpically just a little more stable than a calculated random bond model of amorphous SiO. In that model we find no segregation into regions of amorphous Si and amorphous SiO2. The P = 1 atm structures are all semiconducting. As the pressure is increased, intriguing new crystalline structures evolve, incorporating Si triangular nets or strips and stishovite-like regions. A heat of formation of crystalline SiO is computed; it is found to be the most negative of all the group 14 monoxides. Yet, given the stability of SiO2, the disproportionation 2SiO (s) → Si(s)+SiO2(s) is exothermic, falling right into the series of group 14 monoxides, and ranging from a highly negative ΔH of disproportionation for CO to highly positive for PbO. There is no major change in the heat of disproportionation with pressure, i.e., no range of stability of SiO with respect to SiO2. The high-pressure SiO phases are metallic. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  11. Dissolution of crystalline ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, W.B.

    1982-01-01

    The present program objectives are to lay out the fundamentals of crystalline waste form dissolution. Nuclear waste ceramics are polycrystalline. An assumption of the work is that to the first order, the release rate of a particular radionuclide is the surface-weighted sum of the release rates of the radionuclide from each crystalline form that contains it. In the second order, of course, there will be synergistic effects. There will be also grain boundary and other microstructural influences. As a first approximation, we have selected crystalline phases one at a time. The sequence of investigations and measurements is: (i) Identification of the actual chemical reactions of dissolution including identification of the solid reaction products if such occur. (ii) The rates of these reactions are then determined empirically to give what may be called macroscopic kinetics. (iii) Determination of the rate-controlling mechanisms. (iv) If the rate is controlled by surface reactions, the final step would be to determine the atomic kinetics, that is the specific atomic reactions that occur at the dissolving interface. Our concern with the crystalline forms are in two areas: The crystalline components of the reference ceramic waste form and related ceramics and the alumino-silicate phases that appear in some experimental waste forms and as waste-rock interaction products. Specific compounds are: (1) Reference Ceramic Phases (zirconolite, magnetoplumbite, spinel, Tc-bearing spinel and perovskite); (2) Aluminosilicate phases (nepheline, pollucite, CsAlSi 5 O 12 , Sr-feldspar). 5 figures, 1 table

  12. Diverse topics in crystalline beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Jie; Draeseke, A.; Sessler, A.M.; Li, Xiao-Ping

    1995-01-01

    Equations of motion are presented, appropriate to interacting charged particles of diverse charge and mass, subject to the external forces produced by various kinds of magnetic fields and radio-frequency (rf) electric fields in storage rings. These equations are employed in the molecular dynamics simulations to study the properties of crystalline beams. The two necessary conditions for the formation and maintenance of crystalline beams are summarized. The transition from ID to 2D, and from 2D to 3D is explored, and the scaling behavior of the heating rates is discussed especially in the high temperature limit. The effectiveness of various cooling techniques in achieving crystalline states has been investigated. Crystalline beams made of two different species of ions via sympathetic cooling are presented, as well as circulating ''crystal balls'' bunched in all directions by magnetic focusing and rf field. By numerically reconstructing the original experimental conditions of the NAP-M ring, it is found that only at extremely low beam intensities, outside of the range of the original measurement, proton particles can form occasionally-passing disks. The proposed New ASTRID ring is shown to be suitable for the formation and maintenance of crystalline beams of all dimensions

  13. Molecular reorientations in a substance with liquid-crystalline and plastic-crystalline phases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Xuan Phuc.

    1986-05-01

    Results of dielectric relaxation (DR), quasielastic neutron scattering (QNS), far infrared absorption (FIR), proton magnetic resonance (PMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and preliminary X-ray diffraction measurements on the di-n-pentyloxyazoxybenzene (5.OAOB) are presented. The measurements carried out by all these methods showed that 5.OAOB exhibits a nontypical for liquid-crystalline materials phase diagram. It has two mesophases: a nematic (N) and an ''intermediate'' crystalline phase just below it. A complex interpretation of results obtained is given. All suggestions concerning the character of reorientational motions of the molecule as a whole as well as of its segments in mesomorphic phases are analyzed. From comparison of the DR and QNS studies one can conclude that in the N phase the molecule as a whole performs rotational diffusion around the long axis (τ DR ∼ 100 ps) and at the same time the two moieties perform faster independent reorientations around N - benzene rings bonds withτ QNS ∼ 5 ps. On the basis of various experimental data it is shown that the CrI phase is a plastic-crystalline phase for which the molecule and its segments perform fast stochastic unaxial reorientations. This is the first case where the existence of such a phase in liquid-crystalline materials has been experimentally confirmed. (author)

  14. Appearance of large crystalline domains in VO{sub 2} films grown on sapphire (001) and their phase transition characteristics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azhan, Nurul Hanis; Su, Kui; Okimura, Kunio, E-mail: okifn@keyaki.cc.u-tokai.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292 (Japan); Zaghrioui, Mustapha; Sakai, Joe [GREMAN, UMR 7347 CNRS, Université François Rabelais de Tours, Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours (France)

    2015-06-28

    We report the first observation of large crystalline domains of several μm-size in VO{sub 2} films deposited on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (001) substrates by rf-biased reactive sputtering technique. The large crystalline domains, dominated with random in-plane oriented growth of (011){sub M1}-orientation, appear only under adequate substrate biasing, such as 10 W, while most biasing conditions result in conventional nanosized grains of highly oriented (010){sub M1}-orientation. Two temperature-controlled analyses, x-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy, have revealed that some parts of large crystalline domains undergo intermediate monoclinic (M2) phase during the thermally-induced structural phase transition from monoclinic (M1) to rutile-tetragonal (R) phase. As an effect of the appearance of large crystalline domains, the film showed in-plane tensile stress, resulting in high T{sub IMT} of 69 °C due to the elongation of the V-V distance in its low-temperature monoclinic phase.

  15. Neutron transmission through crystalline Fe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adib, M.; Habib, N.; Kilany, M.; El-Mesiry, M.S.

    2004-01-01

    The neutron transmission through crystalline Fe has been calculated for neutron energies in the range 10 4 < E<10 eV using an additive formula. The formula permits calculation of the nuclear capture, thermal diffuse and Bragg scattering cross-section as a function of temperature and crystalline form. The obtained agreement between the calculated values and available experimental ones justifies the applicability of the used formula. A feasibility study on using poly-crystalline Fe as a cold neutron filter and a large Fe single crystal as a thermal one is given

  16. The make up of crystalline bedrock - crystalline body and blocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huber, M.; Huber, A.

    1986-01-01

    Statements of a geological nature can be made on the basis of investigations of the bedrock exposed in southern Black Forest and these can, in the form of prognoses, be applied to the crystalline Basement of northern Switzerland. Such statements relate to the average proportions of the main lithological groups at the bedrock surface and the surface area of the granite body. Some of the prognoses can be compared and checked with the results from the deep drilling programme in northern Switzerland. Further, analogical interferences from the situation in the southern Black Forest allow predictions to be made on the anticipated block structure of the crystalline Basement. (author)

  17. Pengaruh Kecepatan Pendinginan Terhadap Perubahan Volume Leburan Polymer Crystalline dan Non-Crystalline

    OpenAIRE

    Fahrurrozi, Mohammad; Moristanto, Bagus Senowulung dan

    2003-01-01

    AbstractThe study was directed to develop a method to predict the influence of the rate of cooling to the degree of crystallittitv (DOC) and volume change of crystalline polymers. Crystalline polymer melts exhibit volume shrinkage on cooling below melting point due to crystallization. Crystallization and volunrc shrinkage will proceed with varies rate as long as the temperature is above the glass tansition temperatrre. DOC achieved by polymer is not only determined by the inherent crystallini...

  18. The quest for crystalline ion beams

    CERN Document Server

    Schramm, U; Bussmann, M; Habs, D

    2002-01-01

    The phase transition of an ion beam into its crystalline state has long been expected to dramatically influence beam dynamics beyond the limitations of standard accelerator physics. Yet, although considerable improvement in beam cooling techniques has been made, strong heating mechanisms inherent to existing high-energy storage rings have prohibited the formation of the crystalline state in these machines up to now. Only recently, laser cooling of low-energy beams in the table-top rf quadrupole storage ring PAaul Laser cooLing Acceleration System (PALLAS) has lead to the experimental realization of crystalline beams. In this article, the quest for crystalline beams as well as their unique properties as experienced in PALLAS will be reviewed.

  19. Liquid crystalline dihydroazulene photoswitches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Anne Ugleholdt; Jevric, Martyn; Mandle, Richard J.

    2015-01-01

    A large selection of photochromic dihydroazulene (DHA) molecules incorporating various substituents at position 2 of the DHA core was prepared and investigated for their ability to form liquid crystalline phases. Incorporation of an octyloxy-substituted biphenyl substituent resulted in nematic...... phase behavior and it was possible to convert one such compound partly into its vinylheptafulvene (VHF) isomer upon irradiation with light when in the liquid crystalline phase. This conversion resulted in an increase in the molecular alignment of the phase. In time, the meta-stable VHF returns...... to the DHA where the alignment is maintained. The systematic structural variation has revealed that a biaryl spacer between the DHA and the alkyl chain is needed for liquid crystallinity and that the one aromatic ring in the spacer cannot be substituted by a triazole. This work presents an important step...

  20. Thermodynamics of Crystalline States

    CERN Document Server

    Fujimoto, Minoru

    2010-01-01

    Thermodynamics is a well-established discipline of physics for properties of matter in thermal equilibrium surroundings. Applying to crystals, however, the laws encounter undefined properties of crystal lattices, which therefore need to be determined for a clear and well-defined description of crystalline states. Thermodynamics of Crystalline States explores the roles played by order variables and dynamic lattices in crystals in a wholly new way. This book is divided into three parts. The book begins by clarifying basic concepts for stable crystals. Next, binary phase transitions are discussed to study collective motion of order variables, as described mostly as classical phenomena. In the third part, the multi-electron system is discussed theoretically, as a quantum-mechanical example, for the superconducting state in metallic crystals. Throughout the book, the role played by the lattice is emphasized and examined in-depth. Thermodynamics of Crystalline States is an introductory treatise and textbook on meso...

  1. neutron transmission through crystalline materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El Mesiry, M.S.

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the present work is to study the neutron transmission through crystalline materials. Therefore a study of pyrolytic graphite (PG) as a highly efficient selective thermal neutron filter and Iron single crystal as a whole one, as well as the applicability of using their polycrystalline powders as a selective cold neutron filters is given. Moreover, the use of PG and iron single crystal as an efficient neutron monochromator is also investigated. An additive formula is given which allows calculating the contribution of the total neutron cross-section including the Bragg scattering from different )(hkl planes to the neutron transmission through crystalline iron and graphite. The formula takes into account their crystalline form. A computer CFe program was developed in order to provide the required calculations for both poly- and single-crystalline iron. The validity of the CFe program was approved from the comparison of the calculated iron cross-section data with the available experimental ones. The CFe program was also adapted to calculate the reflectivity from iron single crystal when it used as a neutron monochromator The computer package GRAPHITE, developed in Neutron Physics laboratory, Nuclear Research Center, has been used in order to provide the required calculations for crystalline graphite in the neutron energy range from 0.1 meV to 10 eV. A Mono-PG code was added to the computer package GRAPHITE in order to calculate the reflectivity from PG crystal when it used as a neutron monochromator.

  2. Bio-based liquid crystalline polyesters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilsens, Carolus; Rastogi, Sanjay; Dutch Collaboration

    2013-03-01

    The reported thin-film polymerization has been used as a screening method in order to find bio-based liquid crystalline polyesters with convenient melting temperatures for melt-processing purposes. An in depth study of the structural, morphological and chemical changes occurring during the ongoing polycondensation reactions of these polymers have been performed. Structural and conformational changes during polymerization for different compositions have been followed by time resolved X-ray and Infrared spectroscopy. In this study, bio-based monomers such as vanillic acid and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid are successfully incorporated in liquid crystalline polyesters and it is shown that bio-based liquid crystalline polymers with high aromatic content and convenient processing temperatures can be synthesized. Special thanks to the Dutch Polymer Institute for financial support

  3. Crystallinity in starch plastics: consequences for material properties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soest, van J.J.G.; Vliegenthart, J.F.G.

    1997-01-01

    The processing of starches with biodegradable additives has made biodegradable plastics suitable for a number of applications. Starch plastics are partially crystalline as a result of residual crystallinity and the recrystallization of amylose and amylopectin. Such crystallinity is a key determinant

  4. Nanoscale crystallinity modulates cell proliferation on plasma sprayed surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, Alan M. [School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH (United Kingdom); Paxton, Jennifer Z.; Hung, Yi-Pei; Hadley, Martin J.; Bowen, James; Williams, Richard L. [School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Grover, Liam M., E-mail: l.m.grover@bham.ac.uk [School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

    2015-03-01

    Calcium phosphate coatings have been applied to the surface of metallic prostheses to mediate hard and soft tissue attachment for more than 40 years. Most coatings are formed of high purity hydroxyapatite, and coating methods are often designed to produce highly crystalline surfaces. It is likely however, that coatings of lower crystallinity can facilitate more rapid tissue attachment since the surface will exhibit a higher specific surface area and will be considerably more reactive than a comparable highly crystalline surface. Here we test this hypothesis by growing a population of MC3T3 osteoblast-like cells on the surface of two types of hip prosthesis with similar composition, but with differing crystallinity. The surfaces with lower crystallinity facilitated more rapid cell attachment and increased proliferation rate, despite having a less heterogeneous surface topography. This work highlights that the influence of the crystallinity of HA at the nano-scale is dominant over macro-scale topography for cell adhesion and growth. Furthermore, crystallinity could be easily adjusted by without compromising coating purity. These findings could facilitate designing novel coated calcium phosphate surfaces that more rapidly bond tissue following implantation. - Highlights: • Crystallinity of HA at the nano-scale was dominant over macro-scale topography. • Lower crystallinity caused rapid cell attachment and proliferation rate. • Crystallinity could be easily adjusted by without compromising coating purity.

  5. Nanoscale crystallinity modulates cell proliferation on plasma sprayed surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Alan M.; Paxton, Jennifer Z.; Hung, Yi-Pei; Hadley, Martin J.; Bowen, James; Williams, Richard L.; Grover, Liam M.

    2015-01-01

    Calcium phosphate coatings have been applied to the surface of metallic prostheses to mediate hard and soft tissue attachment for more than 40 years. Most coatings are formed of high purity hydroxyapatite, and coating methods are often designed to produce highly crystalline surfaces. It is likely however, that coatings of lower crystallinity can facilitate more rapid tissue attachment since the surface will exhibit a higher specific surface area and will be considerably more reactive than a comparable highly crystalline surface. Here we test this hypothesis by growing a population of MC3T3 osteoblast-like cells on the surface of two types of hip prosthesis with similar composition, but with differing crystallinity. The surfaces with lower crystallinity facilitated more rapid cell attachment and increased proliferation rate, despite having a less heterogeneous surface topography. This work highlights that the influence of the crystallinity of HA at the nano-scale is dominant over macro-scale topography for cell adhesion and growth. Furthermore, crystallinity could be easily adjusted by without compromising coating purity. These findings could facilitate designing novel coated calcium phosphate surfaces that more rapidly bond tissue following implantation. - Highlights: • Crystallinity of HA at the nano-scale was dominant over macro-scale topography. • Lower crystallinity caused rapid cell attachment and proliferation rate. • Crystallinity could be easily adjusted by without compromising coating purity

  6. Mechanical dispersion in fractured crystalline rock systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lafleur, D.W.; Raven, K.G.

    1986-12-01

    This report compiles and evaluates the hydrogeologic parameters describing the flow of groundwater and transport of solutes in fractured crystalline rocks. This report describes the processes of mechanical dispersion in fractured crystalline rocks, and compiles and evaluates the dispersion parameters determined from both laboratory and field tracer experiments. The compiled data show that extrapolation of the reliable test results performed over intermediate scales (10's of m and 10's to 100's of hours) to larger spatial and temporal scales required for performance assessment of a nuclear waste repository in crystalline rock is not justified. The reliable measures of longitudinal dispersivity of fractured crystalline rock are found to range between 0.4 and 7.8 m

  7. Crystallinity and mechanical effects from annealing Parylene thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jackson, Nathan, E-mail: Nathan.Jackson@tyndall.ie [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland); Stam, Frank; O' Brien, Joe [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland); Kailas, Lekshmi [University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Mathewson, Alan; O' Murchu, Cian [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland)

    2016-03-31

    Parylene is commonly used as thin film polymer for MEMS devices and smart materials. This paper investigates the impact on bulk properties due to annealing various types of Parylene films. A thin film of Parylene N, C and a hybrid material consisting of Parylene N and C were deposited using a standard Gorham process. The thin film samples were annealed at varying temperatures from room temperature up to 300 °C. The films were analyzed to determine the mechanical and crystallinity effects due to different annealing temperatures. The results demonstrate that the percentage of crystallinity and the full-width-half-maximum value on the 2θ X-ray diffraction scan increases as the annealing temperature increases until the melting temperature of the Parylene films was achieved. Highly crystalline films of 85% and 92% crystallinity were achieved for Parylene C and N respectively. Investigation of the hybrid film showed that the individual Parylene films behave independently to each other, and the crystallinity of one film had no significant impact to the other film. Mechanical testing showed that the elastic modulus and yield strength increase as a function of annealing, whereas the elongation-to-break parameter decreases. The change in elastic modulus was more significant for Parylene C than Parylene N and this is attributed to the larger change in crystallinity that was observed. Parylene C had a 112% increase in crystallinity compared to a 61% increase for Parylene N, because the original Parylene N material was more crystalline than Parylene C so the change of crystallinity was greater for Parylene C. - Highlights: • A hybrid material consisting of Parylene N and C was developed. • Parylene N has greater crystallinity than Parylene C. • Phase transition of Parylene N due to annealing results in increased crystallinity. • Annealing caused increased crystallinity and elastic modulus in Parylene films. • Annealed hybrid Parylene films crystallinity behave

  8. Determination of crystallinity of ceramic materials from the Ruland Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kniess, C.T.; Prates, P.B.; Gomes Junior, J.C.; Lima, J.C. de; Riella, H.G.; Kuhnen, N.C.

    2011-01-01

    Some methods found in literature approach the different characteristics between crystalline and amorphous phases by X ray diffraction technique. These methods use the relation between the intensities of the crystalline peaks and background amorphous or the absolute intensity of one of these to determine the relative amount of crystalline and amorphous material. However, a crystalline substance presents shows coherent diffuse scattering and a loss in the intensity of the peaks of diffraction in function of thermal vibrations of atoms and imperfections in the crystalline structure. A correct method for the determination of the crystallinity must take in account these effects. This work has as objective to determine the crystallinity of ceramic materials obtained with the addition of mineral coal bottom ashes, using the X ray diffraction technique and the Ruland Method, that considers the diminution of the intensity of the crystalline peak because of the disorder affects. The Ruland Method shows adequate for the determination of the crystallinity of the ceramic materials. (author)

  9. Generic Crystalline Disposal Reference Case

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Painter, Scott Leroy [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Chu, Shaoping [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Harp, Dylan Robert [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Perry, Frank Vinton [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Wang, Yifeng [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2015-02-20

    A generic reference case for disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in crystalline rock is outlined. The generic cases are intended to support development of disposal system modeling capability by establishing relevant baseline conditions and parameters. Establishment of a generic reference case requires that the emplacement concept, waste inventory, waste form, waste package, backfill/buffer properties, EBS failure scenarios, host rock properties, and biosphere be specified. The focus in this report is on those elements that are unique to crystalline disposal, especially the geosphere representation. Three emplacement concepts are suggested for further analyses: a waste packages containing 4 PWR assemblies emplaced in boreholes in the floors of tunnels (KBS-3 concept), a 12-assembly waste package emplaced in tunnels, and a 32-assembly dual purpose canister emplaced in tunnels. In addition, three failure scenarios were suggested for future use: a nominal scenario involving corrosion of the waste package in the tunnel emplacement concepts, a manufacturing defect scenario applicable to the KBS-3 concept, and a disruptive glaciation scenario applicable to both emplacement concepts. The computational approaches required to analyze EBS failure and transport processes in a crystalline rock repository are similar to those of argillite/shale, with the most significant difference being that the EBS in a crystalline rock repository will likely experience highly heterogeneous flow rates, which should be represented in the model. The computational approaches required to analyze radionuclide transport in the natural system are very different because of the highly channelized nature of fracture flow. Computational workflows tailored to crystalline rock based on discrete transport pathways extracted from discrete fracture network models are recommended.

  10. Effects of alkaline or liquid-ammonia treatment on crystalline cellulose: changes in crystalline structure and effects on enzymatic digestibility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Himmel Michael E

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In converting biomass to bioethanol, pretreatment is a key step intended to render cellulose more amenable and accessible to cellulase enzymes and thus increase glucose yields. In this study, four cellulose samples with different degrees of polymerization and crystallinity indexes were subjected to aqueous sodium hydroxide and anhydrous liquid ammonia treatments. The effects of the treatments on cellulose crystalline structure were studied, in addition to the effects on the digestibility of the celluloses by a cellulase complex. Results From X-ray diffractograms and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, it was revealed that treatment with liquid ammonia produced the cellulose IIII allomorph; however, crystallinity depended on treatment conditions. Treatment at a low temperature (25°C resulted in a less crystalline product, whereas treatment at elevated temperatures (130°C or 140°C gave a more crystalline product. Treatment of cellulose I with aqueous sodium hydroxide (16.5 percent by weight resulted in formation of cellulose II, but also produced a much less crystalline cellulose. The relative digestibilities of the different cellulose allomorphs were tested by exposing the treated and untreated cellulose samples to a commercial enzyme mixture (Genencor-Danisco; GC 220. The digestibility results showed that the starting cellulose I samples were the least digestible (except for corn stover cellulose, which had a high amorphous content. Treatment with sodium hydroxide produced the most digestible cellulose, followed by treatment with liquid ammonia at a low temperature. Factor analysis indicated that initial rates of digestion (up to 24 hours were most strongly correlated with amorphous content. Correlation of allomorph type with digestibility was weak, but was strongest with cellulose conversion at later times. The cellulose IIII samples produced at higher temperatures had comparable crystallinities to the initial cellulose I

  11. Autokinase activity of alpha-crystallin inhibits its specific interaction with the DOTIS element in the murine gamma D/E/F-crystallin promoter in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietrowski, D; Graw, J

    1997-10-01

    In a previous report we demonstrated the in vitro interaction of alpha-crystallin with an element downstream of the transcriptional initiation site (DOTIS) of the murine gamma E-crystallin promoter (Pietrowski et al., 1994, Gene 144, 171-178). The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of phosphorylation on this particular interaction. We could demonstrate that the autophosphorylation of alpha-crystallin leads to a complete loss of interaction with the DOTIS element, however, PKA-dependent phosphorylation of alpha-crystallin is without effect on the interaction. It is hypothesized that the autophosphorylation of alpha-crystallin might be involved in regulatory mechanisms of the murine gamma D/E/F-crystallin gene expression.

  12. Glycation precedes lens crystallin aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swamy, M.S.; Perry, R.E.; Abraham, E.C.

    1987-01-01

    Non-enzymatic glycosylation (glycation) seems to have the potential to alter the structure of crystallins and make them susceptible to thiol oxidation leading to disulfide-linked high molecular weight (HMW) aggregate formation. They used streptozotocin diabetic rats during precataract and cataract stages and long-term cell-free glycation of bovine lens crystallins to study the relationship between glycation and lens crystallin aggregation. HMW aggregates and other protein components of the water-soluble (WS) and urea-soluble (US) fractions were separated by molecular sieve high performance liquid chromatography. Glycation was estimated by both [ 3 H]NaBH 4 reduction and phenylboronate agarose affinity chromatography. Levels of total glycated protein (GP) in the US fractions were about 2-fold higher than in the WS fractions and there was a linear increase in GP in both WS and US fractions. This increase was parallelled by a corresponding increase in HMW aggregates. Total GP extracted by the affinity method from the US fraction showed a predominance of HMW aggregates and vice versa. Cell-free glycation studies with bovine crystallins confirmed the results of the animals studies. Increasing glycation caused a corresponding increase in protein insolubilization and the insoluble fraction thus formed also contained more glycated protein. It appears that lens protein glycation, HMW aggregate formation, and protein insolubilization are interrelated

  13. Crystallinity and the effect of ionizing radiation in polyethylene. V. Distribution of trans-vinylene and trans, trans conjugated double bonds in linear polyethylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, G.N.

    1975-01-01

    Freeze-dried chain folded single crystals and the single crystals without amorphous surface layers (crystalline cores) of different thicknesses of linear polyethylene were irradiated with 60 Co γ-rays up to 600 Mrad. Concentration of trans-vinylene double bonds and conjugated diene produced during irradiation of the crystals was measured by infrared. Concentrations of trans-vinylene and of the conjugated diene were independent of thickness of crystalline core which suggest that the double bonds were randomly distributed in the crystalline parts of the crystals. Concentrations of trans-vinylene and of conjugated double bonds were lower in chain-folded crystals than in the crystalline cores and this suggests that the folds (amorphous surface layers) are less preferential sites for formation of the double bonds. The zero-order growth and first-order decay kinetics of trans-vinylene double bonds was studied by the equation derived by Dole et al. The equation is strictly obeyed up to 300 Mrad and the results then deviate. Since there is the decay of trans-vinylene double bonds and though there are no crosslinks in the crystalline cores, it has been suggested that the decay of the double bond does not result in the crosslinks

  14. The molecular chaperone α-crystallin inhibits UV-induced protein aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borkman, R.F.; Knight, Grady; Obi, Bettie

    1996-01-01

    Solutions of γ-crystallin, and various enzymes, at neutral pH and 24-26 o C, became turbid upon exposure to UV radiation at 295 or 308 nm. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed interchain cross-linking and aggregate formation compared to dark control solutions as reported previously. When α-crystallin was added to the protein solutions in stoichiometric amounts. UV irradiation resulted in significantly less turbidity than in the absence of α-crystallin. For example, addition of 0.5 mg of α-crystallin to 0.5 mg of γ-crystallin in 1.0 ml solution yielded only 25% of the turbidity seen in the absence of α-crystallin. Addition of 2.0 mg of α-crystallin resulted in 20% of the turbidity. Given the molecular weights of α- and γ-crystallin (about 800 kDa and 20 kDa, respectively), A γ/α 1:1 weight ratio corresponds to a 40:1 molar ratio, and a γ-/α 1:4 weight ratio corresponds to a 10:1 molar ratio. Hence, the molar ratio of α-crystallin needed to effectively protect γ-crystallin from photochemical opacification was γ/α = n:1, where n was in the range 10-40. In terms of subunits, this ratio is γ/α = 1:m, where m = 1-4. Thus, each γ-crystallin molecule needs 1-4 α subunits for protection. Similar stoichiometries were observed for protection of the other proteins studied. The protection stems in part from screening of UV radiation by α-crystallin but more importantly from a chaperone effect analogous to that seen in thermal aggregation experiments. (author)

  15. Nanoscale silver-assisted wet etching of crystalline silicon for anti-reflection surface textures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Rui; Wang, Shuling; Chuwongin, Santhad; Zhou, Weidong

    2013-01-01

    We report here an electro-less metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) process as light management surface-texturing technique for single crystalline Si photovoltaics. Random Silver nanostructures were formed on top of the Si surface based on the thin film evaporation and annealing process. Significant reflection reduction was obtained from the fabricated Si sample, with approximately 2% reflection over a wide spectra range (300 to 1050 nm). The work demonstrates the potential of MacEtch process for anti-reflection surface texture fabrication of large area, high efficiency, and low cost thin film solar cell.

  16. Dangling bonds and crystalline inclusions in amorphous materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferrari, L [Ferrara Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Matematica; Russo, G [Bologna Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica

    1981-02-07

    It is suggested that on the surface of crystalline inclusions dangling bond formation is favoured due to unbalanced local stresses. The energy for bond tearings is probably originated from the exothermic process leading to the crystalline inclusion configuration which is more stable than the original amorphous one. A thermodynamical calculation is performed giving the ratio nsub(k) of crystalline inclusions having k dangling bonds on their surface.

  17. Tuning crystalline ordering by annealing and additives to study its effect on exciton diffusion in a polyalkylthiophene copolymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chowdhury, Mithun; Sajjad, Muhammad T; Savikhin, Victoria; Hergué, Noémie; Sutija, Karina B; Oosterhout, Stefan D; Toney, Michael F; Dubois, Philippe; Ruseckas, Arvydas; Samuel, Ifor D W

    2017-05-17

    The influence of various processing conditions on the singlet exciton diffusion is explored in films of a conjugated random copolymer poly-(3-hexylthiophene-co-3-dodecylthiophene) (P3HT-co-P3DDT) and correlated with the degree of crystallinity probed by grazing incidence X-ray scattering and with exciton bandwidth determined from absorption spectra. The exciton diffusion coefficient is deduced from exciton-exciton annihilation measurements and is found to increase by more than a factor of three when thin films are annealed using CS 2 solvent vapour. A doubling of exciton diffusion coefficient is observed upon melt annealing at 200 °C and the corresponding films show about 50% enhancement in the degree of crystallinity. In contrast, films fabricated from polymer solutions containing a small amount of either solvent additive or nucleating agent show a decrease in exciton diffusion coefficient possibly due to formation of traps for excitons. Our results suggest that the enhancement of exciton diffusivity occurs because of increased crystallinity of alkyl-stacking and longer conjugation of aggregated chains which reduces the exciton bandwidth.

  18. Ion damage calculations in crystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oen, O.S.

    1985-07-01

    Damage profiles in crystalline silicon produced by light (B) and heavy (Bi) ions with energies from 10 to 100 keV were studied using the computer program MARLOWE (version 12). The program follows not only the incident ion collision by collision, but also any Si target atom that is set into motion through an energetic collision. Thus, the transport effect of the complete cascade of recoiled target atoms is included in the damage profile. The influence of channeling was studied for Si(100) using beam tilt angles from the surface normal of 0 0 , 3 0 and 7 0 about the [001] or [011] axes. The effects of channeling on the damage profile are twofold: first, there is a large reduction of the central damage peak; second, there is a component of the damage profile that extends considerably deeper into the target than that found in conventional studies using a random target assemblage. The influence of amorphous overlayers of SiO 2 on the damage and implantation profiles in the Si(100) substrate has also been investigated

  19. What Is Crystalline Silica?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... and ceramic manufacturing and the tool and die, steel and foundry industries. Crystalline silica is used in manufacturing, household abrasives, adhesives, paints, soaps, and glass. Additionally, ...

  20. Lens proteome map and alpha-crystallin profile of the catfish Rita rita.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, Bimal Prasanna; Bhattacharjee, Soma; Das, Manas Kumar

    2011-02-01

    Crystallins are a diverse group of proteins that constitute nearly 90% of the total soluble proteins of the vertebrate eye lens and these tightly packed crystallins are responsible for transparency of the lens. These proteins have been studied in different model and non-model species for understanding the modifications they undergo with ageing that lead to cataract, a disease of protein aggregation. In the present investigation, we studied the lens crystallin profile of the tropical freshwater catfish Rita rita. Profiles of lens crystallins were analyzed and crystallin proteome maps of Rita rita were generated for the first time. alphaA-crystallins, member of the alpha-crystallin family, which are molecular chaperons and play crucial role in maintaining lens transparency were identified by 1- and 2-D immunoblot analysis with anti-alphaA-crystallin antibody. Two protein bands of 19-20 kDa were identified as alphaA-crystallins on 1-D immunoblots and these bands separated into 10 discrete spots on 2-D immunoblot. However, anti-alphaB-crystallin and antiphospho-alphaB-crystallin antibodies were not able to detect any immunoreactive bands on 1- and 2-D immunoblots, indicating alphaB-crystallin was either absent or present in extremely low concentration in Rita rita lens. Thus, Rita rita alpha-crystallins are more like that of the catfish Clarias batrachus and the mammal kangaroo in its alphaA- and alphaB-crystallin content (contain low amount from 5-9% of alphaB-crystallin) and unlike the dogfish, zebrafish, human, bovine and mouse alpha-crystallins (contain higher amount of alphaB-crystallin from 25% in mouse and bovine to 85% in dogfish). Results of the present study can be the baseline information for stimulating further investigation on Rita rita lens crystallins for comparative lens proteomics. Comparing and contrasting the alpha-crystallins of the dogfish and Rita rita may provide valuable information on the functional attributes of alphaA- and alphaB-isoforms, as

  1. Characterization of crystalline structures in Opuntia ficus-indica

    OpenAIRE

    Contreras-Padilla, Margarita; Rivera-Muñoz, Eric M.; Gutiérrez-Cortez, Elsa; del López, Alicia Real; Rodríguez-García, Mario Enrique

    2014-01-01

    This research studies the crystalline compounds present in nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes. The identification of the crystalline structures was performed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The crystalline structures identified were calcium carbonate (calcite) [CaCO3], calcium-magnesium bicarbonate [CaMg(CO3)2], magnesium oxide [MgO], calcium oxalate monohydrate [Ca(C2O4)•(H2O)], potassium peroxydiphosph...

  2. United States Crystalline Repository Project - key research areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patera, E.S.

    1986-01-01

    The Crystalline Repository Project is responsible for siting the second high-level nuclear waste repository in crystalline rock for the US Department of Energy. A methodology is being developed to define data and information needs and a way to evaluate that information. The areas of research the Crystalline Repository Project is involved in include fluid flow in a fractured network, coupled thermal, chemical and flow processes and cooperation in other nations and OECD research programs

  3. Irreducible tensor operators and crystalline potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boutron, F.; Saint-James, D.

    1961-01-01

    It is often accepted that the effects of its neighbourhood on the quantum state of an ion A may be obtained by the model of the crystalline effective field approximation. Within this assumption Stevens has developed a method which provides equivalent operators that facilitate the calculation of the matrix elements of the crystalline field in a given multiplicity. This method has been extended here. We demonstrate that in the expansion of the crystalline field in powers of the electrons coordinates of the ion A - for electrons of the same sub-shell of A - only even terms can contribute. Equivalent operators and matrix elements, in a given multiplicity, are given for these development terms - up to order 6 - and for potential invariant by the operations of one of the thirty-two point-groups. (author) [fr

  4. Crystalline morphology of the matrix of PEEK-carbon fiber aromatic polymer composites. I. Assessment of crystallinity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blundell, D.J.; Chalmers, J.M.; Mackenzie, M.W.; Gaskin, W.F.

    1985-01-01

    The crystallinity of the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) matrix polymer in the Aromatic Polymer Composite APC-2 has been estimated using a combination of techniques based on wide angle x-ray diffraction and infrared reflection spectroscopy. Crystallinity varies systematically with cooling rate and annealing time over the range 20 to 40%. The occurrence of oriented crystal growth of the PEEK relative to the carbon fiber can be monitored by x-ray diffraction. 8 references, 10 figures, 1 table

  5. Irradiation sterilization of semi-crystalline polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, J.; Dunn, T.; Stannett, V.

    1978-01-01

    A semi-crystalline polymer such as polypropylene, is sterilized by high energy irradiation, with the polymer containing a non-crystalline mobilizing additive which increases the free volume of the polymer, to prevent embrittlement of the polymer during and subsequent to the irradiation. The additive has a density of from 0.6 to 1.9 g/cm 3 and a molecular weight from 100 to 10,000 g/mole

  6. Crystalline structure of metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holas, A.

    1972-01-01

    An attempt is made to find the crystalline structure of metals on the basis of the existing theory of metals. The considerations are limited to the case of free crystals, that is, not subjected to any stresses and with T=0. The energy of the crystal lattice has been defined and the dependence of each term on structures and other properties of metals has been described. The energy has been used to find the values of crystalline structure parameters as the values at which the energy has an absolute minimum. The stability of the structure has been considered in cases of volume changes and shearing deformations. A semiqualitative description has been obtained which explains characteristic properties of one-electron metals. (S.B.)

  7. Role of αA-crystallin-derived αA66-80 peptide in guinea pig lens crystallin aggregation and insolubilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raju, Murugesan; Mooney, Brian P; Thakkar, Kavi M; Giblin, Frank J; Schey, Kevin L; Sharma, K Krishna

    2015-03-01

    Earlier we reported that low molecular weight (LMW) peptides accumulate in aging human lens tissue and that among the LMW peptides, the chaperone inhibitor peptide αA66-80, derived from α-crystallin protein, is one of the predominant peptides. We showed that in vitro αA66-80 induces protein aggregation. The current study was undertaken to determine whether LMW peptides are also present in guinea pig lens tissue subjected to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in vivo. The nuclear opacity induced by HBO in guinea pig lens is the closest animal model for studying age-related cataract formation in humans. A LMW peptide profile by mass spectrometry showed the presence of an increased amount of LMW peptides in HBO-treated guinea pig lenses compared to age-matched controls. Interestingly, the mass spectrometric data also showed that the chaperone inhibitor peptide αA66-80 accumulates in HBO-treated guinea pig lens. Following incubation of synthetic chaperone inhibitor peptide αA66-80 with α-crystallin from guinea pig lens extracts, we observed a decreased ability of α-crystallin to inhibit the amorphous aggregation of the target protein alcohol dehydrogenase and the formation of large light scattering aggregates, similar to those we have observed with human α-crystallin and αA66-80 peptide. Further, time-lapse recordings showed that a preformed complex of α-crystallin and αA66-80 attracted additional crystallin molecules to form even larger aggregates. These results demonstrate that LMW peptide-mediated cataract development in aged human lens and in HBO-induced lens opacity in the guinea pig may have common molecular pathways. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Synthesis, Characterization and Photoinduction of Optical Anisotropy in Liquid Crystalline Diblock Azo-Copolymers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Forcén, P; Oriol, L; Sánchez, C

    2007-01-01

    Diblock copolymers with polymethyl methacrylate and side chain liquid crystalline WC) azopolymethacrylate blocks were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The azobeazene content in these copolymers ranges from 52 to 7 wt %. For an azo conteat dowri to 20% they exhibit a LC...... anisotropy induced in these films by illumination with linearly polarized 488 nm light was studied and the resuits compared with those of the azo homopolymer and of a random copolymer with a similar composition. The formation of azo aggregates inside the azo blocks is strongly reduced in going from...... the homopolymer to the copolymers. Photoinduced azo orientation perpendicular to the 488 nm light polarization was found in aH the polymers. The orientational order parameter is very similar in the homopolymer and in the block copolymers with an azo content down to 20 wt %, while it is much lower in the random...

  9. 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance of glassy and crystalline Zr(1-x)AlxO(2-x/2) materials prepared from solution precursors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balmer, M.L.; Eckert, H.; Das, N.; Lange, F.F.

    1996-01-01

    The local environment of the aluminum atoms in a series of metastable Zr (1-x) Al x O (2-x/2) crystalline materials (0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.57), prepared by diffusion-limited crystallization of amorphous precursors, has been determined by 27 Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR). Results show the existence of aluminum in 4-, 5-, and 6-fold coordination in both the amorphous and crystalline states. Although the relative amounts of each type of coordination show no compositional dependence in the amorphous state, the results for the crystalline materials show a systematic decrease in the average aluminum coordination number with increasing aluminum content. Comparisons of MAS NMR results between pure Al 2 O 3 precursors and Zr (1-x) Al x O (2-x/2) crystalline materials processed under similar conditions show a profound effect of ZrO 2 on the coordination environment of the aluminum atom. Both a random distribution model and a model that assumes small-scale clustering of aluminum ions are considered to explain the trends in the type of aluminum coordination as a function of composition

  10. Multi-crystalline II-VI based multijunction solar cells and modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardin, Brian E.; Connor, Stephen T.; Groves, James R.; Peters, Craig H.

    2015-06-30

    Multi-crystalline group II-VI solar cells and methods for fabrication of same are disclosed herein. A multi-crystalline group II-VI solar cell includes a first photovoltaic sub-cell comprising silicon, a tunnel junction, and a multi-crystalline second photovoltaic sub-cell. A plurality of the multi-crystalline group II-VI solar cells can be interconnected to form low cost, high throughput flat panel, low light concentration, and/or medium light concentration photovoltaic modules or devices.

  11. Controlling the morphology of side chain liquid crystalline block copolymer thin films through variations in liquid crystalline content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verploegen, Eric; Zhang, Tejia; Jung, Yeon Sik; Ross, Caroline; Hammond, Paula T

    2008-10-01

    In this paper, we describe methods for manipulating the morphology of side-chain liquid crystalline block copolymers through variations in the liquid crystalline content. By systematically controlling the covalent attachment of side chain liquid crystals to a block copolymer (BCP) backbone, the morphology of both the liquid crystalline (LC) mesophase and the phase-segregated BCP microstructures can be precisely manipulated. Increases in LC functionalization lead to stronger preferences for the anchoring of the LC mesophase relative to the substrate and the intermaterial dividing surface. By manipulating the strength of these interactions, the arrangement and ordering of the ultrathin film block copolymer nanostructures can be controlled, yielding a range of morphologies that includes perpendicular and parallel cylinders, as well as both perpendicular and parallel lamellae. Additionally, we demonstrate the utilization of selective etching to create a nanoporous liquid crystalline polymer thin film. The unique control over the orientation and order of the self-assembled morphologies with respect to the substrate will allow for the custom design of thin films for specific nanopatterning applications without manipulation of the surface chemistry or the application of external fields.

  12. Gamma crystallins of the human eye lens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vendra, Venkata Pulla Rao; Khan, Ismail; Chandani, Sushil; Muniyandi, Anbukkarasi; Balasubramanian, Dorairajan

    2016-01-01

    Protein crystallins co me in three types (α, β and γ) and are found predominantly in the eye, and particularly in the lens, where they are packed into a compact, plastic, elastic, and transparent globule of proper refractive power range that aids in focusing incoming light on to the retina. Of these, the γ-crystallins are found largely in the nuclear region of the lens at very high concentrations (>400 mg/ml). The connection between their structure and inter-molecular interactions and lens transparency is an issue of particular interest. We review the origin and phylogeny of the gamma crystallins, their special structure involving the use of Greek key supersecondary structural motif, and how they aid in offering the appropriate refractive index gradient, intermolecular short range attractive interactions (aiding in packing them into a transparent ball), the role that several of the constituent amino acid residues play in this process, the thermodynamic and kinetic stability and how even single point mutations can upset this delicate balance and lead to intermolecular aggregation, forming light-scattering particles which compromise transparency. We cite several examples of this, and illustrate this by cloning, expressing, isolating and comparing the properties of the mutant protein S39C of human γS-crystallin (associated with congenital cataract-microcornea), with those of the wild type molecule. In addition, we note that human γ-crystallins are also present in other parts of the eye (e.g., retina), where their functions are yet to be understood. There are several 'crucial' residues in and around the Greek key motifs which are essential to maintain the compact architecture of the crystallin molecules. We find that a mutation that replaces even one of these residues can lead to reduction in solubility, formation of light-scattering particles and loss of transparency in the molecular assembly. Such a molecular understanding of the process helps us construct the

  13. [Representation and mathematical analysis of human crystalline lens].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tălu, Stefan; Giovanzana, Stefano; Tălu, Mihai

    2011-01-01

    The surface of human crystalline lens can be described and analyzed using mathematical models based on parametric representations, used in biomechanical studies and 3D solid modeling of the lens. The mathematical models used in lens biomechanics allow the study and the behavior of crystalline lens on variables and complex dynamic loads. Also, the lens biomechanics has the potential to improve the results in the development of intraocular lenses and cataract surgery. The paper presents the most representative mathematical models currently used for the modeling of human crystalline lens, both optically and biomechanically.

  14. Crystallinity and flux pinning properties of MgB2 bulks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, A.; Shimoyama, J.; Ueda, S.; Katsura, Y.; Iwayama, I.; Horii, S.; Kishio, K.

    2006-01-01

    The relationship between flux pinning properties and crystallinity of MgB 2 bulks was systematically studied. Improved flux pinning properties under high fields were observed for samples with low crystallinity. Increased impurity scattering due to strain and defects in lattice corresponding to the degraded crystallinity was considered to enhance flux pinning strength at grain boundaries. Low-temperature synthesis and carbon substitution were confirmed to be effective for degrading crystallinity of MgB 2 bulks, resulting in high critical current properties under high fields

  15. Sorption and permeation of gaseous molecules in amorphous and crystalline PPX C membranes: molecular dynamics and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bian Liang; Shu Yuan-Jie; Wang Xin-Feng

    2012-01-01

    Amorphous and crystalline poly (chloro-p-xylylene) (PPX C) membranes are constructed by using a novel computational technique, that is, a combined method of NVT+NPT-molecular dynamics (MD) and gradually reducing the size (GRS) methods. The related free volumes are defined as homology clusters. Then the sorption and the permeation of gases in PPX C polymers are studied using grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and NVT-MD methods. The results show that the crystalline PPX C membranes provide smaller free volumes for absorbing or transferring gases relative to the amorphous PPX C area. The gas sorption in PPX C membranes mainly belongs to the physical one, and H bonds can appear obviously in the amorphous area. By cluster analyzing on the mean square displacement of gases, we find that gases walk along the x axis in the crystalline area and walk randomly in the amorphous area. The calculated permeability coefficients are close to the experimental data. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

  16. Theoretical investigations on magnetic entropy change in amorphous and crystalline systems: Applications to RAg (R=Tb, Dy, Ho) and GdCuAl

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ranke, P.J. von, E-mail: von.ranke@uol.com.br [Instituto de Física, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UERJ, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 20550-013 RJ (Brazil); Nóbrega, E.P. [Instituto de Física, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UERJ, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 20550-013 RJ (Brazil); Caldas, A. [Sociedade Unificada de Ensino Superior e Cultura, SUESC, 20211-351 Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Alho, B.P. [Instituto de Aplicação Fernando Rodrigues da Silveira, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Santa Alexandrina, 288, 20260-232 RJ (Brazil); Ribeiro, P.O.; Alvarenga, T.S.T.; Lopes, P.H.O.; Sousa, V.S.R. de [Instituto de Física, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UERJ, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 20550-013 RJ (Brazil); Carvalho, A. Magnus G. [Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron, CNPEM, 13083-970 Campinas, SP (Brazil); Oliveira, N.A. de [Instituto de Física, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UERJ, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 20550-013 RJ (Brazil)

    2014-11-15

    We report theoretical investigations on the magnetic entropy changes in amorphous systems through two different assumptions. In the first assumption, the HPZ-anisotropic model is considered to deal with the random direction of magnetic moments, where the amorphous RAg (R=Tb, Dy and Ho) were used as prototypes systems. In the second assumption, the amorphisation is parameterized through the exchange interaction distribution and GdCuAl, in amorphous and crystalline structures, were considered as prototypes systems. Comparisons between the magnetic entropy changes under amorphisation and under the usual magnetic field variation were performed. The model reveals the dependence of refrigerant capacity on the amorphisation parameter, and an optimum amorphisation parameter was calculated. - Highlights: • Theoretical investigation on RAg (R=Tb, Dy and Ho) and GdCuAl amorphous alloys. • Magnetic entropy changes in GdCuAl in both amorphous and crystalline structures. • The refrigerant capacity was compared in both amorphous and crystalline phases.

  17. Solution processed nanogap organic diodes based on liquid crystalline materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi-Fei; Iino, Hiroaki; Hanna, Jun-ichi

    2017-09-01

    Co-planar nanogap organic diodes were fabricated with smectic liquid crystalline materials of the benzothienobenzothiophene (BTBT) derivative by a spin-coating technique. A high rectification ratio of the order of 106 at ±3 V was achieved when a liquid crystalline material of 2,7-didecyl benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (10-BTBT-10) was used in a device configuration of Al/10-BTBT-10/pentafluorobenzenethiol-treated Au on a glass substrate, which was 4 orders higher than that of the device based on non-liquid crystalline materials of 2,7-dibutyl benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (4-BTBT-4) and BTBT. Similar results were also observed when another liquid crystalline material of ω, ω'-dioctylterthiophene (8-TTP-8) and a non-liquid crystalline material of terthiophene (TTP) were used. These improved rectifications can be ascribed to the self-assembly properties and controllable molecular orientation of liquid crystalline materials, which made uniform perpendicular oriented polycrystalline films favorable for superior charge transport in nano-channels.

  18. Biocompatibility of crystalline opal nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Ortiz, Marlen; Acosta-Torres, Laura S; Hernández-Padrón, Genoveva; Mendieta, Alicia I; Bernal, Rodolfo; Cruz-Vázquez, Catalina; Castaño, Victor M

    2012-10-22

    Silica nanoparticles are being developed as a host of biomedical and biotechnological applications. For this reason, there are more studies about biocompatibility of silica with amorphous and crystalline structure. Except hydrated silica (opal), despite is presents directly and indirectly in humans. Two sizes of crystalline opal nanoparticles were investigated in this work under criteria of toxicology. In particular, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects caused by opal nanoparticles (80 and 120 nm) were evaluated in cultured mouse cells via a set of bioassays, methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium-bromide (MTT) and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). 3T3-NIH cells were incubated for 24 and 72 h in contact with nanocrystalline opal particles, not presented significant statistically difference in the results of cytotoxicity. Genotoxicity tests of crystalline opal nanoparticles were performed by the BrdU assay on the same cultured cells for 24 h incubation. The reduction of BrdU-incorporated cells indicates that nanocrystalline opal exposure did not caused unrepairable damage DNA. There is no relationship between that particles size and MTT reduction, as well as BrdU incorporation, such that the opal particles did not induce cytotoxic effect and genotoxicity in cultured mouse cells.

  19. Graphene on insulating crystalline substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akcoeltekin, S; El Kharrazi, M; Koehler, B; Lorke, A; Schleberger, M

    2009-01-01

    We show that it is possible to prepare and identify ultra-thin sheets of graphene on crystalline substrates such as SrTiO 3 , TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and CaF 2 by standard techniques (mechanical exfoliation, optical and atomic force microscopy). On the substrates under consideration we find a similar distribution of single layer, bilayer and few-layer graphene and graphite flakes as with conventional SiO 2 substrates. The optical contrast C of a single graphene layer on any of those substrates is determined by calculating the optical properties of a two-dimensional metallic sheet on the surface of a dielectric, which yields values between C = -1.5% (G/TiO 2 ) and C = -8.8% (G/CaF 2 ). This contrast is in reasonable agreement with experimental data and is sufficient to make identification by an optical microscope possible. The graphene layers cover the crystalline substrate in a carpet-like mode and the height of single layer graphene on any of the crystalline substrates as determined by atomic force microscopy is d SLG = 0.34 nm and thus much smaller than on SiO 2 .

  20. Diffractometric method for determining the degree of crystallinity of materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chukhchin, D. G., E-mail: dimatsch@mail.ru; Malkov, A. V.; Tyshkunova, I. V.; Mayer, L. V.; Novozhilov, E. V. [Lomonosov Northen (Arctic) Federal University (Russian Federation)

    2016-05-15

    A new method for determining the degree of crystallinity of a material from X-ray diffraction data has been developed. The method is based on estimating the rate of change in function I = f(2θ) in the entire range of scattering angles. A calculation is performed using the ratio of the integral modulus of the first derivative of intensity with respect to angle 2θ to the integral area under the diffraction pattern curve. The method was tested on two substances with known amorphous and crystalline components. A linear relationship is revealed between the specified ratio of crystalline and amorphous parts and the calculated crystallinity index. The proposed method allows one to estimate impartially and compare the degree of crystallinity for samples of different nature.

  1. Early hydration of portland cement with crystalline mineral additions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahhal, V.; Talero, R.

    2005-01-01

    This research presents the effects of finely divided crystalline mineral additions (quartz and limestone), commonly known as filler, on the early hydration of portland cements with very different mineralogical composition. The used techniques to study the early hydration of blended cements were conduction calorimeter, hydraulicity (Fratini's test), non-evaporable water and X-ray diffraction. Results showed that the stimulation and the dilution effects increase when the percentage of crystalline mineral additions used is increased. Depending on the replacement proportion, the mineralogical cement composition and the type of crystalline addition, at 2 days, the prevalence of the dilution effect or the stimulation effect shows that crystalline mineral additions could act as sites of heat dissipation or heat stimulation, respectively

  2. Crystalline beam ground state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Jie; Li, Xiao-Ping

    1993-01-01

    In order to employ molecular dynamics (MD) methods, commonly used in condensed matter physics, we have derived the equations of motion for a beam of charged particles in the rotating rest frame of the reference particle. We include in the formalism that the particles are confined by the guiding and focusing magnetic fields, and that they are confined in a conducting vacuum pipe while interacting with each other via a Coulomb force. Numerical simulations using MD methods has been performed to obtain the equilibrium crystalline beam structure. The effect of the shearing force, centrifugal force, and azimuthal variation of the focusing strength are investigated. It is found that a constant gradient storage ring can not give a crystalline beam, but that an alternating-gradient (AG) structure can. In such a machine the ground state is, except for one-dimensional (1-D) crystals, time dependent. The ground state is a zero entropy state, despite the time-dependent, periodic variation of the focusing force. The nature of the ground state, similar to that found by Schiffer et al. depends upon the density and the relative focusing strengths in the transverse directions. At low density, the crystal is 1-D. As the density increases, it transforms into various kinds of 2-D and 3-D crystals. If the energy of the beam is higher than the transition energy of the machine, the crystalline structure can not be formed for lack of radial focusing

  3. Quantitative aspects of crystalline lactose in milk products

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roetman, K.

    1982-01-01

    The occurrence of crystalline lactose in milk products and its influence on their physical properties are briefly reviewed. The importance of the quantitive determination of crystalline lactose for scientific and industrial purposes is indicated, and a summary is given of our earlier work. This

  4. Attenuation of Thermal Neutrons by Crystalline Silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adib, M.; Habib, N.; Ashry, A.; Fathalla, M.

    2002-01-01

    A simple formula is given which allows to calculate the contribution of the total neutron cross - section including the Bragg scattering from different (hkt) planes to the neutron * transmission through a solid crystalline silicon. The formula takes into account the silicon form of poly or mono crystals and its parameters. A computer program DSIC was developed to provide the required calculations. The calculated values of the total neutron cross-section of perfect silicon crystal at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures were compared with the experimental ones. The obtained agreement shows that the simple formula fits the experimental data with sufficient accuracy .A good agreement was also obtained between the calculated and measured values of polycrystalline silicon in the energy range from 5 eV to 500μ eV. The feasibility study on using a poly-crystalline silicon as a cold neutron filter and mono-crystalline as a thermal neutron one is given. The optimum crystal thickness, mosaic spread, temperature and cutting plane for efficiently transmitting the thermal reactor neutrons, while rejecting both fast neutrons and gamma rays accompanying the thermal ones for the mono crystalline silicon are also given

  5. Effects of blending poly(D,L-lactide) with poly(ethylene glycol) on the higher-order crystalline structures of poly(ethylene glycol) as revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tien, N D; Kimura, G; Yamashiro, Y; Fujiwara, H; Sasaki, S; Sakurai, S; Hoa, T P; Mochizuki, M

    2011-01-01

    Effects of blending poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on higher-order crystalline structures of PEG were examined using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). For this purpose, the fact that two polymers are both crystalline makes situtation much complicated. To simplify, non-crystalline PLA is suitable. Thus, we used poly(D,L-lactic acid) (DLPLA), which is random copolymer comprising D- and L-lactic acid moieties. Multiple scattering peaks arising from the regular crystalline lamellar structure were observed for the PEG homopolymer and the blends. Surprisingly, the structure is much more regular for the blend DLPLA/PEG at composition of 20/80 wt.% than for the PEG homopolymer. Also for this blend sample as well as for a PEG homopolymer, very peculiar SAXS profiles were observed just 1 deg. C below T m of PEG. This is found to be a particle scattering of plate-like objects, which has never been reported for polymer blends or crystalline polymers. Futhermore, it was found that there was strong hysteresis of the higher-order structure formation.

  6. Nonlinear optical properties of TeO$_2$ crystalline phases from first principles

    OpenAIRE

    Berkaine, Nabil; Orhan, Emmanuelle; Masson, Olivier; Thomas, Philippe; Junquera, Javier

    2010-01-01

    We have computed second and third nonlinear optical susceptibilities of two crystalline bulk tellurium oxide polymorphs: $\\alpha$-TeO$_{2}$ (the most stable crystalline bulk phase) and $\\gamma$-TeO$_{2}$ (the crystalline phase that ressembles the more to the glass phase. Third order nonlinear susceptibilities of the crystalline phases are two orders of magnitude larger than $\\alpha$-SiO$_{2}$ cristoballite, thus extending the experimental observations on glasses to the case of crystalline com...

  7. Novel polypyrrole films with excellent crystallinity and good thermal stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeeju, Pullarkat P.; Varma, Sreekanth J.; Francis Xavier, Puthampadath A.; Sajimol, Augustine M.; Jayalekshmi, Sankaran

    2012-01-01

    Polypyrrole has drawn a lot of interest due to its high thermal and environmental stability in addition to high electrical conductivity. The present work highlights the enhanced crystallinity of polypyrrole films prepared from the redoped sample solution. Initially hydrochloric acid doped polypyrrole was prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole using ammonium peroxidisulphate as oxidant. The doped polypyrrole was dedoped using ammonia solution and then redoped with camphor sulphonic acid. Films were coated on ultrasonically cleaned glass substrates from the redoped sample solution in meta-cresol. The enhanced crystallinity of the polypyrrole films has been established from X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The room temperature electrical conductivity of the redoped polypyrrole film is about 30 times higher than that of the hydrochloric acid doped pellet sample. The results of Raman spectroscopy, Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the samples support the enhancement in crystallinity. Percentage crystallinity of the samples is estimated from XRD and DSC data. The present work is significant, since crystallinity of films is an important parameter for selecting polymers for specific applications. - Highlights: ► Polypyrrole films redoped with CSA have been prepared from meta-cresol solution. ► The solution casted films exhibit semi-crystallinity and good thermal stability. ► Percentage crystallinity estimated using XRD and DSC analysis is about 65%. ► Raman studies support the enhancement in crystallinity based on XRD and DSC data. ► The conductivity of the film is 30 times higher than that of HCl doped sample.

  8. Novel polypyrrole films with excellent crystallinity and good thermal stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeeju, Pullarkat P., E-mail: jeejupp@gmail.com [Division for Research in Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin-22, Kerala (India); Varma, Sreekanth J.; Francis Xavier, Puthampadath A.; Sajimol, Augustine M. [Division for Research in Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin-22, Kerala (India); Jayalekshmi, Sankaran, E-mail: jayalekshmi@cusat.ac.in [Division for Research in Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin-22, Kerala (India)

    2012-06-15

    Polypyrrole has drawn a lot of interest due to its high thermal and environmental stability in addition to high electrical conductivity. The present work highlights the enhanced crystallinity of polypyrrole films prepared from the redoped sample solution. Initially hydrochloric acid doped polypyrrole was prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole using ammonium peroxidisulphate as oxidant. The doped polypyrrole was dedoped using ammonia solution and then redoped with camphor sulphonic acid. Films were coated on ultrasonically cleaned glass substrates from the redoped sample solution in meta-cresol. The enhanced crystallinity of the polypyrrole films has been established from X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The room temperature electrical conductivity of the redoped polypyrrole film is about 30 times higher than that of the hydrochloric acid doped pellet sample. The results of Raman spectroscopy, Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the samples support the enhancement in crystallinity. Percentage crystallinity of the samples is estimated from XRD and DSC data. The present work is significant, since crystallinity of films is an important parameter for selecting polymers for specific applications. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Polypyrrole films redoped with CSA have been prepared from meta-cresol solution. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The solution casted films exhibit semi-crystallinity and good thermal stability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Percentage crystallinity estimated using XRD and DSC analysis is about 65%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Raman studies support the enhancement in crystallinity based on XRD and DSC data. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The conductivity of the film is 30 times higher than that of HCl doped sample.

  9. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic estimation of crystallinity in ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Wintec

    The crystallinity parameter is calculated by using a standard procedure which can be used to estimate the distribution of quartz in various rocks for mining purpose. The infrared ... The X-ray diffraction full ... crystallinity and trace mineral components of rocks (Partha- ... infrared techniques (Rice et al 1995). ... The absorption.

  10. Used fuel disposition in crystalline rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Y. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hadgu, Teklu [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kalinina, Elena Arkadievna [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jerden, James L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Copple, Jacqueline M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Cruse, T. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Ebert, W. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Buck, E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Eittman, R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Tinnacher, R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tournassat, Christophe. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Davis, J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Viswanathan, H. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Chu, S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Dittrich, T. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hyman, F. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Karra, S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Makedonska, N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reimus, P. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Zavarin, Mavrik [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Joseph, C. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2016-09-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, Office of Fuel Cycle Technology established the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) in fiscal year 2010 (FY10) to conduct the research and development (R&D) activities related to storage, transportation and disposal of used nuclear fuel and high level nuclear waste. The objective of the Crystalline Disposal R&D Work Package is to advance our understanding of long-term disposal of used fuel in crystalline rocks and to develop necessary experimental and computational capabilities to evaluate various disposal concepts in such media.

  11. Irradiation induced crystalline to amorphous transition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bourgoin, J.

    1980-01-01

    Irradiation of a crystalline solid with energetic heavy particles results in cascades of defects which, with increasing dose, overlap and form a continuous disordered layer. In semiconductors the physical properties of such disordered layers are found to be similar to those of amorphous layers produced by evaporation. It is shown in the case of silicon, that the transition from a disordered crystalline (X) layer to an amorphous (α) layer occurs when the Gibbs energy of the X phase and of the defects it contains becomes larger than the Gibbs energy of the α phase. (author)

  12. Thermodynamics of Crystalline States

    CERN Document Server

    Fujimoto, Minoru

    2013-01-01

    Thermodynamics is a well-established discipline of physics for properties of matter in thermal equilibrium with the surroundings. Applying to crystals, however, the laws encounter undefined properties of crystal lattice, which therefore need to be determined for a clear and well-defined description of crystalline states. Thermodynamics of Crystalline States explores the roles played by order variables and dynamic lattices in crystals in a wholly new way. The book begins by clarifying basic concepts for stable crystals. Next, binary phase transitions are discussed to study collective motion of order variables, as described mostly as classical phenomena. New to this edition is the examination of magnetic crystals, where magnetic symmetry is essential for magnetic phase transitions. The multi-electron system is also discussed  theoretically, as a quantum-mechanical example, for superconductivity in metallic crystals. Throughout the book, the role played by the lattice is emphasized and studied in-depth. Thermod...

  13. Morphology and crystallinity of sisal nanocellulose after sonication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sosiati, H.; Wijayanti, D. A.; Triyana, K.; Kamiel, B.

    2017-09-01

    Different preparation methods on the natural fibers resulted in different morphology. However, the relationships between type of natural fibers, preparation methods and the morphology of produced nanocellulose could not be exactly defined. The sisal nanocellulose was presently prepared by alkalization and bleaching followed by sonication to verify changes in the morphology and crystallinity of nanocellulose related to the formation mechanism. The extracted microcellulose was subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The isolated cellulose nanospheres were examined with respect to morphology by SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and, to crystallinity by electron diffraction analysis. Bleaching after alkalization made the microfibrils clearly separated from each other to the individual fiber whose width of the single fiber was ranging from 6 to 13 µm. The XRD crystallinity index (CI) of microcellulose gradually increased after the chemical treatments; 83.12% for raw sisal fiber, 88.57% for alkali treated fiber and 94.03% for bleached fibers. The ultrasonic agitation after bleaching that was carried out at 750 Watt, 20 kHz and amplitude of 39% for 2 h produces homogeneous cellulose nanospheres less than 50 nm in diameter with relatively low crystallinity. The electron diffraction analysis confirmed that the low crystallinity of produced nnocellulose is related to the effect of chemical treatment done before sonication.

  14. Effect of glycation on α-crystallin structure and chaperone-like function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, P. Anil; Kumar, M. Satish; Reddy, G. Bhanuprakash

    2007-01-01

    The chaperone-like activity of α-crystallin is considered to play an important role in the maintenance of the transparency of the eye lens. However, in the case of aging and in diabetes, the chaperone function of α-crystallin is compromized, resulting in cataract formation. Several post-translational modifications, including non-enzymatic glycation, have been shown to affect the chaperone function of α-crystallin in aging and in diabetes. A variety of agents have been identified as the predominant sources for the formation of AGEs (advanced glycation end-products) in various tissues, including the lens. Nevertheless, glycation of α-crystallin with various sugars has resulted in divergent results. In the present in vitro study, we have investigated the effect of glucose, fructose, G6P (glucose 6-phosphate) and MGO (methylglyoxal), which represent the major classes of glycating agents, on the structure and chaperone function of α-crystallin. Modification of α-crystallin with all four agents resulted in the formation of glycated protein, increased AGE fluorescence, protein cross-linking and HMM (high-molecular-mass) aggregation. Interestingly, these glycation-related profiles were found to vary with different glycating agents. For instance, CML [Nϵ-(carboxymethyl)lysine] was the predominant AGE formed upon glycation of α-crystallin with these agents. Although fructose and MGO caused significant conformational changes, there were no significant structural perturbations with glucose and G6P. With the exception of MGO modification, glycation with other sugars resulted in decreased chaperone activity in aggregation assays. However, modification with all four sugars led to the loss of chaperone activity as assessed using an enzyme inactivation assay. Glycation-induced loss of α-crystallin chaperone activity was associated with decreased hydrophobicity. Furthermore, α-crystallin isolated from glycated TSP (total lens soluble protein) had also increased AGE

  15. The strength of crystalline color superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mannarelli, Massimo; Rajagopal, Krishna; Sharma, Rishi

    2007-01-01

    We present a study of the shear modulus of the crystalline color superconducting phase of quark matter, showing that this phase of dense, but not asymptotically dense, quark matter responds to shear stress as a very rigid solid. This phase is characterized by a gap parameter Δ that is periodically modulated in space and therefore spontaneously breaks translational invariance. We derive the effective action for the phonon fields that describe space- and time-dependent fluctuations of the crystal structure formed by Δ, and obtain the shear modulus from the coefficients of the spatial derivative terms. Within a Ginzburg-Landau approximation, we find shear moduli which are 20 to 1000 times larger than those of neutron star crusts. This phase of matter is thus more rigid than any known material in the universe, but at the same time the crystalline color superconducting phase is also superfluid. These properties raise the possibility that the presence of this phase within neutron stars may have distinct implications for their phenomenology. For example (some) pulsar glitches may originate in crystalline superconducting neutron star cores

  16. Crosslinking and photoreaction of ozone-oxidized calf-lens alpha-crystallin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujimori, E.

    1982-01-01

    Direct-photo-oxidation, singlet oxygen-oxidation, or photosensitized oxidation can modify lens crystallins, causing an increase in blue fluorescence and covalent crosslinking. A relationship between these changes has not been elucidated. We now report results from experiments with ozone oxidation. When calf-lens alpha-crystallin is treated with zone oxidation. When calf-lens alpha-crystallin is treated with ozone, new absorption, fluorescence, and phosphorescence, which are characteristic of the oxidized product of tryptophan (N-formylkynurenine), appear at 320, 435, and 445 nm, respectively. In addition, in this ozonization of alpha-crystallin, its polypeptides are crosslinked by nondisulfide bonds. Irradiation of ozone-treated alpha-crystallin with near-ultraviolet (365 nm) light increases crosslinking and reduces the 320 nm absorbance with a concomitant appearance of a new absorption at about 420 nm. This photoproduct exhibits an intense fluorescence around 450 nm and a weak phosphorescence at 510 nm, with excitation peaks at 400, 415, and 422 nm. These findings are essentially the same as those observed in photo-oxidized alpha-crystallin, suggesting the involvement of the same tryptophan oxidized product in the modification of the lens protein

  17. 76 FR 78313 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-16

    ...)] Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China Determinations On the basis of the record \\1... injured by reason of imports from China of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, provided... imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China. Accordingly, effective October...

  18. α-Crystallin localizes to the leading edges of migrating lens epithelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maddala, Rupalatha; Vasantha Rao, P.

    2005-01-01

    α-crystallin (αA and αB) is a major lens protein, which belongs to the small heat-shock family of proteins and binds to various cytoskeletal proteins including actin, vimentin and desmin. In this study, we investigated the cellular localization of αA and αB-crystallins in migrating epithelial cells isolated from porcine lens. Immunofluorescence localization and confocal imaging of αB-crystallin in confluent and in migrating subconfluent cell cultures revealed a distinct pattern of subcellular distribution. While αB-crystallin localization was predominantly cytoplasmic in confluent cultures, it was strongly localized to the leading edges of cell membrane or the lamellipodia in migrating cells. In accordance with this pattern, we found abundant levels of αB-crystallin in membrane fractions compared to cytosolic and nuclear fractions in migrating lens epithelial cells. αA-crystallin, which has 60% sequence identity to αB-crystallin, also exhibited a distribution profile localizing to the leading edge of the cell membrane in migrating lens epithelial cells. Localization of αB-crystallin to the lamellipodia appears to be dependent on phosphorylation of residue serine-59. An inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase (SB202190), but not the ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059, was found to diminish localization of αB-crystallin to the lamellipodia, and this effect was found to be associated with reduced levels of Serine-59 phosphorylated αB-crystallin in SB202190-treated migrating lens epithelial cells. αB-crystallin localization to the lamellipodia was also altered by the treatment with RGD (Arg-Ala-Asp) peptide, dominant negative N17 Rac1 GTPase, cytochalasin D and Src kinase inhibitor (PP2), but not by the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 or the myosin II inhibitor, blebbistatin. Additionally, in migrating lens epithelial cells, αB-crystallin exhibited a clear co-localization with the actin meshwork, β-catenin, WAVE-1, a promoter of actin nucleation, Abi-2, a component of WAVE

  19. Liquid Crystalline Perylene diimides : Architecture and Charge Carrier Mobilities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Struijk, C.W.; Sieval, A.B.; Dakhorst, J.E.J.; Dijk, van M.; Kimkes, P.; Koehorst, R.B.M.; Donker, H.

    2000-01-01

    The phase behavior of three N-alkyl-substituted perylene diimide derivatives is examined by differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. The occurrence of multiple phase transitions indicates several crystalline and several liquid crystalline phases. X-ray diffraction

  20. Diffraction enhanced X-ray imaging of mammals crystalline lens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antunes, A.; Hoennicke, M.G.; Safatle, A.M.V.; Cusatis, C.; Moraes Barros, P.S.; Morelhao, S.L.

    2005-01-01

    Crystalline lenses are transparent biological materials where the organization of the lens fibers can also be affected by changes at molecular level, and therefore the structure and morphology of the tissue can be correlated to the loss of transparency of the lens. In this work, internal structure of mammal lenses regarding the long-range ordering of the fibers are investigated by diffraction enhanced X-ray imaging (DEI) radiography. Moreover, DEI and absorption X-ray synchrotron radiographs for healthy and cataractous crystalline lenses are compared. Significant differences in healthy and cataractous crystalline lenses are observed

  1. Electronic processes in non-crystalline materials

    CERN Document Server

    Mott, Nevill Francis

    2012-01-01

    Since the first edition of this highly successful book the field saw many great developments both in experimental and theoretical studies of electrical properties of non-crystalline solids. It became necessary to rewrite nearly the whole book, while the aims of the second edition remained the same: to set out the theoretical concepts, to test them by comparison with experiment for a wide variety of phenomena, and to apply them to non-crystalline materials. Sir Nevill Mott shared the1977 Nobel Prize for Physics, awarded for his research work in this field. The reissue of this book as part of th

  2. Proceedings of the workshop on crystalline ion beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasse, R.W.; Hofmann, I.; Liesen, D.

    1989-04-01

    The workshop consisted of mainly invited and some contributed papers. More informal discussions took place in three working groups on the following topics: beam cooling techniques; diagnostics of crystalline beams; storage rings for crystalline beams. The present volume collects all papers as well as the summaries of the working groups. See hints under the relevant topics. (orig./HSI)

  3. Electrochemical synthesis of highly crystalline copper nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaur, Amandeep; Gupta, Tanish; Kumar, Akshay; Kumar, Sanjeev; Singh, Karamjeet; Thakur, Anup

    2015-01-01

    Copper nanowires were fabricated within the pores of anodic alumina template (AAT) by template synthesis method at pH = 2.9. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to investigate the structure, morphology and composition of fabricated nanowires. These characterizations revealed that the deposited copper nanowires were highly crystalline in nature, dense and uniform. The crystalline copper nanowires are promising in application of future nanoelectronic devices and circuits

  4. Mesomorphous versus traces of crystallinity: The itraconazole example

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atassi, Faraj, E-mail: fatassi@yahoo.com; Behme, Robert J.; Patel, Phenil J.

    2013-12-20

    Highlights: • Characterizing partially disordered pharmaceuticals is very challenging due to the fact that more than one discrete disordered phase can be present. • Dynamic mechanical analysis and dielectric analysis are extremely helpful in characterizing pharmaceutical mesophases (liquid crystals). • Thermotropic pharmaceutical mesophases, often mistaken as amorphous or partially crystalline, can show different phases of liquid crystallinity at different temperature. • Liquid crystalline pharmaceutical materials often show amorphous behavior along with other characteristics specific to mesomorphous materials. • The thermal and mechanical history of pharmaceutical disordered samples has a significant effect on their phase composition. - Abstract: Characterizing disordered pharmaceutical materials can be challenging, especially materials with partially disordered structures that lose one or two directional order (mesophases) and do not fit the traditional characterization categories of amorphous, crystalline or a combination of the two. Itraconazole, an antifungal agent, was chosen as a model compound that, when quench cooled, exhibits atypical disordered structure. Five different analytical tools were used to map out the molecular structure of this material and how it changes with changing temperature. X-ray diffraction showed some remnant crystallinity while dielectric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, DSC and hot stage microscopy gave more detailed molecular structure of the disordered material and explained all temperature related structural changes. The characterization of mesomorphous Itraconazole described here will help characterize a wide range of pharmaceuticals that exhibit thermotropic (temperature induced) mesomorphism at the molecular level.

  5. Mesomorphous versus traces of crystallinity: The itraconazole example

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atassi, Faraj; Behme, Robert J.; Patel, Phenil J.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Characterizing partially disordered pharmaceuticals is very challenging due to the fact that more than one discrete disordered phase can be present. • Dynamic mechanical analysis and dielectric analysis are extremely helpful in characterizing pharmaceutical mesophases (liquid crystals). • Thermotropic pharmaceutical mesophases, often mistaken as amorphous or partially crystalline, can show different phases of liquid crystallinity at different temperature. • Liquid crystalline pharmaceutical materials often show amorphous behavior along with other characteristics specific to mesomorphous materials. • The thermal and mechanical history of pharmaceutical disordered samples has a significant effect on their phase composition. - Abstract: Characterizing disordered pharmaceutical materials can be challenging, especially materials with partially disordered structures that lose one or two directional order (mesophases) and do not fit the traditional characterization categories of amorphous, crystalline or a combination of the two. Itraconazole, an antifungal agent, was chosen as a model compound that, when quench cooled, exhibits atypical disordered structure. Five different analytical tools were used to map out the molecular structure of this material and how it changes with changing temperature. X-ray diffraction showed some remnant crystallinity while dielectric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, DSC and hot stage microscopy gave more detailed molecular structure of the disordered material and explained all temperature related structural changes. The characterization of mesomorphous Itraconazole described here will help characterize a wide range of pharmaceuticals that exhibit thermotropic (temperature induced) mesomorphism at the molecular level

  6. Soil Crystallinity As a Climate Indicator: Field Experiments on Earth and Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horgan, Briony; Scudder, Noel; Rampe, Elizabeth; Rutledge, Alicia

    2016-01-01

    Soil crystallinity is largely determined by leaching rates, as high leaching rates favor the rapid precipitation of short order or poorly-crystalline phases like the aluminosilicate allophane. High leaching rates can occur due to high precipitation rates, seasonal monsoons, or weathering of glass, but are also caused by the rapid onset of seasonal melting of snow and ice in cold environments. Thus, cold climate soils are commonly dominated by poorly crystalline phases, which mature into kaolin minerals over time. Thus, we hypothesize that, in some contexts, soils with high abundances of poorly crystalline phases could indicate formation under cold climatic conditions. This model could be helpful in interpreting the poorly-constrained paleoclimate of ancient Mars, as the crystallinity of ancient soils and soil-derived sediments appears to be highly variable in time and space. While strong signatures of crystalline phyllosilicates have been identified in possible ancient paleosols on Mars, Mars Science Laboratory rover investigations of diverse ancient sediments at Gale Crater has shown that they can contain very high abundances (40-50 wt%) of poorly crystalline phases. We hypothesize that these poorly crystalline phases could be the result of weathering by ice/snow melt, perhaps providing support for sustained cold climates on early Mars punctuated by more limited warm climates. Furthermore, such poorly crystalline soils could be highly fertile growth media for future human exploration and colonization on Mars. To test this hypothesis, we are currently using rover-like instrumentation to investigate the mineralogy and chemistry of weathering products generated by snow and ice melt in a Mars analog alpine environment: the glaciated Three Sisters volcanic complex in central Oregon. Alteration in this glacial environment generates high abundances of poorly crystalline phases, many of which have compositions distinct from those identified in previous terrestrial

  7. Gamma-irradiation effects to posttranslational modification and chaperon function of bovine α-crystalline

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiroki, K; Matsumoto, S.; Awakura, M.; Fujii, N.

    2001-01-01

    The formation of D-asparate (D-Asp) in αA-crystallin of the aged human eye and the cataract crystalline lens has been reported. Crystalline lens keeps the transparency by forming α-crystallin which consists of a high order association of αA-and αB-crystallin. Bovine α-crystallin for investigating a chaperone function which protects the crystalline lens from getting to opaque or disordered agglutination with heat or light, is irradiated by gamma-ray (Co-60) at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 kGy, respectively. The irradiated bovine α-crystallin are analyzed with electrophoresis, gel permeation chromatograph, and UV absorption spectrometer for checking on the agglutination and the isomerization of macromolecules. Oxidation of methionine residues (Met-1) and isomerization of asparagine residues (Asp-151) in the αA-crystallin are ascertained in molecular levels with reversed phase liquid chromatography. The Met-1 oxidation and the Asp-151 isomerization depend on gamma-irradiation doses. It is thought that OH radical and H radical in water generated by the irradiation lead to the oxidation and the isomerization. Stereoinversion in the α-crystallin following to such a chemical change are considered to lead to the agglutination of polymer and the reduction of chaperon function. (M. Suetake)

  8. Effect of grain defects on the mechanical behavior of nickel-based single crystal superalloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Haibin; Guo, Haiding [Nanjing Univ. of Aeronautics and Astronautics (China). Jiangsu Province Key Lab. of Aerospace Power System

    2017-03-15

    In this paper, a single crystal (SC) partition model, consisting of primary grains and grain defects, is proposed to simulate the weakening effect of grain defects generated at geometric discontinuities of SC materials. The plastic deformation of SC superalloy is described with the modified yield criterion, associated flow rule and hardening law. Then a bicrystal model containing only one group of misoriented grains under uniaxial loading is constructed and analyzed in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The simulation results indicate that the yield strength and elastic modulus of misoriented grains, which are determined by the crystallographic orientation, have a significant effect on the stress distribution of the bicrystal model. A critical stress, which is calculated by the stress state at critical regions, is proposed to evaluate the local stress rise at the sub-boundary of primary and misoriented grains.

  9. Effect of grain defects on the mechanical behavior of nickel-based single crystal superalloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Haibin; Guo, Haiding

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, a single crystal (SC) partition model, consisting of primary grains and grain defects, is proposed to simulate the weakening effect of grain defects generated at geometric discontinuities of SC materials. The plastic deformation of SC superalloy is described with the modified yield criterion, associated flow rule and hardening law. Then a bicrystal model containing only one group of misoriented grains under uniaxial loading is constructed and analyzed in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The simulation results indicate that the yield strength and elastic modulus of misoriented grains, which are determined by the crystallographic orientation, have a significant effect on the stress distribution of the bicrystal model. A critical stress, which is calculated by the stress state at critical regions, is proposed to evaluate the local stress rise at the sub-boundary of primary and misoriented grains.

  10. Directional Charge Separation in Isolated Organic Semiconductor Crystalline Nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnes, Michael; Labastide, Joelle; Bond-Thompson, Hilary; Briseno, Alejandro; Collela, Nicolas

    2017-03-01

    In the conventional view of organic photovoltaics (OPV), localized electronic excitations (excitons) formed in the active layer are transported by random 3D diffusion to an interface where charge separation and extraction take place. Because radiative de-excitation is usually strongly allowed in organic semiconductors, efficient charge separation requires high exciton mobility, with much of the diffusive motion ‘wasted’ in directions that don’t result in an interface encounter. Our research efforts are focused on ways to enforce a preferred directionality in energy and/or charge transport using ordered crystalline nanowires in which the intermolecular interactions that facilitate transport along, for example, the pi-stacking axis, can be made several orders of magnitude stronger than those in a transverse direction. The results presented in our recent work (Nature Communications) is a first step towards realizing the goal of directional control of both energy transport and charge separation, where excitons shared between adjacent molecules dissociate exclusively along the pi-stacking direction.

  11. 21 CFR 524.2620 - Liquid crystalline trypsin, Peru balsam, castor oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Liquid crystalline trypsin, Peru balsam, castor... NEW ANIMAL DRUGS § 524.2620 Liquid crystalline trypsin, Peru balsam, castor oil. (a)(1) Specifications... delivered to the wound site contains 0.12 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 87.0 milligrams of Peru balsam...

  12. Depth of origin of atoms sputtered from crystalline targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shapiro, M.H.; Trovato, E.; Tombrello, T.A.

    2001-01-01

    Recently, V.I. Shulga and W. Eckstein (Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 145 (1998) 492) investigated the depth of origin of atoms sputtered from random elemental targets using the Monte Carlo code TRIM.SP and the lattice code OKSANA. They found that the mean depth of origin is proportional to N -0.86 , where N is the atomic density; and that the most probable escape depth is ∼λ 0 /2, where λ 0 is the mean atomic distance. Since earlier molecular dynamics simulations with small crystalline elemental targets typically produced a most probable escape depth of zero (i.e., most sputtered atoms came from the topmost layer of the target), we have carried out new molecular dynamics simulations of sputtered atom escape depths with much larger crystalline targets. Our new results, which include the bcc targets Cs, Rb and W, as well as the fcc targets Cu and Au predict that the majority of sputtered atoms come from the first atomic layer for the bcc(1 0 0), bcc(1 1 1), fcc(1 0 0) and fcc(1 1 1) targets studied. For the high-atomic density targets Cu, Au and W, the mean depth of origin of sputtered atoms typically is less than 0.25λ 0 . For the low-atomic density targets Cs and Rb, the mean depth of origin of sputtered atoms is considerably larger, and depends strongly on the crystal orientation. We show that the discrepancy between the single-crystal and amorphous target depth of origin values can be resolved by applying a simple correction to the single-crystal results

  13. Crystalline to amorphous transformation in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheruvu, S.M.

    1982-09-01

    In the present investigation, an attempt was made to understand the fundamental mechanism of crystalline-to-amorphous transformation in arsenic implanted silicon using high resolution electron microscopy. A comparison of the gradual disappearance of simulated lattice fringes with increasing Frenkel pair concentration with the experimental observation of sharp interfaces between crystalline and amorphous regions was carried out leading to the conclusion that when the defect concentration reaches a critical value, the crystal does relax to an amorphous state. Optical diffraction experiments using atomic models also supported this hypothesis. Both crystalline and amorphous zones were found to co-exist with sharp interfaces at the atomic level. Growth of the amorphous fraction depends on the temperature, dose rate and the mass of the implanted ion. Preliminary results of high energy electron irradiation experiments at 1.2 MeV also suggested that clustering of point defects occurs near room temperature. An observation in a high resolution image of a small amorphous zone centered at the core of a dislocation is presented as evidence that the nucleation of an amorphous phase is heterogeneous in nature involving clustering or segregation of point defects near existing defects

  14. Used Fuel Disposition in Crystalline Rocks: FY16 Progress Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Y. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hadgu, Teklu [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kalinina, Elena Arkadievna [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jerden, James L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Copple, Jacqueline M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Cruse, T. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Ebert, W. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Buck, E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Eittman, R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Tinnacher, R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tournassat, Christophe [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Davis, J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Viswanathan, H. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Chu, S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Dittrich, T. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hyman, F. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Karra, S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Makedonska, N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reimus, P. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Zavarin, Mavrik [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Joseph, C. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2016-09-21

    The objective of the Crystalline Disposal R&D Work Package is to advance our understanding of long-term disposal of used fuel in crystalline rocks and to develop necessary experimental and computational capabilities to evaluate various disposal concepts in such media. FY16 continued to be a successful year in both experimental and modeling arenas in evaluation of used fuel disposal in crystalline rocks. The work covers a wide range of research topics identified in the R&D plan.

  15. The effect of crystallinity on cell growth in semi-crystalline microcellular foams by solid-state process: modeling and numerical simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezvanpanah, Elham; Ghaffarian Anbaran, S. Reza

    2017-11-01

    This study establishes a model and simulation scheme to describe the effect of crystallinity as one of the most effective parameters on cell growth phenomena in a solid batch foaming process. The governing model of cell growth dynamics, based on the well-known ‘Cell model’, is attained in details. To include the effect of crystallinity in the model, the properties of the polymer/gas mixtures (i.e. solubility, diffusivity, surface tension and viscosity) are estimated by modifying relations to consider the effect of crystallinity. A finite element-finite difference (FEFD) method is employed to solve the highly nonlinear and coupled equations of cell growth dynamics. The proposed simulation is able to evaluate all properties of the system at the given process condition and uses them to calculate the cell size, pressure and gas concentration gradient with time. A high-density polyethylene/nitrogen (HDPE/N2) system is used herein as a case study. Comparing the simulation results with the others works and experimental results verify the accuracy of the simulation scheme. The cell growth is a complicated combination of several phenomena. This study attempted to reach a better understanding of cell growth trend, driving and retarding forces and the effect of crystallinity on them.

  16. Reverse-phase HPLC analysis of human alpha crystallin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swamy, M S; Abraham, E C

    1991-03-01

    A rapid and highly sensitive reverse-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) method was used to separate crystallin subunits from human alpha crystallin. Three distinct peaks were separated; by electrophoretic and immunological analyses the first and second peaks were identified as alpha B and alpha A respectively. On the other hand, peak 3 appeared to be a modified form of alpha crystallin. The ratio of alpha A and alpha B proteins was 3:1 in 1 day old lenses which gradually changed to 2:1 in 17 year old lenses and to 1:1 in the 50 and 82 year old whole lenses and 82 year old lens cortex, with a concomitant increase in the modified alpha, suggesting that alpha A subunits are relatively more involved in aggregation. Analysis of the 82 year old lens nucleus also supported this conclusion. The RP-HPLC analysis of the HMW aggregate fraction showed substantial enrichment of the modified alpha. The alpha A and alpha B subunits independently reassociated to form polymeric alpha crystallin whereas the modified alpha reassociated to form HMW aggregates as shown by molecular sieve HPLC. Hence it appears that the HMW aggregate peak was constituted by modified alpha crystallin. Only in the peak 3 material the 280 nm absorbance was about 2-fold higher than what was expected from the actual protein content. The data suggest that the changes induced by post-translational modifications may have some role in the formation of modified alpha. The present RP-HPLC method is useful in separating these modified alpha from the unmodified alpha A and alpha B subunits.

  17. Liquid crystalline epoxy nanocomposite material for dental application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Yun-Yuan; Hsu, Sheng-Hao; Chen, Rung-Shu; Su, Wei-Fang; Chen, Min-Huey

    2015-01-01

    Novel liquid crystalline epoxy nanocomposites, which exhibit reduced polymerization shrinkage and effectively bond to tooth structures, can be applied in esthetic dentistry, including core and post systems, direct and indirect restorations, and dental brackets. The purposes of this study were to investigate the properties of liquid crystalline epoxy nanocomposites including biocompatibility, microhardness, and frictional forces of bracket-like blocks with different filler contents for further clinical applications. In this study, we evaluated liquid crystalline epoxy nanocomposite materials that exhibited various filler contents, by assessing their cell activity performance using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and their microhardness with or without thermocycling. We also evaluated the frictional force between bracket-like duplicates and commercially available esthetic bracket systems using Instron 5566. The liquid crystalline epoxy nanocomposite materials showed good biocompatibility. The materials having high filler content demonstrated greater microhardness compared with commercially available bracket materials, before and after the thermocycling treatment. Thus, manufacturing processes are important to reduce frictional force experienced by orthodontic brackets. The microhardness of the bracket-like blocks made by our new material is superior to the commercially available brackets, even after thermocycling. Our results indicate that the evaluated liquid crystalline epoxy nanocomposite materials are of an appropriate quality for application in dental core and post systems and in various restorations. By applying technology to refine manufacturing processes, these new materials could also be used to fabricate esthetic brackets for orthodontic treatment. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Nanomembrane structures having mixed crystalline orientations and compositions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagally, Max G.; Scott, Shelley A.; Savage, Donald E.

    2014-08-12

    The present nanomembrane structures include a multilayer film comprising a single-crystalline layer of semiconductor material disposed between two other single-crystalline layers of semiconductor material. A plurality of holes extending through the nanomembrane are at least partially, and preferably entirely, filled with a filler material which is also a semiconductor, but which differs from the nanomembrane semiconductor materials in composition, crystal orientation, or both.

  19. Circuit design techniques for non-crystalline semiconductors

    CERN Document Server

    Sambandan, Sanjiv

    2012-01-01

    Despite significant progress in materials and fabrication technologies related to non-crystalline semiconductors, fundamental drawbacks continue to limit real-world application of these devices in electronic circuits. To help readers deal with problems such as low mobility and intrinsic time variant behavior, Circuit Design Techniques for Non-Crystalline Semiconductors outlines a systematic design approach, including circuit theory, enabling users to synthesize circuits without worrying about the details of device physics. This book: Offers examples of how self-assembly can be used as a powerf

  20. Synthesis and crystalline properties of CdS incorporated polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Arunendra Kumar; Sunder, Aishwarya; Mishra, Shweta; Bajpai, Rakesh

    2018-05-01

    This paper gives an insight on the synthesis and crystalline properties of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) (host matrix) composites impregnated with Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) using Dimethyl formamide (DMF) as the base, prepared by the well known solvent casting technique. The effect of doping concentration of CdS in to the PVDF matrix was studied using X-ray diffraction technique. The structural properties like crystallinity Cr, interplanar distance d, average size of the crystalline region (D), and average inter crystalline separation (R) have been estimated for the developed composite. The crystallinity index, crystallite size and inter crystalline separation is increasing with increase in the concentration of CdS in to the PVDF matrix while the interplanar distance d is decreasing.

  1. Electrophoretic variation in low molecular weight lens crystallins from inbred strains of rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donner, M E; Skow, L C; Kunz, H W; Gill, T J

    1985-10-01

    Analysis of rat lens soluble proteins by analytical isoelectric focusing detected two inherited electrophoretic differences in low molecular weight (LM) crystallins from inbred strains of rats (Rattus norvegicus). The polymorphic lens crystallins were shown to be similar to a genetically variant LM crystallin, LEN-1, previously described in mice (Mus musculus) and encoded on chromosome 1, at a locus linked to Pep-3 (dipeptidase). Linkage analysis demonstrated that the rat crystallin locus was loosely linked to Pep-3 at a recombination distance of 38 +/- 4.5 U. These data suggest the conservation of a large chromosomal region during the evolution of Rodentia and support the hypothesis that the gamma-crystallins are evolving more rapidly than alpha- or beta-crystallins.

  2. On the determination of crystallinity and cellulose content in plant fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thygesen, Anders; Oddershede, Jette; Lilholt, Hans

    2005-01-01

    A comparative study of cellulose crystallinity based on the sample crystallinity and the cellulose content in plant fibres was performed for samples of different origin. Strong acid hydrolysis was found superior to agricultural fibre analysis and comprehensive plant fibre analysis for a consistent...... determination of the cellulose content. Crystallinity determinations were based on X-ray powder diffraction methods using side-loaded samples in reflection (Bragg-Brentano) mode. Rietveld refinements based on the recently published crystal structure of cellulose I beta followed by integration of the crystalline...... and 60 - 70 g/ 100 g cellulose in wood based fibres. These findings are significant in relation to strong fibre composites and bio-ethanol production....

  3. Liquid crystallinity driven highly aligned large graphene oxide composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Kyung Eun; Oh, Jung Jae; Yun, Taeyeong [Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sang Ouk, E-mail: sangouk.kim@kaist.ac.kr [Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-04-15

    Graphene is an emerging graphitic carbon materials, consisting of sp{sup 2} hybridized two dimensinal honeycomb structure. It has been widely studied to incorporate graphene with polymer to utilize unique property of graphene and reinforce electrical, mechanical and thermal property of polymer. In composite materials, orientation control of graphene significantly influences the property of composite. Until now, a few method has been developed for orientation control of graphene within polymer matrix. Here, we demonstrate facile fabrication of high aligned large graphene oxide (LGO) composites in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix exploiting liquid crystallinity. Liquid crystalline aqueous dispersion of LGO is parallel oriented within flat confinement geometry. Freeze-drying of the aligned LGO dispersion and subsequent infiltration with PDMS produce highly aligned LGO/PDMS composites. Owing to the large shape anisotropy of LGO, liquid crystalline alignment occurred at low concentration of 2 mg/ml in aqueous dispersion, which leads to the 0.2 wt% LGO loaded composites. - Graphical abstract: Liquid crystalline LGO aqueous dispersions are spontaneous parallel aligned between geometric confinement for highly aligned LGO/polymer composite fabrication. - Highlights: • A simple fabrication method for highly aligned LGO/PDMS composites is proposed. • LGO aqueous dispersion shows nematic liquid crystalline phase at 0.8 mg/ml. • In nematic phase, LGO flakes are highly aligned by geometric confinement. • Infiltration of PDMS into freeze-dried LGO allows highly aligned LGO/PDMS composites.

  4. New photo-convertible reactions of blue-fluorescent calf α-crystallin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujimori, E.

    1979-01-01

    Both native blue fluorescent α-crystalline from calf lenses and UV (300 nm)-irradiated blue-fluorescent α-crystalline, when further irradiated with 365 nm-UV light, produce photo-products capable of emitting a new fluorescence at 455 nm. Illumination of the photo-products with 420 nm visible light regenerates the original fluorescence at 420-425 nm. In addition, another fluorescence at 400 nm has also been found in UV (300 nm)-irradiated blue-fluorescent α-crystallin, when exposed to 365 nm-UV light. (author)

  5. Effects of γ-irradiation and thermal treatment of crystallinity of drawn HDPE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Zhanjun; Silverman, J.

    1997-01-01

    The effect of absorbed dose irradiated in vacuum and air on the crystallinity of drawn HDPE was studied. Experimental results show that up to 250 kGy of absorbed dose when irradiated in vacuum, the crystallinity of drawn HDPE is decreased from about 75% to about 71%, and then the increase of absorbed dose until 1000 kGy has no further effect in lowering the crystallinity; when irradiated in air, an absorbed dose of 1000 kGy has no effect on the crystallinity of drawn HDPE. The effect of temperature of thermal treatment on the crystallinity of unirradiated drawn HDPE was also investigated. At first, the crystallinity is increased with the increase of temperature of thermal treatment, at about 120 degree C, it reaches the maximum value, and then it is rapidly lowered with the further increase of temperature of thermal treatment. Based on the existence of a lot of voids and lattice defects inside the drawn HDPE, the above experimental results were explained

  6. Highly mesoporous single-crystalline zeolite beta synthesized using a nonsurfactant cationic polymer as a dual-function template

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Jie

    2014-02-12

    Mesoporous zeolites are useful solid catalysts for conversion of bulky molecules because they offer fast mass transfer along with size and shape selectivity. We report here the successful synthesis of mesoporous aluminosilicate zeolite Beta from a commercial cationic polymer that acts as a dual-function template to generate zeolitic micropores and mesopores simultaneously. This is the first demonstration of a single nonsurfactant polymer acting as such a template. Using high-resolution electron microscopy and tomography, we discovered that the resulting material (Beta-MS) has abundant and highly interconnected mesopores. More importantly, we demonstrated using a three-dimensional electron diffraction technique that each Beta-MS particle is a single crystal, whereas most previously reported mesoporous zeolites are comprised of nanosized zeolitic grains with random orientations. The use of nonsurfactant templates is essential to gaining single-crystalline mesoporous zeolites. The single-crystalline nature endows Beta-MS with better hydrothermal stability compared with surfactant-derived mesoporous zeolite Beta. Beta-MS also exhibited remarkably higher catalytic activity than did conventional zeolite Beta in acid-catalyzed reactions involving large molecules. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  7. Crystalline beams: Theory, experiments, and proposals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruggiero, A.G.

    1995-01-01

    Crystalline Beams are an ordered state of an ensemble of ions, circulating in a storage ring, with very small velocity fluctuations. They can be obtained from ordinary warm ion beams with the application of intense cooling techniques (stochastic, electron, laser). A phase transition occurs when sufficiently small velocity spreads are reached, freezing the particle-to-particle spacing in strings, Zigzags, and helices ... The properties and the feasibility of Crystalline Beams depend on the choice of the lattice of the Storage Ring. There are three issues closely related to the design of the Storage Ring; namely: the determination of Equilibrium Configurations, Confinement Conditions, and Stability Conditions. Of particular concern is the effect of the trajectory curvature and of the beam momentum spread, since they set the requirements on the amount of momentum cooling, on the focussing, and on the distribution of bending in the lattice of the storage ring. The practical demonstration of Crystalline Beams may create the basis for an advanced technology for particle accelerators, where the limitations due to Coulomb intrabeam scattering and space-charge forces would finally be brought under control, so that beams of ions, more dense than normal, can be achieved for a variety of new applications

  8. Bacterial adhesion on amorphous and crystalline metal oxide coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almaguer-Flores, Argelia; Silva-Bermudez, Phaedra; Galicia, Rey; Rodil, Sandra E.

    2015-01-01

    Several studies have demonstrated the influence of surface properties (surface energy, composition and topography) of biocompatible materials on the adhesion of cells/bacteria on solid substrates; however, few have provided information about the effect of the atomic arrangement or crystallinity. Using magnetron sputtering deposition, we produced amorphous and crystalline TiO 2 and ZrO 2 coatings with controlled micro and nanoscale morphology. The effect of the structure on the physical–chemical surface properties was carefully analyzed. Then, we studied how these parameters affect the adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings demonstrated that the nano-topography and the surface energy were significantly influenced by the coating structure. Bacterial adhesion at micro-rough (2.6 μm) surfaces was independent of the surface composition and structure, contrary to the observation in sub-micron (0.5 μm) rough surfaces, where the crystalline oxides (TiO 2 > ZrO 2 ) surfaces exhibited higher numbers of attached bacteria. Particularly, crystalline TiO 2 , which presented a predominant acidic nature, was more attractive for the adhesion of the negatively charged bacteria. The information provided by this study, where surface modifications are introduced by means of the deposition of amorphous or crystalline oxide coatings, offers a route for the rational design of implant surfaces to control or inhibit bacterial adhesion. - Highlights: • Amorphous (a) and crystalline (c) TiO 2 and ZrO 2 coatings were deposited. • The atomic ordering influences the coatings surface charge and nano-topography. • The atomic ordering modifies the bacterial adhesion for the same surface chemistry. • S. aureus adhesion was lower on a-TiO 2 and a-ZrO 2 than on their c-oxide counterpart. • E. coli adhesion on a-TiO 2 was lower than on the c-TiO 2

  9. Bacterial adhesion on amorphous and crystalline metal oxide coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Almaguer-Flores, Argelia [Facultad de Odontología, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Silva-Bermudez, Phaedra, E-mail: suriel21@yahoo.com [Unidad de Ingeniería de Tejidos, Terapia Celular y Medicina Regenerativa, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 289, Col. Arenal de Guadalupe, 14389 México D.F. (Mexico); Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Galicia, Rey; Rodil, Sandra E. [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico)

    2015-12-01

    Several studies have demonstrated the influence of surface properties (surface energy, composition and topography) of biocompatible materials on the adhesion of cells/bacteria on solid substrates; however, few have provided information about the effect of the atomic arrangement or crystallinity. Using magnetron sputtering deposition, we produced amorphous and crystalline TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} coatings with controlled micro and nanoscale morphology. The effect of the structure on the physical–chemical surface properties was carefully analyzed. Then, we studied how these parameters affect the adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings demonstrated that the nano-topography and the surface energy were significantly influenced by the coating structure. Bacterial adhesion at micro-rough (2.6 μm) surfaces was independent of the surface composition and structure, contrary to the observation in sub-micron (0.5 μm) rough surfaces, where the crystalline oxides (TiO{sub 2} > ZrO{sub 2}) surfaces exhibited higher numbers of attached bacteria. Particularly, crystalline TiO{sub 2}, which presented a predominant acidic nature, was more attractive for the adhesion of the negatively charged bacteria. The information provided by this study, where surface modifications are introduced by means of the deposition of amorphous or crystalline oxide coatings, offers a route for the rational design of implant surfaces to control or inhibit bacterial adhesion. - Highlights: • Amorphous (a) and crystalline (c) TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} coatings were deposited. • The atomic ordering influences the coatings surface charge and nano-topography. • The atomic ordering modifies the bacterial adhesion for the same surface chemistry. • S. aureus adhesion was lower on a-TiO{sub 2} and a-ZrO{sub 2} than on their c-oxide counterpart. • E. coli adhesion on a-TiO{sub 2} was lower than on the c-TiO{sub 2}.

  10. Determination of cellulose I crystallinity by FT-Raman spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal; Richard S. Reiner; Sally A. Ralph

    2009-01-01

    Two new methods based on FT-Raman spectroscopy, one simple, based on band intensity ratio, and the other, using a partial least-squares (PLS) regression model, are proposed to determine cellulose I crystallinity. In the simple method, crystallinity in semicrystalline cellulose I samples was determined based on univariate regression that was first developed using the...

  11. Electrochemical synthesis of self-organized TiO2 crystalline nanotubes without annealing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giorgi, Leonardo; Dikonimos, Theodoros; Giorgi, Rossella; Buonocore, Francesco; Faggio, Giuliana; Messina, Giacomo; Lisi, Nicola

    2018-03-01

    This work demonstrates that upon anodic polarization in an aqueous fluoride-containing electrolyte, TiO2 nanotube array films can be formed with a well-defined crystalline phase, rather than an amorphous one. The crystalline phase was obtained avoiding any high temperature annealing. We studied the formation of nanotubes in an HF/H2O medium and the development of crystalline grains on the nanotube wall, and we found a facile way to achieve crystalline TiO2 nanotube arrays through a one-step anodization. The crystallinity of the film was influenced by the synthesis parameters, and the optimization of the electrolyte composition and anodization conditions (applied voltage and time) were carried out. For comparison purposes, crystalline anatase TiO2 nanotubes were also prepared by thermal treatment of amorphous nanotubes grown in an organic bath (ethylene glycol/NH4F/H2O). The morphology and the crystallinity of the nanotubes were studied by field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) and Raman spectroscopy, whereas the electrochemical and semiconducting properties were analyzed by means of linear sweep voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky plots. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) allowed us to determine the surface composition and the electronic structure of the samples and to correlate them with the electrochemical data. The optimal conditions to achieve a crystalline phase with high donor concentration are defined.

  12. Solid State Characterization of Commercial Crystalline and Amorphous Atorvastatin Calcium Samples

    OpenAIRE

    Shete, Ganesh; Puri, Vibha; Kumar, Lokesh; Bansal, Arvind K.

    2010-01-01

    Atorvastatin calcium (ATC), an anti-lipid BCS class II drug, is marketed in crystalline and amorphous solid forms. The objective of this study was to perform solid state characterization of commercial crystalline and amorphous ATC drug samples available in the Indian market. Six samples each of crystalline and amorphous ATC were characterized using X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, Karl Fisher titrimetry, microscopy (hot s...

  13. The effect of modified ijuk fibers to crystallinity of polypropylene composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabowo, I.; Nur Pratama, J.; Chalid, M.

    2017-07-01

    Nowadays, plastics becomes concern associated with its degradation and environmental issues. It has led studies to develop an environmental-friendly material. To minimize the impact of those problems, recently the usage of natural fibers as a filler are introduced because of biodegradability and availability. The promising natural fiber is “ijuk” fiber from Arenga pinnata plant as a filler and polypropylene (PP) polymer as a matrix. Unfortunately, the natural fibers and polymers have the different properties on which polymers are polar while natural fibers are non-polar so that reducing the compatibility and resulting the poor crystallinity. To enhance the compatibility and crystallinity, ijuk fibers were prepared by multistage treatments including alkalinization with 5 and 10% sodium hydroxide (NaOH), oxidation with 3 and 6% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and hydrolysis with 20% sulphuric acid (H2SO4) in sequences. The purposes of multistage treatments are to remove the components such as lignin, wax, hemicellulose, to cause an oxidative fragmentation of remaining lignin and to annihilate the amorphous parts respectively. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) confirms the compatibility meanwhile Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) reveals the crystallinity and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) displays surface morphology of polypropylene. The experiments were revealing that the effects of “ijuk” fibers by the multistage treatments of 5 and 10% NaOH resulting the crystallinity of polypropylene around 31.2 and 27.64% respectively compared to the crystallinity before adding the “ijuk” fibers for 16.8%. It indicates that the entire treatments increasing the compatibility and crystallinity of polypropylene. In addition, the use of 5% NaOH offers the better crystallinity than non-treated polypropylene. The experiments conclude that by adding alkalinized “ijuk” fibers of multistage treatments can increase the compatibility and crystallinity of polypropylene.

  14. Laterally inherently thin amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chowdhury, Zahidur R., E-mail: zr.chowdhury@utoronto.ca; Kherani, Nazir P., E-mail: kherani@ecf.utoronto.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King' s College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4 (Canada)

    2014-12-29

    This article reports on an amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell concept wherein the heterojunction regions are laterally narrow and distributed amidst a backdrop of well-passivated crystalline silicon surface. The localized amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunctions consisting of the laterally thin emitter and back-surface field regions are precisely aligned under the metal grid-lines and bus-bars while the remaining crystalline silicon surface is passivated using the recently proposed facile grown native oxide–plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposited silicon nitride passivation scheme. The proposed cell concept mitigates parasitic optical absorption losses by relegating amorphous silicon to beneath the shadowed metallized regions and by using optically transparent passivation layer. A photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 13.6% is obtained for an untextured proof-of-concept cell illuminated under AM 1.5 global spectrum; the specific cell performance parameters are V{sub OC} of 666 mV, J{sub SC} of 29.5 mA-cm{sup −2}, and fill-factor of 69.3%. Reduced parasitic absorption, predominantly in the shorter wavelength range, is confirmed with external quantum efficiency measurement.

  15. Confinement and stability of crystalline beams in storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haffmans, A.F.

    1995-01-01

    We present a fully analytical approach to the study of the confinement and stability of open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beams close-quote close-quote in storage rings, in terms of such fundamental accelerator concepts as tune shift and stopband. We consider a open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beam close-quote close-quote consisting of substrings, arranged symmetrically around the reference trajectory, and we examine the motion of a slightly perturbed test particle on one of them. Our approach quite naturally leads to the conclusion, that (a) storage rings need to be operated below the transition energy, and (b) the open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beam close-quote close-quote has the same periodicity as the storage ring. Each open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beam close-quote close-quote has an upper and lower limit of the spacing between the ions. The upper limit is determined by condition (b), and the lower limit is set by the stability of the test particle motion around the equilibrium. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

  16. Anisotropy-based crystalline oxide-on-semiconductor material

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKee, Rodney Allen; Walker, Frederick Joseph

    2000-01-01

    A semiconductor structure and device for use in a semiconductor application utilizes a substrate of semiconductor-based material, such as silicon, and a thin film of a crystalline oxide whose unit cells are capable of exhibiting anisotropic behavior overlying the substrate surface. Within the structure, the unit cells of the crystalline oxide are exposed to an in-plane stain which influences the geometric shape of the unit cells and thereby arranges a directional-dependent quality of the unit cells in a predisposed orientation relative to the substrate. This predisposition of the directional-dependent quality of the unit cells enables the device to take beneficial advantage of characteristics of the structure during operation. For example, in the instance in which the crystalline oxide of the structure is a perovskite, a spinel or an oxide of similarly-related cubic structure, the structure can, within an appropriate semiconductor device, exhibit ferroelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, electro-optic, ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, magneto-optic or large dielectric properties that synergistically couple to the underlying semiconductor substrate.

  17. Endogenous α-crystallin inhibits expression of caspase-3 induced by hypoxia in retinal neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ying, Xi; Peng, Yanli; Zhang, Jiaping; Wang, Xingli; Wu, Nan; Zeng, Yuxiao; Wang, Yi

    2014-08-28

    To investigate the expression of endogenous, hypoxic stress-induced α-crystallin and caspase-3 in rat retinal neurons in vitro. Retinal neurons were cultured from Long-Evans rats. The expression of endogenous α-crystallin was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, hypoxic exposure was performed in cultured cells, and the expression of endogenous α-crystallin and caspase-3 was assayed by Western blotting. Positive α-crystallin staining was observed in cultured retinal neurons, and expression of endogenous α-crystallin mRNA peaked 3-5d after inoculation (Pendogenous, hypoxic stress-induced α-crystallin expression increased gradually, peaking 6h after hypoxia. The expression was more abundant compared to the control (Pendogenous α-crystallin in retinal neurons, especially over-expression induced by hypoxic stress, results in the down regulation of caspase-3. The data suggest that endogenous α-crystallin may act as an endogenous neuroprotective factor in retinal neurons. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Definitions of terms relating to crystalline polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2011)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Meille, S. V.; Allegra, G.; Geil, P. H.; He, J.; Hess, M.; Jin, J.-I.; Kratochvíl, Pavel; Mormann, W.; Stepto, R.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 83, č. 10 (2011), s. 1831-1871 ISSN 0033-4545 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : IUPAC Polymer Division * crystalline polymers * crystalline polymer conformation Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.789, year: 2011

  19. Solid state characterization of commercial crystalline and amorphous atorvastatin calcium samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shete, Ganesh; Puri, Vibha; Kumar, Lokesh; Bansal, Arvind K

    2010-06-01

    Atorvastatin calcium (ATC), an anti-lipid BCS class II drug, is marketed in crystalline and amorphous solid forms. The objective of this study was to perform solid state characterization of commercial crystalline and amorphous ATC drug samples available in the Indian market. Six samples each of crystalline and amorphous ATC were characterized using X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, Karl Fisher titrimetry, microscopy (hot stage microscopy, scanning electron microscopy), contact angle, and intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR). All crystalline ATC samples were found to be stable form I, however one sample possessed polymorphic impurity, evidenced in XRPD and DSC analysis. Amongst the amorphous ATC samples, XRPD demonstrated five samples to be amorphous 'form 27', while, one matched amorphous 'form 23'. Thermal behavior of amorphous ATC samples was compared to amorphous ATC generated by melt quenching in DSC. ATC was found to be an excellent glass former with T(g)/T(m) of 0.95. Residual crystallinity was detected in two of the amorphous samples by complementary use of conventional and modulated DSC techniques. The wettability and IDR of all amorphous samples was found to be higher than the crystalline samples. In conclusion, commercial ATC samples exhibited diverse solid state behavior that can impact the performance and stability of the dosage forms.

  20. Effect of the UV modification of α-crystallin on its ability to suppress nonspecific aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellozy, A.R.; Ceger, Patricia; Wang, R.H.; Dillon, James

    1996-01-01

    Recent studies have shown that structural modifications of α-crystallin during lens aging decrease it's effectiveness as a molecular chaperone. Some of these post-translational modifications have been linked to UV radiation, and this study was undertaken to investigate the effect of UV irradiation on the ability of α-crystallin to suppress nonspecific aggregation. The effect of 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) was also investigated as a model for its glucoside (3-HKG), a main lens chromophore that has been linked to photochemical changes in the human lens. Alpha- and γ-crystallin solutions (1 mg/mL, 1:0.125 wt/wt) were photolyzed (transmission above 295nm) for various time intervals. Thermal denaturation of γ-crystallin with or without α-crystallin was carried out at 70 o C and increases in light scattering were measured at 360 nm. We found that (1) irradiation of γ-crystallin increased its susceptibility to heat-induced scattering. The addition of α-crystallin protects it against thermal denaturation, although its ability to do so decreases the longer γ-crystallin is irradiated and (2) irradiation of α-crystallin decreases its ability to suppress nonspecific aggregation and the presence of 3-HK during irradiation decreases its further. Our results indicate that post-translational modifications of α-crystallin due to UV irradiation affect the sites and mechanisms by which it interacts with γ-crystallin. The kinetics of γ-crystallin unfolding during thermal denaturation were also analyzed. We found that a simple two state model applied for nonirradiated γ-crystallin. This model does not hold when γ-crystallin is irradiated in the prescence or absence of α-crystallin. In these cases, two step or multistep mechanisms are more likely. (Author)

  1. The molecular chaperone function of α-crystallin is impaired by UV photolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borkman, R.F.; McLaughlin, J.

    1995-01-01

    Buffer solutions of the lens protein γ-crystallin and the enzymes aldolase and liver alcohol dehydrogenase became turbid and formed solid precipitate upon exposure to an elevated temperature of 63 o C or to UV radiation at 308 nm. When α-crystallin was added to the protein solutions in stoichiometric amounts, heat or UV irradiation did not cause turbidity, or turbidity developed much less rapidly than in the absence of α-crystallin. Hence, normal α-crystallin functioned as a ''molecular chaperone,'' providing protection against both UV and heat-induced protein aggregation. When α-crystallin was preirradiated with UV at 308 nm, its ability to function as a chaperone vis-a-vis both UV and heat-induced aggregation was significantly impaired, but only at relatively high UV doss. (author)

  2. Alpha B- and βA3-crystallins containing d-aspartic acids exist in a monomeric state.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakaue, Hiroaki; Takata, Takumi; Fujii, Norihiko; Sasaki, Hiroshi; Fujii, Noriko

    2015-01-01

    Crystallin stability and subunit-subunit interaction are essential for eye lens transparency. There are three types of crystallins in lens, designated as α-, β-, and γ-crystallins. Alpha-crystallin is a hetero-polymer of about 800kDa, consisting of 35-40 subunits of two different αA- and αB-subunits, each of 20kDa. The β/γ-crystallin superfamily comprises oligomeric β-crystallin (2-6 subunits) and monomeric γ-crystallin. Since lens proteins have very long half-lives, they undergo numerous post-translational modifications including racemization, isomerization, deamidation, oxidation, glycation, and truncation, which may decrease crystallin solubility and ultimately cause cataract formation. Racemization and isomerization of aspartyl (Asp) residues have been detected only in polymeric α- and oligomeric β-crystallin, while the situation in monomeric γ-crystallin has not been studied. Here, we investigated the racemization and isomerization of Asp in the γ-crystallin fraction of elderly donors. The results show that Asp residues of γS-, γD- and γC-crystallins were not racemized and isomerized. However, strikingly, we found that a portion of αB-crystallin and βA3-crystallin moved to the lower molecular weight fraction which is the same size of γ-crystallin. In those fractions, Asp-96 of αB-crystallin and Asp-37 of βA3-crystallin were highly inverted, which do not occur in the native lens higher molecular weight fraction. Our results indicate the possibility that the inversion of Asp residues may induce dissociation of αB- and βA3-crystallins from the polymeric and oligomeric states. This is the first report that stereoinversion of amino acids disturbs lens protein assembly in aged human lens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Autophobicity and layering behavior of thin liquid-crystalline polymer films.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wielen, van der M.W.J.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.; Fleer, G.J.

    1998-01-01

    The stability against breaking-up of thin spin-coated films of liquid-crystalline polymers depends on the film thickness and annealing temperature. This study concerns side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers, based on alternating copolymers of maleic anhydride and mesogenic alkenes. The mesogenic

  4. [Crystalline lens photodisruption using femtosecond laser: experimental study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatoux, O; Touboul, D; Buestel, C; Balcou, P; Colin, J

    2010-09-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the interactions during femtosecond (fs) laser photodisruption in ex vivo porcine crystalline lenses and to study the parameters for laser interaction optimization. An experimental femtosecond laser was used. The laser characteristics were: 1030 nm wavelength; pulse duration, 400 fs; and numerical aperture, 0.13. Specific software was created to custom and monitor any type of photoablation pattern for treatment purposes. Porcine crystalline lenses were placed in an open sky holder filled with physiological liquid (BSS) covered by a glass plate. A numerical camera was associated with metrological software in order to magnify and quantify the results. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed on some samples to identify the microscopic plasma interactions with the lens. The optimization of parameters was investigated in terms of the optical breakdown threshold, the sizing of interactions, and the best pattern for alignments. More than 150 crystalline lenses of freshly enucleated pigs were treated. The optical breakdown threshold (OBT) was defined as the minimal energy level per pulse necessary to observe a physical interaction. In our study, the OBT varied according to the following parameters: the crystalline lens itself, varying from 4.2 to 7.6 μJ (mean, 5.1 μJ), and the depth of laser focus, varying up to 1 μJ, increasing in the depth of the tissue. Analyzing the distance between impacts, we observed that the closer the impacts were the less power was needed to create a clear well-drawn defect pattern (lines), i.e., with a 4-μJ optimized OBT, when the impacts were placed every 2 μm for the x,y directions and 60 μm for the z direction. Coalescent bubbles created by plasma formation always disappeared in less than 24h. The nonthermal effect of plasma and the innocuousness on surrounding tissues were proven by the TEM results. The crystalline lens photodisruption by the femtosecond laser seems an innovative

  5. Electromagnetic processes in strong crystalline fields - NA63 Status Report

    CERN Document Server

    Ugerhoj, Ulrik

    2009-01-01

    Results obtained in the framework of the NA63 experiment cite{Ande05} at CERN are reported. Analysis of the trident production in the strong crystalline fields of single Ge crystals is completed. Yields in the random ('amorphous') orientation are in good agreement with calculations, and in the aligned case the production is enhanced by about a factor 3 compared to a Ge amorphous material. Results on the formation lengths of several microns for the production of GeV photons from ultrarelativistic electrons have been published. In 2008 we performed a measurement of resonance phenomena in structured targets and studied a possible change in restricted energy loss in thin solid state detectors, for sufficiently high values of the Lorentz factor. The plans for 2009 are to study the 'semi-bare electron' from radiation emission in thin targets and to study the spin-flip mechanisms in radiation emission, relevant for beamstrahlung phenomena in future linear colliders such as CLIC.

  6. Electromagnetic processes in strong crystalline fields

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    We propose a number of new investigations on aspects of radiation from high energy electron and positron beams (10-300 GeV) in single crystals and amorphous targets. The common heading is radiation emission by electrons and positrons in strong electromagnetic fields, but as the setup is quite versatile, other related phenomena in radiation emission can be studied as well. The intent is to clarify the role of a number of important aspects of radiation in strong fields as e.g. observed in crystals. We propose to measure trident 'Klein-like' production in strong crystalline fields, 'crystalline undulator' radiation, 'sandwich' target phenomena, LPM suppression of pair production as well as axial and planar effects in contributions of spin to the radiation.

  7. Age-related changes in spectral transmittance of the human crystalline lens in situ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakanishi, Yoshihito; Awano, Masakazu; Mizota, Atsushi; Tanaka, Minoru; Murakami, Akira; Ohnuma, Kazuhiko

    2012-01-01

    It was the aim of this study to measure spectral transmission of the human crystalline lens in situ. The crystalline lens was illuminated by one of four light-emitting diodes of different colors. The relative spectral transmittance of the human crystalline lens was measured with the Purkinje-Sanson mirror images over a wide range of ages. The study evaluated 36 crystalline lenses of 28 subjects aged 21-76 years. There was a significant correlation between the age and spectral transmittance for blue light. Spectral transmittance of the crystalline lens in situ could be measured with Purkinje-Sanson mirror images. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Nonlinear laser pulse response in a crystalline lens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, R P; Gupta, Pradeep Kumar; Singh, Ram Kishor; Strickland, D

    2016-04-01

    The propagation characteristics of a spatial Gaussian laser pulse have been studied inside a gradient-index structured crystalline lens with constant-density plasma generated by the laser-tissue interaction. The propagation of the laser pulse is affected by the nonlinearities introduced by the generated plasma inside the crystalline lens. Owing to the movement of plasma species from a higher- to a lower-temperature region, an increase in the refractive index occurs that causes the focusing of the laser pulse. In this study, extended paraxial approximation has been applied to take into account the evolution of the radial profile of the Gaussian laser pulse. To examine the propagation characteristics, variation of the beam width parameter has been observed as a function of the laser power and initial beam radius. The cavitation bubble formation, which plays an important role in the restoration of the elasticity of the crystalline lens, has been investigated.

  9. Mixing induced reactive transport in fractured crystalline rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez-Landa, Lurdes; Carrera, Jesus; Dentz, Marco; Fernàndez-Garcia, Daniel; Nardí, Albert; Saaltink, Maarten W.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper the solute retention properties of crystalline fractured rocks due to mixing-induced geochemical reactions are studied. While fractured media exhibit paths of fast flow and transport and thus short residence times for conservative solutes, at the same time they promote mixing and dilution due to strong heterogeneity, which leads to sharp concentration contrasts. Enhanced mixing and dilution have a double effect that favors crystalline fractured media as a possible host medium for nuclear waste disposal. Firstly, peak radionuclide concentrations are attenuated and, secondly, mixing-induced precipitation reactions are enhanced significantly, which leads to radionuclide immobilization. An integrated framework is presented for the effective modeling of these flow, transport and reaction phenomena, and the interaction between them. In a simple case study, the enhanced dilution and precipitation potential of fractured crystalline rocks are systematically studied and quantified and contrasted it to retention and attenuation in an equivalent homogeneous formation.

  10. Vibrational spectra of four-coordinated random networks with periodic boundary conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guttman, L.

    1976-01-01

    Examples of perfectly four-coordinated networks satisfying periodic boundary conditions are constructed by a pseudo-random process, starting from a crystalline region. The unphysical features (high density, large deviations from the tetrahedral bond-angle) are removed by systematic modification of the bonding scheme. The vibrational spectra are calculated, using a valence-force potential, and the neutron scattering is computed by a phonon-expansion approximation

  11. Reaction Front Evolution during Electrochemical Lithiation of Crystalline Silicon Nanopillars

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Seok Woo

    2012-12-01

    The high theoretical specific capacity of Si as an anode material is attractive in lithium-ion batteries, although the issues caused by large volume changes during cycling have been a major challenge. Efforts have been devoted to understanding how diffusion-induced stresses cause fracture, but recent observations of anisotropic volume expansion in single-crystalline Si nanostructures require new theoretical considerations of expansion behavior during lithiation. Further experimental investigation is also necessary to better understand the anisotropy of the lithiation process. Here, we present a method to reveal the crystalline core of partially lithiated Si nanopillars with three different crystallographic orientations by using methanol to dissolve the Li atoms from the amorphous Li-Si alloy. The exposed crystalline cores have flat {110} surfaces at the pillar sidewalls; these surfaces represent the position of the reaction front between the crystalline core and the amorphous Li-Si alloy. It was also found that an amorphous Si structure remained on the flat surfaces of the crystalline core after dissolution of the Li, which was presumed to be caused by the accumulation of Si atoms left over from the removal of Li from the Li-Si alloy. © 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Reaction Front Evolution during Electrochemical Lithiation of Crystalline Silicon Nanopillars

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Seok Woo; Berla, Lucas A.; McDowell, Matthew T.; Nix, William D.; Cui, Yi

    2012-01-01

    The high theoretical specific capacity of Si as an anode material is attractive in lithium-ion batteries, although the issues caused by large volume changes during cycling have been a major challenge. Efforts have been devoted to understanding how diffusion-induced stresses cause fracture, but recent observations of anisotropic volume expansion in single-crystalline Si nanostructures require new theoretical considerations of expansion behavior during lithiation. Further experimental investigation is also necessary to better understand the anisotropy of the lithiation process. Here, we present a method to reveal the crystalline core of partially lithiated Si nanopillars with three different crystallographic orientations by using methanol to dissolve the Li atoms from the amorphous Li-Si alloy. The exposed crystalline cores have flat {110} surfaces at the pillar sidewalls; these surfaces represent the position of the reaction front between the crystalline core and the amorphous Li-Si alloy. It was also found that an amorphous Si structure remained on the flat surfaces of the crystalline core after dissolution of the Li, which was presumed to be caused by the accumulation of Si atoms left over from the removal of Li from the Li-Si alloy. © 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Excimer fluorescence of liquid crystalline systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakhno, Tamara V.; Khakhel, Oleg A.; Barashkov, Nikolay N.; Korotkova, Irina V.

    1996-04-01

    The method of synchronous scanning fluorescence spectroscopy shows a presence of dimers of pyrene in a polymeric matrix. The results suggest that excimer formation takes place with dimers in liquid crystalline systems.

  14. Different alpha crystallin expression in human age-related and congenital cataract lens epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jing; Zhou, Sheng; Guo, Minfei; Li, Yuting; Gu, Jianjun

    2016-05-28

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the different expressions of αA-crystallin and αB-crystallin in human lens epithelium of age-related and congenital cataracts. The central part of the human anterior lens capsule approximately 5 mm in diameter together with the adhering epithelial cells, were harvested and processed within 6 hours after cataract surgery from age-related and congenital cataract patients or from normal eyes of fresh cadavers. The mRNA and soluble protein levels of αA-crystallin and αB-crystallin in the human lens epithelium were detected by real-time PCR and western blots, respectively. The mRNA and soluble protein expressions of αA-crystallin and αB-crystallin in the lens epithelium were both reduced in age-related and congenital cataract groups when compared with the normal control group. However, the degree of α-crystallin loss in the lens epithelium was highly correlated with different cataract types. The α-crystallin expression of the lens epithelium was greatly reduced in the congenital cataract group but only moderately decreased in the age-related cataract group. The reduction of αA-crystallin soluble protein levels in the congenital cataract group was approximately 2.4 fold decrease compared with that of the age-related cataract group, while an mRNA fold change of 1.67 decrease was observed for the age-related cataract group. Similarly, the reduction of soluble protein levels of αB-crystallin in the congenital cataract group was approximately a 1.57 fold change compared with that of the age-related cataract group. A 1.75 fold change for mRNA levels compared with that of the age-related cataract group was observed. The results suggest that the differential loss of α-crystallin in the human lens epithelium could be associated with the different mechanisms of cataractogenesis in age-related versus congenital cataracts, subsequently resulting in different clinical presentations.

  15. Phosphorylation of αB-crystallin: Role in stress, aging and patho-physiological conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakthisaran, Raman; Akula, Kranthi Kiran; Tangirala, Ramakrishna; Rao, Ch Mohan

    2016-01-01

    αB-crystallin, once thought to be a lenticular protein, is ubiquitous and has critical roles in several cellular processes that are modulated by phosphorylation. Serine residues 19, 45 and 59 of αB-crystallin undergo phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of S45 is mediated by p44/42 MAP kinase, whereas S59 phosphorylation is mediated by MAPKAP kinase-2. Pathway involved in S19 phosphorylation is not known. The review highlights the role of phosphorylation in (i) oligomeric structure, stability and chaperone activity, (ii) cellular processes such as apoptosis, myogenic differentiation, cell cycle regulation and angiogenesis, and (iii) aging, stress, cardiomyopathy-causing αB-crystallin mutants, and in other diseases. Depending on the context and extent of phosphorylation, αB-crystallin seems to confer beneficial or deleterious effects. Phosphorylation alters structure, stability, size distribution and dynamics of the oligomeric assembly, thus modulating chaperone activity and various cellular processes. Phosphorylated αB-crystallin has a tendency to partition to the cytoskeleton and hence to the insoluble fraction. Low levels of phosphorylation appear to be protective, while hyperphosphorylation has negative implications. Mutations in αB-crystallin, such as R120G, Q151X and 464delCT, associated with inherited myofibrillar myopathy lead to hyperphosphorylation and intracellular inclusions. An ongoing study in our laboratory with phosphorylation-mimicking mutants indicates that phosphorylation of R120GαB-crystallin increases its propensity to aggregate. Phosphorylation of αB-crystallin has dual role that manifests either beneficial or deleterious consequences depending on the extent of phosphorylation and interaction with cytoskeleton. Considering that disease-causing mutants of αB-crystallin are hyperphosphorylated, moderation of phosphorylation may be a useful strategy in disease management. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Crystallin

  16. Crystalline lens power and refractive error.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iribarren, Rafael; Morgan, Ian G; Nangia, Vinay; Jonas, Jost B

    2012-02-01

    To study the relationships between the refractive power of the crystalline lens, overall refractive error of the eye, and degree of nuclear cataract. All phakic participants of the population-based Central India Eye and Medical Study with an age of 50+ years were included. Calculation of the refractive lens power was based on distance noncycloplegic refractive error, corneal refractive power, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and axial length according to Bennett's formula. The study included 1885 subjects. Mean refractive lens power was 25.5 ± 3.0 D (range, 13.9-36.6). After adjustment for age and sex, the standardized correlation coefficients (β) of the association with the ocular refractive error were highest for crystalline lens power (β = -0.41; P lens opacity grade (β = -0.42; P lens power (β = -0.95), lower corneal refractive power (β = -0.76), higher lens thickness (β = 0.30), deeper anterior chamber (β = 0.28), and less marked nuclear lens opacity (β = -0.05). Lens thickness was significantly lower in eyes with greater nuclear opacity. Variations in refractive error in adults aged 50+ years were mostly influenced by variations in axial length and in crystalline lens refractive power, followed by variations in corneal refractive power, and, to a minor degree, by variations in lens thickness and anterior chamber depth.

  17. A metastable liquid melted from a crystalline solid under decompression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chuanlong; Smith, Jesse S.; Sinogeikin, Stanislav V.; Kono, Yoshio; Park, Changyong; Kenney-Benson, Curtis; Shen, Guoyin

    2017-01-01

    A metastable liquid may exist under supercooling, sustaining the liquid below the melting point such as supercooled water and silicon. It may also exist as a transient state in solid-solid transitions, as demonstrated in recent studies of colloidal particles and glass-forming metallic systems. One important question is whether a crystalline solid may directly melt into a sustainable metastable liquid. By thermal heating, a crystalline solid will always melt into a liquid above the melting point. Here we report that a high-pressure crystalline phase of bismuth can melt into a metastable liquid below the melting line through a decompression process. The decompression-induced metastable liquid can be maintained for hours in static conditions, and transform to crystalline phases when external perturbations, such as heating and cooling, are applied. It occurs in the pressure-temperature region similar to where the supercooled liquid Bi is observed. Akin to supercooled liquid, the pressure-induced metastable liquid may be more ubiquitous than we thought.

  18. Crystalline anhydrous {alpha},{alpha}-trehalose (polymorph {beta}) and crystalline dihydrate {alpha},{alpha}-trehalose: A calorimetric study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pinto, Susana S. [Centro de Quimica Estrutural, Complexo Interdisciplinar, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal)]. E-mail: susanapinto@ist.utl.pt; Diogo, Herminio P. [Centro de Quimica Estrutural, Complexo Interdisciplinar, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal)]. E-mail: hdiogo@ist.utl.pt; Moura-Ramos, Joaquim J. [Centro de Quimica-Fisica Molecular, Complexo Interdisciplinar, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal)]. E-mail: mouraramos@ist.utl.pt

    2006-09-15

    The mean values of the standard massic energy of combustion of crystalline anhydrous {alpha},{alpha}-trehalose (C{sub 12}H{sub 22}O{sub 11}, polymorph {beta}) and crystalline dihydrate {alpha},{alpha}-trehalose (C{sub 12}H{sub 26}O{sub 13}) measured by static-bomb combustion calorimetry in oxygen, at the temperature T=298.15K, are {delta}{sub c}u{sup o}=-(16434.05+/-4.50)J.g{sup -1} and {delta}{sub c}u{sup o}=-(14816.05+/-3.52)J.g{sup -1}, respectively. The standard (p{sup o}=0.1MPa) molar enthalpy of formation of these compounds were derived from the corresponding standard molar enthalpies of combustion, respectively, {delta}{sub f}H{sub m}{sup o} (C{sub 12}H{sub 22}O{sub 11},cr)=-(2240.9+/-3.9)kJ.mol{sup -1}, and {delta}{sub f}H{sub m}{sup o} (C{sub 12}H{sub 26}O{sub 13},cr)=-(2832.6+/-3.6)kJ.mol{sup -1}. The values of the standard enthalpies of formation obtained in this work, together with data on enthalpies of solution at infinite dilution ({delta}{sub sol}H{sup {approx}}) for crystalline dihydrate and amorphous anhydrous trehalose, allow a better insight on the thermodynamic description of the trehalose system which can provide, together with the future research on the subject, a contribution for understanding the metabolism in several organisms, as well as the phase transition between the different polymorphs.

  19. Synthesis of single-crystalline Al layers in sapphire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlosser, W.; Lindner, J.K.N.; Zeitler, M.; Stritzker, B.

    1999-01-01

    Single-crystalline, buried aluminium layers were synthesized by 180 keV high-dose Al + ion implantation into sapphire at 500 deg. C. The approximately 70 nm thick Al layers exhibit in XTEM investigations locally abrupt interfaces to the single-crystalline Al 2 O 3 top layer and bulk, while thickness and depth position are subjected to variations. The layers grow by a ripening process of oriented Al precipitates, which at low doses exist at two different orientations. With increasing dose, precipitates with one out of the two orientations are observed to exist preferentially, finally leading to the formation of a single-crystalline layer. Al outdiffusion to the surface and the formation of spherical Al clusters at the surface are found to be competing processes to buried layer formation. The formation of Al layers is described by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS), Cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies as a function of dose, temperature and substrate orientation

  20. Disorder-induced localization in crystalline phase-change materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegrist, T; Jost, P; Volker, H; Woda, M; Merkelbach, P; Schlockermann, C; Wuttig, M

    2011-03-01

    Localization of charge carriers in crystalline solids has been the subject of numerous investigations over more than half a century. Materials that show a metal-insulator transition without a structural change are therefore of interest. Mechanisms leading to metal-insulator transition include electron correlation (Mott transition) or disorder (Anderson localization), but a clear distinction is difficult. Here we report on a metal-insulator transition on increasing annealing temperature for a group of crystalline phase-change materials, where the metal-insulator transition is due to strong disorder usually associated only with amorphous solids. With pronounced disorder but weak electron correlation, these phase-change materials form an unparalleled quantum state of matter. Their universal electronic behaviour seems to be at the origin of the remarkable reproducibility of the resistance switching that is crucial to their applications in non-volatile-memory devices. Controlling the degree of disorder in crystalline phase-change materials might enable multilevel resistance states in upcoming storage devices.

  1. The physics of large deformation of crystalline solids

    CERN Document Server

    Bell, James F

    1968-01-01

    Historically, a major problem for the study of the large deformation of crystalline solids has been the apparent lack of unity in experimentally determined stress-strain functions. The writer's discovery in 1949 of the unexpectedly high velocity of incremental loading waves in pre-stressed large deformation fields emphasized to him the pressing need for the independent, systematic experimental study of the subject, to provide a firm foundation upon which physically plausible theories for the finite deformation of crystalline solids could be constructed. Such a study undertaken by the writer at that time and continued uninterruptedly to the present, led in 1956 to the development of the diffraction grating experiment which permitted, for the first time, the optically accurate determination of the strain-time detail of non-linear finite amplitude wave fronts propagating into crystalline solids whose prior history was precisely known. These experimental diffraction grating studies during the past decade have led...

  2. Liquid crystalline thermosetting polymers as protective coatings for aerospace

    OpenAIRE

    Guerriero, G.L.

    2012-01-01

    Environmental regulations are driving the development of new aerospace coating systems, mainly to eliminate chromates and reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Among the various potential options for new coating materials, liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are attractive due to their unique combination of mechanical properties and chemical resistance. Their use, however, has been limited mainly due to poor adhesion properties. Thermotropic liquid crystalline thermosets displayed ...

  3. Growth and Brilliant Photo-Emission of Crystalline Hexagonal Column of Alq3 Microwires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seokho Kim

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available We report the growth and nanoscale luminescence characteristics of 8-hydroxyquinolinato aluminum (Alq3 with a crystalline hexagonal column morphology. Pristine Alq3 nanoparticles (NPs were prepared using a conventional reprecipitation method. Crystal hexagonal columns of Alq3 were grown by using a surfactant-assisted self-assembly technique as an adjunct to the aforementioned reprecipitation method. The formation and structural properties of the crystalline and non-crystalline Alq3 NPs were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The nanoscale photoluminescence (PL characteristics and the luminescence color of the Alq3 single NPs and their crystal microwires (MWs were evaluated from color charge-coupled device images acquired using a high-resolution laser confocal microscope. In comparison with the Alq3 NPs, the crystalline MWs exhibited a very bright and sharp emission. This enhanced and sharp emission from the crystalline Alq3 single MWs originated from effective π-π stacking of the Alq3 molecules due to strong interactions in the crystalline structure.

  4. B implanted at room temperature in crystalline Si: B defect formation and dissolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romano, L.; Piro, A.M.; Mirabella, S.; Grimaldi, M.G.

    2005-01-01

    The B lattice location of B implanted into crystalline Si at room temperature has been investigated using the nuclear reaction 11 B(p,α) 8 Be induced by 650 keV proton beam and channelling analyses. The angular scans along the and axes indicate the formation of a particular B complex with B atoms non-randomly located. The same defect has been observed also for B doped Si where the B atoms, initially substitutional and electrically active, have been displaced as consequence of the interaction with the point defects generated by proton irradiation. The angular scans were compatible with the B-B pairs aligned along the axis predicted by theoretical calculations. The thermal evolution in the 400-950 deg. C range of the B complexes has been inferred both by B lattice location measurements and electrical activation. At low temperature (<700 deg. C) only 10% of the total B dose is active and a significant increase of randomly located B occurs. A significant electrical activation consistent with the concentration of substitutional B occurs at temperature higher than 800 deg. C. The data are interpreted in terms of a formation and dissolution of the B complexes

  5. Crystallinity changes in wheat starch during the bread-making process: Starch crystallinity in the bread crust

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Primo-Martín, C.; Nieuwenhuijzen, N.H. van; Hamer, R.J.; Vliet, T. van

    2007-01-01

    The crystallinity of starch in crispy bread crust was quantified using several different techniques. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) demonstrated the presence of granular starch in the crust and remnants of granules when moving towards the crumb. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

  6. Crystallinity changes in wheat starch during the bread-making process: starch crystallinity in the bread crust

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Primo-Martin, C.; Nieuwenhuijzen, van N.H.; Hamer, R.J.; Vliet, van T.

    2007-01-01

    The crystallinity of starch in crispy bread crust was quantified using several different techniques. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) demonstrated the presence of granular starch in the crust and remnants of granules when moving towards the crumb. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

  7. Syntheses, molecular and crystalline architectures, and ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Syntheses, molecular and crystalline architectures, and luminescence behaviour of terephthalate bridged heptacoordinated dinuclear lead(II) complexes containing a pentadentate N-donor Schiff base. SUBHASIS ROYa, SOMNATH CHOUBEYa, SUMITAVA KHANa, KISHALAY BHARa,. PARTHA MITRAb and BARINDRA ...

  8. Atomically flat single-crystalline gold nanostructures for plasmonic nanocircuitry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, J S; Geisler, P; Bruening, C; Kern, J; Prangsma, J C; Wu, X; Feichtner, Thorsten; Ziegler, J; Weinmann, P; Kamp, M; Forchel, A; Hecht, B [Wilhelm-Conrad-Roentgen-Center for Complex Material Systems, University of Wuerzburg (Germany); Biagioni, P [CNISM, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

    2011-07-01

    Deep subwavelength integration of high-definition plasmonic nano-structures is of key importance for the development of future optical nanocircuitry. So far the experimental realization of proposed extended plasmonic networks remains challenging, mainly due to the multi-crystallinity of commonly used thermally evaporated gold layers. Resulting structural imperfections in individual circuit elements drastically reduce the yield of functional integrated nanocircuits. Here we demonstrate the use of very large but thin chemically grown single-crystalline gold flakes. After immobilization on any arbitrary surface, they serve as an ideal basis for focused-ion beam milling. We present high-definition ultra-smooth gold nanostructures with reproducible nanosized features over micrometer lengthscales. By comparing multi- and single-crystalline optical antennas we prove that the latter have superior optical properties which are in good agreement with numerical simulations.

  9. WORKSHOP: Crystalline beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1989-01-01

    Following pioneer work by specialists at the Soviet Novosibirsk Laboratory some ten years ago, interest developed in the possibility of 'freezing' ion beams in storage rings by pushing cooling (to smooth out beam behaviour) to its limits, the final goal being to lock the ions into a neat crystal pattern. After advances by groups working on laser cooled ions in traps, and with several cooling rings now in operation, a workshop on crystalline ion beams was organized recently by the GSI (Darmstadt) Laboratory and held at Wertheim in Germany

  10. Structural and Functional Consequences of Chaperone Site Deletion in αA-Crystallin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santhoshkumar, Puttur; Karmakar, Srabani; Sharma, Krishna K.

    2016-01-01

    The chaperone-like activity of αA-crystallin has an important role in maintaining lens transparency. Previously we identified residues 70–88 as a chaperone site in αA-crystallin. In this study, we deleted the chaperone site residues to generate αAΔ70–76 and αAΔ70–88 mutants and investigated if there are additional substrate-binding sites in αA-crystallin. Both mutant proteins when expressed in E. coli formed inclusion bodies, and on solubilizing and refolding, they exhibited similar structural properties, with a 2- to 3-fold increase in molar mass compared to the molar mass of wild-type protein. The deletion mutants were less stable than the wild-type αA-crystallin. Functionally αAΔ70–88 was completely inactive as a chaperone, while αAΔ70–76 demonstrated a 40–50% reduction in anti-aggregation activity against alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Deletion of residues 70–88 abolished the ADH binding sites in αA-crystallin at physiological temperature. At 45 °C, cryptic ADH binding site(s) became exposed, which contributed subtly to the chaperone-like activity of αAΔ70–88. Both of the deletion mutants were completely inactive in suppressing aggregation of βL-crystallin at 53 °C. The mutants completely lost the anti-apoptotic property that αA-crystallin exhibits while they protected ARPE-19 (a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line) and primary human lens epithelial (HLE) cells from oxidative stress. Our studies demonstrate that residues 70–88 in αA-crystallin act as a primary substrate binding site and account for the bulk of the total chaperone activity. The β3 and β4 strands in αA-crystallin comprising 70–88 residues play an important role in maintenance of the structure and in preventing aggregation of denaturing proteins. PMID:27524665

  11. Postradiation reactions of free radicals in crystalline carbohydrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yudin, I.V.; Filyanin, G.A.; Panasyuk, S.L.

    1990-01-01

    In order to determine the nature of the elementary stages of chain process of formation of molecular products in irradiated carbohydrates, the kinetics of their accumulation in crystalline matrices at 100-400 K were investigated. Chain formation of carbonyl products in xylose crystals irradiated at 100 K was identified at temperatures above 240 K and in saccharose, rhamnose, and arabinose crystals at T > 273 K. Chain formation of hydroxy acids with a radiochemical yield of ∼ 150 molecules/100 eV was confirmed in crystalline lactose

  12. Proceedings of the scientific visit on crystalline rock repository development.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mariner, Paul E.; Hardin, Ernest L.; Miksova, Jitka [RAWRA, Czech Republic

    2013-02-01

    A scientific visit on Crystalline Rock Repository Development was held in the Czech Republic on September 24-27, 2012. The visit was hosted by the Czech Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA), co-hosted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The purpose of the visit was to promote technical information exchange between participants from countries engaged in the investigation and exploration of crystalline rock for the eventual construction of nuclear waste repositories. The visit was designed especially for participants of countries that have recently commenced (or recommenced) national repository programmes in crystalline host rock formations. Discussion topics included repository programme development, site screening and selection, site characterization, disposal concepts in crystalline host rock, regulatory frameworks, and safety assessment methodology. Interest was surveyed in establishing a %E2%80%9Cclub,%E2%80%9D the mission of which would be to identify and address the various technical challenges that confront the disposal of radioactive waste in crystalline rock environments. The idea of a second scientific visit to be held one year later in another host country received popular support. The visit concluded with a trip to the countryside south of Prague where participants were treated to a tour of the laboratory and underground facilities of the Josef Regional Underground Research Centre.

  13. Regulation of mouse small heat shock protein αb-crystallin gene by aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuang Liu

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The stress-inducible small heat shock protein (shsp/αB-crystallin gene is expressed highly in the lens and moderately in other tissues. Here we provide evidence that it is a target gene of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR transcription factor. A sequence (-329/-323, CATGCGA similar to the consensus xenobiotic responsive element (XRE, called here XRE-like, is present in the αBE2 region of αB-crystallin enhancer and can bind AhR in vitro and in vivo. αB-crystallin protein levels were reduced in retina, lens, cornea, heart, skeletal muscle and cultured muscle fibroblasts of AhR(-/- mice; αB-crystallin mRNA levels were reduced in the eye, heart and skeletal muscle of AhR(-/- mice. Increased AhR stimulated αB-crystallin expression in transfection experiments conducted in conjunction with the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT and decreased AhR reduced αB-crystallin expression. AhR effect on aB-crystallin promoter activity was cell-dependent in transfection experiments. AhR up-regulated αB-crystallin promoter activity in transfected HeLa, NIH3T3 and COS-7 cells in the absence of exogenously added ligand (TCDD, but had no effect on the αB-crystallin promoter in C(2C(12, CV-1 or Hepa-1 cells with or without TCDD. TCDD enhanced AhR-stimulated αB-crystallin promoter activity in transfected αTN4 cells. AhR could bind to an XRE-like site in the αB-crystallin enhancer in vitro and in vivo. Finally, site-specific mutagenesis experiments showed that the XRE-like motif was necessary for both basal and maximal AhR-induction of αB-crystallin promoter activity. Our data strongly suggest that AhR is a regulator of αB-crystallin gene expression and provide new avenues of research for the mechanism of tissue-specific αB-crystallin gene regulation under normal and physiologically stressed conditions.

  14. Crystallinity of Electrospun and Centrifugal Spun Polycaprolactone Fibers: A Comparative Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Kuzelova Kostakova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Crystalline properties of semicrystalline polymers are very important parameters that can influence the application area. The internal structure, like the mentioned crystalline properties, of polymers can be influenced by the production technology itself and by changing technology parameters. The present work is devoted to testing of electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous and nanofibrous materials and compare them to foils and granules made from the same raw polymer. The test setup reveals the structural differences caused by the production technology. Effects of average molecular weight are also exhibited. The applied biodegradable and biocompatible polymer is polycaprolactone (PCL as it is a widespread material for medical purposes. The crystallinity of PCL has significant effect on rate of degradation that is an important parameter for a biodegradable material and determines the applicability. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC showed that, at the degree of crystallinity, there is a minor difference between the electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous materials. However, the significant influence of polymer molecular weight was exhibited. The morphology of the fibrous materials, represented by fiber diameter, also did not demonstrate any connection to final measured crystallinity degree of the tested materials.

  15. Protective Effects of Acetylation on the Pathological Reactions of the Lens Crystallins with Homocysteine Thiolactone.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeinab Moafian

    Full Text Available Various post-translational lens crystallins modifications result in structural and functional insults, contributing to the development of lens opacity and cataract disorders. Lens crystallins are potential targets of homocysteinylation, particularly under hyperhomocysteinemia which has been indicated in various eye diseases. Since both homocysteinylation and acetylation primarily occur on protein free amino groups, we applied different spectroscopic methods and gel mobility shift analysis to examine the possible preventive role of acetylation against homocysteinylation. Lens crystallins were extensively acetylated in the presence of acetic anhydride and then subjected to homocysteinylation in the presence of homocysteine thiolactone (HCTL. Extensive acetylation of the lens crystallins results in partial structural alteration and enhancement of their stability, as well as improvement of α-crystallin chaperone-like activity. In addition, acetylation partially prevents HCTL-induced structural alteration and aggregation of lens crystallins. Also, acetylation protects against HCTL-induced loss of α-crystallin chaperone activity. Additionally, subsequent acetylation and homocysteinylation cause significant proteolytic degradation of crystallins. Therefore, further experimentation is required in order to judge effectively the preventative role of acetylation on the structural and functional insults induced by homocysteinylation of lens crystallins.

  16. [Pigment dispersion and Artisan implants: crystalline lens rise as a safety criterion].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baikoff, G; Bourgeon, G; Jodai, H Jitsuo; Fontaine, A; Vieira Lellis, F; Trinquet, L

    2005-06-01

    To validate the theoretical notion of a crystalline lens rise as a safety criterion for ARTISAN implants in order to prevent the development of pigment dispersion in the implanted eye. Crystalline lens rise is defined by the distance between the crystalline lens's anterior pole and the horizontal plane joining the opposite iridocorneal recesses. We analyzed the biometric measurements of 87 eyes with an Artisan implant. A comparative analysis of the crystalline lens rise was carried out on the nine eyes having developed pigment dispersion and 78 eyes with no problems. Among the modern anterior segment imaging devices (Artemis, Scheimpflug photography, optical coherence tomography, radiology exploration, magnetic resonance imaging, TDM), an anterior chamber optical coherence tomography (AC-OCT) prototype was used. This working hypothesis was confirmed by this study: the crystalline lens rise must be considered as a new safety criterion for implanting Artisan phakic lenses. Indeed, the higher the crystalline lens's rise, the greater the risk of developing pigment dispersion in the pupil area. This complication is more frequent in hyperopes than in myopes. We can consider that there is little or no risk of pigment dispersion if the rise is below 600 microm; however, at 600 microm or greater, there is a 67% rate of pupillary pigment dispersion. In certain cases, when the implant was loosely fixed, there was no traction on the iris root. This is a complication that can be avoided or delayed. The crystalline lens rise must be part of new safety criteria to be taken into consideration when inserting an Artisan implant. This notion must also be applied to other types of phakic implants. The distance remaining between the crystalline lens rise and a 600-micromm theoretical safety level allows one to calculate a safety time interval.

  17. Study of α-crystallin structure by small-angle neutron scattering with contrast variation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krivandin, A.V.; Muranov, K.O.; Polyanskij, N.B.; Ostrovskij, M.A.; Murugova, T.N.; Kuklin, A.I.; Aksenov, V.L.

    2010-01-01

    The structure of the oligomeric protein α-crystallin from the bovine eye lens has been investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) by the contrast variation method (volume fraction of D 2 O was 0, 23, 68 and 90%). Experiments were carried out on YuMO spectrometer (IBR-2 reactor, JINR). From the SANS curves the match point for α-crystallin (43% D 2 O) and its average scattering length density at this point (2.4·10 10 cm -2 ) have been obtained. The radius of gyration and distance distribution functions for α-crystallin have been calculated as well. On the basis of these calculations it was concluded that α-crystallin has a homogeneous distribution of the scattering density in domains inaccessible for water penetration and all parts of this protein undergo a uniform deuteration. The latter indicates that all α-crystallin subunits have an equal accessibility for water and presumably for some other low molecular weight substances. These conclusions on the α-crystallin structure (a homogeneous distribution of the scattering density and an equal accessibility of all subunits for low molecular weight substances) should be taken into account in the time of elaboration of α-crystallin quaternary structure models

  18. Placement of a crystalline lens and intraocular lens: Retinal image quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siedlecki, Damian; Nowak, Jerzy; Zajac, Marek

    2006-01-01

    The influence of changes of both crystalline lens and intraocular lens (IOL) misalignment on the retinal image quality was investigated. The optical model of the eye used in investigations was the Liou-Brennan model, which is commonly considered as one of the most anatomically accurate. The original crystalline lens from this model was replaced with an IOL, made of rigid polymethylmethacrylate, in a way that recommend obligatory procedures. The modifications that were made both for crystalline lens and IOL were the longitudinal, the transversal, and the angular displacement.

  19. Method of forming an oxide superconducting thin film having an R1A2C3 crystalline phase over an R2A1C1 crystalline phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lelental, M.; Romanofsky, H.J.

    1992-01-01

    This patent describes a process which comprises forming a mixed rare earth alkaline earth copper oxide layer on a substrate and converting the mixed rare earth alkaline earth copper oxide layer to an electrically conductive layer. It comprises crystalline R 1 A 2 C 3 oxide phase by heating in the presence of oxygen, wherein rare earth and R is in each instance chosen from among yttrium, lanthanum, samarium, europium, gadolinium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium and alkaline earth and A is in each instance chosen from among calcium, strontium and barium, characterized in that a crystalline R 2 A 1 C 1 oxide phase is first formed as a layer on the substrate and the crystalline R 1 A 2 C 3 oxide phase is formed over the crystalline R 2 A 1 C 1 oxide phase by coating a mixed rare earth alkaline earth copper oxide on the crystalline R 2 A 1 C 1 oxide phase and heating the mixed rare earth alkaline earth copper oxide to a temperature of at least 1000 degrees C

  20. Location of catalase in crystalline peroxisomes of methanol-grown Hansenula polymorpha

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keizer, Ineke; Roggenkamp, Rainer; Harder, Willem; Veenhuis, Marten

    1992-01-01

    We have studied the intraperoxisomal location of catalase in peroxisomes of methanol-grown Hansenula polymorpha by (immuno)cytochemical means. In completely crystalline peroxisomes, in which the crystalline matrix is composed of octameric alcohol oxidase (AO) molecules, most of the catalase protein

  1. Vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopic study of crystalline cellulose in biomass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seong H.; Lee, Christopher M.; Kafle, Kabindra; Park, Yong Bum; Xi, Xiaoning

    2013-09-01

    The noncentrosymmetry requirement of sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy allows selective detection of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls and lignocellulose biomass without spectral interferences from hemicelluloses and lignin. In addition, the phase synchronization requirement of the SFG process allows noninvasive investigation of spatial arrangement of crystalline cellulose microfibrils in the sample. This paper reviews how these principles are applied to reveal structural information of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls and biomass.

  2. Solution-grown organic single-crystalline p-n junctions with ambipolar charge transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Congcheng; Zoombelt, Arjan P; Jiang, Hao; Fu, Weifei; Wu, Jiake; Yuan, Wentao; Wang, Yong; Li, Hanying; Chen, Hongzheng; Bao, Zhenan

    2013-10-25

    Organic single-crystalline p-n junctions are grown from mixed solutions. First, C60 crystals (n-type) form and, subsequently, C8-BTBT crystals (p-type) nucleate heterogeneously on the C60 crystals. Both crystals continue to grow simultaneously into single-crystalline p-n junctions that exhibit ambipolar charge transport characteristics. This work provides a platform to study organic single-crystalline p-n junctions. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Application of thermodynamics to silicate crystalline solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, S. K.

    1972-01-01

    A review of thermodynamic relations is presented, describing Guggenheim's regular solution models, the simple mixture, the zeroth approximation, and the quasi-chemical model. The possibilities of retrieving useful thermodynamic quantities from phase equilibrium studies are discussed. Such quantities include the activity-composition relations and the free energy of mixing in crystalline solutions. Theory and results of the study of partitioning of elements in coexisting minerals are briefly reviewed. A thermodynamic study of the intercrystalline and intracrystalline ion exchange relations gives useful information on the thermodynamic behavior of the crystalline solutions involved. Such information is necessary for the solution of most petrogenic problems and for geothermometry. Thermodynamic quantities for tungstates (CaWO4-SrWO4) are calculated.

  4. Crystalline Subtype of Pre-Descemetic Corneal Dystrophy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa Dolz-Marco

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To report corneal findings in a familial case of the crystalline subtype of pre- Descemetic corneal dystrophy. Case Report: A 19-year-old girl and her 44-year-old mother were found to have asymptomatic, bilateral, punctiform and multi-colored crystalline opacities across the whole posterior layer of the corneas. Endothelial specular microscopy revealed the presence of white round flecks located at different levels anterior to the endothelium. No systemic abnormalities or medications could be related to account for these findings. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the third familial report of this rare corneal disorder. Differential diagnosis may include Schnyder corneal dystrophy, cystinosis, Bietti΄s dystrophy and monoclonal gammopathy.

  5. Crystalline Subtype of Pre-Descemetic Corneal Dystrophy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolz-Marco, Rosa; Gallego-Pinazo, Roberto; Pinazo-Durán, María Dolores; Díaz-Llopis, Manuel

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To report corneal findings in a familial case of the crystalline subtype of pre-Descemetic corneal dystrophy. Case Report A 19-year-old girl and her 44-year-old mother were found to have asymptomatic, bilateral, punctiform and multi-colored crystalline opacities across the whole posterior layer of the corneas. Endothelial specular microscopy revealed the presence of white round flecks located at different levels anterior to the endothelium. No systemic abnormalities or medications could be related to account for these findings. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the third familial report of this rare corneal disorder. Differential diagnosis may include Schnyder corneal dystrophy, cystinosis, Bietti´s dystrophy and monoclonal gammopathy. PMID:25279130

  6. The alpha and gamma crystallin content in aqueous humor of eyes with clear lenses and with cataracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandberg, H.O.; Closs, O.

    1979-01-01

    Specific radioimmunoassays were used to measure the concentration of α- and γ-crystallins in human aqueous humor. It was demonstrated that these crystallins are normally present in aqueous humor from healthy eyes. The crystallin concentration did not seem to increase with age. The normal upper limit for the α-crystallin concentration was found to be 10 ng/ml and for the γ-crystallin concentration 60 ng/ml. In the aqueous humor of eyes with cortical cataract the concentration of both crystallins was increased. With nuclear cataracts the α-crystallin concentration was increased while the γ-crystallin concentration was decreased. Experiments in rabbits showed that the crystallins in the aqueous humor left the anterior chamber at the same rate as the aqueous bulk flow. The demonstration of lens crystallins in the aqueous humor is compatible with the hypothesis that they leak from the lens. (author)

  7. Crystal Structure of Chicken γS-Crystallin Reveals Lattice Contacts with Implications for Function in the Lens and the Evolution of the βγ-Crystallins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagar, Vatsala; Chaturvedi, Sumit K; Schuck, Peter; Wistow, Graeme

    2017-07-05

    Previous attempts to crystallize mammalian γS-crystallin were unsuccessful. Native L16 chicken γS crystallized avidly while the Q16 mutant did not. The X-ray structure for chicken γS at 2.3 Å resolution shows the canonical structure of the superfamily plus a well-ordered N arm aligned with a β sheet of a neighboring N domain. L16 is also in a lattice contact, partially shielded from solvent. Unexpectedly, the major lattice contact matches a conserved interface (QR) in the multimeric β-crystallins. QR shows little conservation of residue contacts, except for one between symmetry-related tyrosines, but molecular dipoles for the proteins with QR show striking similarities while other γ-crystallins differ. In γS, QR has few hydrophobic contacts and features a thin layer of tightly bound water. The free energy of QR is slightly repulsive and analytical ultracentrifugation confirms no dimerization in solution. The lattice contacts suggest how γ-crystallins allow close packing without aggregation in the crowded environment of the lens. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Magnetic transitions and phases in random-anisotropy magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sellmyer, D.J.; Nafis, S.; O'Shea, M.J.

    1988-01-01

    The generality and universality of the Ising spin-glass-like phase transitions observed in several rare-earth, random-anisotropy magnets are discussed. Some uncertainties and practical problems in determining critical exponents are considered, and a comparison is made to insulating spin glasses and crystalline spin glasses where an apparent anisotropy-induced crossover from Heisenberg to Ising-like behavior is seen. The observation of a reentrant transition in a weak anisotropy system and its correlation with the theory of Chudnovsky, Saslow, and Serota [Phys. Rev. B 33, 251 (1986)] for the correlated spin glass is discussed

  9. Magnetic transitions and phases in random-anisotropy magnets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellmyer, D. J.; Nafis, S.; O'Shea, M. J.

    1988-04-01

    The generality and universality of the Ising spin-glass-like phase transitions observed in several rare-earth, random-anisotropy magnets are discussed. Some uncertainties and practical problems in determining critical exponents are considered, and a comparison is made to insulating spin glasses and crystalline spin glasses where an apparent anisotropy-induced crossover from Heisenberg to Ising-like behavior is seen. The observation of a reentrant transition in a weak anisotropy system and its correlation with the theory of Chudnovsky, Saslow, and Serota [Phys. Rev. B 33, 251 (1986)] for the correlated spin glass is discussed.

  10. Consideration about the contamination decreasing method of a crystalline lens in head CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamazaki, Shoichi; Matsueda, Katsuhiro; Matsumura, Mitsumi

    2002-01-01

    It is effective as a method for reducing the dose of a crystalline lens when enforcing Head CT to change the height of a bed, or it inquired. As a result of measuring, the dose of a crystalline lens became a low value sharply, when the quantity of a bed was moved to the up position. When a problem does not arise in diagnosis, the dose of a crystalline lens can be decreased by inspecting in the upper part as much as possible. As a method of reducing the dose of a crystalline lens, it is very useful. (author)

  11. Design of multi materials combining crystalline and amorphous metallic alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volland, A.; Ragani, J.; Liu, Y.; Gravier, S.; Suéry, M.; Blandin, J.J.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Elaboration of multi materials associating metallic glasses and conventional crystalline alloys by co-deformation performed at temperatures close to the glass transition temperature of the metallic glasses. ► Elaboration of filamentary metal matrix composites with a core in metallic glass by co extrusion. ► Sandwich structures produced by co-pressing. ► Detection of atomic diffusion from the glass to the crystalline alloys during the processes. ► Good interfaces between the metallic glasses and the crystalline alloys, as confirmed by mechanical characterisation. - Abstract: Multi materials, associating zirconium based bulk metallic glasses and crystalline metallic alloys like magnesium alloys or copper are elaborated by co-deformation processing performed in the supercooled liquid regions (SLR) of the bulk metallic glasses. Two processes are investigated: co-extrusion and co-pressing. In the first case, filamentary composites with various designs can be produced whereas in the second case sandwich structures are obtained. The experimental window (temperature, time) in which processing can be carried out is directly related to the crystallisation resistance of the glass which requires getting information about the crystallisation conditions in the selected metallic glasses. Thermoforming windows are identified for the studied BMGs by thermal analysis and compression tests in their SLR. The mechanical properties of the produced multi materials are investigated thanks to specifically developed mechanical devices and the interfaces between the amorphous and the crystalline alloys are characterised.

  12. Electrical transport in crystalline phase change materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woda, Michael

    2012-01-01

    In this thesis, the electrical transport properties of crystalline phase change materials are discussed. Phase change materials (PCM) are a special class of semiconducting and metallic thin film alloys, typically with a high amount of the group five element antimony or the group six element tellurium, such as Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 . The unique property portfolio of this material class makes it suitable for memory applications. PCMs reveal fast switching between two stable room-temperature phases (amorphous and crystalline) realized by optical laser or electrical current pulses in memory devices. Additionally, a pronounced property contrast in form of optical reflectivity and electrical conductivity between the amorphous and crystalline phase is the characteristic fingerprint of PCMs. The emerging electrical solid state memory PCRAM is a very promising candidate to replace Flash memory in the near future or to even become a universal memory, which is non-volatile and shows the speed and cyclability of DRAM. One of the main technological challenges is the switching process into the amorphous state, which is the most power demanding step. In order to reduce the switching power, the crystalline resistivity needs to be increased at a given voltage. Thus understanding and tayloring of this property is mandatory. In this work, first the technological relevance, i.e. optical and electrical memory concepts based on PCMs are introduced. Subsequently a description of the physical properties of PCMs in four categories is given. Namely, structure, kinetics, optical properties and electrical properties are discussed. Then important recent developments such as the identification of resonant bonding in crystalline PCMs and a property predicting coordination scheme are briefly reviewed. The following chapter deals with the theoretical background of electrical transport, while the next chapter introduces the experimental techniques: Sputtering, XRR, XRD, DSC, thermal annealing

  13. PHOTOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF H{sub 2}O ICE CRYSTALLINITY ON TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Terai, Tsuyoshi [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 650 North A‘ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Itoh, Yoichi [Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, 407-2 Nishigaichi, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5313 (Japan); Oasa, Yumiko [Faculty of Education, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura, Saitama 338-8570 (Japan); Furusho, Reiko; Watanabe, Junichi, E-mail: tsuyoshi.terai@nao.ac.jp [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

    2016-08-10

    We present a measurement of H{sub 2}O ice crystallinity on the surface of trans-neptunian objects with near-infrared narrow-band imaging. The newly developed photometric technique allows us to efficiently determine the strength of a 1.65 μ m absorption feature in crystalline H{sub 2}O ice. Our data for three large objects—Haumea, Quaoar, and Orcus—which are known to contain crystalline H{sub 2}O ice on the surfaces, show a reasonable result with high fractions of the crystalline phase. It can also be pointed out that if the grain size of H{sub 2}O ice is larger than ∼20 μ m, the crystallinities of these objects are obviously below 1.0, which suggests the presence of the amorphous phase. In particular, Orcus exhibits a high abundance of amorphous H{sub 2}O ice compared to Haumea and Quaoar, possibly indicating a correlation between the bulk density of the bodies and the degree of surface crystallization. We also found the presence of crystalline H{sub 2}O ice on Typhon and 2008 AP{sub 129}, both of which are smaller than the minimum size limit for inducing cryovolcanism as well as a transition from amorphous to crystalline phase through thermal evolution due to the decay of long-lived isotopes.

  14. Phosphoric acids as amplifiers of molecular chirality in liquid crystalline media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eelkema, R; Feringa, BL

    2006-01-01

    A new system for the double amplification of the molecular chirality of simple chiral amines in achiral liquid crystalline media is described. It involves a conformationally flexible phosphoric acid based receptor that by binding to chiral amines induces chirality in the liquid crystalline matrix.

  15. Occupational exposure to crystalline silica at Alberta work sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radnoff, Diane; Todor, Maria S; Beach, Jeremy

    2014-01-01

    Although crystalline silica has been recognized as a health hazard for many years, it is still encountered in many work environments. Numerous studies have revealed an association between exposure to respirable crystalline silica and the development of silicosis and other lung diseases including lung cancer. Alberta Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour conducted a project to evaluate exposure to crystalline silica at a total of 40 work sites across 13 industries. Total airborne respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica concentrations were quite variable, but there was a potential to exceed the Alberta Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) of 0.025 mg/m(3) for respirable crystalline silica at many of the work sites evaluated. The industries with the highest potentials for overexposure occurred in sand and mineral processing (GM 0.090 mg/m(3)), followed by new commercial building construction (GM 0.055 mg/m(3)), aggregate mining and crushing (GM 0.048 mg/m(3)), abrasive blasting (GM 0.027 mg/m(3)), and demolition (GM 0.027 mg/m(3)). For worker occupations, geometric mean exposure ranged from 0.105 mg/m(3) (brick layer/mason/concrete cutting) to 0.008 mg/m(3) (dispatcher/shipping, administration). Potential for GM exposure exceeding the OEL was identified in a number of occupations where it was not expected, such as electricians, carpenters and painters. These exposures were generally related to the specific task the worker was doing, or arose from incidental exposure from other activities at the work site. The results indicate that where there is a potential for activities producing airborne respirable crystalline silica, it is critical that the employer include all worker occupations at the work site in their hazard assessment. There appears to be a relationship between airborne total respirable dust concentration and total respirable dust concentrations, but further study is require to fully characterize this relationship. If this relationship holds true

  16. Ontogeny and localization of γ-crystallin antigen in the developing pigeon (Columba livia) lens

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brahma, S.K.; Rabaey, M.; Doorenmaalen, W.J. van

    Ontogeny and localization of the lens γ-crystallin antigen were investigated in the embryonic and post-embryonic pigeon lenses by the indirect immunofluorescence with antiserum from rabbit immunized with isolated pigeon lens γ-crystallin. The results show that γ-crystallin appears for the first time

  17. Identification of poorly crystalline scorodite in uranium mill tailings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frey, R.; Rowson, J.; Hughes, K.; Rinas, C.; Warner, J.

    2010-01-01

    The McClean Lake mill, located in northern Saskatchewan, processes a variety of uranium ore bodies to produce yellowcake. A by-product of this process is an acidic waste solution enriched in arsenic, referred to as raffinate. The raffinate waste stream is treated in the tailings preparation circuit, where arsenic is precipitated as a poorly crystalline scorodite phase. Raffinate neutralization studies have successfully identified poorly crystalline scorodite using XRD, SEM, EM, XANES and EXAFS methods, but to date, scorodite has not been successfully identified within the whole tailing solids. During the summer of 2008, a drilling program sampled the in situ tailings within the McClean Lake tailings management facility. Samples from this drilling campaign were sent to the Canadian Light Source Inc. for EXAFS analysis. The sample spectra positively identify a poorly crystalline scorodite phase within the McClean tailings management facility. (author)

  18. Tectonics of the crystalline Basement of the Dolomites in North Italy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Agterberg, F.P.

    1961-01-01

    The present thesis deals with a number of crystalline regions around the Dolomites in North Italy. The geographic position is shown on sheet I, which is depicted in fig. 105. The Dolomites proper consist mainly of Permotriassic, overlying a transgression plane, which cuts off the studied crystalline

  19. The influence of glass composition on crystalline phase stability in glass-ceramic wasteforms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maddrell, Ewan; Thornber, Stephanie; Hyatt, Neil C.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Crystalline phase formation shown to depend on glass matrix composition. • Zirconolite forms as the sole crystalline phase only for most aluminous glasses. • Thermodynamics indicate that low silica activity glasses stabilise zirconolite. - Abstract: Zirconolite glass-ceramic wasteforms were prepared using a suite of Na 2 O–Al 2 O 3 –B 2 O 3 –SiO 2 glass matrices with variable Al:B ratios. Zirconolite was the dominant crystalline phase only for the most alumina rich glass compositions. As the Al:B ratio decreased zirconolite was replaced by sphene, zircon and rutile. Thermodynamic data were used to calculate a silica activity in the glass melt below which zirconolite is the favoured crystalline phase. The concept of the crystalline reference state of glass melts is then utilised to provide a physical basis for why silica activity varies with the Al:B ratio

  20. The effect of structurally related impurities on crystallinity reduction of sulfamethazine by grinding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamada, Yoshito; Ono, Makoto; Ohara, Motomu; Yonemochi, Etsuo

    2016-12-30

    In this study, the effect of structurally related impurities on crystallinity reduction of sulfamethazine by grinding was evaluated. The crystallinity of sulfamethazine was not decreased when it was ground alone. However, when structurally related impurities with sulfonamide derivatives were blended, the crystallinity of sulfamethazine was decreased by grinding. Other materials without a sulfonamide moiety showed no such effect. The Raman spectra of sulfamethazine demonstrated that there was a difference between its crystalline and amorphous states within its sulfonamide structure. It was suggested that the sulfonamide structure of the impurities was important in causing the inhibition of recrystallization of sulfamethazine during grinding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Discrete time-crystalline order in black diamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Hengyun; Choi, Soonwon; Choi, Joonhee; Landig, Renate; Kucsko, Georg; Isoya, Junichi; Jelezko, Fedor; Onoda, Shinobu; Sumiya, Hitoshi; Khemani, Vedika; von Keyserlingk, Curt; Yao, Norman; Demler, Eugene; Lukin, Mikhail D.

    2017-04-01

    The interplay of periodic driving, disorder, and strong interactions has recently been predicted to result in exotic ``time-crystalline'' phases, which spontaneously break the discrete time-translation symmetry of the underlying drive. Here, we report the experimental observation of such discrete time-crystalline order in a driven, disordered ensemble of 106 dipolar spin impurities in diamond at room-temperature. We observe long-lived temporal correlations at integer multiples of the fundamental driving period, experimentally identify the phase boundary and find that the temporal order is protected by strong interactions; this order is remarkably stable against perturbations, even in the presence of slow thermalization. Our work opens the door to exploring dynamical phases of matter and controlling interacting, disordered many-body systems.

  2. Orientation-controlled synthesis and magnetism of single crystalline Co nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Gui-Fang; Huang, Wei-Qing; Wang, Ling-Ling; Zou, B.S.; Pan, Anlian

    2012-01-01

    Orientation control and the magnetic properties of single crystalline Co nanowires fabricated by electrodeposition have been systematically investigated. It is found that the orientation of Co nanowires can be effectively controlled by varying either the current density or the pore diameter of AAO templates. Lower current density or small diameter is favorable for forming the (1 0 0) texture, while higher current values or larger diameter leads to the emergence and enhancement of (1 1 0) texture of Co nanowires. The mechanism for the manipulated growth characterization is discussed in detail. The orientation of Co nanowires has a significant influence on the magnetic properties, resulting from the competition between the magneto-crystalline and shape anisotropy of Co nanowires. This work offers a simple method to manipulate the orientation and magnetic properties of nanowires for future applications. - Highlights: ► Single crystalline Co nanowires have successfully been grown by DC electrodeposition. ► Orientation controlling and its effect on magnetism of Co nanowires were investigated. ► The orientation of Co nanowires can be effectively controlled by varying current density. ► The crystalline orientation of Co nanowires has significant influence on the magnetic properties.

  3. The kinetics of isothermal annealing of gamma-irradiation damage in crystalline barium nitrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nair, S.M.K.; Krishnan, M.S.; James, C.

    1983-01-01

    The annealing of #betta#-irradiation damage in crystalline barium nitrate at different temperatures in the range 370 to 430 deg C is a combination of a first-order process affecting a small portion of the fragments and a second-order process, with a higher energy of activation, governing the behaviour of the remainder approx. 73%. The annealing data have been analysed on the models for simple interstitial vacancy recombination and also as a combination of a first-order and second-order process with an energy of activation of 10.9 and 24.0 kcal mole - 1 respectively. It is considered that the first-order process is the combination of close-correlated pairs of O and NO 2- fragments and the second order process involves the single reaction of random recombination of the fragments throughout the crystal. (author)

  4. Protective and therapeutic role for αB-crystallin in autoimmune demyelination

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ousman, S.S.; Tomooka, B.H.; Noort, J.M. van; Wawrousek, E.F.; O'Conner, K.; Hafler, D.A.; Sobel, R.A.; Robinson, W.H.; Steinman, L.

    2007-01-01

    αB-crystallin (CRYAB) is the most abundant gene transcript present in early active multiple sclerosis lesions, whereas such transcripts are absent in normal brain tissue. This crystallin has anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective functions. CRYAB is the major target of CD4+ T-cell immunity to the myelin

  5. (alpha)B-crystallin in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Støvring, Birgitte; Vang, Ole; Christiansen, Michael

    2005-01-01

    Background: aB-crystallin is a chaperone protein and a potential myelin antigen to human T cells in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In this study we investigate the existence of aB-crystallin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with clinical symptoms of MS and control individuals without...

  6. Restructuring the crystalline cellulose hydrogen bond network enhances its depolymerization rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shishir P.S. Chundawat; Giovanni Bellesia; Nirmal Uppugundla; Leonardo da Costa Sousa; Dahai Gao; Albert M. Cheh; Umesh P. Agarwal; Christopher M. Bianchetti; George N. Phillips; Paul Langan; Venkatesh Balan; S. Gnanakaran; Bruce E. Dale

    2011-01-01

    Conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels is partly inefficient due to the deleterious impact of cellulose crystallinity on enzymatic saccharification. We demonstrate how the synergistic activity of cellulases was enhanced by altering the hydrogen bond network within crystalline cellulose fibrils. We provide a molecular-scale explanation of these phenomena through...

  7. Naturally occurring crystalline phases: analogues for radioactive waste forms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haaker, R.F.; Ewing, R.C.

    1981-01-01

    Naturally occurring mineral analogues to crystalline phases that are constituents of crystalline radioactive waste forms provide a basis for comparison by which the long-term stability of these phases may be estimated. The crystal structures and the crystal chemistry of the following natural analogues are presented: baddeleyite, hematite, nepheline; pollucite, scheelite;sodalite, spinel, apatite, monazite, uraninite, hollandite-priderite, perovskite, and zirconolite. For each phase in geochemistry, occurrence, alteration and radiation effects are described. A selected bibliography for each phase is included

  8. Naturally occurring crystalline phases: analogues for radioactive waste forms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haaker, R.F.; Ewing, R.C.

    1981-01-01

    Naturally occurring mineral analogues to crystalline phases that are constituents of crystalline radioactive waste forms provide a basis for comparison by which the long-term stability of these phases may be estimated. The crystal structures and the crystal chemistry of the following natural analogues are presented: baddeleyite, hematite, nepheline; pollucite, scheelite;sodalite, spinel, apatite, monazite, uraninite, hollandite-priderite, perovskite, and zirconolite. For each phase in geochemistry, occurrence, alteration and radiation effects are described. A selected bibliography for each phase is included.

  9. Simulation of the channelling of ions from MeV C60 in crystalline solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fetterman, A; Sinclair, L; Tanushev, N; Tombrello, T; Nardi, E

    2007-01-01

    Simulations were performed describing the motion and breakup of energetic C 60 ions interacting with crystalline targets. A hybrid algorithm was used that employs a binary collision model for the scattering of the carbon ions by the atoms of the solid, and molecular dynamics for the Coulomb interactions of the 60 carbon ions with one another. For the case of yttrium iron garnet (YIG), directions such as [1 1 0], [1 0 0], [0 1 0] and [0 0 1] demonstrate channelling for a large fraction of the C ions. For directions such as [1 1 1], [2 1 1] and [7 5 3] the trajectories show no more channelling than for random directions. The effects of tilt, shielding and wake-field interactions were investigated for YIG and α-quartz

  10. Soliton structure in crystalline acetanilide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eilbeck, J.C.; Lomdahl, P.S.; Scott, A.C.

    1984-01-01

    The theory of self-trapping of amide I vibrational energy in crystalline acetanilide is studied in detail. A spectrum of stationary, self-trapped (soliton) solutions is determined and tested for dynamic stability. Only those solutions for which the amide I energy is concentrated near a single molecule were found to be stable. Exciton modes were found to be unstable to decay into solitons

  11. Development of shear bands in amorphous-crystalline metallic alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pozdnyakov, V.A.

    2004-01-01

    A theoretical study is made into conditions of shear band evolution in amorphous-crystalline alloys with various morphological types of structural constituents. The condition of shear band evolution in thin amorphous alloys in the interior of the crystalline matrix is obtained. It is shown that a scale effect exists which manifests itself in suppression of the process of localized plastic flow with amorphous alloy thickness decreasing down to the limit. The analysis of the condition for shear band evolution in an amorphous alloy with nanocrystalline inclusions is accomplished. The relationship of a critical stress of shear band evolution to a volume fraction of disperse crystal inclusions is obtained. A consideration is also given to the evolution of shear bands in the material containing amorphous and crystalline areas of micro meter size. For the alloy with the structure of this type conditions for propagation of localized flows by a relay race type mechanism are determined [ru

  12. Microstructure and properties of in-situ rf sputtered YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} thin films for microwave applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reagor, D.W.; Houlton, R.J.; Garzon, F.H.; Hawley, M.; Raistrick, I.D. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Piza, M.E. [Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science

    1992-06-01

    The residual surface resistance of a number of films of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, prepared by off-axis sputtering onto MgO substrates, has been measured using parallel-plate resonator technique. Deposition conditions were kept constant, apart from the substrate temperature. There is no correlation between surface resistance and other important microscopic parameters, such as T{sub c} and c-axis lattice parameter. There is, however, a trend to higher R{sub s} with increasing volume fraction of in-plane misoriented material, although the correlation is not perfect. Furthermore, we have found that most of the misoriented material is localized at the film substrate interface and therefore is probably not responsible for most of the RF losses. The data suggest that at higher deposition temperatures, there is an increasing tendency for 45{degrees}-misoriented material to appear in the films, and it may be that a significant fraction of this material is present closer to the free film surface. STM qualitatively supports this conclusion.

  13. Microstructure and properties of in-situ rf sputtered YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 thin films for microwave applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reagor, D.W.; Houlton, R.J.; Garzon, F.H.; Hawley, M.; Raistrick, I.D. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)); Piza, M.E. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science)

    1992-01-01

    The residual surface resistance of a number of films of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, prepared by off-axis sputtering onto MgO substrates, has been measured using parallel-plate resonator technique. Deposition conditions were kept constant, apart from the substrate temperature. There is no correlation between surface resistance and other important microscopic parameters, such as T{sub c} and c-axis lattice parameter. There is, however, a trend to higher R{sub s} with increasing volume fraction of in-plane misoriented material, although the correlation is not perfect. Furthermore, we have found that most of the misoriented material is localized at the film substrate interface and therefore is probably not responsible for most of the RF losses. The data suggest that at higher deposition temperatures, there is an increasing tendency for 45{degrees}-misoriented material to appear in the films, and it may be that a significant fraction of this material is present closer to the free film surface. STM qualitatively supports this conclusion.

  14. Crystallinity and properties of C60 nanotubes improved by annealing and alcohol-soaking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naito, K.; Matsuishi, K.

    2009-04-01

    Well-uniformed C60 nanotubes were grown at -20 °C with irradiation of red light using C60-saturated pyridine solution and isopropyl alcohol by a liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation method without ultrasonic pulverization. We attempted to improve their crystallinity by two post-treatments; thermal annealing and alcohol-soaking. The crystallinity of as-grown and dried C60 nanotubes, which was poor due to the evaporation of solvent molecules from crystals in the drying process, was improved by annealing around 220 °C for 5 hours in vacuum. Dramatic improvement of crystallinity of as-grown samples was achieved by soaking into methanol and then drying in air. Raman, infrared and X-ray diffraction results suggest that the methanol-soaked samples exhibit a solvated tetragonal structure. The crystallinity improved by methanol-soaking did not degrade after removal of methanol molecules from samples by thermal annealing. Photo-polymerization of the structurally-improved C60 nanotubes was examined to investigate an effect of crystallinity on the polymerization kinetics.

  15. Crystallinity and properties of C60 nanotubes improved by annealing and alcohol-soaking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naito, K; Matsuishi, K

    2009-01-01

    Well-uniformed C 60 nanotubes were grown at -20 deg. C with irradiation of red light using C 60 -saturated pyridine solution and isopropyl alcohol by a liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation method without ultrasonic pulverization. We attempted to improve their crystallinity by two post-treatments; thermal annealing and alcohol-soaking. The crystallinity of as-grown and dried C 60 nanotubes, which was poor due to the evaporation of solvent molecules from crystals in the drying process, was improved by annealing around 220 deg. C for 5 hours in vacuum. Dramatic improvement of crystallinity of as-grown samples was achieved by soaking into methanol and then drying in air. Raman, infrared and X-ray diffraction results suggest that the methanol-soaked samples exhibit a solvated tetragonal structure. The crystallinity improved by methanol-soaking did not degrade after removal of methanol molecules from samples by thermal annealing. Photo-polymerization of the structurally-improved C 60 nanotubes was examined to investigate an effect of crystallinity on the polymerization kinetics.

  16. Growth and Brilliant Photo-Emission of Crystalline Hexagonal Column of Alq3 Microwires

    OpenAIRE

    Seokho Kim; Do Hyoung Kim; Jinho Choi; Hojin Lee; Sun-Young Kim; Jung Woon Park; Dong Hyuk Park

    2018-01-01

    We report the growth and nanoscale luminescence characteristics of 8-hydroxyquinolinato aluminum (Alq3) with a crystalline hexagonal column morphology. Pristine Alq3 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using a conventional reprecipitation method. Crystal hexagonal columns of Alq3 were grown by using a surfactant-assisted self-assembly technique as an adjunct to the aforementioned reprecipitation method. The formation and structural properties of the crystalline and non-crystalline Alq3 NPs were...

  17. Direct conversion of straw to ethanol by Fusarium oxysporum: effect of cellulose crystallinity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christakopoulos, P.; Koullas, D.P.; Kekos, D.; Koukios, E.G.; Macris, B.J. (Ethnikon Metsovion Polytechneion, Athens (Greece))

    1991-03-01

    Wheat straw was successfully fermented to ethanol by Fusarium oxysporum F3 in a one-step process. Cellulose crystallinity was found to be a major factor in the bioconversion process. Ethanol yields increased linearly with decreasing crystallinity index. Approximately 80% of straw carbohydrates were converted directly to ethanol with a yield of 0.28 g ethanol/g{sup -1} of straw when the crystallinity index was reduced to 23.6%. (author).

  18. The role of macromolecular crowding in the evolution of lens crystallins with high molecular refractive index

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Huaying; Magone, M Teresa; Schuck, Peter

    2011-01-01

    Crystallins are present in the lens at extremely high concentrations in order to provide transparency and generate a high refractive power of the lens. The crystallin families prevalent in the highest density lens tissues are γ-crystallins in vertebrates and S-crystallins in cephalopods. As shown elsewhere, in parallel evolution, both have evolved molecular refractive index increments 5–10% above those of most proteins. Although this is a small increase, it is statistically very significant and can be achieved only by very unusual amino acid compositions. In contrast, such a molecular adaptation to aid in the refractive function of the lens did not occur in crystallins that are preferentially located in lower density lens tissues, such as vertebrate α-crystallin and taxon-specific crystallins. In the current work, we apply a model of non-interacting hard spheres to examine the thermodynamic contributions of volume exclusion at lenticular protein concentrations. We show that the small concentration decrease afforded by the higher molecular refractive index increment of crystallins can amplify nonlinearly to produce order of magnitude differences in chemical activities, and lead to reduced osmotic pressure and the reduced propensity for protein aggregation. Quantitatively, this amplification sets in only at protein concentrations as high as those found in hard lenses or the nucleus of soft lenses, in good correspondence to the observed crystallin properties in different tissues and different species. This suggests that volume exclusion effects provide the evolutionary driving force for the unusual refractive properties and the unusual amino acid compositions of γ-crystallins and S-crystallins

  19. Crystalline amino acids and nitrogen emission

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verstegen, M.W.A.; Jongbloed, A.W.

    2003-01-01

    Reductions in dietary protein level and supplementation with certain crystalline amino acids is a well-established method of formulating diets to achieve a more ideal amino acid pattern and to reduce nitrogen excretion. Up to 35% reduction in nitrogen excretion may be achieved by supplementing pig

  20. Irradiation-induced dimensional changes of poorly crystalline carbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bullock, R.E.

    1979-01-01

    Data are presented on irradiation-induced changes of poorly crystalline carbons at high temperatures(>900 0 C). The materials surveyed include: (1) carbon fibers, (2) glassy carbons, (3) carbonaceous matrix materials for HTGR fuel rods and (4) pyrocarbons. The materials are listed in order of increasing stability, with maximum strains ranging from more than 50% for fibers to less than 10% for pyrocarbons. Dimensional changes of highly anisotropic carbon fibers appear to be sensitive to irradiation temperature, as slightly anisotropic pyrocarbons are, whereas temperature seems to have little influence on the behavior of isotropic glassy carbons over the range from 600 to 1350 0 C. Dimensional changes for graphite-filled matrix materials were roughly isotropic on the average and did not seem to be strongly temperature dependent for the lower fluences investigated. Increased graphite filler lowered volumetric dimensional changes of the matrix in agreement with a rule-of-mixtures relationship between change components for the filler and the less-stable binder phases. Instabilities of all of the poorly crystalline materials were generally greater than those for more crystalline carbons under the same conditions, including highly orientated graphites that approximate single-crystal behavior. (author)

  1. Size and Crystallinity in Protein-Templated Inorganic Nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jolley, Craig C.; Uchida, Masaki; Reichhardt, Courtney; Harrington, Richard; Kang, Sebyung; Klem, Michael T.; Parise, John B.; Douglas, Trevor (SBU); (Montana)

    2010-12-01

    Protein cages such as ferritins and virus capsids have been used as containers to synthesize a wide variety of protein-templated inorganic nanoparticles. While identification of the inorganic crystal phase has been successful in some cases, very little is known about the detailed nanoscale structure of the inorganic component. We have used pair distribution function analysis of total X-ray scattering to measure the crystalline domain size in nanoparticles of ferrihydrite, {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}, CoPt, and FePt grown inside 24-meric ferritin cages from H. sapiens and P. furiosus. The material properties of these protein-templated nanoparticles are influenced by processes at a variety of length scales: the chemistry of the material determines the precise arrangement of atoms at very short distances, while the interior volume of the protein cage constrains the maximum nanoparticle size attainable. At intermediate length scales, the size of coherent crystalline domains appears to be constrained by the arrangement of crystal nucleation sites on the interior of the cage. On the basis of these observations, some potential synthetic strategies for the control of crystalline domain size in protein-templated nanoparticles are suggested.

  2. Colloid properties in groundwaters from crystalline formations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Degueldre, C.A.

    1994-09-01

    Colloids are present in all groundwaters. The role they may play in the migration of safety-relevant radionuclides in the geosphere therefore must be studied. Colloid sampling and characterisation campaigns have been carried out in Switzerland. On the bases of the results from studies in the Grimsel area, Northern Switzerland and the Black Forest, as well as those obtained by other groups concerned with crystalline waters, a consistent picture is emerging. The groundwater colloids in crystalline formations are predominantly comprised of phyllosilicates and silica originating from the aquifer rock. Under constant hydrogeochemical conditions, the colloid concentration is not expected to exceed 100 ng.ml -1 when the calcium concentration is greater than 10 -4 . However, under transient chemical or physical conditions, such as geothermal or tectonic activity, colloid generation may be enhanced and the colloid concentration may reach 10 μg.ml -1 or more, if both the calcium and sodium concentrations are low. In the Nagra Crystalline Reference Water the expected colloid concentration is -1 . This can be compared, for example, to a colloid concentration of about 10 ng.ml -1 found in Zurzach water. The small colloid concentration in the reference water is a consequence of an attachment factor for clay colloids (monmorillonite) close to 1. A model indicates that at pH 8, the nuclide partition coefficients between water and colloid (K p ) must be smaller than 10 7 ml.g -1 if sorption takes place by surface complexation on colloids, = AIOH active groups forming the dominant sorption sites. This pragmatic model is based on the competition between the formation of nuclide hydroxo complexes in solution and their sorption on colloids. Experimental nuclide sorption data on colloids are compared with those obtained by applying this model. For a low colloid concentration, a sorption capacity of the order of 10 -9 M and reversible surface complexation, their presence in the

  3. Electric properties of a liquid crystalline methacrylic polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez Henriquez, C.M.; Soto Bustamante, E.A.; Haase, W.

    2009-01-01

    The formation of a liquid crystalline polymer called PM6R8 is reported. The polymers were obtained with different concentration of AIBN as initiator (0.25, 0.50, 1 and 2mg in 5ml solution) and time of reaction (24, 36 and 48 hours). The compounds were characterized by 1 H-NMR, differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffractometer and pyroelectric measurements. For the polymer a smectic C 2 phase occurs over broad temperature range, which is a possible explanation for the electric signal. The arrangement of the molecules within of the crystalline lattice is related with the kinetic of precipitation. (author)

  4. Molecular Dynamics Study of Crystalline Swelling of Montmorillonite as Affected by Interlayer Cation Hydration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hongliang; Song, Shaoxian; Dong, Xianshu; Min, Fanfei; Zhao, Yunliang; Peng, Chenliang; Nahmad, Yuri

    2018-04-01

    Swelling of montmorillonite (Mt) is an important factor for many industrial applications. In this study, crystalline swelling of alkali-metal- and alkaline-earth-metal-Mt has been studied through energy optimization and molecular dynamics simulations using the clay force field by Materials Studio 8.0. The delamination and exfoliation of Mt are primarily realized by crystalline swelling caused by the enhanced interlayer cation hydration. The initial position of the interlayer cations and water molecules is the dominated factor for the accuracy of the Mt simulations. Crystalline swelling can be carried out in alkali-metal-Mt and Mg-Mt but with difficulty in Ca-Mt, Sr-Mt and Ba-Mt. The crystalline swelling capacity values are in the order Na-Mt > K-Mt > Cs-Mt > Mg-Mt. This order of crystalline swelling of Mt in the same group can be attributed to the differences between the interlayer cation hydration strengths. In addition, the differences in the crystalline swelling between the alkali-metal-Mt and alkaline-earth-metal-Mt can be primarily attributed to the valence of the interlayer cations.

  5. Impact of the substrate misorientation and its preliminary etching on the structural and optical properties of integrated GaAs/Si MOCVD heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seredin, P. V.; Lenshin, A. S.; Zolotukhin, D. S.; Arsentyev, I. N.; Zhabotinskiy, A. V.; Nikolaev, D. N.

    2018-03-01

    This is the first attempt to make a report regarding the control of the structural and optical functional characteristics of integrated GaAs/Si heterostructures owing to the employment of preliminary etched misoriented Si substrates. The epitaxial GaAs layer on silicon substrates with no formation of the antiphase domains can be grown using substrates deviating less than 4°-6° from the singular (100) plane or without the use of a transition layer of GaAs nano-stakes. Preliminary etching of the Si substrate made it easier to acquire an epitaxial GaAs film in a single-crystalline state with a significantly less relaxation factor MOCVD, which positively influences on the structural performance of the film. These data agree with the results of Infrared reflection spectroscopy as well as Photoluminescence and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The optical properties of the integrated GaAs/Si (100) heterostructures in the IR and UV spectral regions were also identified by means of the relaxation coefficients.

  6. Electrical transport in crystalline phase change materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woda, Michael

    2012-01-06

    In this thesis, the electrical transport properties of crystalline phase change materials are discussed. Phase change materials (PCM) are a special class of semiconducting and metallic thin film alloys, typically with a high amount of the group five element antimony or the group six element tellurium, such as Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}. The unique property portfolio of this material class makes it suitable for memory applications. PCMs reveal fast switching between two stable room-temperature phases (amorphous and crystalline) realized by optical laser or electrical current pulses in memory devices. Additionally, a pronounced property contrast in form of optical reflectivity and electrical conductivity between the amorphous and crystalline phase is the characteristic fingerprint of PCMs. The emerging electrical solid state memory PCRAM is a very promising candidate to replace Flash memory in the near future or to even become a universal memory, which is non-volatile and shows the speed and cyclability of DRAM. One of the main technological challenges is the switching process into the amorphous state, which is the most power demanding step. In order to reduce the switching power, the crystalline resistivity needs to be increased at a given voltage. Thus understanding and tayloring of this property is mandatory. In this work, first the technological relevance, i.e. optical and electrical memory concepts based on PCMs are introduced. Subsequently a description of the physical properties of PCMs in four categories is given. Namely, structure, kinetics, optical properties and electrical properties are discussed. Then important recent developments such as the identification of resonant bonding in crystalline PCMs and a property predicting coordination scheme are briefly reviewed. The following chapter deals with the theoretical background of electrical transport, while the next chapter introduces the experimental techniques: Sputtering, XRR, XRD, DSC, thermal annealing

  7. Crystallinity evaluation of polyhydroxybutyrate and polycaprolactone blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cavalcante, Maxwell P.; Rodrigues, Elton Jorge R.; Tavares, Maria Ines B.

    2015-01-01

    Polyhydroxybutyrate, PHB, is a polymer obtained through bacterial or synthetic pathways. It has been used in the biomedical field as a matrix for drug delivery, medical implants and as scaffold material for tissue engineering. PHB has high structural organization, which makes it highly crystalline and brittle, making biodegradation difficult, reducing its employability. In order to enhance the mechanical and biological properties of PHB, blends with other polymers, biocompatible or not, are researched and produced. In this regard, blends of PHB and polycaprolactone, PCL, another biopolymer widely used in the biomedical industry, were obtained via solution casting and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). Results have shown a dependence between PHB's crystallinity index and PCL quantity employed to obtain the blends.(author)

  8. Liquid crystalline solutions of cellulose in phosphoric acid for preparing cellulose yarns

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boerstoel, H.

    2006-01-01

    The presen thesis describes a new process for manufacturing high tenacity and high modulus cellulose yarns. A new direct solvent for cellulose has been discovered, leading to liquid crystalline solutions. This new solvent, superphosphoric acid, rapidly dissolves cellulose. These liquid crystalline

  9. Enzymatic hydrolysis of loblolly pine: effects of cellulose crystallinity and delignification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal; J.Y. Zhu; Sally A. Ralph

    2013-01-01

    Hydrolysis experiments with commercial cellulases have been performed to understand the effects of cell wall crystallinity and lignin on the process. In the focus of the paper are loblolly pine wood samples, which were systematically delignified and partly ball-milled, and, for comparison, Whatman CC31 cellulose samples with different crystallinities. In pure cellulose...

  10. EELS from organic crystalline materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brydson, R; Seabourne, C R; Hondow, N; Eddleston, M D; Jones, W

    2014-01-01

    We report the use of the electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) for providing light element chemical composition information from organic, crystalline pharmaceutical materials including theophylline and paracetamol and discuss how this type of data can complement transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and electron diffraction when investigating polymorphism. We also discuss the potential for the extraction of bonding information using electron loss near-edge structure (ELNES)

  11. Interfacial crystalline structures in injection over-molded polypropylene and bond strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Bowen; Wu, Hong; Jiang, Genjie; Guo, Shaoyun; Huang, Jian

    2010-11-01

    This paper describes interfacial crystalline structures found in injection overmolded polypropylene components and the relationship of these structures to bond strength between the components. The combined effects of the development of hierarchical gradient structures and the particular thermomechanical environment near the interface on the interfacial crystalline structures were investigated in detail by PLM, SEM, DSC, WAXD, and infrared dichroism spectroscopy. The experimental results showed that during molding there was competitive formation of interfacial crystalline structures consisted of "shish-kebab" layer (SKL) and a transcrystalline layers (TCL). Variation in shear stress (controlled by injection pressure and injection speed) plays an important role in the formation of the SKL. The formation of TCL is influenced by the thermal environment, namely melt temperature and mold temperature. Increasing within certain limits, interfacial temperature and the thermal gradient near the interface promotes β-iPP growth. The relationship between interfacial crystalline structures and interfacial bond strength was established by lap shear measurement. The interfacial bond strength is improved by enhancing the formation of TCL, but reduced if SKL predominates.

  12. Crystalline Bioceramic Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de Aza, P. N.

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available A strong interest in the use of ceramics for biomedical engineering applications developed in the late 1960´s. Used initially as alternatives to metallic materials in order to increase the biocompatibility of implants, bioceramics have become a diverse class of biomaterials, presently including three basic types: relatively bioinert ceramics; bioactive or surface reactive bioceramics and bioresorbable ceramics. This review will only refer to bioceramics “sensus stricto”, it is to say, those ceramic materials constituted for nonmetallic inorganic compounds, crystallines and consolidated by thermal treatments of powders to high temperatures. Leaving bioglasses, glass-ceramics and biocements apart, since, although all of them are obtained by thermal treatments to high temperatures, the first are amorphous, the second are obtained by desvitrification of a glass and in them vitreous phase normally prevails on the crystalline phases and the third are consolidated by means of a hydraulic or chemical reaction to room temperature. A review of the composition, physiochemical properties and biological behaviour of the principal types of crystalline bioceramics is given, based on the literature data and on the own experience of the authors.

    A finales de los años sesenta se despertó un gran interés por el uso de los materiales cerámicos para aplicaciones biomédicas. Inicialmente utilizados como una alternativa a los materiales metálicos, con el propósito de incrementar la biocompatibilidad de los implantes, las biocerámicas se han convertido en una clase diversa de biomateriales, incluyendo actualmente tres tipos: cerámicas cuasi inertes; cerámicas bioactivas o reactivas superficialmente y cerámicas reabsorbibles o biodegradables. En la presente revisión se hace referencia a las biocerámicas en sentido estricto, es decir, a aquellos materiales constitutitos por compuestos inorgánicos no metálicos, cristalinos y consolidados

  13. Interactive domains in the molecular chaperone human alphaB crystallin modulate microtubule assembly and disassembly.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joy G Ghosh

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Small heat shock proteins regulate microtubule assembly during cell proliferation and in response to stress through interactions that are poorly understood.Novel functions for five interactive sequences in the small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone, human alphaB crystallin, were investigated in the assembly/disassembly of microtubules and aggregation of tubulin using synthetic peptides and mutants of human alphaB crystallin.The interactive sequence (113FISREFHR(120 exposed on the surface of alphaB crystallin decreased microtubule assembly by approximately 45%. In contrast, the interactive sequences, (131LTITSSLSSDGV(142 and (156ERTIPITRE(164, corresponding to the beta8 strand and the C-terminal extension respectively, which are involved in complex formation, increased microtubule assembly by approximately 34-45%. The alphaB crystallin peptides, (113FISREFHR(120 and (156ERTIPITRE(164, inhibited microtubule disassembly by approximately 26-36%, and the peptides (113FISREFHR(120 and (131LTITSSLSSDGV(142 decreased the thermal aggregation of tubulin by approximately 42-44%. The (131LTITSSLSSDGV(142 and (156ERTIPITRE(164 peptides were more effective than the widely used anti-cancer drug, Paclitaxel, in modulating tubulinmicrotubule dynamics. Mutagenesis of these interactive sequences in wt human alphaB crystallin confirmed the effects of the alphaB crystallin peptides on microtubule assembly/disassembly and tubulin aggregation. The regulation of microtubule assembly by alphaB crystallin varied over a narrow range of concentrations. The assembly of microtubules was maximal at alphaB crystallin to tubulin molar ratios between 1:4 and 2:1, while molar ratios >2:1 inhibited microtubule assembly.Interactive sequences on the surface of human alphaB crystallin collectively modulate microtubule assembly through a dynamic subunit exchange mechanism that depends on the concentration and ratio of alphaB crystallin to tubulin. These are the first

  14. Used Fuel Disposal in Crystalline Rocks. FY15 Progress Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yifeng [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2015-08-20

    The objective of the Crystalline Disposal R&D Work Package is to advance our understanding of long-term disposal of used fuel in crystalline rocks and to develop necessary experimental and computational capabilities to evaluate various disposal concepts in such media. Chapter headings are as follows: Fuel matrix degradation model and its integration with performance assessments, Investigation of thermal effects on the chemical behavior of clays, Investigation of uranium diffusion and retardation in bentonite, Long-term diffusion of U(VI) in bentonite: dependence on density, Sorption and desorption of plutonium by bentonite, Dissolution of plutonium intrinsic colloids in the presence of clay and as a function of temperature, Laboratory investigation of colloid-facilitated transport of cesium by bentonite colloids in a crystalline rock system, Development and demonstration of discrete fracture network model, Fracture continuum model and its comparison with discrete fracture network model.

  15. Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on crystalline lens and retina in nicotine-exposed rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ari, Seyhmus; Nergiz, Yusuf; Cingü, Abdullah Kürşat; Atay, Ahmet Engin; Sahin, Alparslan; Cinar, Yasin; Caca, Ihsan

    2013-03-01

    To determine histopathological changes on crystalline lens and retina of rats after subcutaneous injection of nicotine and to examine the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on these changes related to nicotine exposure. Twenty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats were enrolled in the study and the rats were divided into four equal sized groups randomly (Group N: the rats exposed only to nicotine, group HB: the rats received only HBO, group N+HB: the rats that underwent to nicotine injection and subsequently received HBO, group C: the control group that neither exposed to nicotine nor received HBO). The rats were sacrificed by decapitation method and all were enucleated immediately after scarification. Tissue samples from crystalline lens, lens capsule, and the retina from the right eyes of the rats were examined by light microscopy. While the histological appearances of the retina and the lens was similar in group HB, group N+HB, and the control group; group N showed some pathological changes like decrement in the retinal ganglion cell density, atrophy of the retinal nerve fiber layer, congestion of the vessels in the optic nerve head, thinning of the internal plexiform layer, thinning of the lens capsule, and transformation of the anterior subcapsular epithelium into squamous epithelia. Subcutaneous injection of nicotine was found to be related with some pathological changes in the retina and lens of the Sprague-Dawley rats. However HBO caused no significant negative effect. Furthermore, the histopathological changes related to nicotine exposure in the lens and retina of the rats recovered by the application of HBO.

  16. Crystallinity study of a faceted Brazilian quartz by X-rays topography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, C.K.; Farias, C.R.L.

    1986-01-01

    A characterization study of crystalline perfection along the Z-direction (from the base to the top) of a single crystal of natural quartz was conducted. A gradual and very significanty change of crystalline perfection with the transparency was revealed by X-ray topography and goniometric observation in samples cut along perpendicular to the Z-direction. (L.J.) [pt

  17. Moessbauer investigation of static-disorder crystalline media. V. Hyperfine fields' dispersion in static-disordered crystalline media of tetragonal and trigonal iron germanates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantinescu, S.

    2007-01-01

    The refined 57 Fe Moessbauer spectra of some static-disordered crystalline media (with melilite and Ca-gallate structure) evidenced observable electric and magnetic crystal field dispersions. It is the fifth in a series of papers published previously in the same journal on this subject. The data of crystalline hyperfine fields and their dispersion parameters have calculated using the modeling procedure given in a paper by Kaminskii, et al. published in 1986. The obtained values of the magnetic and quadrupole splitting parameters compared with to experimental data showed the possibility to predict the crystal fields' dispersion. (author)

  18. Hard sphere-like glass transition in eye lens α-crystallin solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foffi, Giuseppe; Savin, Gabriela; Bucciarelli, Saskia; Dorsaz, Nicolas; Thurston, George M; Stradner, Anna; Schurtenberger, Peter

    2014-11-25

    We study the equilibrium liquid structure and dynamics of dilute and concentrated bovine eye lens α-crystallin solutions, using small-angle X-ray scattering, static and dynamic light scattering, viscometry, molecular dynamics simulations, and mode-coupling theory. We find that a polydisperse Percus-Yevick hard-sphere liquid-structure model accurately reproduces both static light scattering data and small-angle X-ray scattering liquid structure data from α-crystallin solutions over an extended range of protein concentrations up to 290 mg/mL or 49% vol fraction and up to ca. 330 mg/mL for static light scattering. The measured dynamic light scattering and viscosity properties are also consistent with those of hard-sphere colloids and show power laws characteristic of an approach toward a glass transition at α-crystallin volume fractions near 58%. Dynamic light scattering at a volume fraction beyond the glass transition indicates formation of an arrested state. We further perform event-driven molecular dynamics simulations of polydisperse hard-sphere systems and use mode-coupling theory to compare the measured dynamic power laws with those of hard-sphere models. The static and dynamic data, simulations, and analysis show that aqueous eye lens α-crystallin solutions exhibit a glass transition at high concentrations that is similar to those found in hard-sphere colloidal systems. The α-crystallin glass transition could have implications for the molecular basis of presbyopia and the kinetics of molecular change during cataractogenesis.

  19. The Effect of Attractive Interactions and Macromolecular Crowding on Crystallins Association.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiachen Wei

    Full Text Available In living systems proteins are typically found in crowded environments where their effective interactions strongly depend on the surrounding medium. Yet, their association and dissociation needs to be robustly controlled in order to enable biological function. Uncontrolled protein aggregation often causes disease. For instance, cataract is caused by the clustering of lens proteins, i.e., crystallins, resulting in enhanced light scattering and impaired vision or blindness. To investigate the molecular origins of cataract formation and to design efficient treatments, a better understanding of crystallin association in macromolecular crowded environment is needed. Here we present a theoretical study of simple coarse grained colloidal models to characterize the general features of how the association equilibrium of proteins depends on the magnitude of intermolecular attraction. By comparing the analytic results to the available experimental data on the osmotic pressure in crystallin solutions, we identify the effective parameters regimes applicable to crystallins. Moreover, the combination of two models allows us to predict that the number of binding sites on crystallin is small, i.e. one to three per protein, which is different from previous estimates. We further observe that the crowding factor is sensitive to the size asymmetry between the reactants and crowding agents, the shape of the protein clusters, and to small variations of intermolecular attraction. Our work may provide general guidelines on how to steer the protein interactions in order to control their association.

  20. Highly crystalline zinc incorporated hydroxyapatite nanorods' synthesis, characterization, thermal, biocompatibility, and antibacterial study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Udhayakumar, Gayathri; Muthukumarasamy, N.; Velauthapillai, Dhayalan; Santhosh, Shanthi Bhupathi

    2017-10-01

    Highly crystalline zinc incorporated hydroxyapatite (Zn-HAp) nanorods have been synthesized using microwave irradiation method. To improve bioactivity and crystallinity of pure HAp, zinc was incorporated into it. As-synthesized samples were characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and the thermal and crystallinity behavior of Zn-HAp nanoparticle were studied by thermogravimetry (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Antibacterial activity of the as-synthesized nanorods was evaluated against two prokaryotic strains ( Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). The FT-IR studies show the presence of hydroxide and phosphate functional groups. HRTEM and FESEM images showed highly crystalline rod-shaped nanoparticles with the diameter of about 50-60 nm. EDAX revealed the presence of Ca, Zn, P, and O in the prepared samples. The crystallinity and thermal stability were further confirmed by TGA-DSC analysis. The biocompatibility evaluation results promoted that the Zn-HAp nanorods are biologically active apatites and potentially promising bone-substitute biomaterials for orthopaedic application.

  1. Crystalline beam ground state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Jie; Li, Xiao-Ping; Sessler, A.M.

    1993-01-01

    In order to employ Molecular Dynamics method, commonly used in condensed matter physics, we have derived the equations of motion for a beam of charged particles in the rotating rest frame of the reference particle. We include in the formalism that the particles are confined by the guiding and focusing magnetic fields, and that they are confined in a conducting vacuum pipe while interacting with each other via a Coulomb force. Numerical simulations has been performed to obtain the equilibrium structure. The effects of the shearing force, centrifugal force, and azimuthal variation of the focusing strength are investigated. It is found that a constant gradient storage ring can not give a crystalline beam, but that an alternating-gradient (AG) structure can. In such a machine the ground state is, except for one-dimensional (1-D) crystals, time-dependent. The ground state is a zero entropy state, despite the time-dependent, periodic variation of the focusing force. The nature of the ground state, similar to that found by Rahman and Schiffer, depends upon the density and the relative focusing strengths in the transverse directions. At low density, the crystal is 1-D. As the density increases, it transforms into various kinds of 2-D and 3-D crystals. If the energy of the beam is higher than the transition energy of the machine, the crystalline structure can not be formed for lack of radial focusing

  2. Crystalline beam ground state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, J.; Li, X.P.

    1993-01-01

    In order to employ the Molecular Dynamics method, commonly used in condensed matter physics, the authors have derived the equations of motion for a beam of charged particles in the rotating rest frame of the reference particle. They include in the formalism that the particles are confined by the guiding and focusing magnetic fields, and that they are confined in a conducting vacuum pipe while interacting with each other via a Coulomb force. Numerical simulations has been performed to obtain the equilibrium structure. The effects of the shearing force, centrifugal force, and azimuthal variation of the focusing strength are investigated. It is found that a constant gradient storage ring can not give a crystalline beam, but that an alternating-gradient (AG) structure can. In such a machine the ground state is, except for one-dimensional (1-D) crystals, time-dependent. The ground state is a zero entropy state, despite the time-dependent, periodic variation of the focusing force. The nature of the ground state, similar to that found by Rahman and Schiffer, depends upon the density and the relative focusing strengths in the transverse directions. At low density, the crystal is 1-D. As the density increases, it transforms into various kinds of 2-D and 3-D crystals. If the energy of the beam is higher than the transition energy of the machine, the crystalline structure can not be formed for lack of radial focusing

  3. Pigment dispersion and Artisan phakic intraocular lenses: crystalline lens rise as a safety criterion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baïkoff, Georges; Bourgeon, Grégoire; Jodai, Horacio Jitsuo; Fontaine, Aline; Lellis, Fernando Viera; Trinquet, Laure

    2005-04-01

    To validate the theory that crystalline lens rise can be used as a safety criterion to prevent pigment dispersion in eyes with an Artisan phakic intraocular lens (IOL) (Ophtec BV). Monticelli Clinic, Marseilles, France. A comparative analysis of crystalline lens rise in 9 eyes with pigment dispersion and 78 eyes without dispersion was performed. All eyes had previous implantation of an Artisan IOL. Anterior segment imaging was done using an anterior chamber optical coherence tomography (AC OCT) prototype. Crystalline lens rise was defined by the distance between the anterior pole of the crystalline lens and the horizontal plane joining the opposite iridocorneal recesses. The study confirmed that crystalline lens rise can be considered a safety criterion for implantation of Artisan-type phakic IOLs. The higher the crystalline lens rise, the greater the risk for developing pigment dispersion in the area of the pupil. This complication occurred more frequently in hyperopic eyes than in myopic eyes. Results indicate there is little or no risk for pigment dispersion if the rise is less than 600 microm; 67% of eyes with a rise of 600 microm or more developed pupillary pigment dispersion. In some cases in which the IOL was loosely fixated, there was no traction on the iris root and dispersion was prevented or delayed. Crystalline lens rise should be considered a new safety criterion for Artisan phakic IOL implantation and should also be applied to other types of phakic IOLs. The distance remaining between the crystalline lens rise and a 600 microm theoretical safety level allows one to calculate how long the IOL can safely remain in the eye.

  4. Crystalline Organic Pigment-Based Field-Effect Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Haichang; Deng, Ruonan; Wang, Jing; Li, Xiang; Chen, Yu-Ming; Liu, Kewei; Taubert, Clinton J; Cheng, Stephen Z D; Zhu, Yu

    2017-07-05

    Three conjugated pigment molecules with fused hydrogen bonds, 3,7-diphenylpyrrolo[2,3-f]indole-2,6(1H,5H)-dione (BDP), (E)-6,6'-dibromo-[3,3'-biindolinylidene]-2,2'-dione (IIDG), and 3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)-2,5-dihydropyrrolo-[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (TDPP), were studied in this work. The insoluble pigment molecules were functionalized with tert-butoxylcarbonyl (t-Boc) groups to form soluble pigment precursors (BDP-Boc, IIDG-Boc, and TDPP-Boc) with latent hydrogen bonding. The single crystals of soluble pigment precursors were obtained. Upon simple thermal annealing, the t-Boc groups were removed and the soluble pigment precursor molecules with latent hydrogen bonding were converted into the original pigment molecules with fused hydrogen bonding. Structural analysis indicated that the highly crystalline soluble precursors were directly converted into highly crystalline insoluble pigments, which are usually only achievable by gas-phase routes like physical vapor transport. The distinct crystal structure after the thermal annealing treatment suggests that fused hydrogen bonding is pivotal for the rearrangement of molecules to form a new crystal in solid state, which leads to over 2 orders of magnitude enhancement in charge mobility in organic field-effect transistor (OFET) devices. This work demonstrated that crystalline OFET devices with insoluble pigment molecules can be fabricated by their soluble precursors. The results indicated that a variety of commercially available conjugated pigments could be potential active materials for high-performance OFETs.

  5. Ferrofluids in liquid crystalline systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Figueiredo Neto, A.M.; Liebert, L.

    1989-08-01

    It is a well-known fact that intermediate or mesomorphic phase may exist between the crystalline and the isotropic liquid phases. The symmetry properties of these mesophases are intermediate between those of a crystal and a liquid. In this paper, some aspects of the use of ferrofluids in thermotropic and lyotropic systems are studied both the experimental difficulties as well as the fundamental phypical phenomena involved. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

  6. Experimental hydrothermal alteration of crystalline and radiation-damaged pyrochlore

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geisler, T.; Seydoux-Guillaume, A.-M.; Poeml, P.; Golla-Schindler, U.; Berndt, J.; Wirth, R.; Pollok, K.; Janssen, A.; Putnis, A.

    2005-01-01

    We have performed hydrothermal experiments with a crystalline microlite and a heavily self-irradiation-damaged (i.e., X-ray amorphous) betafite in a solution containing 1 mol/l HCl and 1 mol/l CaCl 2 at 175 deg. C for 14 days. The well-crystalline microlite grains were partly (∼5-10 μm rim) replaced by a Ca and Na-poorer, defect pyrochlore phase with a larger unit-cell and a sharp chemical gradient at the interface (on a nm scale) to the unreacted core. The amorphous betafite grains (up to ∼2 mm in diameter), on the other hand, were completely transformed into an intergrowth of different crystalline phases (polycrystalline anatase and rutile, a yet unidentified Nb-Ta oxide, and a Y-REE phase), showing complex non-equilibrium structures. Our experimental observations bear a remarkable resemblance to those made on natural samples. They indicate that the processes of the fluid-pyrochlore interaction are influenced by self-irradiation structural damage and that thermodynamic equilibrium models can hardly be applied to adequately describe such systems

  7. Dating the time of birth: A radiocarbon calibration curve for human eye-lens crystallines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kjeldsen, Henrik; Heinemeier, Jan; Heegaard, Steffen; Jacobsen, Christina; Lynnerup, Niels

    2010-01-01

    Radiocarbon bomb-pulse dating has been used to measure the formation age of human eye-lens crystallines. Lens crystallines are special proteins in the eye-lens that consist of virtually inert tissue. The experimental data show that the radiocarbon ages to a large extent reflect the time of birth, in accordance with expectations. Moreover, it has been possible to develop an age model for the formation of the eye-lens crystallines. From this model a radiocarbon calibration curve for lens crystallines has been calculated. As a consequence, the time of birth of humans can be determined with an accuracy of a few years by radiocarbon dating.

  8. Dating the time of birth: A radiocarbon calibration curve for human eye-lens crystallines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kjeldsen, Henrik, E-mail: kjeldsen@phys.au.d [AMS 14C Dating Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, Aarhus (Denmark); Heinemeier, Jan [AMS 14C Dating Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, Aarhus (Denmark); Heegaard, Steffen [Eye Pathology Section, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (Denmark); Jacobsen, Christina; Lynnerup, Niels [Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2010-04-15

    Radiocarbon bomb-pulse dating has been used to measure the formation age of human eye-lens crystallines. Lens crystallines are special proteins in the eye-lens that consist of virtually inert tissue. The experimental data show that the radiocarbon ages to a large extent reflect the time of birth, in accordance with expectations. Moreover, it has been possible to develop an age model for the formation of the eye-lens crystallines. From this model a radiocarbon calibration curve for lens crystallines has been calculated. As a consequence, the time of birth of humans can be determined with an accuracy of a few years by radiocarbon dating.

  9. Crystalline Repository Project: Technical progress report for the period October 1, 1982--May 28, 1986

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-11-01

    This document reports the progress made on the development of a second geologic repository in crystalline rocks during the duration of the Crystalline Repository Project from its inception in October 1982 to its termination in May 1986. The reporting elements are arranged by the work breakdown structure so that related studies are presented together. The studies are reported by the Office of Waste Technology Development (OWTD), successor to the Office of Crystalline Repository Development. OWTD is a prime contractor of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Repository Technology Program Office, itself the successor to the Crystalline Repository Project Office. The studies include work by other DOE prime contractors and by contractors to the Office of Crystalline Repository Development. 151 refs

  10. Determination of chloride content in crystalline silicotitanate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilmarth, W.R.

    1999-01-01

    Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST) is one of three options under evaluation to replace the In-Tank Precipitation process. This Salt Disposition Alternatives team identified three options for pretreatment of High Level Waste supernate: non-elutable ion exchange, precipitation with sodium tetraphenylborate or direct disposal in grout. The ion exchange option would use crystalline silicotitanate (CST). Researchers at Texas A and M and Sandia National Laboratory developed CST. The engineered form of CST was procured from UOP LLC under the trade name IONSIVreg s ign IE-911. Review of vendor literature and discussions with UOP personnel led to speculation concerning the fate of chloride ion during the manufacture process of IE-911. Walker proposed tests to examine the chloride content of CST and removal methods. This report describes the results of tests to determine the chloride levels in as received CST and washed CST

  11. Search for underground openings for in situ test facilities in crystalline rock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wollenberg, H.A.; Strisower, B.; Corrigan, D.J.; Graf, A.N.; O' Brien, M.T.; Pratt, H.; Board, M.; Hustrulid, W.

    1980-01-01

    With a few exceptions, crystalline rocks in this study were limited to plutonic rocks and medium to high-grade metamorphic rocks. Nearly 1700 underground mines, possibly occurring in crystalline rock, were initially identified. Application of criteria resulted in the identification of 60 potential sites. Within this number, 26 mines and 4 civil works were identified as having potential in that they fulfilled the criteria. Thirty other mines may have similar potential. Most of the mines identified are near the contact between a pluton and older sedimentary, volcanic and metamorphic rocks. However, some mines and the civil works are well within plutonic or metamorphic rock masses. Civil works, notably underground galleries associated with pumped storage hydroelectric facilities, are generally located in tectonically stable regions, in relatively homogeneous crystalline rock bodies. A program is recommended which would identify one or more sites where a concordance exists between geologic setting, company amenability, accessibility and facilities to conduct in situ tests in crystalline rock.

  12. Search for underground openings for in situ test facilities in crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wollenberg, H.A.; Strisower, B.; Corrigan, D.J.; Graf, A.N.; O'Brien, M.T.; Pratt, H.; Board, M.; Hustrulid, W.

    1980-01-01

    With a few exceptions, crystalline rocks in this study were limited to plutonic rocks and medium to high-grade metamorphic rocks. Nearly 1700 underground mines, possibly occurring in crystalline rock, were initially identified. Application of criteria resulted in the identification of 60 potential sites. Within this number, 26 mines and 4 civil works were identified as having potential in that they fulfilled the criteria. Thirty other mines may have similar potential. Most of the mines identified are near the contact between a pluton and older sedimentary, volcanic and metamorphic rocks. However, some mines and the civil works are well within plutonic or metamorphic rock masses. Civil works, notably underground galleries associated with pumped storage hydroelectric facilities, are generally located in tectonically stable regions, in relatively homogeneous crystalline rock bodies. A program is recommended which would identify one or more sites where a concordance exists between geologic setting, company amenability, accessibility and facilities to conduct in situ tests in crystalline rock

  13. Simulation of the channelling of ions from MeV C{sub 60} in crystalline solids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fetterman, A [Basic and Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Sinclair, L [Basic and Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Tanushev, N [Basic and Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Tombrello, T [Basic and Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Nardi, E [Department of Particle Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, 76100 (Israel)

    2007-06-14

    Simulations were performed describing the motion and breakup of energetic C{sub 60} ions interacting with crystalline targets. A hybrid algorithm was used that employs a binary collision model for the scattering of the carbon ions by the atoms of the solid, and molecular dynamics for the Coulomb interactions of the 60 carbon ions with one another. For the case of yttrium iron garnet (YIG), directions such as [1 1 0], [1 0 0], [0 1 0] and [0 0 1] demonstrate channelling for a large fraction of the C ions. For directions such as [1 1 1], [2 1 1] and [7 5 3] the trajectories show no more channelling than for random directions. The effects of tilt, shielding and wake-field interactions were investigated for YIG and {alpha}-quartz.

  14. Characterization of crystalline structures in Opuntia ficus-indica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Contreras-Padilla, Margarita; Rivera-Muñoz, Eric M; Gutiérrez-Cortez, Elsa; del López, Alicia Real; Rodríguez-García, Mario Enrique

    2015-01-01

    This research studies the crystalline compounds present in nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes. The identification of the crystalline structures was performed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The crystalline structures identified were calcium carbonate (calcite) [CaCO3], calcium-magnesium bicarbonate [CaMg(CO3)2], magnesium oxide [MgO], calcium oxalate monohydrate [Ca(C2O4)•(H2O)], potassium peroxydiphosphate [K4P2O8] and potassium chloride [KCl]. The SEM images indicate that calcite crystals grow to dipyramidal, octahedral-like, prismatic, and flower-like structures; meanwhile, calcium-magnesium bicarbonate structures show rhombohedral exfoliation and calcium oxalate monohydrate is present in a drusenoid morphology. These calcium carbonate compounds have a great importance for humans because their bioavailability. This is the first report about the identification and structural analysis of calcium carbonate and calcium-magnesium bicarbonate in nopal cladodes, as well as the presence of magnesium oxide, potassium peroxydiphosphate and potassium chloride in these plants. The significance of the study of the inorganic components of these cactus plants is related with the increasing interest in the potential use of Opuntia as a raw material of products for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

  15. Review of status developments of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jingjing; Yao, Yao; Xiao, Shaoqing; Gu, Xiaofeng

    2018-03-01

    In order to further improve cell efficiency and reduce cost in achieving grid parity, a large number of PV manufacturing companies, universities and research institutes have been devoted to a variety of low-cost and high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells. In this article, the cell structures, characteristics and efficiency progresses of several types of high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells that have been in small scale production or are promising in mass production are presented, including passivated emitter rear cell, tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cell, interdigitated back contact cell, heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer cell, and heterojunction solar cells with interdigitated back contacts. Both the industrialization status and future development trend of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells are also pinpointed.

  16. Assessment of analytical techniques for characterization of crystalline clopidogrel forms in patent applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Marcelo Lira

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate two important aspects of patent applications of crystalline forms of drugs: (i the physicochemical characterization of the crystalline forms; and (ii the procedure for preparing crystals of the blockbuster drug clopidogrel. To this end, searches were conducted using online patent databases. The results showed that: (i the majority of patent applications for clopidogrel crystalline forms failed to comply with proposed Brazilian Patent Office guidelines. This was primarily due to insufficient number of analytical techniques evaluating the crystalline phase. In addition, some patent applications lacked assessment of chemical/crystallography purity; (ii use of more than two analytical techniques is important; and (iii the crystallization procedure for clopidogrel bisulfate form II were irreproducible based on the procedure given in the patent application.

  17. Silica intercalated crystalline zirconium phosphate-type materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1988-01-01

    The present invention relates to intercalated crystalline zirconium phosphate-types compositions wherein the interlayers of said composition have been intercalated with three-dimensional silicon oxide pillars whereby the pillars comprise at least two silicon atom layers parallel to the clay

  18. Dielectric properties and conductivity of carbon nanofiber/semi-crystalline polymer composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sui, G.; Jana, S.; Zhong, W.H.; Fuqua, M.A.; Ulven, C.A.

    2008-01-01

    The properties of semi-crystalline polymer nanocomposites are affected by the nanofillers directly and indirectly, as two phases, i.e., crystalline and amorphous, exist in the polymer. The effects of nanofillers on the two phases could be competitive. The dielectric properties and conductivity of carbon nanofibers (CNF)/semi-crystalline polymer nanocomposites are studied in this paper. CNF/polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites are prepared in experiment by melt blending. The resulting morphology and crystalline structure are characterized by means of differential scanning calorimetry, wide angle X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The PP nanocomposite containing 5 wt.% CNF exhibits a surprisingly high dielectric constant under wide sweep frequencies attended by low dielectric loss. Its dielectric constant is >600 under lower frequency, and remains >200 at a frequency of 4000 Hz. The electrical and thermal conductivities of the nanocomposites are studied, and enhancements are seen with increased CNF content. Theoretical analyses on the physical properties are carried out by applying the existing models. Research results indicate that a common commercial plastic with good comprehensive performance, which exhibited the potential for applications in advanced electronics, was obtained by a simple industry benign technique

  19. ZnO Coatings with Controlled Pore Size, Crystallinity and Electrical Conductivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roman SCHMACK

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Zinc oxide is a wide bandgap semiconductor with unique optical, electrical and catalytic properties. Many of its practical applications rely on the materials pore structure, crystallinity and electrical conductivity. We report a synthesis method for ZnO films with ordered mesopore structure and tuneable crystallinity and electrical conductivity. The synthesis relies on dip-coating of solutions containing micelles of an amphiphilic block copolymer and complexes of Zn2+ ions with aliphatic ligands. A subsequent calcination at 400°C removes the template and induces crystallization of the pore walls. The pore structure is controlled by the template polymer, whereas the aliphatic ligands control the crystallinity of the pore walls. Complexes with a higher thermal stability result in ZnO films with a higher content of residual carbon, smaller ZnO crystals and therefore lower electrical conductivity. The paper discusses the ability of different types of ligands to assist in the synthesis of mesoporous ZnO and relates the structure and thermal stability of the precursor complexes to the crystallinity and electrical conductivity of the zinc oxide.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.1.8634

  20. Cytoplasmic and nuclear anti-apoptotic roles of αB-crystallin in retinal pigment epithelial cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Woo Jin Jeong

    Full Text Available In addition to its well-characterized role in the lens, αB-crystallin performs other functions. Methylglyoxal (MGO can alter the function of the basement membrane of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE cells. Thus, if MGO is not efficiently detoxified, it can induce adverse reactions in RPE cells. In this study, we examined the mechanisms underlying the anti-apoptotic activity of αB-crystallin in the human retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19 following MGO treatment using various assays, including nuclear staining, flow cytometry, DNA electrophoresis, pulse field gel electrophoresis, western blot analysis, confocal microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation assays. To directly assess the role of phosphorylation of αB-crystallin, we used site-directed mutagenesis to convert relevant serine residues to alanine residues. Using these techniques, we demonstrated that MGO induces apoptosis in ARPE-19 cells. Silencing αB-crystallin sensitized ARPE-19 cells to MGO-induced apoptosis, indicating that αB-crystallin protects ARPE-19 cells from MGO-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that αB-crystallin interacts with the caspase subtypes, caspase-2L, -2S, -3, -4, -7, -8, -9 and -12 in untreated control ARPE-19 cells and that MGO treatment caused the dissociation of these caspase subtypes from αB-crystallin; transfection of S19A, S45A or S59A mutants caused the depletion of αB-crystallin from the nuclei of untreated control RPE cells leading to the release of caspase subtypes. Additionally, transfection of these mutants enhanced MGO-induced apoptosis in ARPE-19 cells, indicating that phosphorylation of nuclear αB-crystallin on serine residues 19, 45 and 59 plays a pivotal role in preventing apoptosis in ARPE-19 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that αB-crystallin prevents caspase activation by physically interacting with caspase subtypes in the cytoplasm and nucleus, thereby protecting RPE cells from MGO-induced apoptosis.

  1. Preferential Incorporation of Azelaic Acid Units into the Crystalline Phase of the Copoly(Alkylene Dicarboxylate Derived from 1,9-Nonanediol and an Equimolar Mixture of Pimelic and Azelaic Acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angélica Díaz

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The crystalline structure of two biodegradable odd-odd polyesters (i.e., poly(nonamethylene pimelate (PES 9,7 and poly(nonamethylene azelate (PES 9,9 was investigated by means of electron and X-ray diffraction of single crystals and oriented fibers, respectively. Truncated rhombic crystals were obtained with an aspect ratio that was strongly depended on the supercooling degree. The crystalline structure of both homopolyesters was defined by an orthorhombic P21ab space group and a large unit cell containing four molecular segments with an all-trans conformation. Nevertheless, the structure in the chain axis projection was equivalent to a simpler cell containing only two segments. Crystalline lamellae were effectively degraded by lipases, starting the enzymatic attack on the lamellar surfaces. The random copolymer constituted by an equimolar amount of pimelate and azelate units (COPES 9,7/9 crystallized according to regular lamellae with a similar molecular arrangement in the chain axis projection. The structure of this copolymer was preferably conditioned by the azelate component as could be deduced from both, diffraction and spectroscopic data. Analysis of small angle X-ray scattering patterns pointed out that less crystalline lamellae with higher amorphous thickness had developed in the copolymer. This feature was interpreted as a consequence of the preferential incorporation of pimelate comonomer units in the folding surface.

  2. Crystalline Repository Project. Technical progress report, October 1982-March 1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-01-01

    This document reports the progress being made periodically on the development of a geologic repository in crystalline rock for the permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste. The reporting elements are arranged by the work breakdown structure so that related studies are presented together. The studies are reported by the Office of Crystalline Respository Development (OCRD), a prime contractor of the US Department of Energy Repository Project Office. The studies include work by other prime contractors and by subcontractors to OCRD

  3. Thermal degradation and isothermal crystalline behavior of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jian Liu; Shu Guang Bian; Min Xiao; Shuan Jin Wang; Yue Zhong Meng

    2009-01-01

    Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)(PTT)is an excellent fiber material.Its thermal degradation and isothermal crystalline behaviors were in this study investigated using thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),thermogravimetric analysis-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(TGA-FTIR)analysis,differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The thermal degradation mechanism of PTT follows Mclafferty rearrangement principle.The PTT with intrinsicviscosity(IV)of 0.74 dL/g has a maximum crystallinity of about 55%at 190℃,as demonstrated by DSC and XRD measurements consistently.

  4. Facile "modular assembly" for fast construction of a highly oriented crystalline MOF nanofilm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Gang; Yamada, Teppei; Otsubo, Kazuya; Sakaida, Shun; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

    2012-10-10

    The preparation of crystalline, ordered thin films of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) will be a critical process for MOF-based nanodevices in the future. MOF thin films with perfect orientation and excellent crystallinity were formed with novel nanosheet-structured components, Cu-TCPP [TCPP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin], by a new "modular assembly" strategy. The modular assembly process involves two steps: a "modularization" step is used to synthesize highly crystalline "modules" with a nanosized structure that can be conveniently assembled into a thin film in the following "assembly" step. With this method, MOF thin films can easily be set up on different substrates at very high speed with controllable thickness. This new approach also enabled us to prepare highly oriented crystalline thin films of MOFs that cannot be prepared in thin-film form by traditional techniques.

  5. Crystalline and amorphous carbon nitride films produced by high-energy shock plasma deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bursilll, L.A.; Peng, Julin; Gurarie, V.N.; Orlov, A.V.; Prawer, S.

    1995-01-01

    High-energy shock plasma deposition techniques are used to produce carbon-nitride films containing both crystalline and amorphous components. The structures are examined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, parallel-electron-energy loss spectroscopy and electron diffraction. The crystalline phase appears to be face-centered cubic with unit cell parameter approx. a=0.63nm and it may be stabilized by calcium and oxygen at about 1-2 at % levels. The carbon atoms appear to have both trigonal and tetrahedral bonding for the crystalline phase. There is PEELS evidence that a significant fraction of the nitrogen atoms have sp 2 trigonal bonds in the crystalline phase. The amorphous carbon-nitride film component varies from essentially graphite, containing virtually no nitrogen, to amorphous carbon-nitride containing up to 10 at % N, where the fraction of sp 3 bonds is significant. 15 refs., 5 figs

  6. Thermal Plasma Synthesis of Crystalline Gallium Nitride Nanopowder from Gallium Nitrate Hydrate and Melamine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tae-Hee Kim

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Gallium nitride (GaN nanopowder used as a blue fluorescent material was synthesized by using a direct current (DC non-transferred arc plasma. Gallium nitrate hydrate (Ga(NO33∙xH2O was used as a raw material and NH3 gas was used as a nitridation source. Additionally, melamine (C3H6N6 powder was injected into the plasma flame to prevent the oxidation of gallium to gallium oxide (Ga2O3. Argon thermal plasma was applied to synthesize GaN nanopowder. The synthesized GaN nanopowder by thermal plasma has low crystallinity and purity. It was improved to relatively high crystallinity and purity by annealing. The crystallinity is enhanced by the thermal treatment and the purity was increased by the elimination of residual C3H6N6. The combined process of thermal plasma and annealing was appropriate for synthesizing crystalline GaN nanopowder. The annealing process after the plasma synthesis of GaN nanopowder eliminated residual contamination and enhanced the crystallinity of GaN nanopowder. As a result, crystalline GaN nanopowder which has an average particle size of 30 nm was synthesized by the combination of thermal plasma treatment and annealing.

  7. Amorphous topological insulators constructed from random point sets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Noah P.; Nash, Lisa M.; Hexner, Daniel; Turner, Ari M.; Irvine, William T. M.

    2018-04-01

    The discovery that the band structure of electronic insulators may be topologically non-trivial has revealed distinct phases of electronic matter with novel properties1,2. Recently, mechanical lattices have been found to have similarly rich structure in their phononic excitations3,4, giving rise to protected unidirectional edge modes5-7. In all of these cases, however, as well as in other topological metamaterials3,8, the underlying structure was finely tuned, be it through periodicity, quasi-periodicity or isostaticity. Here we show that amorphous Chern insulators can be readily constructed from arbitrary underlying structures, including hyperuniform, jammed, quasi-crystalline and uniformly random point sets. While our findings apply to mechanical and electronic systems alike, we focus on networks of interacting gyroscopes as a model system. Local decorations control the topology of the vibrational spectrum, endowing amorphous structures with protected edge modes—with a chirality of choice. Using a real-space generalization of the Chern number, we investigate the topology of our structures numerically, analytically and experimentally. The robustness of our approach enables the topological design and self-assembly of non-crystalline topological metamaterials on the micro and macro scale.

  8. Liquid Crystalline Semiconductors Materials, properties and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Kelly, Stephen; O'Neill, Mary

    2013-01-01

    This is an exciting stage in the development of organic electronics. It is no longer an area of purely academic interest as increasingly real applications are being developed, some of which are beginning to come on-stream. Areas that have already been commercially developed or which are under intensive development include organic light emitting diodes (for flat panel displays and solid state lighting), organic photovoltaic cells, organic thin film transistors (for smart tags and flat panel displays) and sensors. Within the family of organic electronic materials, liquid crystals are relative newcomers. The first electronically conducting liquid crystals were reported in 1988 but already a substantial literature has developed. The advantage of liquid crystalline semiconductors is that they have the easy processability of amorphous and polymeric semiconductors but they usually have higher charge carrier mobilities. Their mobilities do not reach the levels seen in crystalline organics but they circumvent all of t...

  9. Case histories of roller cone core bit application in crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahlem, J.S.

    1988-01-01

    The increased interest in deep crystalline rock drilling projects has resulted in a requirement for premium coring bits which are effective in such a harsh and abrasive environment. Hard formation roller cone insert bits have traditionally and constantly performed well in crystalline rock. As a result, the application of state of the art roller cone rock bit technology to the design and development of core bits has made crystalline coring projects more viable than ever before. This paper follows the development of roller cone core bits by examining their use on project such as HDR (Hot Dry Rock, Los Alamos); NAGRA (Nuclear Waste Disposal Wells in Switzerland); Camborne School of Mines Geothermal Project in Cornwall, UK; Deep Gas Project in Sweden; and the KTB Deep Drilling Project in West Germany

  10. Comparison of SRP high-level waste disposal costs for borosilicate glass and crystalline ceramic waste forms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonell, W.R.

    1982-04-01

    An evaluation of costs for the immobilization and repository disposal of SRP high-level wastes indicates that the borosilicate glass waste form is less costly than the crystalline ceramic waste form. The wastes were assumed immobilized as glass with 28% waste loading in 10,300 reference 24-in.-diameter canisters or as crystalline ceramic with 65% waste loading in either 3400 24-in.-diameter canisters or 5900 18-in.-diameter canisters. After an interim period of onsite storage, the canisters would be transported to the federal repository for burial. Total costs in undiscounted 1981 dollars of the waste disposal operations, excluding salt processing for which costs are not yet well defined, were about $2500 million for the borosilicate glass form in reference 24-in.-diameter canisters, compared to about $2900 million for the crystalline ceramic form in 24-in.-diameter canisters and about $3100 million for the crystalline ceramic form in 18-in.-diameter canisters. No large differences in salt processing costs for the borosilicate glass and crystalline ceramic forms are expected. Discounting to present values, because of a projected 2-year delay in startup of the DWPF for the crystalline ceramic form, preserved the overall cost advantage of the borosilicate glass form. The waste immobilization operations for the glass form were much less costly than for the crystalline ceramic form. The waste disposal operations, in contrast, were less costly for the crystalline ceramic form, due to fewer canisters requiring disposal; however, this advantage was not sufficient to offset the higher development and processing costs of the crystalline ceramic form. Changes in proposed Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations to permit lower cost repository packages for defense high-level wastes would decrease the waste disposal costs of the more numerous borosilicate glass forms relative to the crystalline ceramic forms

  11. Co-grinding Effect on Crystalline Zaltoprofen with ?-cyclodextrin/Cucurbit[7]uril in Tablet Formulation

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Shanshan; Lin, Xiang; Xu, Kailin; He, Jiawei; Yang, Hongqin; Li, Hui

    2017-01-01

    This work aimed to investigate the co-grinding effects of ?-cyclodextrin (?-CD) and cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) on crystalline zaltoprofen (ZPF) in tablet formulation. Crystalline ZPF was prepared through anti-solvent recrystallization and fully analyzed through single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Co-ground dispersions and mono-ground ZPF were prepared using a ball grinding process. Results revealed that mono-ground ZPF slightly affected the solid state, solubility, and dissolution of crystalline Z...

  12. Low-temperature sputtering of crystalline TiO2 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Musil, J.; Herman, D.; Sicha, J.

    2006-01-01

    This article reports on the investigation of reactive magnetron sputtering of transparent, crystalline titanium dioxide films. The aim of this investigation is to determine a minimum substrate surface temperature T surf necessary to form crystalline TiO 2 films with anatase structure. Films were prepared by dc pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering using a dual magnetron operating in bipolar mode and equipped with Ti(99.5) and ceramic Ti 5 O 9 targets. The films were deposited on unheated glass substrates and their structure was characterized by x-ray diffraction and surface morphology by atomic force microscopy. Special attention is devoted to the measurement of T surf using thermostrips pasted to the glass substrate. It was found that (1) T surf is considerably higher (approximately by 100 deg. C or more) than the substrate temperature T s measured by the thermocouple incorporated into the substrate holder and (2) T surf strongly depends on the substrate-to-target distance d s-t , the magnetron target power loading, and the thermal conductivity of the target and its cooling. The main result of this study is the finding that (1) the crystallization of sputtered TiO 2 films depends not only on T surf but also on the total pressure p T of sputtering gas (Ar+O 2 ), partial pressure of oxygen p O 2 , the film deposition rate a D , and the film thickness h (2) crystalline TiO 2 films with well developed anatase structure can be formed at T surf =160 deg. C and low values of a D ≅5 nm/min (3) the crystalline structure of TiO 2 film gradually changes from (i) anatase through (ii) anatase+rutile mixture, and (iii) pure rutile to x-ray amorphous structure at T surf =160 deg. C and p T =0.75 Pa when p O 2 decreases and a D increases above 5 nm/min, and (4) crystallinity of the TiO 2 films decreases with decreasing h and T surf . Interrelationships between the structure of TiO 2 film, its roughness, T surf , and a D are discussed in detail. Trends of next development are

  13. Advancements in n-type base crystalline silicon solar cells and their emergence in the photovoltaic industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    ur Rehman, Atteq; Lee, Soo Hong

    2013-01-01

    The p-type crystalline silicon wafers have occupied most of the solar cell market today. However, modules made with n-type crystalline silicon wafers are actually the most efficient modules up to date. This is because the material properties offered by n-type crystalline silicon substrates are suitable for higher efficiencies. Properties such as the absence of boron-oxygen related defects and a greater tolerance to key metal impurities by n-type crystalline silicon substrates are major factors that underline the efficiency of n-type crystalline silicon wafer modules. The bi-facial design of n-type cells with good rear-side electronic and optical properties on an industrial scale can be shaped as well. Furthermore, the development in the industrialization of solar cell designs based on n-type crystalline silicon substrates also highlights its boost in the contributions to the photovoltaic industry. In this paper, a review of various solar cell structures that can be realized on n-type crystalline silicon substrates will be given. Moreover, the current standing of solar cell technology based on n-type substrates and its contribution in photovoltaic industry will also be discussed.

  14. Effective dose and dose to crystalline lens during angiographic procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pages, J.

    1998-01-01

    The highest radiation doses levels received by radiologists are observed during interventional procedures. Doses to forehead and neck received by a radiologist executing angiographic examinations at the department of radiology at the academic hospital (AZ-VUB) have been measured for a group of 34 examinations. The doses to crystalline lens and the effective doses for a period of one year have been estimated. For the crystalline lens the maximum dose approaches the ICRP limit, that indicates the necessity for the radiologist to use leaded glasses. (N.C.)

  15. Crystalline mesoporous zirconia catalysts having stable tetragonal pore wall structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachtler, W.M.H.; Huang, Y.Y.

    1998-07-28

    Methods are disclosed for the preparation of new sulfated mesoporous zirconia materials/catalysts with crystalline pore walls of predominantly tetragonal crystal structure, characterized by nitrogen physical sorption measurement, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and catalytic tests using n-butane isomerization to iso-butane and alkylation of 1-naphthol with 4-tert-butylstyrene as probe reactions. Sulfate deposition is preferred for the transformation of a mesoporous precursor with amorphous pore walls into a material with crystalline pore walls maintaining the mesoporous characteristics. 17 figs.

  16. Mobility enhancement in crystalline In-Ga-Zn-oxide with In-rich compositions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsutsui, Kazuhiro; Matsubayashi, Daisuke; Ishihara, Noritaka; Takasu, Takako; Matsuda, Shinpei; Yamazaki, Shunpei [Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., 398 Hase, Atsugi-shi 243-0036, Kanagawa (Japan)

    2015-12-28

    The electron mobility of In-Ga-Zn-oxide (IGZO) is known to be enhanced by higher In content. We theoretically investigated the mobility-enhancement mechanism by proposing an In-Ga-Zn-disorder scattering model for an In-rich crystalline IGZO (In{sub 1+x}Ga{sub 1−x}O{sub 3}(ZnO){sub m} (0 < x < 1, m > 0)) thin film. The obtained theoretical mobility was found to be in agreement with experimental Hall mobility for a crystalline In{sub 1.5}Ga{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}(ZnO) (or In{sub 3}GaZn{sub 2}O{sub 8}) thin film. The mechanism specific to In-rich crystalline IGZO thin films is based on three types of Coulomb scattering potentials that originate from effective valence differences. In this study, the In-Ga-Zn-disorder scattering model indicates that the effective valence of the In{sup 3+} ions in In-rich crystalline IGZO thin films significantly affects their electron mobility.

  17. Damage characterization for particles filled semi-crystalline polymer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lauro Franck

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Damage evolution and characterization in semi-crystalline polymer filled with particles under various loadings is still a challenge. A specific damage characterization method using Digital Image Correlation is proposed for a wide range of strain rates considering tensile tests with hydraulic jacks as well as Hopkinson's bars. This damage measurement is obtained by using and adapting the SEE method [1] which was developed to characterize the behaviour laws at constant strain rates of polymeric materials in dynamic. To validate the characterization process, various damage measurement techniques are used under quasi-static conditions before to apply the procedure in dynamic. So, the well-known damage characterization by loss of stiffness technique under quasi-static loading is applied to a polypropylene. In addition, an in-situ tensile test, carried out in a microtomograph, is used to observe the cavitation phenomenon in real time. A good correlation is obtained between all these techniques and consequently the proposed technique is supposed suitable for measuring the ductile damage observed in semi-crystalline polymers under dynamic loading. By applying it to the semi-crystalline polymer at moderate and high speed loadings, the damage evolution is measured and it is observed that the damage evolution is not strain rate dependent but the failure strain on the contrary is strain rate dependent.

  18. Matrix formulation of the particle motion in crystalline beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haffmans, A.F.; Maletic, D.; Ruggiero, A.G.

    1994-01-01

    To investigate the properties of Crystalline Beams in their ground state, the equations of motion of a single ion and the envelope equations are derived. It is possible to express the status of motion with a set of transfer matrices associated to each of the magnet elements of the storage ring. By inspection of the eigenvalues of the total transfer matrix one then determines the onset of crystalline structures and the stability limits. An analytical approach is also possible, based on the estimate of the shifting of the frequencies of oscillation, betatron and longitudinal, and on the approaching of a major half-integral stopband resonance driven by the space charge

  19. Correlated randomness and switching phenomena

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley, H. E.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Franzese, G.; Havlin, S.; Mallamace, F.; Kumar, P.; Plerou, V.; Preis, T.

    2010-08-01

    One challenge of biology, medicine, and economics is that the systems treated by these serious scientific disciplines have no perfect metronome in time and no perfect spatial architecture-crystalline or otherwise. Nonetheless, as if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time and remarkably fine-tuned structures in space. Further, many of these processes and structures have the remarkable feature of “switching” from one behavior to another as if by magic. The past century has, philosophically, been concerned with placing aside the human tendency to see the universe as a fine-tuned machine. Here we will address the challenge of uncovering how, through randomness (albeit, as we shall see, strongly correlated randomness), one can arrive at some of the many spatial and temporal patterns in biology, medicine, and economics and even begin to characterize the switching phenomena that enables a system to pass from one state to another. Inspired by principles developed by A. Nihat Berker and scores of other statistical physicists in recent years, we discuss some applications of correlated randomness to understand switching phenomena in various fields. Specifically, we present evidence from experiments and from computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water’s anomalies are related to a switching point (which is not unlike the “tipping point” immortalized by Malcolm Gladwell), and that the bubbles in economic phenomena that occur on all scales are not “outliers” (another Gladwell immortalization). Though more speculative, we support the idea of disease as arising from some kind of yet-to-be-understood complex switching phenomenon, by discussing data on selected examples, including heart disease and Alzheimer disease.

  20. Interim rock mass properties and conditions for analyses of a repository in crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tammemagi, H.Y.; Chieslar, J.D.

    1985-03-01

    A summary of rock properties for generic crystalline rock is compiled from literature sources to provide the input data for analyses of a conceptual repository in crystalline rock. Frequency histograms, mean values and ranges of physical, mechanical, thermal, and thermomechanical properties, and the dependence of these properties on temperature are described. A description of the hydrogeologic properties of a crystalline rock mass and their dependence on depth is provided. In addition, the temperature gradients, mean annual surface temperature, and in situ stress conditions are summarized for the three regions of the United States currently under consideration to host a crystalline repository; i.e., the North Central, Northeastern, and Southeastern. Brief descriptions of the regional geology are also presented. Large-scale underground experiments in crystalline rock at Stripa, Sweden, and in Climax Stock in Nevada, are reviewed to assess whether the rock properties presented in this report are representative of in situ conditions. The suitability of each rock property and the sufficiency of its data base are described. 110 refs., 27 figs., 4 tabs

  1. PM4 crystalline silica emission factors and ambient concentrations at aggregate-producing sources in California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, John R; Brozell, Todd T; Rea, Charles; Boraston, Geoff; Hayden, John

    2009-11-01

    The California Construction and Industrial Minerals Association and the National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association have sponsored tests at three sand and gravel plants in California to compile crystalline silica emission factors for particulate matter (PM) of aerodynamic diameter of 4 microm or less (PM4) and ambient concentration data. This information is needed by industrial facilities to evaluate compliance with the Chronic Reference Exposure Level (REL) for ambient crystalline silica adopted in 2005 by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The REL applies to PM4 respirable PM. Air Control Techniques, P.C. sampled for PM4 crystalline silica using a conventional sampler for PM of aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 microm or less (PM2.5), which met the requirements of 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 50, Appendix L. The sample flow rate was adjusted to modify the 50% cut size to 4 microm instead of 2.5 microm. The filter was also changed to allow for crystalline silica analyses using National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method 7500. The particle size-capture efficiency curve for the modified Appendix L instrument closely matched the performance curve of NIOSH Method 0600 for PM4 crystalline silica and provided a minimum detection limit well below the levels attainable with NIOSH Method 0600. The results of the tests indicate that PM4 crystalline silica emissions range from 0.000006 to 0.000110 lb/t for screening operations, tertiary crushers, and conveyor transfer points. The PM4 crystalline silica emission factors were proportional to the crystalline silica content of the material handled in the process equipment. Measured ambient concentrations ranged from 0 (below detectable limit) to 2.8 microg/m3. All values measured above 2 microg/m3 were at locations upwind of the facilities being tested. The ambient PM4 crystalline silica concentrations measured during this study were below the California REL of 3 microg/m3

  2. Electrochemically synthesized amorphous and crystalline nanowires: dissimilar nanomechanical behavior in comparison with homologous flat films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeeshan, M. A.; Esqué-de Los Ojos, D.; Castro-Hartmann, P.; Guerrero, M.; Nogués, J.; Suriñach, S.; Baró, M. D.; Nelson, B. J.; Pané, S.; Pellicer, E.; Sort, J.

    2016-01-01

    The effects of constrained sample dimensions on the mechanical behavior of crystalline materials have been extensively investigated. However, there is no clear understanding of these effects in nano-sized amorphous samples. Herein, nanoindentation together with finite element simulations are used to compare the properties of crystalline and glassy CoNi(Re)P electrodeposited nanowires (φ ~ 100 nm) with films (3 μm thick) of analogous composition and structure. The results reveal that amorphous nanowires exhibit a larger hardness, lower Young's modulus and higher plasticity index than glassy films. Conversely, the very large hardness and higher Young's modulus of crystalline nanowires are accompanied by a decrease in plasticity with respect to the homologous crystalline films. Remarkably, proper interpretation of the mechanical properties of the nanowires requires taking the curved geometry of the indented surface and sink-in effects into account. These findings are of high relevance for optimizing the performance of new, mechanically-robust, nanoscale materials for increasingly complex miniaturized devices.The effects of constrained sample dimensions on the mechanical behavior of crystalline materials have been extensively investigated. However, there is no clear understanding of these effects in nano-sized amorphous samples. Herein, nanoindentation together with finite element simulations are used to compare the properties of crystalline and glassy CoNi(Re)P electrodeposited nanowires (φ ~ 100 nm) with films (3 μm thick) of analogous composition and structure. The results reveal that amorphous nanowires exhibit a larger hardness, lower Young's modulus and higher plasticity index than glassy films. Conversely, the very large hardness and higher Young's modulus of crystalline nanowires are accompanied by a decrease in plasticity with respect to the homologous crystalline films. Remarkably, proper interpretation of the mechanical properties of the nanowires

  3. Cellulose I crystallinity determination using FT-Raman spectroscopy : univariate and multivariate methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal; Richard S. Reiner; Sally A. Ralph

    2010-01-01

    Two new methods based on FT–Raman spectroscopy, one simple, based on band intensity ratio, and the other using a partial least squares (PLS) regression model, are proposed to determine cellulose I crystallinity. In the simple method, crystallinity in cellulose I samples was determined based on univariate regression that was first developed using the Raman band...

  4. X-ray diffraction pattern and relative crystallinity of irradiated arrowroot starch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barroso, Aline G.; Garcia, Rafael H.L.; Del Mastro, Nelida L., E-mail: nlmastro@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2017-11-01

    After cereals, tubers and roots are the major source of starch for food and industrial uses. Arrowroot refers to any plant of the genus Marantha, but the term is most commonly used to describe the easily digested starch obtained from the rhizomes of Marantha arundinacae. The rhizomes of this herbaceous plant contain about 20% of starch. As few studies exist on arrowroot starch, the objective of this preliminary work was to study the X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) patterns of arrowroot starch when treated by γ-radiation with doses up to 15 kGy in a {sup 60}Co source. The XRD patterns of the arrowroot starch exhibited A-type crystalline arrangements with strong peaks at approximately 15º, 17º, 18º and 23º (2θ). A slight increase of diffractogram peaks intensity was noticed after the irradiation process. The crystallinity index was calculated using Bruker DIFFRAC.EVA version 4.2 software. Relative crystallinity seems to increase with radiation doses, and this effect is more noticeable at low doses. That can be attributed to different radiation sensitivity among the amorphous and crystalline regions of the arrowroot starch molecule. Present results will contribute to elucidate the behavior under radiation treatment of this starchy component increasingly employed by the food industry. (author)

  5. X-ray diffraction pattern and relative crystallinity of irradiated arrowroot starch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barroso, Aline G.; Garcia, Rafael H.L.; Del Mastro, Nelida L.

    2017-01-01

    After cereals, tubers and roots are the major source of starch for food and industrial uses. Arrowroot refers to any plant of the genus Marantha, but the term is most commonly used to describe the easily digested starch obtained from the rhizomes of Marantha arundinacae. The rhizomes of this herbaceous plant contain about 20% of starch. As few studies exist on arrowroot starch, the objective of this preliminary work was to study the X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) patterns of arrowroot starch when treated by γ-radiation with doses up to 15 kGy in a "6"0Co source. The XRD patterns of the arrowroot starch exhibited A-type crystalline arrangements with strong peaks at approximately 15º, 17º, 18º and 23º (2θ). A slight increase of diffractogram peaks intensity was noticed after the irradiation process. The crystallinity index was calculated using Bruker DIFFRAC.EVA version 4.2 software. Relative crystallinity seems to increase with radiation doses, and this effect is more noticeable at low doses. That can be attributed to different radiation sensitivity among the amorphous and crystalline regions of the arrowroot starch molecule. Present results will contribute to elucidate the behavior under radiation treatment of this starchy component increasingly employed by the food industry. (author)

  6. Random Process Theory Approach to Geometric Heterogeneous Surfaces: Effective Fluid-Solid Interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khlyupin, Aleksey; Aslyamov, Timur

    2017-06-01

    Realistic fluid-solid interaction potentials are essential in description of confined fluids especially in the case of geometric heterogeneous surfaces. Correlated random field is considered as a model of random surface with high geometric roughness. We provide the general theory of effective coarse-grained fluid-solid potential by proper averaging of the free energy of fluid molecules which interact with the solid media. This procedure is largely based on the theory of random processes. We apply first passage time probability problem and assume the local Markov properties of random surfaces. General expression of effective fluid-solid potential is obtained. In the case of small surface irregularities analytical approximation for effective potential is proposed. Both amorphous materials with large surface roughness and crystalline solids with several types of fcc lattices are considered. It is shown that the wider the lattice spacing in terms of molecular diameter of the fluid, the more obtained potentials differ from classical ones. A comparison with published Monte-Carlo simulations was discussed. The work provides a promising approach to explore how the random geometric heterogeneity affects on thermodynamic properties of the fluids.

  7. Crystalline and amorphous H2O on Charon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalle Ore, Cristina M.; Cruikshank, Dale P.; Grundy, Will M.; Ennico, Kimberly; Olkin, Catherine B.; Stern, S. Alan; Young, Leslie A.; Weaver, Harold A.

    2015-11-01

    Charon, the largest satellite of Pluto, is a gray-colored icy world covered mostly in H2O ice, with spectral evidence for NH3, as previously reported (Cook et al. 2007, Astrophys. J. 663, 1406-1419 Merlin, et al. 2010, Icarus, 210, 930; Cook, et al. 2014, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts, 46, #401.04). Images from the New Horizons spacecraft reveal a surface with terrains of widely different ages and a moderate degree of localized coloration. The presence of H2O ice in its crystalline form (Brown & Calvin 2000 Science 287, 107-109; Buie & Grundy 2000 Icarus 148, 324-339; Merlin et al, 2010) along with NH3 is consistent with a fresh surface.The phase of H2O ice is a key tracer of variations in temperature and physical conditions on the surface of outer Solar System objects. At Charon’s surface temperature H2O is expected to be amorphous, but ground-based observations (e.g., Merlin et al. 2010) show a clearly crystalline signature. From laboratory experiments it is known that amorphous H2O ice becomes crystalline at temperatures of ~130 K. Other mechanisms that can change the phase of the ice from amorphous to crystalline include micro-meteoritic bombardment (Porter et al. 2010, Icarus, 208, 492) or resurfacing processes such as cryovolcanism.New Horizons observed Charon with the LEISA imaging spectrometer, part of the Ralph instrument (Reuter, D.C., Stern, S.A., Scherrer, J., et al. 2008, Space Science Reviews, 140, 129). Making use of high spatial resolution (better than 10 km/px) and spectral resolving power of 240 in the wavelength range 1.25-2.5 µm, and 560 in the range 2.1-2.25 µm, we report on an analysis of the phase of H2O ice on parts of Charon’s surface with a view to investigate the recent history and evolution of this small but intriguing object.This work was supported by NASA’s New Horizons project.

  8. BAG3 directly interacts with mutated alphaB-crystallin to suppress its aggregation and toxicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akinori Hishiya

    Full Text Available A homozygous disruption or genetic mutation of the bag3 gene causes progressive myofibrillar myopathy in mouse and human skeletal and cardiac muscle disorder while mutations in the small heat shock protein αB-crystallin gene (CRYAB are reported to be responsible for myofibrillar myopathy. Here, we demonstrate that BAG3 directly binds to wild-type αB-crystallin and the αB-crystallin mutant R120G, via the intermediate domain of BAG3. Peptides that inhibit this interaction in an in vitro binding assay indicate that two conserved Ile-Pro-Val regions of BAG3 are involved in the interaction with αB-crystallin, which is similar to results showing BAG3 binding to HspB8 and HspB6. BAG3 overexpression increased αB-crystallin R120G solubility and inhibited its intracellular aggregation in HEK293 cells. BAG3 suppressed cell death induced by αB-crystallin R120G overexpression in differentiating C2C12 mouse myoblast cells. Our findings indicate a novel function for BAG3 in inhibiting protein aggregation caused by the genetic mutation of CRYAB responsible for human myofibrillar myopathy.

  9. BAG3 Directly Interacts with Mutated alphaB-Crystallin to Suppress Its Aggregation and Toxicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hishiya, Akinori; Salman, Mortada Najem; Carra, Serena; Kampinga, Harm H.; Takayama, Shinichi

    2011-01-01

    A homozygous disruption or genetic mutation of the bag3 gene causes progressive myofibrillar myopathy in mouse and human skeletal and cardiac muscle disorder while mutations in the small heat shock protein αB-crystallin gene (CRYAB) are reported to be responsible for myofibrillar myopathy. Here, we demonstrate that BAG3 directly binds to wild-type αB-crystallin and the αB-crystallin mutant R120G, via the intermediate domain of BAG3. Peptides that inhibit this interaction in an in vitro binding assay indicate that two conserved Ile-Pro-Val regions of BAG3 are involved in the interaction with αB-crystallin, which is similar to results showing BAG3 binding to HspB8 and HspB6. BAG3 overexpression increased αB-crystallin R120G solubility and inhibited its intracellular aggregation in HEK293 cells. BAG3 suppressed cell death induced by αB-crystallin R120G overexpression in differentiating C2C12 mouse myoblast cells. Our findings indicate a novel function for BAG3 in inhibiting protein aggregation caused by the genetic mutation of CRYAB responsible for human myofibrillar myopathy. PMID:21423662

  10. The thermal structural transition of alpha-crystallin modulates subunit interactions and increases protein solubility.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Maulucci

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Alpha crystallin is an oligomer composed of two types of subunits, alpha-A and alpha-B crystallin, and is the major constituent of human lens. The temperature induced condensation of alpha-crystallin, the main cause for eye lens opacification (cataract, is a two step-process, a nucleation followed by an aggregation phase, and a protective effect towards the aggregation is exhibited over the alpha crystallin phase transition temperature (Tc = 318.16 K. METHODS/RESULTS: To investigate if a modulation of the subunit interactions over Tc could trigger the protective mechanism towards the aggregation, we followed, by using simultaneously static and dynamic light scattering, the temperature induced condensation of alpha-crystallin. By developing a mathematical model able to uncouple the nucleation and aggregation processes, we find a previously unobserved transition in the nucleation rate constant. Its temperature dependence allows to determine fundamental structural parameters, the chemical potential (Δμ and the interfacial tension (γ of the aggregating phase, that characterize subunit interactions. CONCLUSIONS/GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The decrease of both Δμ and γ at Tc, and a relative increase in solubility, reveal a significative decrease in the strenght of alpha-crystallin subunits interactions, which protects from supramolecolar condensation in hypertermic conditions. On the whole, we suggest a general approach able to understand the structural and kinetic mechanisms involved in aggregation-related diseases and in drugs development and testing.

  11. High-Performance Single-Crystalline Perovskite Thin-Film Photodetector

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Zhenqian; Deng, Yuhao; Zhang, Xiaowei; Wang, Suo; Chen, Huazhou; Yang, Sui; Khurgin, Jacob; Fang, Nicholas X.; Zhang, Xiang; Ma, Renmin

    2018-01-01

    The best performing modern optoelectronic devices rely on single-crystalline thin-film (SC-TF) semiconductors grown epitaxially. The emerging halide perovskites, which can be synthesized via low-cost solution-based methods, have achieved substantial

  12. Geotechnical assessment and instrumentation needs for isolation of nuclear waste in crystalline rocks: symposium proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ubbes, W.F.; Duguid, J.O.

    1985-09-01

    On October 15-19, 1984, the Geotechnical Assessment and Instrumentation Needs (GAIN) Symposium was convened to examine the status of technology for the isolation of nuclear waste in crystalline rock. The objective of the 1984 GAIN Symposium was to provide technical input to the Crystalline Repository Project concerning: critical issues and information needs associated with development and assessment of a repository in crystalline rock; appropriate techniques and instrumentation for determining the information needed; and technology required to provide the measurement techniques and instrumentation for application in an exploratory shaft in crystalline rock. The findings and recommendations of the symposium are presented in these proceedings

  13. Total scattering of disordered crystalline functional materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shamoto, Shin-Ichi; Kodama, Katsuaki; Iikubo, Satoshi; Taguchi, Tomitsugu

    2009-01-01

    There are disorders in some modern functional materials. As an example, the crystalline phase of an optical recording material has low thermal conductivity but high electrical conductivity, simultaneously. This contradiction is a challenge to material scientists in designing good functional materials, which should have at least two types of crystallographic sites. One site limits thermal conductivity while the other site carries electrons or holes with high mobility. This problem exists with not only optical recording materials but also thermoelectric materials. The periodic boundary condition gets lost in the disordered parts. This therefore, makes atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis with a wide range of real space suitable for investigating the form and size of crystalline parts as well as disordered parts in the material. Pulsed neutron powder diffraction is one of the best tools for use in this new type of emerging research, together with synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and electron diffraction.

  14. Enhancing the piezoelectric properties of flexible hybrid AlN materials using semi-crystalline parylene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Nathan; Mathewson, Alan

    2017-04-01

    Flexible piezoelectric materials are desired for numerous applications including biomedical, wearable, and flexible electronics. However, most flexible piezoelectric materials are not compatible with CMOS fabrication technology, which is desired for most MEMS applications. This paper reports on the development of a hybrid flexible piezoelectric material consisting of aluminium nitride (AlN) and a semi-crystalline polymer substrate. Various types of semi-crystalline parylene and polyimide materials were investigated as the polymer substrate. The crystallinity and surfaces of the polymer substrates were modified by micro-roughening and annealing in order to determine the effects on the AlN quality. The AlN crystallinity and piezoelectric properties decreased when the polymer surfaces were treated with O2 plasma. However, increasing the crystallinity of the parylene substrate prior to deposition of AlN caused enhanced c-axis (002) AlN crystallinity and piezoelectric response of the AlN. Piezoelectric properties of 200 °C annealed parylene-N substrate resulted in an AlN d 33 value of 4.87 pm V-1 compared to 2.17 pm V-1 for AlN on polyimide and 4.0 pm V-1 for unannealed AlN/parylene-N. The electrical response measurements to an applied force demonstrated that the parylene/AlN hybrid material had higher V pp (0.918 V) than commercial flexible piezoelectric material (PVDF) (V pp 0.36 V). The results in this paper demonstrate that the piezoelectric properties of a flexible AlN hybrid material can be enhanced by increasing the crystallinity of the polymer substrate, and the enhanced properties can function better than previous flexible piezoelectrics.

  15. Lateral topological crystalline insulator heterostructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qilong; Dai, Ying; Niu, Chengwang; Ma, Yandong; Wei, Wei; Yu, Lin; Huang, Baibiao

    2017-06-01

    The emergence of lateral heterostructures fabricated by two-dimensional building blocks brings many exciting realms in material science and device physics. Enriching available nanomaterials for creating such heterostructures and enabling the underlying new physics is highly coveted for the integration of next-generation devices. Here, we report a breakthrough in lateral heterostructure based on the monolayer square transition-metal dichalcogenides MX2 (M  =  W, X  =  S/Se) modules. Our results reveal that the MX2 lateral heterostructure (1S-MX2 LHS) can possess excellent thermal and dynamical stability. Remarkably, the highly desired two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator phase is confirmed by the calculated mirror Chern number {{n}\\text{M}}=-1 . A nontrivial band gap of 65 meV is obtained with SOC, indicating the potential for room-temperature observation and applications. The topologically protected edge states emerge at the edges of two different nanoribbons between the bulk band gap, which is consistent with the mirror Chern number. In addition, a strain-induced topological phase transition in 1S-MX2 LHS is also revealed, endowing the potential utilities in electronics and spintronics. Our predictions not only introduce new member and vitality into the studies of lateral heterostructures, but also highlight the promise of lateral heterostructure as appealing topological crystalline insulator platforms with excellent stability for future devices.

  16. The Small Heat Shock Protein α-Crystallin B Shows Neuroprotective Properties in a Glaucoma Animal Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabian Anders

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to irreversible retinal ganglion cell (RGC loss and is one of the main causes of blindness worldwide. The pathogenesis of glaucoma remains unclear, and novel approaches for neuroprotective treatments are urgently needed. Previous studies have revealed significant down-regulation of α-crystallin B as an initial reaction to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP, followed by a clear but delayed up-regulation, suggesting that this small heat-shock protein plays a pathophysiological role in the disease. This study analyzed the neuroprotective effect of α-crystallin B in an experimental animal model of glaucoma. Significant IOP elevation induced by episcleral vein cauterization resulted in a considerable impairment of the RGCs and the retinal nerve fiber layer. An intravitreal injection of α-crystallin B at the time of the IOP increase was able to rescue the RGCs, as measured in a functional photopic electroretinogram, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and RGC counts. Mass-spectrometry-based proteomics and antibody-microarray measurements indicated that a α-crystallin injection distinctly up-regulated all of the subclasses (α, β, and γ of the crystallin protein family. The creation of an interactive protein network revealed clear correlations between individual proteins, which showed a regulatory shift resulting from the crystallin injection. The neuroprotective properties of α-crystallin B further demonstrate the potential importance of crystallin proteins in developing therapeutic options for glaucoma.

  17. Evolution of optical properties and band structure from amorphous to crystalline Ga2O3 films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Fabi; Li, Haiou; Cui, Yi-Tao; Li, Guo-Ling; Guo, Qixin

    2018-04-01

    The optical properties and band structure evolution from amorphous to crystalline Ga2O3 films was investigated in this work. Amorphous and crystalline Ga2O3 films were obtained by changing the growth substrate temperatures of pulsed laser deposition and the crystallinity increase with the rising of substrate temperature. The bandgap value and ultraviolet emission intensity of the films increase with the rising of crystallinity as observed by means of spectrophotometer and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Abrupt bandgap value and CL emission variations were observed when amorphous to crystalline transition took place. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy core level spectra reveal that more oxygen vacancies and disorders exist in amorphous Ga2O3 film grown at lower substrate temperature. The valence band spectra of hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy present the main contribution from Ga 4sp for crystalline film deposited at substrate temperature of 500 oC, while extra subgap states has been observed in amorphous film deposited at 300 oC. The oxygen vacancy and the extra subgap density of states are suggested to be the parts of origin of bandgap and CL spectra variations. The experimental data above yields a realistic picture of optical properties and band structure variation for the amorphous to crystalline transition of Ga2O3 films.

  18. Crystalline lens radioprotectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belkacemi, Y.; Pasquier, D.; Castelain, B.; Lartigau, E.; Warnet, J.M.

    2003-01-01

    During more than a half of century, numerous compounds have been tested in different models against radiation-induced cataract. In this report, we will review the radioprotectors that have been already tested for non-human crystalline lens protection. We will focus on the most important published studies in this topic and the mechanisms of cyto-protection reported in. vitro and in. vivo from animals. The most frequent mechanisms incriminated in the cyto-protective effect are: free radical scavenging, limitation of lipid peroxidation, modulation of cycle progression increase of intracellular reduced glutathione pool, reduction of DNA strand breaks and limitation of apoptotic cell death. Arnifostine (or Ethyol) and anethole dithiolethione (or Sulfarlem), already used clinically as chemo- and radio-protectants, could be further test?r for ocular radioprotection particularly for radiation-induced cataract. (author)

  19. Selective detection of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls with sum-frequency-generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnette, Anna L; Bradley, Laura C; Veres, Brandon D; Schreiner, Edward P; Park, Yong Bum; Park, Junyeong; Park, Sunkyu; Kim, Seong H

    2011-07-11

    The selective detection of crystalline cellulose in biomass was demonstrated with sum-frequency-generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy. SFG is a second-order nonlinear optical response from a system where the optical centrosymmetry is broken. In secondary plant cell walls that contain mostly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin with varying concentrations, only certain vibration modes in the crystalline cellulose structure can meet the noninversion symmetry requirements. Thus, SFG can be used to detect and analyze crystalline cellulose selectively in lignocellulosic biomass without extraction of noncellulosic species from biomass or deconvolution of amorphous spectra. The selective detection of crystalline cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass is not readily achievable with other techniques such as XRD, solid-state NMR, IR, and Raman analyses. Therefore, the SFG analysis presents a unique opportunity to reveal the cellulose crystalline structure in lignocellulosic biomass.

  20. Characterisation of spray dried soy sauce powders made by adding crystalline carbohydrates to drying carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Zhou, Weibiao

    2015-02-01

    This study aimed to reduce stickiness and caking of spray dried soy sauce powders by introducing a new crystalline structure into powder particles. To perform this task, soy sauce powders were formulated by using mixtures of cellulose and maltodextrin or mixtures of waxy starch and maltodextrin as drying carriers, with a fixed carrier addition rate of 30% (w/v) in the feed solution. The microstructure, crystallinity, solubility as well as stickiness and caking strength of all the different powders were analysed and compared. Incorporating crystalline carbohydrates in the drying carrier could significantly reduce the stickiness and caking strength of the powders when the ratio of crystalline carbohydrates to maltodextrin was above 1:5 and 1:2, respectively. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results showed that adding cellulose or waxy starch could induce the crystallinity of powders. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrated that the native starch added to the soy sauce powders did not fully gelatinize during spray drying. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Purity and crystallinity of microwave synthesized antimony sulfide microrods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martínez-Alonso, Claudia, E-mail: claudiamartinezalonso30@gmail.com [Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Querétaro, 76010 (Mexico); Olivos-Peralta, Eliot U. [Instituto de Energías Renovables, Universidad NacionalAutónoma de México, Temixco, Morelos, 62580 (Mexico); Sotelo-Lerma, Mérida [Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Sonora, 83000 (Mexico); Sato-Berrú, Roberto Y. [Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, MéxicoD.F., 04510 (Mexico); Mayén-Hernández, S.A. [Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Querétaro, 76010 (Mexico); Hu, Hailin, E-mail: hzh@ier.unam.mx [Instituto de Energías Renovables, Universidad NacionalAutónoma de México, Temixco, Morelos, 62580 (Mexico)

    2017-01-15

    Antimony sulfide (Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3}) is a promising semiconductor material for solar cell applications. In this work, microrods of Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} were synthesized by microwave heating with different sulfur sources, solvents, temperature, heating rate, power, and solution concentration. It was found that 90% of stoichiometric Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} can be obtained with thiourea (TU) or thioacetamide (TA) as sulfur sources and that their optical band gap values were within the range of 1.59–1.60 eV. The most crystalline Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} were obtained by using TU. The morphology of the Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} with TU the individual rods were exhibited, whereas rods bundles appeared in TA-based products. The solvents were ethylene glycol (EG) and dimethylformamide (DMF). EG generates more heat than DMF during the microwave synthesis. As a result, the Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} obtained with EG contained a larger percentage of oxygen and smaller crystal sizes compared to those from DMF. On the other hand, the length and diameter of Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} microrods can be increased by applying higher heating power although the crystal size did not change at all. In summary, pure and highly crystalline Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} microrods of 6–10 μm long and 330–850 nm in diameter can be obtained by the microwave method with a careful selection of chemical and thermodynamic parameters of the synthesis. - Highlights: • Purity up to 90% of crystalline Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanorods can be obtained by microwave heating. • The combination of solvent and sulfide type affects crystallinity & purity of Sb2S3. • The high pressure generated in microwave heating helps to form Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanorods.

  2. cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of bovine lens alpha-crystallin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spector, A.; Chiesa, R.; Sredy, J.; Garner, W.

    1985-01-01

    This communication reports that the A1 and B1 chains of bovine lens alpha-crystallin are phosphorylated. The conclusion is based on the following evidence: (i) When soluble preparations from lens cortex are incubated with [gamma- 32 P]ATP, a cAMP-dependent labeling of a high molecular weight protein is obtained. (ii) After NaDodSO 4 /PAGE, the label is found in two bands with Mr 22,000 and 20,000, corresponding to the B and A chains of alpha-crystallin, respectively. (iii) Isoelectric focusing indicates that the radioactivity is almost exclusively in bands with pI values of 5.58 and 6.70, corresponding to the A1 and B1 chains, respectively. (iv) Similar results are obtained in experiments of [ 32 P]orthophosphate incorporation in lens organ culture. (v) Analyses of the digested protein indicate the label is exclusively in phosphoserine. (vi) 31 P NMR analyses of native, proteolytically digested, and urea-treated alpha-crystallin gives a chemical shift of 4.6 ppm relative to 85% H 3 PO 4 at pH 7.4, suggesting that the phosphate is covalently bound to a serine in the protein. An abundance of approximately one phosphate per four or five monomer units was found. (vii) Similar results were obtained by chemical analyses of independently prepared alpha-crystallin samples. The results are consistent with the view that the A1 and B1 chains arise as result of the phosphorylation of directly synthesized A2 and B2 polypeptides. It is suggested that this metabolically controlled phosphorylation may be associated with the terminal differentiation of the lens epithelial cell and the intracellular organization of the lens fiber cell

  3. Purity and crystallinity of microwave synthesized antimony sulfide microrods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martínez-Alonso, Claudia; Olivos-Peralta, Eliot U.; Sotelo-Lerma, Mérida; Sato-Berrú, Roberto Y.; Mayén-Hernández, S.A.; Hu, Hailin

    2017-01-01

    Antimony sulfide (Sb_2S_3) is a promising semiconductor material for solar cell applications. In this work, microrods of Sb_2S_3 were synthesized by microwave heating with different sulfur sources, solvents, temperature, heating rate, power, and solution concentration. It was found that 90% of stoichiometric Sb_2S_3 can be obtained with thiourea (TU) or thioacetamide (TA) as sulfur sources and that their optical band gap values were within the range of 1.59–1.60 eV. The most crystalline Sb_2S_3 were obtained by using TU. The morphology of the Sb_2S_3 with TU the individual rods were exhibited, whereas rods bundles appeared in TA-based products. The solvents were ethylene glycol (EG) and dimethylformamide (DMF). EG generates more heat than DMF during the microwave synthesis. As a result, the Sb_2S_3 obtained with EG contained a larger percentage of oxygen and smaller crystal sizes compared to those from DMF. On the other hand, the length and diameter of Sb_2S_3 microrods can be increased by applying higher heating power although the crystal size did not change at all. In summary, pure and highly crystalline Sb_2S_3 microrods of 6–10 μm long and 330–850 nm in diameter can be obtained by the microwave method with a careful selection of chemical and thermodynamic parameters of the synthesis. - Highlights: • Purity up to 90% of crystalline Sb_2S_3 nanorods can be obtained by microwave heating. • The combination of solvent and sulfide type affects crystallinity & purity of Sb2S3. • The high pressure generated in microwave heating helps to form Sb_2S_3 nanorods.

  4. A Transition Metal-Binding, Trimeric βγ-Crystallin from Methane-Producing Thermophilic Archaea, Methanosaeta thermophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Shanti Swaroop; Jamkhindikar, Aditya Anand; Raman, Rajeev; Jobby, Maroor K; Chadalawada, Swathi; Sankaranarayanan, Rajan; Sharma, Yogendra

    2017-03-07

    βγ-Crystallins are important constituents of the vertebrate eye lens, whereas in microbes, they are prevalent as Ca 2+ -binding proteins. In archaea, βγ-crystallins are conspicuously confined to two methanogens, viz., Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina. One of these, i.e., M-crystallin from Methanosarcina acetivorans, has been shown to be a typical Ca 2+ -binding βγ-crystallin. Here, with the aid of a high-resolution crystal structure and isothermal titration calorimetry, we report that "Methallin", a βγ-crystallin from Methanosaeta thermophila, is a trimeric, transition metal-binding protein. It binds Fe, Ni, Co, or Zn ion with nanomolar affinity, which is consistent even at 55 °C, the optimal temperature for the methanogen's growth. At the center of the protein trimer, the metal ion is coordinated by six histidines, two from each protomer, leading to an octahedral geometry. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis confirms that the trimer seen in the crystal lattice is a biological assembly; this assembly dissociates to monomers upon removal of the metal ion. The introduction of two histidines (S17H/S19H) into a homologous βγ-crystallin, Clostrillin, allows it to bind nickel at the introduced site, though with micromolar affinity. However, because of the lack of a compatible interface, nickel binding could not induce trimerization, affirming that Methallin is a naturally occurring trimer for high-affinity transition metal binding. While βγ-crystallins are known to bind Ca 2+ and form homodimers and oligomers, the transition metal-binding, trimeric Methallin is a new paradigm for βγ-crystallins. The distinct features of Methallin, such as nickel or iron binding, are also possible imprints of biogeochemical changes during the period of its origin.

  5. Amplifying (Im)perfection: The Impact of Crystallinity in Discrete and Disperse Block Co-oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Genabeek, Bas; Lamers, Brigitte A G; de Waal, Bas F M; van Son, Martin H C; Palmans, Anja R A; Meijer, E W

    2017-10-25

    Crystallinity is seldomly utilized as part of the microphase segregation process in ultralow-molecular-weight block copolymers. Here, we show the preparation of two types of discrete, semicrystalline block co-oligomers, comprising an amorphous oligodimethylsiloxane block and a crystalline oligo-l-lactic acid or oligomethylene block. The self-assembly of these discrete materials results in lamellar structures with unforeseen uniformity in the domain spacing. A systematic introduction of dispersity reveals the extreme sensitivity of the microphase segregation process toward chain length dispersity in the crystalline block.

  6. Accidental injections of dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex) into the crystalline lens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coca-Robinot, Javier; Casco-Silva, Bruno; Armadá-Maresca, Felix; García-Martínez, Jesús

    2014-01-01

    To describe the side effects and management after inadvertent injection of a dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) into the crystalline lens. Two case reports. Two patients with macular edema due to unilateral retinal vein occlusion were scheduled for an intravitreal injection of Ozurdex. During the procedure, the implant was accidentally injected into the crystalline lens. Both patients developed cataracts during the course of several weeks and in both there was an intraocular pressure (IOP) increase, which required treatment with topical hypotensives. Macular edema improved only slightly. Cataract surgery with uneventful removal of the implant was performed 3 (case 1) and 6 months (case 2) after the injection. After inadvertent injection of Ozurdex into the crystalline lens, cataract surgery with removal of the implant should be performed as soon as possible in order to avoid IOP increase and so that the underlying condition may be treated adequately.

  7. Control technology for crystalline silica exposures in construction: wet abrasive blasting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golla, Vijay; Heitbrink, William

    2004-03-01

    This study was designed to document the effect that wet abrasive blasting has on reducing worker exposure to crystalline silica, which has been associated with silicosis and premature death. In this study, worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica was monitored during wet abrasive blasting on the exterior walls of a parking garage to remove surface concrete and expose the underlying aggregate. In this process a wet sand mix comprised of 80% dry sand and 20% water was used. Sampling and analysis revealed that the geometric mean respirable quartz concentration was 0.2 mg/m(3) for workers conducting abrasive blasting and 0.06 mg/m(3) for helpers. When abrasive blasting was conducted in areas that apparently had reduced natural ventilation, dust exposures appeared to increase. When compared with other published data, this case study suggests that wet abrasive blasting causes less exposure to crystalline silica than dry abrasive blasting.

  8. A crystalline cluster method for deep impurities in insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guimaraes, P.S.

    1983-01-01

    An 'ab initio' self-consistent-field crystalline-cluster approach to the study of deep impurity states in insulators is proposed. It is shown that, in spite of being a cluster calculation, the interaction of the impurity with the crystal environment is fully taken into account. It is also shown that the present representation of the impurity states is, at least, as precise as the crystalline cluster representation of the pure crystal electronic structure. The procedure has been tested by performing the calculation of the electronic structure of the U center in a sodium chloride crystal, and it has been observed that the calculated GAMMA 1 - GAMMA 15 absorption energy is in good agreement with experiment. (Author) [pt

  9. Dicyanamide Salts that Adopt Smectic, Columnar, or Bicontinuous Cubic Liquid-Crystalline Mesophases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Geonhui; Goossens, Karel; Shin, Tae Joo; Bielawski, Christopher W

    2018-04-25

    Although dicyanamide (i.e., [N(CN) 2 ] - ) has been commonly used to obtain low-viscosity, halogen-free, room-temperature ionic liquids, liquid-crystalline salts containing such anions have remained virtually unexplored. Here we report a series of amphiphilic dicyanamide salts that, depending on their structures and compositions, adopt smectic, columnar, or bicontinuous cubic thermotropic liquid-crystalline mesophases, even at room temperature in some cases. Their thermal properties were explored by polarized light optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis (including evolved gas analysis), and variable-temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Comparison of the thermal phase characteristics of these new liquid-crystalline salts featuring "V-shaped" [N(CN) 2 ] - anions with those of structural analogues containing [SCN] - , [BF 4 ] - , [PF 6 ] - , or [CF 3 SO 3 ] - anions indicated that not only the size of the counterion but also its shape should be considered in the development of mesomorphic salts. Collectively, these discoveries may be expected to facilitate the design of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals that form inverted-type bicontinuous cubic and other sophisticated liquid-crystalline phases. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Crystalline cerium(IV) phosphates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herman, R.G.; Clearfield, A.

    1976-01-01

    The ion exchange behaviour of seven crystalline cerium(IV) phosphates towards some of the alkali metal cations is described. Only two of the compounds (A and C) possess ion exchange properties in acidic solutions. Four others show some ion exchange characteristics in basic media with some of the alkali cations. Compound G does not behave as an ion exchanger in solutions of pH + , but show very little Na + uptake. Compound E undergoes ion exchange with Na + and Cs + , but not with Li+. Both Li + and Na + are sorbed by compounds A and C. The results are indicative of structures which show steric exclusion phenomena. (author)

  11. Generic process for preparing a crystalline oxide upon a group IV semiconductor substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick J.; Chisholm, Matthew F.

    2000-01-01

    A process for growing a crystalline oxide epitaxially upon the surface of a Group IV semiconductor, as well as a structure constructed by the process, is described. The semiconductor can be germanium or silicon, and the crystalline oxide can generally be represented by the formula (AO).sub.n (A'BO.sub.3).sub.m in which "n" and "m" are non-negative integer repeats of planes of the alkaline earth oxides or the alkaline earth-containing perovskite oxides. With atomic level control of interfacial thermodynamics in a multicomponent semiconductor/oxide system, a highly perfect interface between a semiconductor and a crystalline oxide can be obtained.

  12. Three-dimensional nanomechanical mapping of amorphous and crystalline phase transitions in phase-change materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grishin, Ilja; Huey, Bryan D; Kolosov, Oleg V

    2013-11-13

    The nanostructure of micrometer-sized domains (bits) in phase-change materials (PCM) that undergo switching between amorphous and crystalline phases plays a key role in the performance of optical PCM-based memories. Here, we explore the dynamics of such phase transitions by mapping PCM nanostructures in three dimensions with nanoscale resolution by combining precision Ar ion beam cross-sectional polishing and nanomechanical ultrasonic force microscopy (UFM) mapping. Surface and bulk phase changes of laser written submicrometer to micrometer sized amorphous-to-crystalline (SET) and crystalline-to-amorphous (RESET) bits in chalcogenide Ge2Sb2Te5 PCM are observed with 10-20 nm lateral and 4 nm depth resolution. UFM mapping shows that the Young's moduli of crystalline SET bits exceed the moduli of amorphous areas by 11 ± 2%, with crystalline content extending from a few nanometers to 50 nm in depth depending on the energy of the switching pulses. The RESET bits written with 50 ps pulses reveal shallower depth penetration and show 30-50 nm lateral and few nanometer vertical wavelike topography that is anticorrelated with the elastic modulus distribution. Reverse switching of amorphous RESET bits results in the full recovery of subsurface nanomechanical properties accompanied with only partial topography recovery, resulting in surface corrugations attributed to quenching. This precision sectioning and nanomechanical mapping approach could be applicable to a wide range of amorphous, nanocrystalline, and glass-forming materials for 3D nanomechanical mapping of amorphous-crystalline transitions.

  13. Thermal, crystallinity and morphological studies of the filled RBD palm kernel oil polyurethane foam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khairiah Badri; Sahrim Ahmad; Sarani Zakaria

    2000-01-01

    The synthesis of RBD palm kernel oil (PKO) polyurethane polyol and the polyurethane foam has well been documented. However, less study has been put in discovering the thermal properties and crystallinity of the foam. It is also an initiative to investigate the effect of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and sorbitol as fillers in the polyurethane (PU) foam to these properties. Thermogravimetric (TGA) investigation of the PKO PU foam was performed to study their decompositions. The semi-crystalline nature of EFB-filled PU was confirmed by x-ray diffratogram and DSC thermogram of glass transition temperature, T g . The x-ray diffraction (XRD) study of the unfilled PU showed a broad amorphous halo, indicative of absence of crystallinity in the polymer, which has been explained as due to strong hydrogen bonding in the hard phase. Overall crystallinity decreases with an increase in the polyester content in agreement with the XRD results. The crystallinity however, increases with the inclusion of EFB in the polyurethane system. This study was followed by the observation of the surface morphologies of the PKO PU foam with and without fillers. The scanning electron micrographs verified the finding on the improved k-factor values. (Author)

  14. Unique Bond Breaking in Crystalline Phase Change Materials and the Quest for Metavalent Bonding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Min; Cojocaru-Mirédin, Oana; Mio, Antonio M; Keutgen, Jens; Küpers, Michael; Yu, Yuan; Cho, Ju-Young; Dronskowski, Richard; Wuttig, Matthias

    2018-05-01

    Laser-assisted field evaporation is studied in a large number of compounds, including amorphous and crystalline phase change materials employing atom probe tomography. This study reveals significant differences in field evaporation between amorphous and crystalline phase change materials. High probabilities for multiple events with more than a single ion detected per laser pulse are only found for crystalline phase change materials. The specifics of this unusual field evaporation are unlike any other mechanism shown previously to lead to high probabilities of multiple events. On the contrary, amorphous phase change materials as well as other covalently bonded compounds and metals possess much lower probabilities for multiple events. Hence, laser-assisted field evaporation in amorphous and crystalline phase change materials reveals striking differences in bond rupture. This is indicative for pronounced differences in bonding. These findings imply that the bonding mechanism in crystalline phase change materials differs substantially from conventional bonding mechanisms such as metallic, ionic, and covalent bonding. Instead, the data reported here confirm a recently developed conjecture, namely that metavalent bonding is a novel bonding mechanism besides those mentioned previously. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters derived from 2-chloro ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    NAGESH MANURKAR

    2017-08-24

    Aug 24, 2017 ... extremely useful for various applications including fab- rication of numerous ... In another flask, sodium hydroxide (4.4 g, 0.11 mole) was dissolved in 50 ..... relationships of smectic liquid crystalline polyacrylates as revealed by ...

  16. Corrosion resistance of amorphous and crystalline Pd40Ni40P20 alloys in aqueous solutions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Y.F.; Chiang, Wen-Chi; Chu, J.

    2006-01-01

    The corrosion behaviors of amorphous and crystalline Pd40Ni40P20 alloys in various aqueous solutions are reported in this paper. The corrosion resistance of crystalline (annealed) Pd40Ni40P20 is better than that of amorphous Pd40Ni40P20 in various corrosive solutions, due to crystalline Pd40Ni40P20...... and mainly consists of inert Pd5P2, NI3P, Ni2Pd2P and noble Pd phases. These inert and noble properties result in a higher corrosion resistance in crystalline Pd40Ni40P20....

  17. Nuclear waste. DOE has terminated research evaluating crystalline rock for a repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fultz, Keith O.; Sprague, John W.; Weigel, Dwayne E.; Price, Vincent P.

    1989-05-01

    We found that DOE terminated funding of research projects specifically designed to evaluate the suitability of crystalline rock for a repository. DOE continued other research efforts involving crystalline rock because they will provide information that it considers useful for evaluating the suitability of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for a potential repository. Such research activities are not prohibited by the amendments. In January 1988, DOE began evaluating both its domestic and international research programs to ensure their compliance with the 1987 amendments. Several DOE offices and contractors were involved in the evaluation. DOE officials believe that the evaluation effectively brought the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management activities into compliance with the amendments while maintaining useful international relations of continuing benefit to the nuclear waste program in general and to DOE's investigation of the Yucca Mountain site in particular. (The 1987 amendments designated Yucca Mountain as the only site that DOE is to investigate for a potential repository.) The approach and results of DOE's evaluation are discussed. Our review of DOE documents indicates that, by June 22, 1988, DOE completed its evaluation of ongoing crystalline rock research projects to ensure compliance with the 1987 amendments, terminated those research activities it identified as being specifically designed to evaluate the suitability of crystalline rock for a repository, continued some research activities involving crystalline rock because these activities would benefit the investigation and development of the Yucca Mountain repository site, and redirected some research activities so that they would contribute to investigating and developing the Yucca Mountain site

  18. Topological Crystalline Superconductivity in Locally Noncentrosymmetric Multilayer Superconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Tomohiro; Sigrist, Manfred; Yanase, Youichi

    2015-07-10

    Topological crystalline superconductivity in locally noncentrosymmetric multilayer superconductors (SCs) is proposed. We study the odd-parity pair-density wave (PDW) state induced by the spin-singlet pairing interaction through the spin-orbit coupling. It is shown that the PDW state is a topological crystalline SC protected by a mirror symmetry, although it is topologically trivial according to the classification based on the standard topological periodic table. The topological property of the mirror subsectors is intuitively explained by adiabatically changing the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian. A subsector of the bilayer PDW state reduces to the two-dimensional noncentrosymmetric SC, while a subsector of the trilayer PDW state is topologically equivalent to the spinless p-wave SC. Chiral Majorana edge modes in trilayers can be realized without Cooper pairs in the spin-triplet channel and chemical potential tuning.

  19. Amorphous-crystalline transition in thermoelectric NbO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Music, Denis; Chen, Yen-Ting; Bliem, Pascal; Geyer, Richard W

    2015-01-01

    Density functional theory was employed to design enhanced amorphous NbO 2 thermoelectrics. The covalent-ionic nature of Nb–O bonding is identical in amorphous NbO 2 and its crystalline counterpart. However, the Anderson localisation occurs in amorphous NbO 2 , which may affect the transport properties. We calculate a multifold increase in the absolute Seebeck coefficient for the amorphous state. These predictions were critically appraised by measuring the Seebeck coefficient of sputtered amorphous and crystalline NbO 2 thin films with the identical short-range order. The first-order phase transition occurs at approximately 550 °C, but amorphous NbO 2 possesses enhanced transport properties at all temperatures. Amorphous NbO 2 , reaching  −173 μV K −1 , exhibits up to a 29% larger absolute Seebeck coefficient value, thereby validating the predictions. (paper)

  20. Structure and function of small heat shock/alpha-crystallin proteins: established concepts and emerging ideas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacRae, T H

    2000-06-01

    Small heat shock/alpha-crystallin proteins are defined by conserved sequence of approximately 90 amino acid residues, termed the alpha-crystallin domain, which is bounded by variable amino- and carboxy-terminal extensions. These proteins form oligomers, most of uncertain quaternary structure, and oligomerization is prerequisite to their function as molecular chaperones. Sequence modelling and physical analyses show that the secondary structure of small heat shock/alpha-crystallin proteins is predominately beta-pleated sheet. Crystallography, site-directed spin-labelling and yeast two-hybrid selection demonstrate regions of secondary structure within the alpha-crystallin domain that interact during oligomer assembly, a process also dependent on the amino terminus. Oligomers are dynamic, exhibiting subunit exchange and organizational plasticity, perhaps leading to functional diversity. Exposure of hydrophobic residues by structural modification facilitates chaperoning where denaturing proteins in the molten globule state associate with oligomers. The flexible carboxy-terminal extension contributes to chaperone activity by enhancing the solubility of small heat shock/alpha-crystallin proteins. Site-directed mutagenesis has yielded proteins where the effect of the change on structure and function depends upon the residue modified, the organism under study and the analytical techniques used. Most revealing, substitution of a conserved arginine residue within the alpha-crystallin domain has a major impact on quaternary structure and chaperone action probably through realignment of beta-sheets. These mutations are linked to inherited diseases. Oligomer size is regulated by a stress-responsive cascade including MAPKAP kinase 2/3 and p38. Phosphorylation of small heat shock/alpha-crystallin proteins has important consequences within stressed cells, especially for microfilaments.

  1. γ-irradiated crystalline sugars and amino acids: A chemical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gejvall, T.

    1975-01-01

    Crystalline sugars and amino acids were irradiated at room temperature in a 60 Co γ-source at a dose rate ranging from 2 to 3x10 19 eV/g per hour. The investigation has geen performed to broaden the knowledge about what happens to food at irradiation preservation. The total degradation and the role of the glycosidic bond were investigated in some carbonhydrates. Transfer reactions of tritium constitute another specific problem which has been treated. Several components are formed in the crystalline amino acids, and a new gas chromatographic method was developed for analysis of amines in degraded material. (K.K)

  2. Novel Insights into the Proteus mirabilis Crystalline Biofilm Using Real-Time Imaging.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra A Wilks

    Full Text Available The long-term use of indwelling catheters results in a high risk from urinary tract infections (UTI and blockage. Blockages often occur from crystalline deposits, formed as the pH rises due to the action of urease-producing bacteria; the most commonly found species being Proteus mirabilis. These crystalline biofilms have been found to develop on all catheter materials with P. mirabilis attaching to all surfaces and forming encrustations. Previous studies have mainly relied on electron microscopy to describe this process but there remains a lack of understanding into the stages of biofilm formation. Using an advanced light microscopy technique, episcopic differential interference contrast (EDIC microscopy combined with epifluorescence (EF, we describe a non-destructive, non-contact, real-time imaging method used to track all stages of biofilm development from initial single cell attachment to complex crystalline biofilm formation. Using a simple six-well plate system, attachment of P. mirabilis (in artificial urine to sections of silicone and hydrogel latex catheters was tracked over time (up to 24 days. Using EDIC and EF we show how initial attachment occurred in less than 1 h following exposure to P. mirabilis. This was rapidly followed by an accumulation of an additional material (indicated to be carbohydrate based using lectin staining and the presence of highly elongated, motile cells. After 24 h exposure, a layer developed above this conditioning film and within 4 days the entire surface (of both catheter materials was covered with diffuse crystalline deposits with defined crystals embedded. Using three-dimensional image reconstruction software, cells of P. mirabilis were seen covering the crystal surfaces. EDIC microscopy could resolve these four components of the complex crystalline biofilm and the close relationship between P. mirabilis and the crystals. This real-time imaging technique permits study of this complex biofilm development

  3. Novel Insights into the Proteus mirabilis Crystalline Biofilm Using Real-Time Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilks, Sandra A; Fader, Mandy J; Keevil, C William

    2015-01-01

    The long-term use of indwelling catheters results in a high risk from urinary tract infections (UTI) and blockage. Blockages often occur from crystalline deposits, formed as the pH rises due to the action of urease-producing bacteria; the most commonly found species being Proteus mirabilis. These crystalline biofilms have been found to develop on all catheter materials with P. mirabilis attaching to all surfaces and forming encrustations. Previous studies have mainly relied on electron microscopy to describe this process but there remains a lack of understanding into the stages of biofilm formation. Using an advanced light microscopy technique, episcopic differential interference contrast (EDIC) microscopy combined with epifluorescence (EF), we describe a non-destructive, non-contact, real-time imaging method used to track all stages of biofilm development from initial single cell attachment to complex crystalline biofilm formation. Using a simple six-well plate system, attachment of P. mirabilis (in artificial urine) to sections of silicone and hydrogel latex catheters was tracked over time (up to 24 days). Using EDIC and EF we show how initial attachment occurred in less than 1 h following exposure to P. mirabilis. This was rapidly followed by an accumulation of an additional material (indicated to be carbohydrate based using lectin staining) and the presence of highly elongated, motile cells. After 24 h exposure, a layer developed above this conditioning film and within 4 days the entire surface (of both catheter materials) was covered with diffuse crystalline deposits with defined crystals embedded. Using three-dimensional image reconstruction software, cells of P. mirabilis were seen covering the crystal surfaces. EDIC microscopy could resolve these four components of the complex crystalline biofilm and the close relationship between P. mirabilis and the crystals. This real-time imaging technique permits study of this complex biofilm development with no risk

  4. Evolution of optical properties and band structure from amorphous to crystalline Ga2O3 films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabi Zhang

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The optical properties and band structure evolution from amorphous to crystalline Ga2O3 films was investigated in this work. Amorphous and crystalline Ga2O3 films were obtained by changing the growth substrate temperatures of pulsed laser deposition and the crystallinity increase with the rising of substrate temperature. The bandgap value and ultraviolet emission intensity of the films increase with the rising of crystallinity as observed by means of spectrophotometer and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Abrupt bandgap value and CL emission variations were observed when amorphous to crystalline transition took place. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy core level spectra reveal that more oxygen vacancies and disorders exist in amorphous Ga2O3 film grown at lower substrate temperature. The valence band spectra of hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy present the main contribution from Ga 4sp for crystalline film deposited at substrate temperature of 500 oC, while extra subgap states has been observed in amorphous film deposited at 300 oC. The oxygen vacancy and the extra subgap density of states are suggested to be the parts of origin of bandgap and CL spectra variations. The experimental data above yields a realistic picture of optical properties and band structure variation for the amorphous to crystalline transition of Ga2O3 films.

  5. Peristence of triamcinolone crystals after intra-vitreal injection: Benign crystalline hyaloidopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafik Zarifa

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a case of unusually long persistence of triamcinolone crystals after intra-vitreal injection. Crystals were noted on fundus examination predominantly confined to the posterior pole. Optical coherence tomography localized the crystals to the posterior hyaloidal surface. Over 6 years of follow-up the patient has retained good visual acuity and no observable changes in the retina. As the condition clinically resembles both crystalline maculopathy and asteroid hyalosis, we suggest the term ′drug-induced benign crystalline hyaloidopathy′.

  6. Evaluating the Type of Light Transmittance in Mono Crystalline, Poly Crystalline and Sapphire Brackets- An Invitro Spectrofluorometer Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Jauhar P; Kommi, Pradeep Babu; Kumar, M Senthil; Hanumanth; Venkatesan; Aniruddh; Arvinth; Kumar, Arani Nanda

    2016-08-01

    Most of the patients seek orthodontic treatment to improve the smile, which improves the facial profile by means of fixed appliances i.e., brackets and wires. The brackets are of different types like stainless steel and ceramic. Ceramic brackets were considered as aesthetic appliance which was divided into mono-crystalline, polycrystalline and sapphire brackets. The light transmittance might influence the degree of curing adhesive material in mono crystalline, polycrystalline and sapphire brackets. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the translucency and intensity of three different aesthetic brackets (mono crystalline, poly crystalline and sapphire ceramic brackets) and to determine their influence on shear bond strength of the brackets. The adhesive remnant index was also measured after debonding of the brackets from the tooth surface. Twenty six samples each of monocrystalline, polycrystalline and sapphire brackets (total 78 ceramic brackets) were used for the study. The bracket samples were subjected to optical fluorescence test using spectrofluorometer to measure the intensity of the brackets. Seventy eight extracted premolar teeth were procured and divided into 3 groups. The brackets were then bonded to the tooth using Transbond XT (3M Unitek) light cure composite material and cured with new light cure unit (Light Emitting Diode) of wood pecker company (400-450nm) for 30 seconds, and these samples were subjected to shear bond strength test with Instron Universal Testing Machine (UNITEK-94100) with a load range between 0 to 100 KN with a maximum cross head speed of 0.5mm/min. ARI (Adhesive Remnant Index) scores were evaluated according to Artun and Bergland scoring system using stereomicroscope at 20x magnification. The light absorption values obtained from spectrofluorometeric study were 3300000-3500000 cps for group 1 (monocrystalline ceramic brackets), 6000000-6500000 cps for Group 2 (polycrystalline ceramic brackets) and 2700000 -3000000 cps for

  7. Contoured inner after-heater shield for reducing stress in growing crystalline bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalejs, Juris P.

    1996-09-24

    An apparatus for growing hollow crystalline bodies by the EFG process, comprising an EFG die having a top surface shaped for growing a hollow crystalline body having a cross-sectional configuration in the shape of a polygon having n faces, and a radiation shield adjacent to and surrounded by the top end surface of the die, characterized in that the shield has an inner edge defining a similar polygon with n sides, and the inner edge of the shield is notched so that the spacing between the n faces and the n sides is greatest between the central portions of the n faces and the n sides, whereby the greater spacing at the central portions helps to reduce lateral temperature gradients in the crystalline body that is grown by use of the die.

  8. Nanoscale characteristics of triacylglycerol oils: phase separation and binding energies of two-component oils to crystalline nanoplatelets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDougall, Colin J; Razul, M Shajahan; Papp-Szabo, Erzsebet; Peyronel, Fernanda; Hanna, Charles B; Marangoni, Alejandro G; Pink, David A

    2012-01-01

    Fats are elastoplastic materials with a defined yield stress and flow behavior and the plasticity of a fat is central to its functionality. This plasticity is given by a complex tribological interplay between a crystalline phase structured as crystalline nanoplatelets (CNPs) and nanoplatelet aggregates and the liquid oil phase. Oil can be trapped within microscopic pores within the fat crystal network by capillary action, but it is believed that a significant amount of oil can be trapped by adsorption onto crystalline surfaces. This, however, remains to be proven. Further, the structural basis for the solid-liquid interaction remains a mystery. In this work, we demonstrate that the triglyceride liquid structure plays a key role in oil binding and that this binding could potentially be modulated by judicious engineering of liquid triglyceride structure. The enhancement of oil binding is central to many current developments in this area since an improvement in the health characteristics of fat and fat-structured food products entails a reduction in the amount of crystalline triacylglycerols (TAGs) and a relative increase in the amount of liquid TAGs. Excessive amounts of unbound, free oil, will lead to losses in functionality of this important food component. Engineering fats for enhanced oil binding capacity is thus central to the design of more healthy food products. To begin to address this, we modelled the interaction of triacylglycerol oils, triolein (OOO), 1,2-olein elaidin (OOE) and 1,2-elaidin olein (EEO) with a model crystalline nanoplatelet composed of tristearin in an undefined polymorphic form. The surface of the CNP in contact with the oil was assumed to be planar. We considered pure OOO and mixtures of OOO + OOE and OOO + EEO with 80% OOO. The last two cases were taken as approximations to high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO). The intent was to investigate whether phase separation on a nanoscale took place. We defined an "oil binding capacity" parameter, B

  9. Concentration dependence of transmission losses in UV-laser irradiated bovine α-, βH-, βL- and γ-crystallin solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hott, J.L.; Borkman, R.F.

    1993-01-01

    Experiments with calf lens protein fractions in aqueous buffer solutions at room temperature showed that β H -, β L - and γ-crystallin fractions became opaque following ultraviolet exposure at 308 nm, while the α-crystallin fraction remained transparent. Transmission loss, due to UV-irradiation, for all of the crystallin samples was studied in the concentration range of 0.1 mg/mL to 1.0 mg/mL, and for α- and γ-crystallin, in the range up to 5 mg/mL. With increased concentrations of β H -, β L -and γ-crystalline, the rate of opacification increased. However, with α-crystallin, the loss of transmission was negligible for all of the concentrations and irradiation times studied. Opacification of the crystallins was accompanied by formation of higher molecular weight insoluble proteins as detected by SDS-PAGE. (Author)

  10. Quality by Design approach to spray drying processing of crystalline nanosuspensions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sumit; Gokhale, Rajeev; Burgess, Diane J

    2014-04-10

    Quality by Design (QbD) principles were explored to understand spray drying process for the conversion of liquid nanosuspensions into solid nano-crystalline dry powders using indomethacin as a model drug. The effects of critical process variables: inlet temperature, flow and aspiration rates on critical quality attributes (CQAs): particle size, moisture content, percent yield and crystallinity were investigated employing a full factorial design. A central cubic design was employed to generate the response surface for particle size and percent yield. Multiple linear regression analysis and ANOVA were employed to identify and estimate the effect of critical parameters, establish their relationship with CQAs, create design space and model the spray drying process. Inlet temperature was identified as the only significant factor (p value dried nano-crystalline powders. Aspiration and flow rates were identified as significant factors affecting yield (p value dried at higher inlet temperatures had lower moisture compared to those dried at lower inlet temperatures. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. The crystallinity of calcium phosphate powders influenced by the conditions of neutralized procedure with citric acid additions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chengfeng

    2009-01-01

    Calcium phosphate powders with nano-sized crystallinity were synthesized by neutralization using calcium hydroxide and orthophosphoric acid with the assistance of citric acid. The influence of processing parameters, such as free or additive citric acid, synthetic temperature and ripening time, on the crystallinity of hydroxyapatite were investigated. The results of X-ray diffraction and microstructure observations showed that the crystallinity and morphology of nano-sized hydroxyapatite particles were influenced by the presence or absence of citric acid. It was found that the crystallinities and crystallite sizes of hydroxyapatite powders prepared with the additive citric acid increased with increasing synthetic temperature and ripening time. Especially, the crystallinities of (h k 0) planes were raised and more homogeneously grown particles were obtained with increasing synthetic temperature

  12. Phase behaviour of macromolecular liquid crystalline materials. Computational studies at the molecular level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stimson, Lorna M.

    2003-01-01

    Molecular simulations provide an increasingly useful insight into the static and dynamic characteristics of materials. In this thesis molecular simulations of macro-molecular liquid crystalline materials are reported. The first liquid crystalline material that has been investigated is a side chain liquid crystal polymer (SCLCP). In this study semi-atomistic molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted at a range of temperatures and an aligning potential has been applied to mimic the effect of a magnetic field. In cooling the SCLCP from an isotropic melt, microphase separation was observed yielding a domain structure. The application of a magnetic field to this structure aligns the domains producing a stable smectic mesophase. This is the first study in which mesophases have been observed using an off-lattice model of a SCLCP. The second material that has been investigated is a dendrimer with terminal mesogenic functionalization. Here, a multi-scale approach has been taken with Monte Carlo studies of a single dendrimer molecule in the gas phase at the atomistic level, semi-atomistic molecular dynamics of a single molecule in liquid crystalline solvents and a coarse-grained molecular dynamics study of the dendrimer in the bulk. The coarse-grained model has been developed and parameterized using the results of the atomistic and semi-atomistic work. The single molecule studies showed that the liquid crystalline dendrimer was able to change its structure by conformational changes in the flexible chains that link the mesogenic groups to the core. Structural change was seen under the application of a mean field ordering potential in the gas phase, and in the presence of liquid crystalline solvents. No liquid crystalline phases were observed for the bulk phase studies of the coarse-grained model. However, when the length of the mesogenic units was increased there was some evidence for microphase separation in these systems. (author)

  13. Chapter 1.1 Crystallinity of Nanocellulose Materials by Near-IR FT-Raman Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal; Richard S. Reiner; Sally A. Ralph

    2013-01-01

    Considering that crystallinity is one of the important properties that influence the end use of cellulose nanomaterials, it is important that the former be measured accurately. Recently, a new method based on near-IR FTRaman spectroscopy was proposed to determine cellulose I crystallinity. It was reported that in the Raman spectrum of cellulose materials, the...

  14. Morphology and crystalline-phase-dependent electrical insulating properties in tailored polypropylene for HVDC cables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zha, Jun-Wei; Yan, Hong-Da; Li, Wei-Kang; Dang, Zhi-Min

    2016-11-01

    Polypropylene (PP) has become one promising material to potentially replace the cross-link polyethylene used for high voltage direct current cables. Besides the isotactic polypropylene, the block polypropylene (b-PP) and random polypropylene (r-PP) can be synthesized through the copolymerization of ethylene and propylene molecules. In this letter, the effect of morphology and crystalline phases on the insulating electrical properties of PP was investigated. It was found that the introduction of polyethylene monomer resulted in the formation of β and γ phases in b-PP and r-PP. The results from the characteristic trap energy levels indicated that the β and γ phases could induce deep electron traps which enable to capture the carriers. And the space charge accumulation was obviously suppressed. Besides, the decreased electrical conductivity was observed in b-PP and r-PP. It is attributed to the existence of deep traps which can effectively reduce the carrier mobility and density in materials.

  15. Synthesis of Large-Scale Single-Crystalline Monolayer WS2 Using a Semi-Sealed Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feifei Lan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available As a two-dimensional semiconductor, WS2 has attracted great attention due to its rich physical properties and potential applications. However, it is still difficult to synthesize monolayer single-crystalline WS2 at larger scale. Here, we report the growth of large-scale triangular single-crystalline WS2 with a semi-sealed installation by chemical vapor deposition (CVD. Through this method, triangular single-crystalline WS2 with an average length of more than 300 µm was obtained. The largest one was about 405 μm in length. WS2 triangles with different sizes and thicknesses were analyzed by optical microscope and atomic force microscope (AFM. Their optical properties were evaluated by Raman and photoluminescence (PL spectra. This report paves the way to fabricating large-scale single-crystalline monolayer WS2, which is useful for the growth of high-quality WS2 and its potential applications in the future.

  16. Quantitative determination of the crystalline phases of the ceramic materials utilizing the Rietveld method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kniess, C.T.; Prates, P.B.; Lima, J.C. de; Kuhnen, N.C.; Riella, H.G.; Maliska, A.M.

    2009-01-01

    Ceramic materials have properties defined by their chemical and micro-structural composition. The quantification of the crystalline phases is a fundamental stage in the determination of the structure, properties and applications of a ceramic material. Within this context, this study aims is the quantitative determination of the crystalline phases of the ceramic materials developed with addition of mineral coal bottom ash, utilizing the X ray diffraction technique, through the method proposed by Rietveld. For the formulation of the ceramic mixtures a {3,3} simplex-lattice design was used, giving ten formulations of three components (two different types of clays and coal bottom ash). The crystalline phases identified in the ceramic materials after sintering at 1150 deg C during two hours are: quartz, tridimite, mullite and hematite. The proposed methodology utilizing the Rietveld method for the quantification relating to crystalline phases of the materials was shown to be adequate and efficient. (author)

  17. Biomimetic processing of oriented crystalline ceramic layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cesarano, J.; Shelnutt, J.A.

    1997-10-01

    The aim of this project was to develop the capabilities for Sandia to fabricate self assembled Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of various materials and to exploit their two-dimensional crystalline structure to promote the growth of oriented thin films of inorganic materials at room temperature. This includes the design and synthesis of Langmuir-active (amphiphilic) organic molecules with end groups offering high nucleation potential for various ceramics. A longer range goal is that of understanding the underlying principles, making it feasible to use the techniques presented in this report to fabricate unique oriented films of various materials for electronic, sensor, and membrane applications. Therefore, whenever possible, work completed in this report was completed with the intention of addressing the fundamental phenomena underlying the growth of crystalline, inorganic films on template layers of highly organized organic molecules. This problem was inspired by biological processes, which often produce exquisitely engineered structures via templated growth on polymeric layers. Seashells, for example, exhibit great toughness owing to their fine brick-and-mortar structure that results from templated growth of calcium carbonate on top of layers of ordered organic proteins. A key goal in this work, therefore, is to demonstrate a positive correlation between the order and orientation of the template layer and that of the crystalline ceramic material grown upon it. The work completed was comprised of several parallel efforts that encompassed the entire spectrum of biomimetic growth from solution. Studies were completed on seashells and the mechanisms of growth for calcium carbonate. Studies were completed on the characterization of LB films and the capability developed for the in-house fabrication of these films. Standard films of fatty acids were studied as well as novel polypeptides and porphyrins that were synthesized.

  18. Prediction of degree of crystallinity for the LTA zeolite using artificial neural networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghanbari Shahram

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Zeolites are microporous aluminosilicate/silicate crystalline materials with three-dimensional tetrahedral configuration. In this study, the degree of crystallinity of the synthesized Linde Type A (LTA zeolite, which is the main indicator of its quality/purity is tried to be modeled. Effect of crystallization time, temperature, molar ratio of the synthesis gel on the relative crystallinity of the LTA zeolites is investigated using artificial neural networks. Our experimental observations and some data collected from literature have been used for adjusting the parameters of the proposed model and evaluating its performance. It has been observed that two-layer perceptron network with eight hidden neurons is the most accurate approach for the considered task. The designed model predicts the experimental datasets with a mean square error of 3.99 × 10-6, absolute average relative deviation of 8.69 %, and regression coefficient of 0.9596. The proposed model can decrease the required time and number of experiments to evaluate the extent of crystallinity of the LTA zeolites.

  19. Metamict state radiation damage in crystalline materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haaker, R.F.; Ewing, R.C.

    1979-01-01

    Metamict minerals provide an excellent basis for the evaluation of long-term radiation damage effects, particularly such changes in physical and chemical properties as microfracturing, hydrothermal alteration, and solubility. This paper summarizes pertinent literature on metamictization and proposes experiments that are critical to the elucidation of structural controls on radiation damage in crystalline phases

  20. A rare case of traumatic subretinal migration of crystalline lens, corroborated histologically.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawankar, Pritam; Das, Dipankar; Agarwal, Balmukund; Bhattacharjee, Kasturi; Tayab, Shahinur; Deka, Panna; Singh, Anshul; Borah, Erani; Dhar, Shriya

    2017-12-01

    Blunt trauma is the most common cause of posterior dislocation of the crystalline lens. We describe a rare case of subretinal migration of crystalline lens through the giant retinal tear following blunt ocular trauma. This incidental finding of subretinal dislocation of lens following blunt ocular trauma was confirmed on histopathological examination of the enucleated eye. This complication has not been described by histopathological examination in literature so far.

  1. A rare case of traumatic subretinal migration of crystalline lens, corroborated histologically

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pritam Bawankar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Blunt trauma is the most common cause of posterior dislocation of the crystalline lens. We describe a rare case of subretinal migration of crystalline lens through the giant retinal tear following blunt ocular trauma. This incidental finding of subretinal dislocation of lens following blunt ocular trauma was confirmed on histopathological examination of the enucleated eye. This complication has not been described by histopathological examination in literature so far.

  2. Crystallinity of the double layer of cadmium arachidate films at the water surface

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leveiller, F.; Jacquemain, D.; Lahav, M.

    1991-01-01

    A crystalline counterionic layer at the interface between an electrolyte solution and a charged layer of insoluble amphiphilic molecules was observed with grazing incidence synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Uncompressed arachidic films spread over 10(-3) molar cadmium chloride solution (pH 8.......8) spontaneously form crystalline clusters with coherence lengths of approximately 1000 angstroms at 9-degrees-C. Ten distinct diffraction peaks were observed, seven of which were attributed to scattering only from a crystalline Cd2+ layer and the other three to scattering primarily from the arachidate layer....... The reflections from the Cd2+ layer were indexed according to a 2 X 3 supercell of the arachidate lattice with three Cd2+ ions per cadmium unit cell....

  3. Optical properties of crystalline semiconductors and dielectrics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forouhi, A.R.; Bloomer, I.

    1988-01-01

    A new formulation for the complex index of refraction, N(E) = n(E)-ik(E), as a function of photon energy E, for crystalline semiconductors and dielectrics is developed based on our previous derivation of N(E) for amorphous materials. The extinction coefficient k(E) is deduced from a one-electron model with finite lifetime for the excited electron state. The refractive index n(E) is then derived from the Kramers-Kronig relation as the Hilbert transform of k(E). It is shown that n(∞)>1. Excellent agreement is found between our equations for n(E) and k(E) and published measured values for crystalline Si, Ge, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, InSb, SiC, cubic C, and α-SiO 2 , over a wide range of energies (∼0--20 eV). Far fewer parameters, all of which have physical significance, are required and they can be determined for a particular material from the position and strength of the peaks in the k spectrum

  4. Microstructure of amorphous and crystalline zirconium alloys rapiddly solidified

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monteiro, W.A.; Bezerra, G.H

    1986-01-01

    In this work we report microstructural studies of rapidly solification of Zr-30% at Cu alloy. This composition was chosen because it is the Zr rich limit of glass formation range. The ribbons were prepared by melt spinning system (cooling rate is estimated in 10 6 K/s) and the average thickness of the microscopy were prepared by double jet electropolishing to investigate the microstructure of the ribbon. It was observed amorphos and crystalline regions. In the crystalline regions occured a radial growth morphology with stress contrats. The beginning of solidification is a polimorphous reaction and the shape of the micrograins is similar to spherulitic form. The average diameter of the grains are 0,5 μm or less. (Author) [pt

  5. Crystalline beams: The vertical zigzag

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haffmans, A.F.; Maletic, D.; Ruggiero, A.G.

    1994-01-01

    This note is the continuation of our comprehensive investigation of Crystalline Beams. After having determined the equations of motion and the conditions for the formation of the simplest configuration, i.e. the string, we study the possibility of storing an intense beam of charged particles in a storage ring where they form a vertical zigzag. We define the equilibrium configuration, and examine the confinement conditions. Subsequently, we derive the transfer matrix for motion through various elements of the storage ring. Finally we investigate the stability conditions for such a beam

  6. Groundwater in crystalline bedrock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palmqvist, K.

    1990-06-01

    The aim of this project was to make detailed descriptions of the geological conditions and the different kinds of leakage in some tunnels in Sweden, to be able to describe the presence of ground water in crystalline bedrock. The studies were carried out in TBM tunnels as well as in conventionally drilled and blasted tunnels. Thanks to this, it has been possible to compare the pattern and appearance of ground water leakage in TBM tunnels and in blasted tunnels. On the basis of some experiments in a TBM tunnel, it has been confirmed that a detailed mapping of leakage gives a good picture of the flow paths and their aquiferous qualities in the bedrock. The same picture is found to apply even in cautious blasted tunnels. It is shown that the ground water flow paths in crystalline bedrock are usually restricted to small channels along only small parts of the fractures. This is also true for fracture zones. It has also been found that the number of flow paths generally increases with the degree of tectonisation, up to a given point. With further tectonisation the bedrock is more or less crushed which, along with mineral alteration, leaves only a little space left for the formation of water channels. The largest individual flow paths are usually found in fracture zones. The total amount of ground water leakage per m tunnel is also greater in fracture zones than in the bedrock between the fracture zones. In mapping visible leakage, five classes have been distinguished according to size. Where possible, the individual leak inflow has been measured during the mapping process. The quantification of the leakage classes made in different tunnels are compared, and some quantification standards suggested. A comparison of leakage in different rock types, tectonic zones, fractures etc is also presented. (author)

  7. Cross-Linked Liquid Crystalline Systems From Rigid Polymer Networks to Elastomers

    CERN Document Server

    Broer, Dirk

    2011-01-01

    With rapidly expanding interest in liquid crystalline polymers and elastomers among the liquid crystal community, researchers are currently exploring the wide range of possible application areas for these unique materials, including optical elements on displays, tunable lasers, strain gauges, micro-structures, and artificial muscles. Written by respected scientists from academia and industry around the world, who are not only active in the field but also well-known in more traditional areas of research, "Cross-Linked Liquid Crystalline Systems: From Rigid Polymer Networks to Elastomers&qu

  8. Multiple origin of diurnality in geckos: evidence from eye lens crystallins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Röll, Beate

    2001-05-01

    The large lizard family Gekkonidae comprises about 90 genera (1000 species). While most geckos are nocturnal, the members of about 15 genera are diurnal. All of these species are 'tertiarily' diurnal, i.e. they are descended from 'secondarily' nocturnal ancestors. They have adapted to a diurnal lifestyle in quite different ways, as can be deduced by the crystallin proteins in their lenses. Evaluation of the heterogeneous lens crystallin compositions of diurnal geckos reveals that there are at least three lineages that regained diurnality independently.

  9. Rotational reorganization of doped cholesteric liquid crystalline films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eelkema, R.; M. Pollard, M.; Katsonis, N.; Vicario, J.; J. Broer, D.; Feringa, B.L.

    2006-01-01

    In this paper an unprecedented rotational reorganization of cholesteric liquid crystalline films is described. This rotational reorganization results from the conversion of a chiral molecular motor dopant to an isomer with a different helical twisting power, leading to a change in the cholesteric

  10. 120 mm Single-crystalline perovskite and wafers: towards viable applications

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yucheng Liu; Bo Wang; Qingbo Wei; Fengwei Xiao; Haibo Fan; Hao Deng; Liangping Deng; Shengzhong (Frank) Liu; Xiaodong Ren; Jing Zhang; Zhou Yang; Dong Yang; Fengyang Yu; Jiankun Sun; Changming Zhao; Zhun Yao

    2017-01-01

    As the large single-crystalline silicon wafers have revolutionized many industries including electronics and solar cells,it is envisioned that the availability of large single-crystalline perovskite crystals and wafers will revolutionize its broad applications in photovoltaics,optoelectronics,lasers,photodetectors,light emitting diodes (LEDs),etc.Here we report a method to grow large single-crystalline perovskites including single-halide crystals:CH3NH3PbX3 (X=Ⅰ,Br,Cl),and dual-halide ones:CH3NH3Pb(ClxBr1-x)3 and CH3NH3Pb(BrxI1-x)3,with the largest crystal being 120 mm in length.Meanwhile,we have advanced a process to slice the large perovskite crystals into thin wafers.It is found that the wafers exhibit remarkable features:(1) its trap-state density is a million times smaller than that in the microcrystalline perovskite thin films (MPTF);(2) its carrier mobility is 410 times higher than its most popular organic counterpart P3HT;(3) its optical absorption is expanded to as high as 910 nm comparing to 797 nm for the MPTF;(4) while MPTF decomposes at 150 ℃,the wafer is stable at high temperature up to 270 ℃;(5) when exposed to high humidity (75% RH),MPTF decomposes in 5 h while the wafer shows no change for overnight;(6) its photocurrent response is 250 times higher than its MPTF counterpart.A few electronic devices have been fabricated using the crystalline wafers.Among them,the Hall test gives low carrier concentration with high mobility.The trap-state density is measured much lower than common semiconductors.Moreover,the large SC-wafer is found particularly useful for mass production of integrated circuits.By adjusting the halide composition,both the optical absorption and the light emission can be fine-tuned across the entire visible spectrum from 400 nm to 800 nm.It is envisioned that a range of visible lasers and LEDs may be developed using the dual-halide perovskites.With fewer trap states,high mobility,broader absorption,and humidity resistance,it is

  11. Studies of mono-crystalline CVD diamond pixel detectors

    CERN Document Server

    Bartz, E; Atramentov, O; Yang, Z; Hall-Wilton, R; Schnetzer, S; Patel, R; Bugg, W; Hebda, P; Halyo, V; Hunt, A; Marlow, D; Steininger, H; Ryjov, V; Hits, D; Spanier, S; Pernicka, M; Johns, W; Doroshenko, J; Hollingsworth, M; Harrop, B; Farrow, C; Stone, R

    2011-01-01

    The Pixel Luminosity Telescope (PLT) is a dedicated luminosity monitor, presently under construction, for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It measures the particle flux in several three layered pixel diamond detectors that are aligned precisely with respect to each other and the beam direction. At a lower rate it also performs particle track position measurements. The PLTs mono-crystalline CVD diamonds are bump-bonded to the same readout chip used in the silicon pixel system in CMS. Mono-crystalline diamond detectors have many attributes that make them desirable for use in charged particle tracking in radiation hostile environments such as the LHC. In order to further characterize the applicability of diamond technology to charged particle tracking we performed several tests with particle beams that included a measurement of the intrinsic spatial resolution with a high resolution beam telescope. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Studies of mono-crystalline CVD diamond pixel detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bugg, W. [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States); Hollingsworth, M., E-mail: mhollin3@utk.edu [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States); Spanier, S.; Yang, Z. [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States); Bartz, E.; Doroshenko, J.; Hits, D.; Schnetzer, S.; Stone, R.; Atramentov, O.; Patel, R.; Barker, A. [Rutgers University, Piscataway (United States); Hall-Wilton, R.; Ryjov, V.; Farrow, C. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland); Pernicka, M.; Steininger, H. [HEPHY, Vienna (Austria); Johns, W. [Vanderbilt University, Nashville (United States); Halyo, V.; Harrop, B. [Princeton University, Princeton (United States); and others

    2011-09-11

    The Pixel Luminosity Telescope (PLT) is a dedicated luminosity monitor, presently under construction, for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It measures the particle flux in several three layered pixel diamond detectors that are aligned precisely with respect to each other and the beam direction. At a lower rate it also performs particle track position measurements. The PLT's mono-crystalline CVD diamonds are bump-bonded to the same readout chip used in the silicon pixel system in CMS. Mono-crystalline diamond detectors have many attributes that make them desirable for use in charged particle tracking in radiation hostile environments such as the LHC. In order to further characterize the applicability of diamond technology to charged particle tracking we performed several tests with particle beams that included a measurement of the intrinsic spatial resolution with a high resolution beam telescope.

  13. Effect of Liquid Crystalline Systems Containing Antimicrobial Compounds on Infectious Skin Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Carla; Watanabe, Evandro; Aires, Carolina Patrícia; Lara, Marilisa Guimarães

    2017-08-01

    This study aimed (i) to prepare liquid crystalline systems (LCS) of glyceryl monooleate (GMO) and water containing antibacterial compounds and (ii) to evaluate their potential as drug delivery systems for topical treatment of bacterial infections. Therefore, LCS containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride) (LCS/CPC) and PHMB (poly(hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride) (LCS/PHMB) were prepared and the liquid crystalline phases were identified by polarizing light microscopy 24 h and 7 days after preparation. The in vitro drug release profile and in vitro antibacterial activity of the systems were assessed using the double layer agar diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecalis. The interaction between GMO and the drugs was evaluated by a drug absorption study. Stable liquid crystalline systems containing CPC and PHMB were obtained. LCS/PHMB decreased the PHMB release rate and exerted strong antibacterial activity against all the investigated bacteria. In contrast, CPC interacted with GMO so strongly that it became attached to the system; the amount released was not sufficient to exert antibacterial activity. Therefore, the studied liquid crystalline systems were suitable to deliver PHMB, but not CPC. Accordingly, it was demonstrated that GMO interacts with each drug differently, which may interfere in the final efficiency of GMO/water LCS.

  14. Investigation of Partially Crystalline Zr77Ni23 Metallic Glass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amra Salčinović Fetić

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of an extensive research of partially crystalline Zr77Ni23 metallic glass (indicated numbers refer to atomic percentages. The partially crystalline Zr77Ni23 samples were prepared by melt-spinning using a device constructed in the Metal Physics Laboratory, Faculty of Science in Sarajevo. XRD pattern shows crystalline peaks which correspond to an orthorhombic structure of Zr3Ni superimposed on an amorphous pattern. Homogeneity and chemical composition were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX. Crystallization was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. DSC analysis indicated a simple thermally activated process. Overall activation energy of the crystallization was calculated using Kissinger's model for nonisothermal process and compared with those given by the Augis-Bennett model. By monitoring of the electrical resistance in the temperature range 80 – 270 K a small and negative thermal coefficient of electrical resistance was observed. This means that electrical resistance varies slightly with temperature and it makes this metallic glass suitable for application in electronic circuits for which this property is an important requirement.

  15. The phase diagram of crystalline surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anagnostopoulos, K.N.; Bowick, M.J.; Catterall, S.M.

    1995-01-01

    We report the status of a high-statistics Monte Carlo simulation of non-self-avoiding crystalline surfaces with extrinsic curvature on lattices of size up to 128 2 nodes. We impose free boundary conditions. The free energy is a gaussian spring tethering potential together with a normal-normal bending energy. Particular emphasis is given to the behavior of the model in the cold phase where we measure the decay of the normal-normal correlation function

  16. In situ differential reflectance spectroscopy of thin crystalline films of PTCDA on different substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Proehl, Holger; Nitsche, Robert; Dienel, Thomas; Leo, Karl; Fritz, Torsten

    2005-01-01

    We report an investigation of the excitonic properties of thin crystalline films of the archetypal organic semiconductor PTCDA (3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride) grown on poly- and single crystalline surfaces. A sensitive setup capable of measuring the optical properties of ultrathin organic molecular crystals via differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is presented. This tool allows to carry out measurements in situ, i.e., during the actual film growth, and over a wide spectral range, even on single crystalline surfaces with high symmetry or metallic surfaces, where widely used techniques like reflection anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) or fluorescence excitation spectroscopy fail. The spectra obtained by DRS resemble mainly the absorption of the films if transparent substrates are used, which simplifies the analysis. In the case of mono- to multilayer films of PTCDA on single crystalline muscovite mica(0001) and Au(111) substrates, the formation of the solid state absorption from monomer to dimer and further to crystal-like absorption spectra can be monitored

  17. Review of New Technology for Preparing Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Materials by Metallurgical Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Man; Dai, Yongnian; Ma, Wenhui; Yang, Bin; Chu, Qingmei

    2017-11-01

    The goals of greatly reducing the photovoltaic power cost and making it less than that of thermal power to realize photovoltaic power grid parity without state subsidies are focused on in this paper. The research status, key technologies and development of the new technology for preparing crystalline silicon solar cell materials by metallurgical method at home and abroad are reviewed. The important effects of impurities and defects in crystalline silicon on its properties are analysed. The importance of new technology on reducing production costs and improving its quality to increase the cell conversion efficiency are emphasized. The previous research results show that the raw materials of crystalline silicon are extremely abundant. The product of crystalline silicon can meet the quality requirements of solar cell materials: Si ≥ 6 N, P 1 Ω cm, minority carrier life > 25 μs cell conversion efficiency of about 19.3%, the product costs energy consumption energy consumption, low carbon and sustainable development are prospected.

  18. Electric-field triggered controlled release of bioactive volatiles from imine-based liquid crystalline phases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrmann, Andreas; Giuseppone, Nicolas; Lehn, Jean-Marie

    2009-01-01

    Application of an electric field to liquid crystalline film forming imines with negative dielectric anisotropy, such as N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA, 1), results in the expulsion of compounds that do not participate in the formation of the liquid crystalline phase. Furthermore, amines and aromatic aldehydes undergo component exchange with the imine by generating constitutional dynamic libraries. The strength of the electric field and the duration of its application to the liquid crystalline film influence the release rate of the expelled compounds and, at the same time, modulate the equilibration of the dynamic libraries. The controlled release of volatile organic molecules with different chemical functionalities from the film was quantified by dynamic headspace analysis. In all cases, higher headspace concentrations were detected in the presence of an electric field. These results point to the possibility of using imine-based liquid crystalline films to build devices for the controlled release of a broad variety of bioactive volatiles as a direct response to an external electric signal.

  19. Poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite: A novel adsorbent for enhanced fulvic acid removal from aqueous solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Wei [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials Cycling and Pollution Control, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Yang, Lei; Zhong, Wenhui; Cui, Jing [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Wei, Zhenggui, E-mail: weizhenggui@gmail.com [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials Cycling and Pollution Control, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023 (China)

    2015-03-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Poorly crystalline HAP was firstly used for FA removal from aqueous solution. • The maximum adsorption capacity was determined to be 90.20 mg/g at 318 K. • Adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamic have been studied in detail. • Adsorption mechanism involved surface complexation, electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. - Abstract: In this study, poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite (HAP) was developed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of fulvic acid (FA) from aqueous solution. Surface functionality, crystallinity, and morphology of the synthetic adsorbent were studied by Fourier-transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of various parameters such as crystallinity of adsorbent, contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, initial adsorbate concentration, temperature, ionic strength and the presence of alkaline earth metal ions on FA adsorption were investigated. Results indicated that the nanosized HAP calcined at lower temperature was poorly crystalline (X{sub c} = 0.23) and had better adsorption capacity for FA than those (X{sub c} = 0.52, 0.86) calcined at higher temperature. FA removal was increased with increases of adsorbent dosage, temperature, ionic strength and the presence of alkali earth metal ions, but decreased as the pH increased. Kinetic studies showed that pseudo-second-order kinetic model better described the adsorption process. Equilibrium data were best described by Sips models, and the estimated maximum adsorption capacity of poorly crystalline HAP was 90.20 mg/g at 318 K, displaying higher efficiency for FA removal than previously reported adsorbents. FT-IR results revealed that FA adsorption over the adsorbent could be attributed to the surface complexation between the oxygen atom of functional groups of FA and calcium ions of HAP. Regeneration studies indicated that HAP could be recyclable for a long

  20. Hydrothermal Synthesis and Biocompatibility Study of Highly Crystalline Carbonated Hydroxyapatite Nanorods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Caibao; Chen, Yingzhi; Huang, Yongzhuo; Zhu, Peizhi

    2015-08-01

    Highly crystalline carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) nanorods with different carbonate contents were synthesized by a novel hydrothermal method. The crystallinity and chemical structure of synthesized nanorods were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photo-electronic spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The biocompatibility of synthesized CHA nanorods was evaluated by cell viability and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of MG-63 cell line. The biocompatibility evaluation results show that these CHA nanorods are biologically active apatites and potentially promising bone-substitute biomaterials for orthopedic application.

  1. Dating the time of birth: A radiocarbon calibration curve for human eye-lens crystallines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjeldsen, Henrik; Heinemeier, Jan; Heegaard, Steffen

    2010-01-01

    Radiocarbon bomb-pulse dating has been used to measure the formation age of human eye-lens crystallines. Lens crystallines are special proteins in the eye-lens that consist of virtually inert tissue. The experimental data show that the radiocarbon ages to a large extent reflect the time of birth...

  2. Adverse reaction to metal debris with concomitant incidental crystalline arthropathy in hip arthroplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward J. Testa, BS

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Adverse reaction to metal debris (ARMD is a known cause of failed metal in hip arthroplasty. Diagnosis of this type of prosthesis failure may be difficult, and the hallmark is an abnormally elevated serum cobalt level. Concomitant diagnoses may also be present, such as infection, instability, and loosening, and this may confuse interpretation of abnormal laboratories. We present here, for the first time, 2 patients with ARMD and crystalline arthropathy. In each case, the patient chose surgery for ARMD, with resolution of symptoms and no recurrence of the crystalline arthropathy. We present these cases to alert the orthopaedist that crystalline arthropathy may be present at the same time as ARMD, but is likely not the primary cause of symptoms.

  3. Carrier mobility in mesoscale heterogeneous organic materials: Effects of crystallinity and anisotropy on efficient charge transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Hajime; Shirasawa, Raku; Nakamoto, Mitsunori; Hattori, Shinnosuke; Tomiya, Shigetaka

    2017-07-01

    Charge transport in the mesoscale bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) of organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) is studied using multiscale simulations in combination with molecular dynamics, the density functional theory, the molecular-level kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method, and the coarse-grained kMC method, which was developed to estimate mesoscale carrier mobility. The effects of the degree of crystallinity and the anisotropy of the conductivity of donors on hole mobility are studied for BHJ structures that consist of crystalline and amorphous pentacene grains that act as donors and amorphous C60 grains that act as acceptors. We find that the hole mobility varies dramatically with the degree of crystallinity of pentacene because it is largely restricted by a low-mobility amorphous region that occurs in the hole transport network. It was also found that the percolation threshold of crystalline pentacene is relatively high at approximately 0.6. This high percolation threshold is attributed to the 2D-like conductivity of crystalline pentacene, and the threshold is greatly improved to a value of approximately 0.3 using 3D-like conductive donors. We propose essential guidelines to show that it is critical to increase the degree of crystallinity and develop 3D conductive donors for efficient hole transport through percolative networks in the BHJs of OPVs.

  4. Poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite: A novel adsorbent for enhanced fulvic acid removal from aqueous solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Wei; Yang, Lei; Zhong, Wenhui; Cui, Jing; Wei, Zhenggui

    2015-03-01

    In this study, poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite (HAP) was developed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of fulvic acid (FA) from aqueous solution. Surface functionality, crystallinity, and morphology of the synthetic adsorbent were studied by Fourier-transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of various parameters such as crystallinity of adsorbent, contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, initial adsorbate concentration, temperature, ionic strength and the presence of alkaline earth metal ions on FA adsorption were investigated. Results indicated that the nanosized HAP calcined at lower temperature was poorly crystalline (Xc = 0.23) and had better adsorption capacity for FA than those (Xc = 0.52, 0.86) calcined at higher temperature. FA removal was increased with increases of adsorbent dosage, temperature, ionic strength and the presence of alkali earth metal ions, but decreased as the pH increased. Kinetic studies showed that pseudo-second-order kinetic model better described the adsorption process. Equilibrium data were best described by Sips models, and the estimated maximum adsorption capacity of poorly crystalline HAP was 90.20 mg/g at 318 K, displaying higher efficiency for FA removal than previously reported adsorbents. FT-IR results revealed that FA adsorption over the adsorbent could be attributed to the surface complexation between the oxygen atom of functional groups of FA and calcium ions of HAP. Regeneration studies indicated that HAP could be recyclable for a long term. Findings of the present work highlight the potential for using poorly crystalline HAP nanoparticles as an effective and recyclable adsorbent for FA removal from aqueous solution.

  5. Enhancement of polar crystalline phase formation in transparent PVDF-CaF{sub 2} composite films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Sang Goo; Ha, Jong-Wook, E-mail: jongwook@krict.re.kr; Sohn, Eun-Ho; Park, In Jun; Lee, Soo-Bok

    2016-12-30

    Highlights: • The crystalline phase in transparent PVDF-CaF{sub 2} composite films was investigated. • CaF{sub 2} promoted the formation of polar crystalline phases in PVDF matrix. • Ordered γ-phase was obtained by thermal treatment of as-cast films at the vicinity of its melting temperature. - Abstract: We consider the influence of calcium fluoride (CaF{sub 2}) nanoparticles on the crystalline phase formation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) for the first time. The transparent PVDF-CaF{sub 2} composite films were prepared by casting on PET substrates using N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as a solvent. It was found that CaF{sub 2} promoted the formation of polar crystalline phase of PVDF in composites, whereas nonpolar α-phase was dominant in the neat PVDF film prepared at the same condition. The portion of polar crystalline phase increased in proportional to the weight fraction of CaF{sub 2} in the composite films up to 10 wt%. Further addition of CaF{sub 2} suppressed completely the α-phase formation. Polar crystalline phase observed in as-cast composite films was a mixture of β- and γ-polymorph structures. It was also shown that much ordered γ-phase could be obtained through thermal treatment of as-cast PVDF-CaF{sub 2} composite film at the temperatures above the melting temperature of the composite films, but below that of γ-phase.

  6. a significant site for hydrogeological investigation in crystalline ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Estimating the hydrogeologic control of fractured aquifers in hard crystalline and metamorphosed rocks is challenging due to complexity in the development of secondary porosity. The present study in the Precambrian metamorphic terrain in and around the Balarampur of Purulia district, West Bengal, India, aims to estimate ...

  7. "Silicon millefeuille": From a silicon wafer to multiple thin crystalline films in a single step

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, David; Trifonov, Trifon; Garín, Moisés; Alcubilla, Ramon

    2013-04-01

    During the last years, many techniques have been developed to obtain thin crystalline films from commercial silicon ingots. Large market applications are foreseen in the photovoltaic field, where important cost reductions are predicted, and also in advanced microelectronics technologies as three-dimensional integration, system on foil, or silicon interposers [Dross et al., Prog. Photovoltaics 20, 770-784 (2012); R. Brendel, Thin Film Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany 2003); J. N. Burghartz, Ultra-Thin Chip Technology and Applications (Springer Science + Business Media, NY, USA, 2010)]. Existing methods produce "one at a time" silicon layers, once one thin film is obtained, the complete process is repeated to obtain the next layer. Here, we describe a technology that, from a single crystalline silicon wafer, produces a large number of crystalline films with controlled thickness in a single technological step.

  8. Characterization of single crystalline ZnTe and ZnSe grown by vapor phase transport

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trigubo, A B; Di Stefano, M C [FRBA-UTN, (1179) Buenos Aires (Argentina); Aguirre, M H [Dpto de Quim Inorg, Fac de Cs Quim, Univ Complutense, (28040) Madrid (Spain); Martinez, A M; D' Elia, R; Canepa, H; Heredia, E, E-mail: atrigubo@citefa.gov.a [CINSO-CITEFA: (1603) Villa Martelli, Pcia de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2009-05-01

    Tubular furnaces were designed and built to obtain single crystalline ZnTe and ZnSe ingots using respectively physical and chemical transport methods. Different temperature profiles and growth rates were analyzed in order to optimize the necessary crystalline quality for device development. Optical and scanning electron micrographs of the corrosion figures produced by chemical etching were used to obtain the dislocation density and the misorientation between adjacent subgrains in ZnTe and ZnSe wafers. Structural quality of the single crystalline material was determined by transmission electronic microscopy. Optical transmittance was measured by infrared transmission spectrometry and the resulting values were compared to commercial samples.

  9. On the relevance of the micromechanics approach for predicting the linear viscoelastic behavior of semi-crystalline poly(ethylene)terephtalates (PET)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diani, J.; Bedoui, F.; Regnier, G.

    2008-01-01

    The relevance of micromechanics modeling to the linear viscoelastic behavior of semi-crystalline polymers is studied. For this purpose, the linear viscoelastic behaviors of amorphous and semi-crystalline PETs are characterized. Then, two micromechanics modeling methods, which have been proven in a previous work to apply to the PET elastic behavior, are used to predict the viscoelastic behavior of three semi-crystalline PETs. The microstructures of the crystalline PETs are clearly defined using WAXS techniques. Since microstructures and mechanical properties of both constitutive phases (the crystalline and the amorphous) are defined, the simulations are run without adjustable parameters. Results show that the models are unable to reproduce the substantial decrease of viscosity induced by the increase of crystallinity. Unlike the real materials, for moderate crystallinity, both models show materials of viscosity nearly identical to the amorphous material

  10. Laser writing of single-crystalline gold substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Astha; Sharma, Geeta; Ranjan, Neeraj; Mittholiya, Kshitij; Bhatnagar, Anuj; Singh, B. P.; Mathur, Deepak; Vasa, Parinda

    2017-07-01

    Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, a powerful contemporary tool for studying low-concentration analytes via surface plasmon induced enhancement of local electric field, is of utility in biochemistry, material science, threat detection, and environmental studies. We have developed a simple, fast, scalable, and relatively low-cost optical method of fabricating and characterizing large-area, reusable and broadband SERS substrates with long storage lifetime. We use tightly focused, intense infra-red laser pulses to write gratings on single-crystalline, Au (1 1 1) gold films on mica which act as SERS substrates. Our single-crystalline SERS substrates compare favourably, in terms of surface quality and roughness, to those fabricated in poly-crystalline Au films. Tests show that our SERS substrates have the potential of detecting urea and 1,10-phenantroline adulterants in milk and water, respectively, at 0.01 ppm (or lower) concentrations.

  11. The Effect of PtRuIr Nanoparticle Crystallinity in Electrocatalytic Methanol Oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Linkov

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Two structural forms of a ternary alloy PtRuIr/C catalyst, one amorphous and one highly crystalline, were synthesized and compared to determine the effect of their respective structures on their activity and stability as anodic catalysts in methanol oxidation. Characterization techniques included TEM, XRD, and EDX. Electrochemical analysis using a glassy carbon disk electrode for cyclic voltammogram and chronoamperometry were tested in a solution of 0.5 mol L−1 CH3OH and 0.5 mol L−1 H2SO4. Amorphous PtRuIr/C catalyst was found to have a larger electrochemical surface area, while the crystalline PtRuIr/C catalyst had both a higher activity in methanol oxidation and increased CO poisoning rate. Crystallinity of the active alloy nanoparticles has a big impact on both methanol oxidation activity and in the CO poisoning rate.

  12. Experimental study of structural and optical properties of integrated MOCVD GaAs/Si(001) heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seredin, P. V.; Lenshin, A. S.; Zolotukhin, D. S.; Arsentyev, I. N.; Nikolaev, D. N.; Zhabotinskiy, A. V.

    2018-02-01

    This is the first report of the control of the structural and optical functional characteristics of integrated GaAs/Si(001) heterostructures due to the use of misoriented Si(001) substrates with protoporous sublayer. The growth of the epitaxial GaAs layer on silicon substrates without formation of the antiphase domains can be performed on substrates deviating less than 4°-6° from the singular (001) plane or without the use of a transition layer of GaAs nano-columns. Preliminary etching of the silicon substrate with protoporous Si sublayer formation facilitated the acquisition of an epitaxial GaAs film in a single-crystalline state with a considerably less residual strain factor using MOCVD, which has a positive effect on the structural quality of the film. These data are in a good agreement with the results of IR reflection spectroscopy as well as PL and UV spectroscopy. The optical properties of the integrated GaAs/Si (001) heterostructures in the IR and UV spectral regions were also determined by the residual strain value.

  13. Controlled synthesis of single-crystalline graphene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Xueshen

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports the controlled synthesis of single-crystalline graphene on the back side of copper foil using CH4 as the precursor. The influence of growth time and the pressure ratio of CH4/H2 on the structure of graphene are examined. An optimized polymer-assisted method is used to transfer the synthesized graphene onto a SiO2/Si substrate. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy are used to characterize the graphene.

  14. Synthesis and Supramolecular Chemistry of Novel Liquid Crystalline Crown Ether-Substituted Phthalocyanines : Toward Molecular Wires and Molecular Ionoelectronics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nostrum, Cornelus F. van; Picken, Stephen J.; Schouten, Arend-Jan; Nolte, Roeland J.M.

    1995-01-01

    The synthesis of the metal-free and the dihydroxysilicon derivatives of tetrakis[4’,5’-bis(decoxy)benzo-18-crown-6]phthalocyanine is described. The metal-free phthalocyanine is liquid crystalline and exhibits a crystalline phase to mesophase transition at 148 °C. The structures of the crystalline

  15. 76 FR 66748 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China; Institution of Antidumping and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-27

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 701-TA-481 and 731-TA-1190 (Preliminary)] Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China; Institution of Antidumping and Countervailing... imports from China of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, provided for in subheadings 8541...

  16. 75 FR 4692 - Implantation or Injectable Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-29

    ... NADA provides for veterinarian prescription use of ceftiofur crystalline free acid injectable... January 29, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melanie R. Berson, Center for Veterinary Medicine (HFV... crystalline free acid) Sterile Suspension. The supplemental NADA provides for veterinarian prescription use of...

  17. Saline groundwater in crystalline bedrock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lampen, P.

    1992-11-01

    The State-of-art report describes research made on deep saline groundwaters and brines found in crystalline bedrock, mainly in site studies for nuclear waste disposal. The occurrence, definitions and classifications of saline groundwaters are reviewed with a special emphasis on the different theories concerning the origins of saline groundwaters. Studies of the saline groundwaters in Finland and Sweden have been reviewed more thoroughly. Also the mixing of different bodies of groundwaters, observations of the contact of saline groundwaters and permafrost, and the geochemical modelling of saline groundwaters as well as the future trends of research have been discussed. (orig.)

  18. Low-Temperature and Rapid Growth of Large Single-Crystalline Graphene with Ethane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiao; Lin, Li; Sun, Luzhao; Zhang, Jincan; Rui, Dingran; Li, Jiayu; Wang, Mingzhan; Tan, Congwei; Kang, Ning; Wei, Di; Xu, H Q; Peng, Hailin; Liu, Zhongfan

    2018-01-01

    Future applications of graphene rely highly on the production of large-area high-quality graphene, especially large single-crystalline graphene, due to the reduction of defects caused by grain boundaries. However, current large single-crystalline graphene growing methodologies are suffering from low growth rate and as a result, industrial graphene production is always confronted by high energy consumption, which is primarily caused by high growth temperature and long growth time. Herein, a new growth condition achieved via ethane being the carbon feedstock to achieve low-temperature yet rapid growth of large single-crystalline graphene is reported. Ethane condition gives a growth rate about four times faster than methane, achieving about 420 µm min -1 for the growth of sub-centimeter graphene single crystals at temperature about 1000 °C. In addition, the temperature threshold to obtain graphene using ethane can be reduced to 750 °C, lower than the general growth temperature threshold (about 1000 °C) with methane on copper foil. Meanwhile ethane always keeps higher graphene growth rate than methane under the same growth temperature. This study demonstrates that ethane is indeed a potential carbon source for efficient growth of large single-crystalline graphene, thus paves the way for graphene in high-end electronical and optoelectronical applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Pulmonary inflammation and crystalline silica in respirable coal ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    This study demonstrates dose-response relationships between respirable crystalline silica in coal mine dust and pulmonary inflammation, antioxidant production, and radiographic small opacities. [Kuempel E D, Attfield M D, Vallyathan V, Lapp N L, Hale J M, Smith R J and Castranova V 2003 Pulmonary inflammation and ...

  20. Office of Crystalline Repository Development FY 83 technical project plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-03-01

    The technical plan for FY 83 activities of the Office of Crystalline Repository Development is presented in detail. Crystalline Rock Project objectives are discussed in relation to the National Waste Terminal storage (NWTS) program. The plan is in full compliance with requirements mandated by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. Implementation will comply with the requirements and criteria set forth in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations (10 CFR 60) and the Environmental Protection Agency standard (40 CFR 191). Technical approaches and the related milestones and schedules are presented for each of the Level 3 NWTS work Breakdown Structure Tasks. These are: Systems, Waste Package, Site, Repository, Regulatory and Institutional, Test Facilities and Excavations, Land Acquisition, and Program Management

  1. Ultraviolet-B phototoxicity and hypothetical photomelanomagenesis: intraocular and crystalline lens photoprotection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mainster, Martin A; Turner, Patricia L

    2010-04-01

    Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation can cause phototoxic macular injuries in young people who have been sunbathing but not sungazing and in welders. Welders have a reportedly increased risk of uveal melanoma. We analyze phakic and pseudophakic risks for solar and welding arc UV-B exposure. Optical radiation measurement, analysis, and perspective. Spectral transmittances were measured for UV-transmitting, UV-blocking, and blue-blocking intraocular lenses (IOLs). The photoprotective performances of crystalline and intraocular lenses were analyzed using relevant epidemiologic and laboratory data and action spectra for acute retinal phototoxicity and melanoma photocarcinogenesis. Crystalline lens UV-B retinal protection is deficient in children and young adults, increasing their potential susceptibility to acute retinal phototoxicity and hypothetical photomelanomagenesis. UV-B radiation has sufficient energy/photon to induce primary melanomagenic DNA lesions, unlike blue light or UV-A radiation. UV-blocking and blue-blocking IOLs have negligible UV-B transmittance. UV-transmitting IOL transmittance of UV-B radiation is equivalent to that of a 15-year-old crystalline lens. If optical radiation exposure is responsible for welders' increased risk of uveal melanoma, then UV-B radiation is the most probable causative agent and spectacle wear is a potential confounding factor in epidemiologic studies of ocular melanoma. Welders under 30 years of age are at greater risk for welding maculopathy than older welders. Children, adults under 30 years of age, and pseudophakic individuals with UV-transmitting IOLs should wear sunglasses in bright environments because of the UV-B window in their crystalline lenses or IOLs. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Area Recommendation Report for the Crystalline Repository Project: Volume 1, Draft

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    This Draft Area Recommendation Report for the Crystalline Repository Project identifies portions of crystalline rock bodies as proposed potentially acceptable sites for consideration in the second high-level radioactive waste repository program. The US Department of Energy evaluated available geologic and environmental data for 235 crystalline rock bodies in the North Central, Northeastern, and Southeastern regions to identify preliminary candidate areas. Further evaluation of these preliminary candidate areas resulted in the selection of 12 as proposed potentially acceptable sites. The 12 proposed potentially acceptable sites are located in the States of Georgia (1), Maine (2), Minnesota (3), New Hampshire (1), North Carolina (2), Virginia (2), and Wisconsin (1). The data, analyses, and rationale with which the 12 proposed potentially acceptable sites were selected are presented in this draft report. The analyses presented demonstrate that the evidence available for each proposed potentially acceptable site supports (1) a finding that the site is not disqualified in accordance with the application requirements of Appendix III of the siting guidelines and (2) a decision to proceed with the continued investigation of the site on the basis of the favorable and potentially adverse conditions identified to date. Once this report is finalized, potentially acceptable sites in crystalline rock will be formally identified by the Secretary of Energy, in accordance with the DOE siting guidelines. These potentially acceptable sites will be investigated and evaluated in more detail during the area phase of the siting process. An additional eight areas, which meet the requirements for identification as potentially acceptable sites, will retain their designation as candidate areas

  3. Crystalline silicon cell performance at low light intensities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reich, N.H.; van Sark, W.G.J.H.M.; Alsema, E.A.; Turkenburg, W.C. [Utrecht University, Faculty of Science, Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation, Department of Science, Techonology and Society, Heidelberglaan 2, 3584 CS Utrecht (Netherlands); Lof, R.W.; Schropp, R.E.I. [Utrecht University, Faculty of Science, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Nanophotonics - Physics of Device, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.000, 3508 TA Utrecht (Netherlands); Sinke, W.C. [Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands)

    2009-09-15

    Measured and modelled JV characteristics of crystalline silicon cells below one sun intensity have been investigated. First, the JV characteristics were measured between 3 and 1000 W/m{sup 2} at 6 light levels for 41 industrially produced mono- and multi-crystalline cells from 8 manufacturers, and at 29 intensity levels for a single multi-crystalline silicon between 0.01 and 1000 W/m{sup 2}. Based on this experimental data, the accuracy of the following four modelling approaches was evaluated: (1) empirical fill factor expressions, (2) a purely empirical function, (3) the one-diode model and (4) the two-diode model. Results show that the fill factor expressions and the empirical function fail at low light intensities, but a new empirical equation that gives accurate fits could be derived. The accuracy of both diode models are very high. However, the accuracy depends considerably on the used diode model parameter sets. While comparing different methods to determine diode model parameter sets, the two-diode model is found to be preferred in principle: particularly its capability in accurately modelling V{sub OC} and efficiency with one and the same parameter set makes the two-diode model superior. The simulated energy yields of the 41 commercial cells as a function of irradiance intensity suggest unbiased shunt resistances larger than about 10 k{omega} cm{sup 2} may help to avoid low energy yields of cells used under predominantly low light intensities. Such cells with diode currents not larger than about 10{sup -9} A/cm{sup 2} are excellent candidates for Product Integrated PV (PIPV) appliances. (author)

  4. Determination of thicknesses and temperatures of crystalline silicon wafers from optical measurements in the far infrared region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franta, Daniel; Franta, Pavel; Vohánka, Jiří; Čermák, Martin; Ohlídal, Ivan

    2018-05-01

    Optical measurements of transmittance in the far infrared region performed on crystalline silicon wafers exhibit partially coherent interference effects appropriate for the determination of thicknesses of the wafers. The knowledge of accurate spectral and temperature dependencies of the optical constants of crystalline silicon in this spectral region is crucial for the determination of its thickness and vice versa. The recently published temperature dependent dispersion model of crystalline silicon is suitable for this purpose. Because the linear thermal expansion of crystalline silicon is known, the temperatures of the wafers can be determined with high precision from the evolution of the interference patterns at elevated temperatures.

  5. Self-assembly of azobenzene based side-chain liquid crystalline ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The polymeric complexes acquitted as undivided liquid crystalline properties ... India) methanol and other solvents were purified by .... mixture was warmed to room temperature and stirred ... Polymer is soluble in DMF, CHCl3, CH2Cl2 and.

  6. Facile method to align crystalline needles composed of organic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2017-09-23

    Sep 23, 2017 ... (using self-assembly) used for the purpose, its disadvantage is that a larger amount of the material dissolves in the solution than what ... Working hypothesis for aligning crystalline needles .... using a home-made equipment.

  7. Pilot study of the dose in crystalline lens in the interventional radiology practice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castro, A.; Martinez, A.; Fernandez, A.; Molina, D.; Sanchez, L.; Diaz, A.

    2014-08-01

    The interventional radiology involves considerable exposure levels for the occupationally exposed personnel (OEP). The doses can encompass a wide range of values in dependence of the function that develops the personnel and the complexity of each procedure. In organs like the crystalline lens and skin values can be reached that imply the appearance of deterministic effects if is not fulfilled the appropriate measures of radiological protection. This has been demonstrated through multiple studies, among those that the retrospective study of damages in the crystalline lens and dose has been one of those most commented, known as RELID. The objective of that study was to examine the opacity prevalence in the crystalline lens in workers linked to the interventional cardiology and to correlate it with the occupational exposition. The obtained results contributed to that the ICRP recommend a new limit value of equivalent dose for crystalline lens of 20 mSv in one year. With the objective of analyzing the operational implications, in the radiological surveillance programs that they could originate with the new recommendations was developed a pilot study to evaluate the dose in crystalline lens in the OEP linked to the interventional radiology in a Cuban hospital. For this, an anthropomorphic mannequin RANDO-ALDERSON was used on which thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed below and above of the leaded apron and in different positions at level of the crystalline lens: above, below and to the sides of the leaded lenses that the personnel uses routinely. The mannequin was located on the same positions that occupy the main specialist that execute the procedure, as well as of the nurse to assist him. The measurements were made simulating the more representative procedures about complexity, duration time and exposure rate. The used dosimeters were RADOS model for whole body composed of two thermoluminescent detectors Gr-200 (LiF: Mg, Cu, P) to evaluate personal equivalent dose

  8. Active colloidal propulsion over a crystalline surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhury, Udit; Straube, Arthur V.; Fischer, Peer; Gibbs, John G.; Höfling, Felix

    2017-12-01

    We study both experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of chemically self-propelled Janus colloids moving atop a two-dimensional crystalline surface. The surface is a hexagonally close-packed monolayer of colloidal particles of the same size as the mobile one. The dynamics of the self-propelled colloid reflects the competition between hindered diffusion due to the periodic surface and enhanced diffusion due to active motion. Which contribution dominates depends on the propulsion strength, which can be systematically tuned by changing the concentration of a chemical fuel. The mean-square displacements (MSDs) obtained from the experiment exhibit enhanced diffusion at long lag times. Our experimental data are consistent with a Langevin model for the effectively two-dimensional translational motion of an active Brownian particle in a periodic potential, combining the confining effects of gravity and the crystalline surface with the free rotational diffusion of the colloid. Approximate analytical predictions are made for the MSD describing the crossover from free Brownian motion at short times to active diffusion at long times. The results are in semi-quantitative agreement with numerical results of a refined Langevin model that treats translational and rotational degrees of freedom on the same footing.

  9. CRYSTALLINE SILICATES IN EVOLVED STARS. I. SPITZER/INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH SPECTROSCOPY OF IRAS 16456-3542, 18354-0638, AND 23239+5754

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, B. W.; Zhang, Ke [Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Li, Aigen [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States); Lisse, C. M., E-mail: bjiang@bnu.edu.cn, E-mail: kzhang@caltech.edu, E-mail: lia@missouri.edu, E-mail: carey.lisse@jhuapl.edu [Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States)

    2013-03-01

    We report the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) observations of three evolved stars: IRAS 16456-3542, 18354-0638, and 23239+5754. The 9.9-37.2 {mu}m Spitzer/IRS high-resolution spectra of these three sources exhibit rich sets of enstatite-dominated crystalline silicate emission features. IRAS 16456-3542 is extremely rich in crystalline silicates, with >90% of its silicate mass in crystalline form, the highest to date ever reported for crystalline silicate sources.

  10. Pigment dispersion syndrome associated with spontaneous subluxation of crystalline lens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vikas Veerwal

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS is an ocular condition characterized by a dispersion of iris pigment throughout the eye. This pigment is deposited in a characteristic manner on the corneal endothelium as Krukenberg's spindle, anterior surface of the iris, in the trabecular meshwork, on the lens and zonule and occasionally on the anterior hyaloid face. Even with deposition of pigment on zonular fibers, no zonular weakness, or zonular dehiscence has been reported in these cases. We report a unique case of PDS with bilateral spontaneous subluxation of crystalline lens. With characteristic findings of pigment distribution in both his eyes, the patient had concave iris configuration with heavily pigmented trabecular meshwork confirming the diagnosis of PDS. The patient had bilateral 180° temporal subluxation of crystalline lens in both his eyes. The usual cause of lens subluxation such as Marfan's Syndrome and Ehler's Danlos Syndrome was ruled out. The patient underwent right eye followed by left eye intracapsular cataract extraction with ab-interno technique with postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA of 6/9 in both eyes. Spontaneous subluxation of crystalline lens in isolated PDS is not known to occur and has been reported by means of this case. We recommend a thorough assessment of zonular status in all cases of PDS.

  11. Pigment dispersion syndrome associated with spontaneous subluxation of crystalline lens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veerwal, Vikas; Goyal, Jawahar Lal; Jain, Parul; Arora, Ritu

    2017-01-01

    Pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) is an ocular condition characterized by a dispersion of iris pigment throughout the eye. This pigment is deposited in a characteristic manner on the corneal endothelium as Krukenberg's spindle, anterior surface of the iris, in the trabecular meshwork, on the lens and zonule and occasionally on the anterior hyaloid face. Even with deposition of pigment on zonular fibers, no zonular weakness, or zonular dehiscence has been reported in these cases. We report a unique case of PDS with bilateral spontaneous subluxation of crystalline lens. With characteristic findings of pigment distribution in both his eyes, the patient had concave iris configuration with heavily pigmented trabecular meshwork confirming the diagnosis of PDS. The patient had bilateral 180° temporal subluxation of crystalline lens in both his eyes. The usual cause of lens subluxation such as Marfan's Syndrome and Ehler's Danlos Syndrome was ruled out. The patient underwent right eye followed by left eye intracapsular cataract extraction with ab-interno technique with postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 6/9 in both eyes. Spontaneous subluxation of crystalline lens in isolated PDS is not known to occur and has been reported by means of this case. We recommend a thorough assessment of zonular status in all cases of PDS.

  12. Porosity measurements of crystalline rocks by laboratory and geophysical methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander, J.; Hall, D.H.; Storey, B.C.

    1981-12-01

    Porosity values of igneous and metamorphic crystalline rocks have been determined from core samples taken at specific depths from Altnabreac, by a combination of laboratory and geophysical techniques. Using resaturation and mercury injection methods in three laboratories within I.G.S., porosity values have been derived and the effect of variations in the measuring techniques and results obtained have been compared. Comparison of inter-laboratory porosity values illustrates that systematic errors are present, resulting in higher porosity values for samples subjected to re-testing. This is considered to be caused by the variable nature of the initial samples combined with the inability to completely dry or resaturate samples during a second testing. Geophysical techniques for determining in situ porosity using the neutron log have been carried out in borehole ALA. The neutron log has been calibrated with laboratory derived porosity values and an empirical formula derived enabling porosity values to be ascribed throughout the logged borehole ALA. Comparison of the porosity results from Altnabreac with crystalline samples elsewhere in America, Europe and the U.K. suggest that porosities at Altnabreac are lower than average. However, very few publications concerned with water movement in crystalline areas actually state the method used. (author)

  13. Autophagy and UPR in alpha-crystallin mutant knock-in mouse models of hereditary cataracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andley, Usha P; Goldman, Joshua W

    2016-01-01

    Knock-in mice provide useful models of congenital and age-related cataracts caused by α-crystallin mutations. R49C αA-crystallin and R120G αB-crystallin mutations are linked with hereditary cataracts. Knock-in αA-R49C+/- heterozygotes develop cataracts by 1-2months, whereas homozygote mice have cataracts at birth. The R49C mutation drastically reduces lens protein water solubility and causes cell death in knock-in mouse lenses. Mutant crystallin cannot function as a chaperone, which leads to protein aggregation and lens opacity. Protein aggregation disrupts the lens fiber cell structure and normal development and causes cell death in epithelial and fiber cells. We determined what aspects of the wild-type phenotype are age-dependently altered in the mutant lens. Wild-type, heterozygote (αA-R49C+/-), and homozygote (αA-R49C+/+) mouse lenses were assessed pre- and postnatally for lens morphology (electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry), and autophagy or unfolded protein response markers (immunoblotting). Morphology was altered by embryonic day 17 in R49C+/+ lenses; R49C+/- lens morphology was unaffected at this stage. Active autophagy in the lens epithelium of mutant lenses was indicated by the presence of autophagosomes using electron microscopy. Protein p62 levels, which are degraded specifically by autophagy, increased in αA-R49C mutant versus wild-type lenses, suggesting autophagy inhibition in the mutant lenses. The unfolded protein response marker XBP-1 was upregulated in adult lenses of αB-R120G+/+ mice, suggesting its role in lens opacification. Mutated crystallins alter lens morphology, autophagy, and stress responses. Therapeutic modulation of autophagic pathways may improve protein degradation in cataractous lenses and reduce lens opacity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Crystallin Biochemistry in Health and Disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy analyses on the crystallinity of engineered biological hydroxyapatite for medical application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poralan, G. M., Jr.; Gambe, J. E.; Alcantara, E. M.; Vequizo, R. M.

    2015-06-01

    Biological hydroxyapatite (BHAp) derived from thermally-treated fish bones was successfully produced. However, the obtained biological HAp was amorphous and thus making it unfavorable for medical application. Consequently, this research exploits and engineers the crystallinity of BHAp powders by addition of CaCO3 and investigates its degree of crystallinity using XRD and IR spectroscopy. On XRD, the HAp powders with [Ca]/[P] ratios 1.42, 1.46, 1.61 and 1.93 have degree of crystallinity equal to 58.08, 72.13, 85.79, 75.85% and crystal size equal to 0.67, 0.74, 0.75, 0.72 nm, respectively. The degree of crystallinity and crystal size of the obtained calcium deficient biological HAp powders increase as their [Ca]/[P] ratio approaches the stoichiometric ratio by addition of CaCO3 as source of Ca2+ ions. These results show the possibility of engineering the crystallinity and crystal size of biological HAp by addition of CaCO3. Moreover, the splitting factor of PO4 vibration matches the result with % crystallinity on XRD. Also, the area of phosphate-substitution site of PO4 vibration shows linear relationship (R2 = 0.994) with crystal size calculated from XRD. It is worth noting that the crystallinity of the biological HAp with [Ca]/[P] ratios 1.42 and 1.48 fall near the range 60-70% for highly resorbable HAp used in the medical application.

  15. Review of DOE's proposal for Crystalline bedrock disposal of radioactive waste, north-central area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, J.C.

    1986-01-01

    The DOE's Region-to-Area Screening Methodology for the Crystalline Repository Project (DOE/CH-1), the Final North-Central Region Geologic Characterization Report (DOE/CH-8(1)), and the Draft Area Recommendation Report for the Crystalline Repository Project (DOE/CH-15), with the associated maps, were reviewed. The review has focused on all general information regarding geologic topics and all site-specific data for DOE sites NC-10 and NC-3. This report contains two parts: (1) a point-by-point critique of perceived errors, omissions, or other shortcomings in each of the three documents; and (2) a discussion of the feasibility of crystalline bedrock as a suitable host medium for high-level radioactive waste

  16. Alpha-crystallin-type heat shock proteins: socializing minichaperones in the context of a multichaperone network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narberhaus, Franz

    2002-03-01

    Alpha-crystallins were originally recognized as proteins contributing to the transparency of the mammalian eye lens. Subsequently, they have been found in many, but not all, members of the Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya. Most members of the diverse alpha-crystallin family have four common structural and functional features: (i) a small monomeric molecular mass between 12 and 43 kDa; (ii) the formation of large oligomeric complexes; (iii) the presence of a moderately conserved central region, the so-called alpha-crystallin domain; and (iv) molecular chaperone activity. Since alpha-crystallins are induced by a temperature upshift in many organisms, they are often referred to as small heat shock proteins (sHsps) or, more accurately, alpha-Hsps. Alpha-crystallins are integrated into a highly flexible and synergistic multichaperone network evolved to secure protein quality control in the cell. Their chaperone activity is limited to the binding of unfolding intermediates in order to protect them from irreversible aggregation. Productive release and refolding of captured proteins into the native state requires close cooperation with other cellular chaperones. In addition, alpha-Hsps seem to play an important role in membrane stabilization. The review compiles information on the abundance, sequence conservation, regulation, structure, and function of alpha-Hsps with an emphasis on the microbial members of this chaperone family.

  17. The influence of metal Mg on micro-morphology and crystallinity of spherical hexagonal boron nitride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Ning, E-mail: zhangning5832@163.com; Liu, Huan; Kan, Hongmin; Wang, Xiaoyang; Long, Haibo; Zhou, Yonghui

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • The action mechanism of Mg to the synthesis of spherical BN was explored. • The influence of Mg content on the crystallinity of h-BN powders was studied. • Even if not added any template, the spherical h-BN could be prepared. - Abstract: This search used the boric acid and borax as a source of boron, urea as a nitrogen source, Mg as metal catalyst, and thus prepared different micro-morphology and crystallinity hexagonal boron nitride powders under a flowing ammonia atmosphere at a nitriding temperature of 750 °C. The effect of Mg content on the crystallinity and micro-morphology of hexagonal boron nitride powders was studied, and the Mg action mechanism was explored. Without the added surfactant, the graphitization index (GI) was 6.87, and the diameter of the spherical h-BN was bigger. When the added Mg were 0.1 g, 0.3 g, 0.5 g and 0.7 g, the (GI) decreased to 6.04, 5.67, 4.62 and 4.84, respectively. When the Mg content was higher (0.9 g), GI value increased rapidly, and the crystallinity became bad. When the Mg content was 0.5 g, the dispersion of h-BN powders was at its optimum and refinement apparently, and the crystallinity at its highest.

  18. Radionuclide migration in crystalline rock fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoelttae, P.

    2002-01-01

    Crystalline rock has been considered as a host medium for the repository of high radioactive spent nuclear fuel in Finland. The geosphere will act as an ultimate barrier retarding the migration of radionuclides to the biosphere if they are released through the technical barriers. Radionuclide transport is assumed to take place along watercarrying fractures, and retardation will occur both in the fracture and within the rock matrix. To be able to predict the transport and retardation of radionuclides in rock fractures and rock matrices, it is essential to understand the different phenomena involved. Matrix diffusion has been indicated to be an important mechanism, which will retard the transport of radionuclides in rock fractures. Both dispersion and matrix diffusion are processes, which can have similar influences on solute breakthrough curves in fractured crystalline rock. In this work, the migration of radionuclides in crystalline rock fractures was studied by means of laboratory scale column methods. The purpose of the research was to gain a better understanding of various phenomena - particularly matrix diffusion - affecting the transport and retardation behaviour of radionuclides in fracture flow. Interaction between radionuclides and the rock matrix was measured in order to test the compatibility of experimental retardation parameters and transport models used in assessing the safety of underground repositories for spent nuclear fuel. Rock samples of mica gneiss and of unaltered, moderately altered and strongly altered tonalite represented different rock features and porosities offering the possibility to determine experimental boundary limit values for parameters describing both the transport and retardation of radionuclides and rock matrix properties. The dominant matrix diffusion behaviour was demonstrated in porous ceramic column and gas diffusion experiments. Demonstration of the effects of matrix diffusion in crystalline rock fracture succeeded for the

  19. XRD and FTIR crystallinity indices in sound human tooth enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reyes-Gasga, José; Martínez-Piñeiro, Esmeralda L.; Rodríguez-Álvarez, Galois; Tiznado-Orozco, Gaby E.; García-García, Ramiro

    2013-01-01

    The crystallinity index (CI) is a measure of the percentage of crystalline material in a given sample and it is also correlated to the degree of order within the crystals. In the literature two ways are reported to measure the CI: X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. Although the CI determined by these techniques has been adopted in the field of archeology as a structural order measure in the bone with the idea that it can help e.g. in the sequencing of the bones in chronological and/or stratigraphic order, some debate remains about the reliability of the CI values. To investigate similarities and differences between the two techniques, the CI of sound human tooth enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAP) was measured in this work by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), at room temperature and after heat treatment. Although the (CI) XRD index is related to the crystal structure of the samples and the (CI) FTIR index is related to the vibration modes of the molecular bonds, both indices showed similar qualitative behavior for heat-treated samples. At room temperature, the (CI) XRD value indicated that enamel is more crystalline than synthetic HAP, while (CI) FTIR indicated the opposite. Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) images were also used to corroborate the measured CI values. - Highlights: • XRD and FTIR crystallinity indices for tooth enamel and synthetic HAP were obtained. • SEM and TEM images were more correlated with (CI) XRD than with (CI) FTIR . • Regardless of the temperature, (CI) XRD and (CI) FTIR showed similar behavior. • XRD and FTIR crystallinity indices resulted in a fast and qualitative measurement

  20. Melt behaviour, crystallinity and morphology of poly(p-dioxanone)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pezzin, APT; van Ekenstein, GOR; Duek, EAR

    The melt behaviour of poly(p-dioxanone) (PPD) has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Crystallinity and morphology were evaluated by modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) and polarizing optical microscopy. The melting curves showed two melting endotherms, a higher

  1. Liquid crystalline thermosetting polymers as protective coatings for aerospace

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guerriero, G.L.

    2012-01-01

    Environmental regulations are driving the development of new aerospace coating systems, mainly to eliminate chromates and reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Among the various potential options for new coating materials, liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are attractive due to their

  2. Investigations on the liquid crystalline phases of cation-induced ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    liquid crystalline phases of Li–DNA system could be useful in the production of ... undergo unidirectional ordering (the solution starts to become birefringent under ... was spread over the glass slides with a cover slip and sealed with a neutral ...

  3. Trilayered Morphology of an ABC Triple Crystalline Triblock Terpolymer

    KAUST Repository

    Palacios, Jordana K.; Tercjak, Agnieszka; Liu, Guoming; Wang, Dujin; Zhao, Junpeng; Hadjichristidis, Nikolaos; Mü ller, Alejandro J.

    2017-01-01

    phase in the melt. Two crystallization protocols were employed to create particular crystalline morphologies. In both cases, the isothermal crystallization of the PLA block is induced first (at 81 °C, a temperature above the melting points of both PCL

  4. Crystallinity and electrical properties of neodymium-substituted bismuth titanate thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Y.-C.; Hsiung, C.-P.; Chen, C.-Y.; Gan, J.-Y.; Sun, Y.-M.; Lin, C.-P.

    2006-01-01

    We report on the properties of Nd-substituted bismuth titanate Bi 4-x Nd x Ti 3 O 12 (BNdT) thin films for ferroelectric non-volatile memory applications. The Nd-substituted bismuth titanate thin films fabricated by modified chemical solution deposition technique showed much improved properties compared to pure bismuth titanate. A pyrochlore free crystalline phase was obtained at a low annealing temperature of 640 deg. C and grain size was found to be considerably increased as the annealing temperature increased. The film properties were found to be strongly dependent on the Nd content and annealing temperatures. The measured dielectric constant of BNdT thin films was in the range 172-130 for Bi 4-x Nd x Ti 3 O 12 with x 0.0-0.75. Ferroelectric properties of Nd-substituted bismuth titanate thin films were significantly improved compared to pure bismuth titanate. For example, the observed 2P r and E c for Bi 3.25 Nd 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 , annealed at 680 deg. C, were 38 μC/cm 2 and 98 kV/cm, respectively. The improved microstructural and ferroelectric properties of BNdT thin films suggest their suitability for high density ferroelectric random access memory applications

  5. Understanding changes in cellulose crystalline structure of lignocellulosic biomass during ionic liquid pretreatment by XRD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiafu; Wang, Yixun; Zhang, Liye; Zhang, Ruihong; Liu, Guangqing; Cheng, Gang

    2014-01-01

    X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to understand the interactions of cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass with ionic liquids (ILs). The experiment was designed in such a way that the process of swelling and solubilization of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls was followed by XRD. Three different feedstocks, switchgrass, corn stover and rice husk, were pretreated using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C4mim][OAc]) at temperatures of 50-130°C for 6h. At a 5 wt.% biomass loading, increasing pretreatment temperature led to a drop in biomass crystallinity index (CrI), which was due to swelling of crystalline cellulose. After most of the crystalline cellulose was swollen with IL molecules, a low-order structure was found in the pretreated samples. Upon further increasing temperature, cellulose II structure started to form in the pretreated biomass samples as a result of solubilization of cellulose in [C4mim][OAc] and subsequent regeneration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Photoconductivity studies on amorphous and crystalline TiO{sub 2} films doped with gold nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Valverde-Aguilar, G.; Garcia-Macedo, J.A. [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Departamento de Estado Solido, Instituto de Fisica, Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Renteria-Tapia, V. [Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de los Valles, Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Ameca, Jalisco (Mexico); Aguilar-Franco, M. [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Departamento de Fisica Quimica, Instituto de Fisica, Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

    2011-06-15

    In this work, amorphous and crystalline TiO{sub 2} films were synthesized by the sol-gel process at room temperature. The TiO{sub 2} films were doped with gold nanoparticles. The films were spin-coated on glass wafers. The crystalline samples were annealed at 100 C for 30 minutes and sintered at 520 C for 2 h. All films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscopy and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Two crystalline phases, anatase and rutile, were formed in the matrix TiO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}/Au. An absorption peak was located at 570 nm (amorphous) and 645 nm (anatase). Photoconductivity studies were performed on these films. The experimental data were fitted with straight lines at darkness and under illumination at 515 nm and 645 nm. This indicates an ohmic behavior. Crystalline TiO{sub 2}/Au films are more photoconductive than the amorphous ones. (orig.)

  7. Nonionic diethanolamide amphiphiles with isoprenoid-type hydrocarbon chains: thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behaviour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sagnella, Sharon M.; Conn, Charlotte E.; Krodkiewska, Irena; Drummond, Calum J. (CSIRO/MSE)

    2014-09-24

    The thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behaviour of a series of diethanolamide amphiphiles with isoprenoid-type hydrocarbon chains (geranoyl, H-farnesoyl, and phytanoyl) has been investigated. When neat, both H-farnesoyl and phytanoyl diethanolamide form a smectic liquid crystalline structure at sub-zero temperatures. In addition, all three diethanolamides exhibit a glass transition temperature at around -73 C. Geranoyl diethanolamide forms a lamellar crystalline phase with a lattice parameter of 17.4 {angstrom} following long term storage accompanied by the loss of the glass transition. In the presence of water, H-farnesoyl and phytanoyl diethanolamide form lyotropic liquid crystalline phases, whilst geranoyl diethanolamide forms an L{sub 2} phase. H-farnesoyl diethanolamide forms a fluid lamellar phase (L{sub {alpha}}) at room temperature and up to {approx} 40 C. Phytanoyl diethanolamide displays a rich mesomorphism forming the inverse diamond (Q{sub II}{sup D}) and gyroid (Q{sub II}{sup G}) bicontinuous cubic phases in addition to an L{sub {alpha}} phase.

  8. Room-temperature deposition of crystalline patterned ZnO films by confined dewetting lithography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sepulveda-Guzman, S.; Reeja-Jayan, B.; De la Rosa, E.; Ortiz-Mendez, U.; Reyes-Betanzo, C.; Cruz-Silva, R.; Jose-Yacaman, M.

    2010-01-01

    In this work patterned ZnO films were prepared at room-temperature by deposition of ∼5 nm size ZnO nanoparticles using confined dewetting lithography, a process which induces their assembly, by drying a drop of ZnO colloidal dispersion between a floating template and the substrate. Crystalline ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a strong visible (525 nm) light emission upon UV excitation (λ = 350 nm). The resulting films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The method described herein presents a simple and low cost method to prepare crystalline ZnO films with geometric patterns without additional annealing. Such transparent conducting films are attractive for applications like light emitting diodes (LEDs). As the process is carried out at room temperature, the patterned crystalline ZnO films can even be deposited on flexible substrates.

  9. Room-temperature deposition of crystalline patterned ZnO films by confined dewetting lithography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sepulveda-Guzman, S., E-mail: selene.sepulvedagz@uanl.edu.mx [Centro de Innovacion, Investigacion y Desarrollo en Ingenieria y Tecnologia. UANL, PIIT Monterrey, CP 66629, Apodaca NL (Mexico); Reeja-Jayan, B. [Texas Materials Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); De la Rosa, E. [Centro de Investigacion en Optica, Loma del Bosque 115 Col. Lomas del Campestre C.P. 37150 Leon, Gto. Mexico (Mexico); Ortiz-Mendez, U. [Centro de Innovacion, Investigacion y Desarrollo en Ingenieria y Tecnologia. UANL, PIIT Monterrey, CP 66629, Apodaca NL (Mexico); Reyes-Betanzo, C. [Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica Optica y Electronica, Calle Luis Enrique Erro No. 1, Santa Maria Tonanzintla, Puebla. Apdo. Postal 51 y 216, C.P. 72000 Puebla (Mexico); Cruz-Silva, R. [Centro de Investigacion en Ingenieria y Ciencias Aplicadas, UAEM. Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, CP 62210 Cuernavaca, Mor. (Mexico); Jose-Yacaman, M. [Physics and Astronomy Department University of Texas at San Antonio 1604 campus San Antonio, TX 78249 (United States)

    2010-03-15

    In this work patterned ZnO films were prepared at room-temperature by deposition of {approx}5 nm size ZnO nanoparticles using confined dewetting lithography, a process which induces their assembly, by drying a drop of ZnO colloidal dispersion between a floating template and the substrate. Crystalline ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a strong visible (525 nm) light emission upon UV excitation ({lambda} = 350 nm). The resulting films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The method described herein presents a simple and low cost method to prepare crystalline ZnO films with geometric patterns without additional annealing. Such transparent conducting films are attractive for applications like light emitting diodes (LEDs). As the process is carried out at room temperature, the patterned crystalline ZnO films can even be deposited on flexible substrates.

  10. Crystalline mono- and multilayer self-assemblies of oligothiophenes at the air-water interface

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Isz, S.; Weissbuch, I.; Kjær, K.

    1997-01-01

    The formation of Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface has long been believed to be limited to amphiphilic molecules containing a hydrophobic chain and a hydrophilic headgroup. Here we report the formation of crystalline mono- and multilayer self-assemblies of oligothiophenes, a class...... of aromatic nonamphiphilic molecules, self-aggregated at the air-water interface. As model systems we have examined the deposition of quaterthiophene (S-4), quinquethiophene (S-5). and sexithiophene (S-6) from chloroform solutions on the water surface. The structures of the films were determined by surface...... surface. S-5 self-ageregates at the water surface to form mixtures of monolayers and bilayers of the beta polymorph; S-6 forms primarily crystalline monolayers of both alpha and beta forms. The crystalline assemblies preserve their integrity during transfer from the water surface onto solid supports...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-01-30

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

  12. Photo-responsive liquid crystalline epoxy networks with exchangeable disulfide bonds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yuzhan [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Zhang, Yuehong [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Rios, Orlando [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Keum, Jong K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kessler, Michael R. [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND (United States)

    2017-07-27

    The increasing demand for intelligent materials has driven the development of polymers with a variety of functionalities. However, combining multiple functionalities within one polymer is still challenging because of the difficulties encountered in coordinating different functional building blocks during fabrication. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication of a multifunctional liquid crystalline epoxy network (LCEN) using the combination of thermotropic liquid crystals, photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, and exchangeable disulfide bonds. In addition to shape memory behavior enabled by the reversible liquid crystalline phase transition and photo-induced bending behavior resulting from the photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, the introduction of dynamic disulfide bonds into the LCEN resulted in a structurally dynamic network, allowing the reshaping, repairing, and recycling of the material.

  13. The hydrocarbon accumulations mapping in crystalline rocks by mobile geophysical methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nesterenko, A.

    2013-05-01

    Sedimentary-migration origin theory of hydrocarbons dominates nowadays. However, a significant amount of hydrocarbon deposits were discovered in the crystalline rocks, which corroborates the theory of non-organic origin of hydrocarbons. During the solving of problems of oil and gas exploration in crystalline rocks and arrays so-called "direct" methods can be used. These methods include geoelectric methods of forming short-pulsed electromagnetic field (FSPEF) and vertical electric-resonance sounding (VERS) (FSPEF-VERS express-technology). Use of remote Earth sounding (RES) methods is also actual. These mobile technologies are extensively used during the exploration of hydrocarbon accumulations in crystalline rocks, including those within the Ukrainian crystalline shield. The results of explorations Four anomalous geoelectric zones of "gas condensate reservoir" type were quickly revealed as a result of reconnaissance prospecting works (Fig. 1). DTA "Obukhovychi". Anomaly was traced over a distance of 4 km. Approximate area is 12.0 km2. DTA"Korolevskaya". Preliminary established size of anomalous zone is 10.0 km2. The anomalous polarized layers of gas and gas-condensate type were determined. DTA "Olizarovskaya". Approximate size of anomaly is about 56.0 km2. This anomaly is the largest and the most intense. DTA "Druzhba". Preliminary estimated size of anomaly is 16.0 km2. Conclusions Long experience of a successful application of non-classical geoelectric methods for the solving of variety of practical tasks allow one to state their contribution to the development of a new paradigm of geophysical researches. Simultaneous usage of the remote sensing data processing and interpretation method and FSPEF and VERS technologies can essentially optimize and speed up geophysical work. References 1. S.P. Levashov. Detection and mapping of anomalies of "hydrocarbon deposit" type in the fault zones of crystalline arrays by geoelectric methods. / S.P. Levashov, N.A. Yakymchuk, I

  14. Estimate of the dose received in crystalline lens by pediatric interventional cardiologists

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koren, C.; Alejo, L.; Serrada, A.

    2014-08-01

    The objective of this work is to estimate the maximum dose accumulated during one year in the crystalline lens of the pediatric interventional cardiologists that work in the Hospital Universitario La Paz. Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeters (OSLDs) were used for to carry out this estimation, placed in the eyes of an anthropomorphic mannequin whose position in the room simulates the more habitual conditions of the clinical practice. Previously to the simulation, different tests to validate the used dosimetric system were realized, including those related with the stability, reproducibility and lector linearity, as well as the angular and energy dependence of the OSLDs. During the simulation the mannequin eyes were irradiated and were measured with OSLDs the rate of superficial equivalent dose in crystalline lens for the different qualities of beam habitually used, as much in fluoroscopy as in acquisition. With the obtained data during three years, corresponding to the fluoroscopy times and the acquisitions number of the interventional procedures carried out; as much therapeutic as diagnostic, and rate by measuring of obtained dose, has been considered the superficial equivalent dose and the equivalent dose at 3 mm deep accumulated in the crystalline lens of the pediatric interventional cardiologist with more work load of the Hospital, during the years 2011 and 2012. None of the obtained maximum values exceed the new dose annual limit in crystalline lens of 20 mSv, recommended by ICRP in April of 2011. (author)

  15. Quasi-crystalline geometry for architectural structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wester, Ture; Weinzieri, Barbara

    The quasi-crystal (QC) type of material was discovered in 1983 by Dan Schechtman from Technion, Haifa. This new crystalline structure of material broke totally with the traditional conception of crystals and geometry introducing non-periodic close packing of cells with fivefold symmetry in 3D space....... The quasi-crystal geometry can be constructed from two different cubic cells with identical rhombic facets, where the relation between the diagonals is the golden section. All cells have identical rhombic faces, identical edges and identical icosahedral/dodecahedral nodes....

  16. Water level fluctuations due to earth tides in a well pumping from slightly fractured crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marine, I.W.

    1975-01-01

    J At the Savannah River plant of the Atomic Energy Commission near Aiken, South Carolina, there are three distinct groundwater systems: the coastal plain sediments, the crystalline metamorphic rocks, and a buried Triassic basin. The coastal plain sediments include several Cretaceous and Tertiary granular aquifers and aquicludes, the total thickness being about 305 m. Below these sediments, water occurs in small fractures in crystalline metamorphic rock (hornblende schist and gneiss with lesser amounts of quartzite). Water level fluctuations due to earth tides are recorded in the crystalline metamorphic rock system and in the coastal plain sediments. No water level fluctuations due to earth tides have been observed in wells in the Triassic rock because of the very low permeability. The water level fluctuations due to earth tides in the crystalline rock are about 10 cm, and those in the sediments are about 1.8 cm. The use of water level fluctuations due to earth tides to calculate porosity appears to present practical difficulties both in the crystalline metamorphic rock system and in the coastal plain sediments. In a 1-yr pumping test on a well in the crystalline metamorphic rock the flow was controlled to within 0.1 percent of the total discharge, which was 0.94 1/s. The water level fluctuations due to earth tides in the pumping well were 10 cm, the same as when this well was not being pumped. (U.S.)

  17. Water-level fluctuations due to Earth tides in a well pumping from slightly fractured crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marine, I.W.

    1975-01-01

    At the Savannah River plant of the Atomic Energy Commission near Aiken, South Carolina, there are three distinct groundwater systems: the coastal plain sediments, the crystalline metamorphic rocks, and a buried Triassic basin. The coastal plain sediments include several Cretaceous and Tertiary granular aquifers and aquicludes, the total thickness being about 305 m. Below these sediments, water occurs in small fractures in crystalline metamorphic rock (hornblende schist and gneiss with lesser amounts of quartzite). Water level fluctuations due to earth tides are recorded in the crystalline metamorphic rock system and in the coastal plain sediments. No water level fluctuations due to earth tides have been observed in wells in the Triassic rock because of the very low permeability. The water level fluctuations due to earth tides in the crystalline rock are about 10 cm, and those in the sediments are about 1.8 cm. The use of water level fluctuations due to earth tides to calculate porosity appears to present practical difficulties both in the crystalline metamorphic rock system and in the coastal plain sediments. In a 1-yr pumping test on a well in the crystalline metamorphic rock the flow was controlled to within 0.1 per cent of the total discharge, which was 0.94 l/s. The water level fluctuations due to earth tides in the pumping well were 10 cm, the same as when this well was not being pumped. (U.S.)

  18. Establishing whether the structural feature controlling the mechanical properties of starch films is molecular or crystalline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ming; Xie, Fengwei; Hasjim, Jovin; Witt, Torsten; Halley, Peter J; Gilbert, Robert G

    2015-03-06

    The effects of molecular and crystalline structures on the tensile mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch (TPS) films from waxy, normal, and high-amylose maize were investigated. Starch structural variations were obtained through extrusion and hydrothermal treatment (HTT). The molecular and crystalline structures were characterized using size-exclusion chromatography and X-ray diffractometry, respectively. TPS from high-amylose maize showed higher elongation at break and tensile strength than those from normal maize and waxy maize starches when processed with 40% plasticizer. Within the same amylose content, the mechanical properties were not affected by amylopectin molecular size or the crystallinity of TPS prior to HTT. This lack of correlation between the molecular size, crystallinity and mechanical properties may be due to the dominant effect of the plasticizer on the mechanical properties. Further crystallization of normal maize TPS by HTT increased the tensile strength and Young's modulus, while decreasing the elongation at break. The results suggest that the crystallinity from the remaining ungelatinized starch granules has less significant effect on the mechanical properties than that resulting from starch recrystallization, possibly due to a stronger network from leached-out amylose surrounding the remaining starch granules. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic estimation of crystallinity in ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    We present here optical properties and crystallinity index of quartz (SiO2) in natural rocks samples from the Mikir and Khasi hills, Assam, India. Infrared spectroscopy has been used to study the structure of quartz in rock samples and estimate the mining quality of quartz mineral, which is substantiated by calculating the ...

  20. A comparative study of the metastable equilibrium solubility behavior of high-crystallinity and low-crystallinity carbonated apatites using pH and solution strontium as independent variables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heslop, D D; Bi, Y; Baig, A A; Otsuka, M; Higuchi, W I

    2005-09-01

    Using solution strontium and pH as independent variables, the metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) behavior of two carbonated apatite (CAP) samples has been examined, a high-crystallinity CAP (properties expected to be similar to dental enamel) and a low-crystallinity CAP (properties expected to be similar to bone mineral). CAP samples were prepared by precipitation/digestion: (CAP A: high-crystallinity, 1.3 wt% CO3, synthesized at 85 degrees C; CAP B: low-crystallinity, 6.4 wt% CO3, synthesized at 50 degrees C). Baseline MES distributions were determined in a series of 0.1 M acetate buffers containing only calcium and phosphate (no strontium) over a broad range of solution conditions. To assess the influence of strontium, MES profiles were determined in a similar fashion with 20, 40, 60, and 80% of the solution calcium being replaced on an equal molar basis by solution strontium. To determine the correct function governing CAP dissolution, ion activity products (IAPs) were calculated from the compositions of buffer solutions based on the hydroxyapatite template (Ca(10-n)Sr(n)(PO4)6(OH)2 (n = 0-10)) and the calcium/hydroxide deficient hydroxyapatite template (Ca(9-n)Sr(n)(HPO4)(PO4)5OH (n = 0-9)). (a) for CAP A, at high solution strontium/calcium ratios, the MES profiles were essentially superimposable when the solution IAPs were calculated using the stoichiometry of Ca6Sr4(PO4)6(OH)2 and for CAP B by a stoichiometry of Ca7Sr2(HPO4)(PO4)5OH; (b) for CAP A, at low strontium/calcium ratios, the stoichiometry yielding MES data superpositioning was found to be that of hydroxyapatite and for CAP B, that of calcium/hydroxide deficient hydroxyapatite. When other stoichiometries were assumed, good superpositioning of the data was not possible.

  1. Effects of irradiation on structural properties of crystalline ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clinard, F.W. Jr.; Hurley, G.F.

    1979-01-01

    Stability of crystalline ceramic nuclear waste may be degraded by self-irradiation damage. Changes in density, strength, thermal conductivity, and lattice structure are of concern. Structural damage of ceramics under various radiation conditions is discussed and related to possible effects in nuclear waste

  2. Single-crystalline AlN growth on sapphire using physical vapor deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardenas-Valencia, Andres M., E-mail: andres.cardenas@sri.co [SRI International (United States); Onishi, Shinzo; Rossie, Benjamin [SRI International (United States)

    2011-02-07

    A novel technique for growing single crystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) films is presented. The novelty of the technique, specifically, comes from the use of an innovative physical vapor deposition magnetron sputtering tool, which embeds magnets into the target material. A relatively high deposition rates is achieved ({approx}0.2 {mu}m/min), at temperatures between 860 and 940 {sup o}C. The AlN, grown onto sapphire, is single-crystalline as evidenced by observation using transmission electron microscopy. Tool configuration and growth conditions are discussed, as well as a first set of other analytical results, namely, x-ray diffraction and ultraviolet-visible transmission spectrophotometry.

  3. Polymer and Polymer Gel of Liquid Crystalline Semiconductors

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Teppei Shimakawa; Naoki Yoshimoto; Jun-ichi Hanna

    2004-01-01

    It prepared a polymer and polymer gel of a liquid crystalline (LC) semiconductor having a 2-phenylnaphthalene moiety and studied their charge carrier transport properties by the time-of-flight technique. It is found that polyacrylate having the mesogenic core moiety of 2-phenylnaphtalene (PNP-acrylate) exhibited a comparable mobility of 10-4cm2/Vs in smectic A phase to those in smectic A (SmA) phase of small molecular liquid crystals with the same core moiety, e.g., 6-(4'-octylphenyl)- 2-dodecyloxynaphthalene (8-PNP-O12), and an enhanced mobility up to 10-3cm2/Vs in the LC-glassy phase at room temperature, when mixed with a small amount of 8-PNP-O12. On the other hand, the polymer gel consisting of 20 wt %-hexamethylenediacrylate (HDA)-based cross-linked polymer and 8-PNP-O12 exhibited no degraded mobility when cross-linked at the mesophase. These results indicate that the polymer and polymer composite of liquid crystalline semiconductors provide us with an easy way to realize a quality organic semiconductor thin film for the immediate device applications.

  4. Thermal and Chemical Stability of Crystalline Silicotitanate Sorbent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, P.A.; Mattus, C.H.

    1999-01-01

    The Savannah River Site (SRS) is evaluating technologies for removing cesium-137 (137Cs) from the supemate solutions stored in the high-level waste tanks at the site. Crystalline silicotitanate sorbent (IONSIV IE-9 1 lo, UOP Molecular Sieves; Mount Laurel, NJ) is very effective for removing cesium from high-salt solution, such as the SRS supemates, and is currently being used at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to remove radioactive cesium from similar solutions, Because of the extremely high loading of 137Cs that would be expected for the large columns of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) that would be used for treating the SRS supemate, any loss of flow or cooling to the columns could result in high temperatures within the column from radiolytic heating. The ability of CST to retain previously loaded cesium while in contact with SRS tank supemates at various temperatures was determined by performing bench scale simulant tests using CST samples that were loaded with stable cesium and radi oactive cesium tracer. These results were compared with those obtained from loading tests at the same temperatures

  5. Crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition in irradiated silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seidman, D.N.; Averback, R.S.; Okamoto, P.R.; Baily, A.C.

    1986-01-01

    The amorphous(a)-to-crystalline (c) phase transition has been studied in electron(e - ) and/or ion irradiated silicon (Si). The irradiations were performed in situ in the Argonne High Voltage Microscope-Tandem Facility. The irradiation of Si, at 0 K, with 1-MeV e - to a fluence of 14 dpa failed to induce the c-to-a transition. Whereas an irradiation, at 0 K, with 1.0 or 1.5-MeV Kr+ ions induced the c-to-a transition by a fluence of approx.0.37 dpa. Alternatively a dual irradiation, at 10 0 K, with 1.0-MeV e - and 1.0 or 1.5-MeV Kr+ to a Kr+ fluence of 1.5 dpa - where the ratio of the displacement rates for e - to ions was approx.0.5 - resulted in the Si specimen retaining a degree of crystallinity. These results are discussed in terms of the degree of dispersion of point defects in the primary state of damage and the mobilities of point defects

  6. Effect of 60 Co gamma radiation on crystalline proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernardes, D.M.L.

    1991-01-01

    In order to study the effects of 6 0 Co gamma radiation on crystalline proteins an in vitro system was set up. For that, aqueous solutions from bovine crystalline were used irradiated with 0, 5.000, 10.000, 15.000, 20.000 and 25.000 Gy. The treatment led to protein alterations determined by different methods. By turbidimetry the formation of aggregates that increased with the radiation dose was revealed. The same observation was done from viscosity data and from the UV spectrum of the samples. From amino acid analysis and fluorimetry determinations, tryptophan appeared as the most sensitive amino acid. An increase in the free-S H-groups was also observed. After the standardization of the method, the radio modifier capability of glutathione, amino ethyl thiourea, mercapto ethyl alanine and dimethyl sulfoxide was tested. The results showed that in the presence of those substances the radiation effect was diminished. (author)

  7. Thermal expansion behavior of fluor-chlorapatite crystalline solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hovis, G.; Harlov, D.; Gottschalk, M.; Hudacek, W.; Wildermuth, S.

    2009-04-01

    the fluor-chlorapatite series is little affected by composition. This contrasts with relationships in alkali feldspars (Hovis and coworkers, 1997, 1999), which show that K-rich feldspars expand less than Na-rich feldspars. It contrasts also with the behavior of additional AlSi3 feldspars (Hovis and others, 2008), in which room-temperature chemical expansion limits the degree to which the structure can expand thermally. It also differs from expansion in kalsilite crystalline solutions (Hovis and coworkers, 2003, 2006), which depends on K:Na ratio. Among the minerals we have studied previously, only nepheline displays expansion behavior similar to that of fluor-chlorapatite crystalline solutions in that thermal expansion shows little sensitivity to composition. In AlSi3 feldspars and kalsilite one observes a single crystallographically distinct alkali site and a dominating SiO4 tetrahedral framework that limits the vibrational characteristics of the alkali-site occupant(s). Fluor-chlorapatite crystalline solutions have no such structural framework. Moreover, the anion site in the latter changes structural character in the transition from fluorapatite to chlorapatite. This flexibility apparently allows anion vibrational characteristics, coupled with those of Ca polyhedral components, to change continuously and in a compensating manner across the series. The thermal expansion data also imply that volumes of F-Cl mixing in fluor-chlorapatite are constant from room temperature to 1000 °C. References: Cherniak, D.J. (2000) Rare earth element diffusion in apatite. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 64, 3871-3885. Harlov, D.E. and Förster, H-J. (2002) High grade fluid metasomatism on both a local and regional Scale: the Seward Peninsula, Alaska and the Ivrea-Verbano Zone, Northern Italy Part II: phosphate mineral chemistry. Journal of Petrology 43, 801-824. Holland, T.J.B. and Redfern, S.A.T. (1997) Unit-cell refinement: Changing the dependent variable, and use of regression

  8. Crystalline polymorphism induced by charge regulation in ionic membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Cheuk-Yui; Palmer, Liam C; Kewalramani, Sumit; Qiao, Baofu; Stupp, Samuel I; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica; Bedzyk, Michael J

    2013-10-08

    The crystallization of molecules with polar and hydrophobic groups, such as ionic amphiphiles and proteins, is of paramount importance in biology and biotechnology. By coassembling dilysine (+2) and carboxylate (-1) amphiphiles of various tail lengths into bilayer membranes at different pH values, we show that the 2D crystallization process in amphiphile membranes can be controlled by modifying the competition of long-range and short-range interactions among the polar and the hydrophobic groups. The pH and the hydrophobic tail length modify the intermolecular packing and the symmetry of their crystalline phase. For hydrophobic tail lengths of 14 carbons (C14), we observe the coassembly into crystalline bilayers with hexagonal molecular ordering via in situ small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. As the tail length increases, the hexagonal lattice spacing decreases due to an increase in van der Waals interactions, as demonstrated by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. For C16 and C18 we observe a reentrant crystalline phase transition sequence, hexagonal-rectangular-C-rectangular-P-rectangular-C-hexagonal, as the solution pH is increased from 3 to 10.5. The stability of the rectangular phases, which maximize tail packing, increases with increasing tail length. As a result, for very long tails (C22), the possibility of observing packing symmetries other than rectangular-C phases diminishes. Our work demonstrates that it is possible to systematically exchange chemical and mechanical energy by changing the solution pH value within a range of physiological conditions at room temperature in bilayers of molecules with ionizable groups.

  9. Massachusetts' participation in the US Department of Energy's Crystalline Repository Project: Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-12-01

    The purpose of this report is to review activities of the Crystalline Rock Project in Massachusetts, the context in which it arose, and the implications and possibilities of future federal policy decisions on the siting of a high-level waste repository in a crystalline rock body. Although Massachusetts has been eliminated from consideration, there are still issues of concern to be resolved regarding the potential impacts upon Massachusetts if a site were ever to be chosen in New England

  10. Massachusetts' participation in the US Department of Energy's Crystalline Repository Project: Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dukakis, M.S.; Johnston, P.W.; Walker, B. Jr.

    1986-12-01

    The purpose of this report is to review activities of the Crystalline Rock Project (CRP) in Massachusetts, the context in which it arose, and the implications and possibilities of future federal policy decisions on the siting of a HLW repository in a crystalline rock body. Although Massachusetts has been eliminated from consideration, there are still issues of concern to be resolved regarding the potential impacts upon Massachusetts if a site were ever to be chosen in New England

  11. Crystalline and amorphous rare-earth metallic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burzo, E.

    1975-01-01

    During the last years the study of magnetic behaviour of rare-earth (or yttrium) compounds with cobalt and iron has growth of interest. This interest of justified by a large area of experimental and theoretical problems coming into being in the study of some rare-earth materials as well as in their technical applications. In the last three years a great number of new rare earth materials were studied and also new models explaining the magnetic behaviour of these systems have been used. In this paper we refer especially to some typical systems in order to analyse the magnetic behaviour of iron and cobalt and also the part played by the magnetic interactions in the values of the cobalt or iron moments. The model used will be generally the molecular field model. In the second chapter we present comparatively the structure of crystalline and amorphous compounds for further correlation with the magnetic properties. In chapter III we analyse the magnetic interactions in some crystalline and amorphous rare-earth alloys. Finally, we exemplify the ways in which we ensure better requried characteristics by the technical utilizations of these materials. These have in view the modifications of the magnetic interactions and are closely related with the analysis made in chapter III

  12. XRD and FTIR crystallinity indices in sound human tooth enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reyes-Gasga, José, E-mail: jreyes@fisica.unam.mx [Instituto de Física, UNAM, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n., Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, México, D.F. (Mexico); Martínez-Piñeiro, Esmeralda L., E-mail: esmemapi@gmail.com [Instituto de Física, UNAM, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n., Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, México, D.F. (Mexico); Rodríguez-Álvarez, Galois, E-mail: galoisborre@yahoo.com [Instituto de Física, UNAM, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n., Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, México, D.F. (Mexico); Tiznado-Orozco, Gaby E., E-mail: gab0409@yahoo.com.mx [Unidad Académica de Odontología, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Edificio E7, Ciudad de la Cultura “Amado Nervo”, C.P. 63190 Tepic, Nayarit (Mexico); García-García, Ramiro, E-mail: ramiro@fisica.unam.mx [Instituto de Física, UNAM, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n., Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, México, D.F. (Mexico); and others

    2013-12-01

    The crystallinity index (CI) is a measure of the percentage of crystalline material in a given sample and it is also correlated to the degree of order within the crystals. In the literature two ways are reported to measure the CI: X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. Although the CI determined by these techniques has been adopted in the field of archeology as a structural order measure in the bone with the idea that it can help e.g. in the sequencing of the bones in chronological and/or stratigraphic order, some debate remains about the reliability of the CI values. To investigate similarities and differences between the two techniques, the CI of sound human tooth enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAP) was measured in this work by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), at room temperature and after heat treatment. Although the (CI){sub XRD} index is related to the crystal structure of the samples and the (CI){sub FTIR} index is related to the vibration modes of the molecular bonds, both indices showed similar qualitative behavior for heat-treated samples. At room temperature, the (CI){sub XRD} value indicated that enamel is more crystalline than synthetic HAP, while (CI){sub FTIR} indicated the opposite. Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) images were also used to corroborate the measured CI values. - Highlights: • XRD and FTIR crystallinity indices for tooth enamel and synthetic HAP were obtained. • SEM and TEM images were more correlated with (CI){sub XRD} than with (CI){sub FTIR}. • Regardless of the temperature, (CI){sub XRD} and (CI){sub FTIR} showed similar behavior. • XRD and FTIR crystallinity indices resulted in a fast and qualitative measurement.

  13. Infectious crystalline keratopathy caused by Cladosporium sp. after penetrating keratoplasty: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stock RA

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Ricardo Alexandre Stock,1 Elcio Luiz Bonamigo,2 Emeline Cadore,3 Rafael Allan Oechsler4 1Corneal Transplant Section, Santa Terezinha University Hospital, 2Department of Ophthalmology and Bioethics, 3University of Western Santa Catarina, Joaçaba, 4Cornea Department, Oftalmo Center Blumenau, Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil Background: Infectious crystalline keratopathy is a rare, progressive infection characterized by the insidious progression of branches and crystalline corneal opacities with minimal or no inflammation. This case report describes the evolution of an infectious crystalline keratopathy caused by Cladosporium sp., which developed after tectonic keratoplasty in a patient with a history of ocular trauma.Case presentation: A 40-year-old Brazilian male was the victim of firework-induced trauma to the left eye, which resulted in a corneal laceration that could not be sutured as well as a severe traumatic cataract. The patient underwent penetrating keratoplasty and phacoemulsification. During postoperative follow-up, another therapeutic keratoplasty was required because unresponsive infectious keratitis was observed. The infiltrate’s characteristics were suggestive of infectious crystalline keratopathy; in particular, the infiltrate was insidious and progressive, and grayish-white branches appeared in the anterior corneal stroma. As different therapies were administered, inflammatory reactions ranging from mild to severe were observed. The infection was unresponsive to typical antifungal drugs. This lack of response most likely occurred due to steroid treatment and the diffuse corneal spread of an atypical microorganism, which was subsequently identified in culture as Cladosporium sp. After the second therapeutic keratoplasty, the patient’s eye integrity was successfully reestablished.Conclusion: This study likely provides the first report describing a case of infectious crystalline keratopathy caused by Cladosporium sp. This case

  14. Induction of Liquid Crystallinity by Self-Assembled Molecular Boxes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Piermattei, A.; Giesbers, M.; Marcelis, A.T.M.; Mendes, E.; Picken, S.J.; Crego-Calama, M.; Reinhoudt, D.N.

    2006-01-01

    In a hierarchical process, three molecules of a calix[4]arene (blue) and six of barbituric or cyanuric acid (green) assemble into double-rosette boxes, which assemble into columns, which in turn assemble into columnar liquid-crystalline phases (see picture). The resulting mesophases have a

  15. Highly selective electrodeposition of sub-10 nm crystalline noble metallic nanorods inside vertically aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xuyang; Wang, Ranran; Wu, Qiang; Zhang, Xiaohua; Yang, Zhaohui; Guo, Jun; Chen, Muzi; Tang, Minghua; Cheng, Yajun; Chu, Haibin

    2016-07-01

    In this paper crystalline noble metallic nanorods including Au and Ag with sub-10 nm diameter, are encapsulated within prealigned and open-ended multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through an electrodeposition method. As the external surface of CNTs has been insulated by the epoxy the CNT channel becomes the only path for the mass transport as well as the nanoreactor for the metal deposition. Highly crystallized Au and Ag2O nanorods parallel to the radial direction of CNTs are confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray powder diffraction spectroscopy. The Ag2O nanorods are formed by air oxidation on the Ag metals and show a single crystalline structure with (111) planes. The Au nanorods exhibit a complex crystalline structure including twin-crystal and lattice dislocation with (111) and (200) planes. These crystalline noble metallic nanostructures may have important applications for nanocatalysts for fuel cells as well as nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices. This method is deemed to benefit the precise deposition of other crystalline nanostructures inside CNTs with a small diameter.

  16. Hemoglobin interactions with αB crystallin: a direct test of sensitivity to protein instability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tyler J W Clark

    Full Text Available As a small stress response protein, human αB crystallin, detects protein destabilization that can alter structure and function to cause self assembly of fibrils or aggregates in diseases of aging. The sensitivity of αB crystallin to protein instability was evaluated using wild-type hemoglobin (HbA and hemoglobin S (HbS, the glutamate-6-valine mutant that forms elongated, filamentous aggregates in sickling red blood cells. The progressive thermal unfolding and aggregation of HbA and HbS in solution at 37°C, 50°C and 55°C was measured as increased light scattering. UV circular dichroism (UVCD was used to evaluate conformational changes in HbA and HbS with time at the selected temperatures. The changes in interactions between αB crystallin and HbA or HbS with temperature were analyzed using differential centrifugation and SDS PAGE at 37°C, 50°C and 55°C. After only 5 minutes at the selected temperatures, differences in the aggregation or conformation of HbA and HbS were not observed, but αB crystallin bound approximately 6% and 25% more HbS than HbA at 37°C, and 50°C respectively. The results confirmed (a the remarkable sensitivity of αB crystallin to structural instabilities at the very earliest stages of thermal unfolding and (b an ability to distinguish the self assembling mutant form of HbS from the wild type HbA in solution.

  17. αB-crystallin is essential for the TGF-β2-mediated epithelial to mesenchymal transition of lens epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahomi, Rooban B; Pantcheva, Mina B; Nagaraj, Ram H

    2016-05-15

    Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2-mediated pathways play a major role in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lens epithelial cells (LECs) during secondary cataract formation, which is also known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Although αB-crystallin is a major protein in LEC, its role in the EMT remains unknown. In a human LEC line (FHL124), TGF-β2 treatment resulted in changes in the EMT-associated proteins at the mRNA and protein levels. This was associated with nuclear localization of αB-crystallin, phosphorylated Smad2 (pSmad2) (S245/250/255), pSmad3 (S423/425), Smad4 and Snail and the binding of αB-crystallin to these transcription factors, all of which were reduced by the down-regulation of αB-crystallin. Expression of the functionally defective R120G mutant of αB-crystallin reduced TGF-β2-induced EMT in LECs of αB-crystallin knockout (KO) mice. Treatment of bovine lens epithelial explants and mouse LEC with TGF-β2 resulted in changes in the EMT-associated proteins at the mRNA and protein levels. This was accompanied by increase in phosphorylation of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) (T202/Y204), p38 MAPK (T180/Y182), protein kinase B (Akt) (S473) and Smad2 when compared with untreated cells. These changes were significantly reduced in αB-crystallin depleted or knocked out LEC. The removal of the fibre cell mass from the lens of wild-type (WT) mice resulted in the up-regulation of EMT-associated genes in the capsule-adherent epithelial cells, which was reduced in the αB-crystallin KO mice. Together, our data show that αB-crystallin plays a central role in the TGF-β2-induced EMT of LEC. αB-Crystallin could be targeted to prevent PCO and pathological fibrosis in other tissues. © 2016 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  18. Singlet exciton interactions in crystalline naphthalene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heisel, F.; Miehe, J.A.; Sipp, B.

    1978-01-01

    The decay of prompt fluorescence in crystalline naphthalene at 300 K, excited by picosecond 266 nm pulse, has been studied as a function of excitation intensity. Experimental decay curves can be fitted only when the exponential distribution in depth of excitation and the radial (gaussian) intensity profile of the excitation are both taken into account. From analysis of decay at early time ( -10 cm 3 s -1 . If the reaction is diffusion-limited, this rate implies an average singlet diffusivity Dsub(S)=(2+-1)10 -4 cm 2 s -1

  19. 77 FR 4764 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-31

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Second... preliminary determination of the countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells... February 13, 2012.\\1\\ \\1\\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules...

  20. 77 FR 37877 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-25

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary... crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules (``solar cells''), from the.... Correction In the Federal Register notice Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled...

  1. Biphenyl liquid crystalline epoxy resin as a low-shrinkage resin-based dental restorative nanocomposite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Sheng-Hao; Chen, Rung-Shu; Chang, Yuan-Ling; Chen, Min-Huey; Cheng, Kuo-Chung; Su, Wei-Fang

    2012-11-01

    Low-shrinkage resin-based photocurable liquid crystalline epoxy nanocomposite has been investigated with regard to its application as a dental restoration material. The nanocomposite consists of an organic matrix and an inorganic reinforcing filler. The organic matrix is made of liquid crystalline biphenyl epoxy resin (BP), an epoxy resin consisting of cyclohexylmethyl-3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate (ECH), the photoinitiator 4-octylphenyl phenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate and the photosensitizer champhorquinone. The inorganic filler is silica nanoparticles (∼70-100 nm). The nanoparticles were modified by an epoxy silane of γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane to be compatible with the organic matrix and to chemically bond with the organic matrix after photo curing. By incorporating the BP liquid crystalline (LC) epoxy resin into conventional ECH epoxy resin, the nanocomposite has improved hardness, flexural modulus, water absorption and coefficient of thermal expansion. Although the incorporation of silica filler may dilute the reinforcing effect of crystalline BP, a high silica filler content (∼42 vol.%) was found to increase the physical and chemical properties of the nanocomposite due to the formation of unique microstructures. The microstructure of nanoparticle embedded layers was observed in the nanocomposite using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. This unique microstructure indicates that the crystalline BP and nanoparticles support each other and result in outstanding mechanical properties. The crystalline BP in the LC epoxy resin-based nanocomposite was partially melted during exothermic photopolymerization, and the resin expanded via an order-to-disorder transition. Thus, the post-gelation shrinkage of the LC epoxy resin-based nanocomposite is greatly reduced, ∼50.6% less than in commercialized methacrylate resin-based composites. This LC epoxy nanocomposite demonstrates good physical and chemical properties and good biocompatibility

  2. Interface-Induced Zeeman-Protected Superconductivity in Ultrathin Crystalline Lead Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yi; Wang, Ziqiao; Zhang, Xuefeng; Liu, Chaofei; Liu, Yongjie; Zhou, Zhimou; Wang, Junfeng; Wang, Qingyan; Liu, Yanzhao; Xi, Chuanying; Tian, Mingliang; Liu, Haiwen; Feng, Ji; Xie, X. C.; Wang, Jian

    2018-04-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) superconducting systems are of great importance for exploring exotic quantum physics. The recent development of fabrication techniques has stimulated studies of high-quality single-crystalline 2D superconductors, where intrinsic properties give rise to unprecedented physical phenomena. Here, we report the observation of Zeeman-type spin-orbit interaction protected superconductivity (Zeeman-protected superconductivity) in 4-monolayer (ML) to 6-ML crystalline Pb films grown on striped incommensurate Pb layers on Si(111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. An anomalously large in-plane critical field far beyond the Pauli limit is detected, which can be attributed to the Zeeman-protected superconductivity due to the in-plane inversion symmetry breaking at the interface. Our work demonstrates that, in superconducting heterostructures, the interface can induce Zeeman-type spin-orbit interactions and modulate the superconductivity.

  3. Crystalline ceramics: Waste forms for the disposal of weapons plutonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ewing, R.C.; Lutze, W.; Weber, W.J.

    1995-05-01

    At present, there are three seriously considered options for the disposition of excess weapons plutonium: (i) incorporation, partial burn-up and direct disposal of MOX-fuel; (ii) vitrification with defense waste and disposal as glass ''logs''; (iii) deep borehole disposal (National Academy of Sciences Report, 1994). The first two options provide a safeguard due to the high activity of fission products in the irradiated fuel and the defense waste. The latter option has only been examined in a preliminary manner, and the exact form of the plutonium has not been identified. In this paper, we review the potential for the immobilization of plutonium in highly durable crystalline ceramics apatite, pyrochlore, monazite and zircon. Based on available data, we propose zircon as the preferred crystalline ceramic for the permanent disposition of excess weapons plutonium

  4. Optical responses in single-crystalline organic microcavities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondo, H.; Yamamoto, Y.; Takeda, A.; Yamamoto, S.; Kurisu, H.

    2008-01-01

    The anisotropic response of cavity polaritons is investigated in an organic microcavity composed of a single-crystalline anthracene film sandwiched between two distributed Bragg reflectors. Upper and lower cavity polariton modes are observed as sharp spectral peaks in the transmission spectra. Dispersion relation for cavity polaritons is obtained as a function of thickness of the thin film. Using this relation, the vacuum Rabi splitting energy for this system is estimated to be 340 meV

  5. Optical responses in single-crystalline organic microcavities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kondo, H. [Department of Physics, Ehime University, Matsuyama, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan)], E-mail: kondo@phys.sci.ehime-u.ac.jp; Yamamoto, Y.; Takeda, A. [Department of Physics, Ehime University, Matsuyama, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Yamamoto, S.; Kurisu, H. [Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8611 (Japan)

    2008-05-15

    The anisotropic response of cavity polaritons is investigated in an organic microcavity composed of a single-crystalline anthracene film sandwiched between two distributed Bragg reflectors. Upper and lower cavity polariton modes are observed as sharp spectral peaks in the transmission spectra. Dispersion relation for cavity polaritons is obtained as a function of thickness of the thin film. Using this relation, the vacuum Rabi splitting energy for this system is estimated to be 340 meV.

  6. University Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics Research and Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ajeet Rohatgi; Vijay Yelundur; Abasifreke Ebong; Dong Seop Kim

    2008-08-18

    The overall goal of the program is to advance the current state of crystalline silicon solar cell technology to make photovoltaics more competitive with conventional energy sources. This program emphasizes fundamental and applied research that results in low-cost, high-efficiency cells on commercial silicon substrates with strong involvement of the PV industry, and support a very strong photovoltaics education program in the US based on classroom education and hands-on training in the laboratory.

  7. Heavy ion irradiation of crystalline water ice. Cosmic ray amorphisation cross-section and sputtering yield

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dartois, E.; Augé, B.; Boduch, P.; Brunetto, R.; Chabot, M.; Domaracka, A.; Ding, J. J.; Kamalou, O.; Lv, X. Y.; Rothard, H.; da Silveira, E. F.; Thomas, J. C.

    2015-04-01

    Context. Under cosmic irradiation, the interstellar water ice mantles evolve towards a compact amorphous state. Crystalline ice amorphisation was previously monitored mainly in the keV to hundreds of keV ion energies. Aims: We experimentally investigate heavy ion irradiation amorphisation of crystalline ice, at high energies closer to true cosmic rays, and explore the water-ice sputtering yield. Methods: We irradiated thin crystalline ice films with MeV to GeV swift ion beams, produced at the GANIL accelerator. The ice infrared spectral evolution as a function of fluence is monitored with in-situ infrared spectroscopy (induced amorphisation of the initial crystalline state into a compact amorphous phase). Results: The crystalline ice amorphisation cross-section is measured in the high electronic stopping-power range for different temperatures. At large fluence, the ice sputtering is measured on the infrared spectra, and the fitted sputtering-yield dependence, combined with previous measurements, is quadratic over three decades of electronic stopping power. Conclusions: The final state of cosmic ray irradiation for porous amorphous and crystalline ice, as monitored by infrared spectroscopy, is the same, but with a large difference in cross-section, hence in time scale in an astrophysical context. The cosmic ray water-ice sputtering rates compete with the UV photodesorption yields reported in the literature. The prevalence of direct cosmic ray sputtering over cosmic-ray induced photons photodesorption may be particularly true for ices strongly bonded to the ice mantles surfaces, such as hydrogen-bonded ice structures or more generally the so-called polar ices. Experiments performed at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) Caen, France. Part of this work has been financed by the French INSU-CNRS programme "Physique et Chimie du Milieu Interstellaire" (PCMI) and the ANR IGLIAS.

  8. On the origin of anisotropic lithiation in crystalline silicon over germanium: A first principles study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chou, Chia-Yun [Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Hwang, Gyeong S., E-mail: gshwang@che.utexas.edu [Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

    2014-12-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We examine the underlying reasons for the anisotropic lithiation of Si over Ge in the crystalline phase. • Crystalline Si is lithiated in a layer-by-layer fashion, yielding a sharp amorphous–crystalline interface. • Lithiated c-Ge exhibits a graded lithiation front, which proceeds much faster than that in c-Si. • Lithiation behavior tends to be subject to the stiffness and dynamics of the host matrix. • We reveal the origin and extended impacts of the anisotropic Si vs. isotropic Ge lithiation. - Abstract: Silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) are both recognized as a promising anode material for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. Si is abundant and best known for its superior gravimetric energy storage capacity, while Ge exhibits faster charge/discharge rates and better capacity retention. Recently, it was discovered that Si lithiation exhibits strong orientation dependence while Ge lithiation proceeds isotropically, although they have the same crystalline structure. To better understand the underlying reasons behind these distinctive differences, we examine and compare the lithiation behaviors at the Li{sub 4}Si/c-Si(1 1 0) and Li{sub 4}Ge/c-Ge(1 1 0) model systems using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. In comparison to lithiated c-Si, where a sharp amorphous–crystalline interface remains and advances rather slowly, lithiated c-Ge tends to loose its crystallinity rapidly, resulting in a graded lithiation front of fast propagation speed. Analysis of the elastic responses and dynamics of the host Si and Ge lattices clearly demonstrate that from the beginning of the lithiation process, Ge lattice responds with more significant weakening as compared to the rigid Si lattice. Moreover, the more flexible Ge lattice is found to undergo facile atomic rearrangements during lithiation, overshadowing the original crystallographic characteristic. These unique properties of Ge thereby contribute synergistically to the rapid

  9. Impact of change of matrix crystallinity and polymorphism on ovalbumin release from lipid-based implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duque, Luisa; Körber, Martin; Bodmeier, Roland

    2018-05-30

    The objectives of this study were to prepare lipid-based implants by hot melt extrusion (HME) for the prolonged release of ovalbumin (OVA), and to relate protein release to crystallinity and polymorphic changes of the lipid matrix. Two lipids, glycerol tristearate and hydrogenated palm oil, with different composition and degree of crystallinity were studied. Solid OVA was dispersed within the lipid matrixes, which preserved its stability during extrusion. This was partially attributed to a protective effect of the lipidic matrix. The incorporation of OVA decreased the mechanical strength of the implants prepared with the more crystalline matrix, glycerol tristearate, whereas it remained comparable for the hydrogenated palm oil because of stronger physical and non-covalent interactions between the protein and this lipid. This was also the reason for the faster release of OVA from the glycerol tristearate matrix when compared to the hydrogenated palm oil (8 vs. 28 weeks). Curing induced and increased crystallinity, and changes in the release rate, especially for the more crystalline matrix. In this case, both an increase and a decrease in release, were observed depending on the tempering condition. Curing at higher temperatures induced a melt-mediated crystallization and solid state transformation of the glycerol tristearate matrix and led to rearrangements of the inner structure with the formation of larger pores, which accelerated the release. In contrast, changes in the hydrogenated palm oil under the same curing conditions were less noticeable leading to a more robust formulation, because of less polymorphic changes over time. This study helps to understand the effect of lipid matrix composition and crystallinity degree on the performance of protein-loaded implants, and to establish criteria for the selection of a lipid carrier depending on the release profile desired. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Numerically modeling Brownian thermal noise in amorphous and crystalline thin coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovelace, Geoffrey; Demos, Nicholas; Khan, Haroon

    2018-01-01

    Thermal noise is expected to be one of the noise sources limiting the astrophysical reach of Advanced LIGO (once commissioning is complete) and third-generation detectors. Adopting crystalline materials for thin, reflecting mirror coatings, rather than the amorphous coatings used in current-generation detectors, could potentially reduce thermal noise. Understanding and reducing thermal noise requires accurate theoretical models, but modeling thermal noise analytically is especially challenging with crystalline materials. Thermal noise models typically rely on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, which relates the power spectral density of the thermal noise to an auxiliary elastic problem. In this paper, we present results from a new, open-source tool that numerically solves the auxiliary elastic problem to compute the Brownian thermal noise for both amorphous and crystalline coatings. We employ the open-source deal.ii and PETSc frameworks to solve the auxiliary elastic problem using a finite-element method, adaptive mesh refinement, and parallel processing that enables us to use high resolutions capable of resolving the thin reflective coating. We verify numerical convergence, and by running on up to hundreds of compute cores, we resolve the coating elastic energy in the auxiliary problem to approximately 0.1%. We compare with approximate analytic solutions for amorphous materials, and we verify that our solutions scale as expected with changing beam size, mirror dimensions, and coating thickness. Finally, we model the crystalline coating thermal noise in an experiment reported by Cole et al (2013 Nat. Photon. 7 644–50), comparing our results to a simpler numerical calculation that treats the coating as an ‘effectively amorphous’ material. We find that treating the coating as a cubic crystal instead of as an effectively amorphous material increases the thermal noise by about 3%. Our results are a step toward better understanding and reducing thermal noise to

  11. Vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption spectroscopy of crystalline and amorphous benzene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dawes, Anita; Pascual, Natalia; Hoffmann, Soren V.

    2017-01-01

    We present the first high resolution vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption study of amorphous benzene with com parisons to annealed crystalline benzene and the gas phase. Vapour deposited benzene layers w ere grow n at 25 K and annealed to 90 K under conditions pertinent to interstellaricy dust grains...

  12. Effects of irradiation on structural properties of crystalline ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clinard, F.W. Jr.; Hurley, G.F.

    1979-01-01

    Stability of crystalline ceramic nuclear waste may be degraded by self-irradiation damage. Changes in density, strength, thermal conductivity, and lattice structure are of concern. In this paper, structural damage of ceramics under various radiation conditions is discussed and related to possible effects in nuclear waste

  13. Three-Dimensional Cataract Crystalline Lens Imaging With Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, Alberto; Benito, Antonio; Manzanera, Silvestre; Mompeán, Juan; Cañizares, Belén; Martínez, David; Marín, Jose María; Grulkowski, Ireneusz; Artal, Pablo

    2018-02-01

    To image, describe, and characterize different features visible in the crystalline lens of older adults with and without cataract when imaged three-dimensionally with a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) system. We used a new SS-OCT laboratory prototype designed to enhance the visualization of the crystalline lens and imaged the entire anterior segment of both eyes in two groups of participants: patients scheduled to undergo cataract surgery, n = 17, age range 36 to 91 years old, and volunteers without visual complains, n = 14, age range 20 to 81 years old. Pre-cataract surgery patients were also clinically graded according to the Lens Opacification Classification System III. The three-dimensional location and shape of the visible opacities were compared with the clinical grading. Hypo- and hyperreflective features were visible in the lens of all pre-cataract surgery patients and in some of the older adults in the volunteer group. When the clinical examination revealed cortical or subcapsular cataracts, hyperreflective features were visible either in the cortex parallel to the surfaces of the lens or in the posterior pole. Other type of opacities that appeared as hyporeflective localized features were identified in the cortex of the lens. The OCT signal in the nucleus of the crystalline lens correlated with the nuclear cataract clinical grade. A dedicated OCT is a useful tool to study in vivo the subtle opacities in the cataractous crystalline lens, revealing its position and size three-dimensionally. The use of these images allows obtaining more detailed information on the age-related changes leading to cataract.

  14. 77 FR 10478 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-22

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Postponement of... determination in the countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not... Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of...

  15. Second amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in Cu60Ti20Zr20 bulk metallic glass

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cao, Q.P.; Li, J.F.; Zhang, P.N.

    2007-01-01

    The second amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in Cu60Ti20Zr20 bulk metallic glass was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray diffractometry. The difference of the Gibbs free energies between the amorphous phase and the crystalline products during the transformation...

  16. Response to state comments on the draft regional characterization reports for the Crystalline Repository Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-11-01

    In May, 1983, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Crystalline Repository Project Office (CPO) issued six draft Regional Characterization Reports (RCRs) for review and comment to the 17 Crystalline States comprising the Northeastern, Southeastern, and North Central crystalline regions. Comment letters were received from 13 of the 17 states. The more than 2000 comments generally focused on the quality and content of the characterization reports and on their intended use in region-to-area screening. These comments were paraphrased and grouped into 23 subjects within the following four topical areas: (1) General and Programmatic; (2) Geologic; (3) Environmental and Socioeconomic; and (4) Editorial. This document provides responses to the comments submitted by the states

  17. A fully packaged micromachined single crystalline resonant force sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cavalloni, C.; Gnielka, M.; Berg, J. von [Kistler Instrumente AG, Winterthur (Switzerland); Haueis, M.; Dual, J. [ETH Zuerich, Inst. of Mechanical Systems, Zuerich (Switzerland); Buser, R. [Interstate Univ. of Applied Science Buchs, Buchs (Switzerland)

    2001-07-01

    In this work a fully packaged resonant force sensor for static load measurements is presented. The working principle is based on the shift of the resonance frequency in response to the applied load. The heart of the sensor, the resonant structure, is fabricated by micromachining using single crystalline silicon. To avoid creep and hysteresis and to minimize temperature induced stress the resonant structure is encapsulated using an all-in-silicon solution. This means that the load coupling, the excitation of the microresonator and the detection of the oscillation signal are integrated in only one single crystalline silicon chip. The chip is packaged into a specially designed housing made of steel which has been designed with respect to application in harsh environments. The unloaded sensor has an initial frequency of about 22,5 kHz. The sensitivity amounts to 26 Hz/N with a linearity error significantly less than 0,5%FSO. (orig.)

  18. Liquid crystalline fiber optic colorimeter for hydrostatic pressure measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolinski, Tomasz R.; Bajdecki, Waldemar K.; Domanski, Andrzej W.; Karpierz, Miroslaw A.; Konopka, Witold; Nasilowski, T.; Sierakowski, Marek W.; Swillo, Marcin; Dabrowski, Roman S.; Nowinowski-Kruszelnicki, Edward; Wasowski, Janusz

    2001-08-01

    This paper presents results of tests performed on a fiber optic system of liquid crystalline transducer for hydrostatic pressure monitoring based on properties of colorimetry. The system employs pressure-induced deformations occurring in liquid crystalline (LC) cells configured in a homogeneous Frederiks geometry. The sensor is compared of a round LC cell placed inside a specially designed pressure chamber. As a light source we used a typical diode operating at red wavelength and modulated using standard techniques. The pressure transducer was connected to a computer with a specially designed interface built on the bas of advanced ADAM modules. Results indicate that the system offers high response to pressure with reduced temperature sensitivity and, depending on the LC cell used, can be adjusted for monitoring of low hydrostatic pressures up to 6 MPa. These studies have demonstrated the feasibility of fiber optic liquid crystal colorimeter for hydrostatic pressure sensing specially dedicated to pipe- lines, mining instrumentation, and process-control technologies.

  19. Microstructure, thermal properties and crystallinity of amadumbe starch nanocrystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukurumbira, Agnes; Mariano, Marcos; Dufresne, Alain; Mellem, John J; Amonsou, Eric O

    2017-09-01

    Amadumbe (Colocasia esculenta), commonly known as taro is a tropical tuber that produces starch-rich underground corms. In this study, the physicochemical properties of starch nanocrystals (SNC) prepared by acid hydrolysis of amadumbe starches were investigated. Two varieties of amadumbe corms were used for starch extraction. Amadumbe starches produced substantially high yield (25%) of SNC's. These nanocrystals appeared as aggregated and individual particles and possessed square-like platelet morphology with size: 50-100nm. FTIR revealed high peak intensities corresponding to OH stretch, CH stretch and H 2 O bending vibrations for SNCs compared to their native starch counterparts. Both the native starch and SNC exhibited the A-type crystalline pattern. However, amadumbe SNCs showed higher degree of crystallinity and slightly reduced melting temperatures than their native starches. Amadumbe SNCs presented similar thermal decomposition property as their native starches. Amadumbe starch nanocrystals may have potential application in biocomposite films due to their square-like platelet morphology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Hydrogen molecules and hydrogen-related defects in crystalline silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukata, N.; Sasaki, S.; Murakami, K.; Ishioka, K.; Nakamura, K. G.; Kitajima, M.; Fujimura, S.; Kikuchi, J.; Haneda, H.

    1997-09-01

    We have found that hydrogen exists in molecular form in crystalline silicon treated with hydrogen atoms in the downstream of a hydrogen plasma. The vibrational Raman line of hydrogen molecules is observed at 4158 cm-1 for silicon samples hydrogenated between 180 and 500 °C. The assignment of the Raman line is confirmed by its isotope shift to 2990 cm-1 for silicon treated with deuterium atoms. The Raman intensity has a maximum for hydrogenation at 400 °C. The vibrational Raman line of the hydrogen molecules is broad and asymmetric. It consists of at least two components, possibly arising from hydrogen molecules in different occupation sites in crystalline silicon. The rotational Raman line of hydrogen molecules is observed at 590 cm-1. The Raman band of Si-H stretching is observed for hydrogenation temperatures between 100 and 500 °C and the intensity has a maximum for hydrogenation at 250 °C.

  1. Quantum coherent transport in SnTe topological crystalline insulator thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Assaf, B. A.; Heiman, D. [Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Katmis, F.; Moodera, J. S. [Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Wei, P. [Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Satpati, B. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India); Zhang, Z. [Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Bennett, S. P.; Harris, V. G. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States)

    2014-09-08

    Topological crystalline insulators (TCI) are unique systems where a band inversion that is protected by crystalline mirror symmetry leads to a multiplicity of topological surface states. Binary SnTe is an attractive lead-free TCI compound; the present work on high-quality thin films provides a route for increasing the mobility and reducing the carrier density of SnTe without chemical doping. Results of quantum coherent magnetotransport measurements reveal a multiplicity of Dirac surface states that are unique to TCI. Modeling of the weak antilocalization shows variations in the extracted number of carrier valleys that reflect the role of coherent intervalley scattering in coupling different Dirac states on the degenerate TCI surface.

  2. Crystalline thin films of transition metal hexacyanochromates grown under Langmuir monolayer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagkar, Nitin; Choudhury, Sipra; Kim, Kyung-Hee; Chowdhury, Prasanta; Lee, Sung-Ik; Yakhmi, J.V.

    2006-01-01

    Crystalline films of cobalt, nickel and iron hexacyanochromates (analogues of Prussian blue) were grown at air-water interface using a surfactant monolayer as a template. These films were transferred on suitable substrates and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry and magnetization measurements. XRD patterns confirmed the formation of oriented crystals in {100} direction for all these films. Magnetization data on nickel and iron hexacyanochromate films indicated ferromagnetic behaviour below Curie temperatures of 72 and 21 K, respectively. The methodology adopted by us to grow crystalline films is useful in obtaining magnetic thin films of analogues of Prussian blue with interesting magnetic properties with respect to transition temperatures and nature of magnetic ordering

  3. Bicontinuous cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles for oral delivery of Doxorubicin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Swarnakar, Nitin K; Thanki, Kaushik; Jain, Sanyog

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: The present study explores the potential of bicontinous cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs) for improving therapeutic potential of doxorubicin. METHODS: Phytantriol based Dox-LCNPs were prepared using hydrotrope method, optimized for various formulation components, process...

  4. Solution-phase synthesis of single-crystalline Fe3O4 magnetic nanobelts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Lili; Chu Ying; Liu Yang; Wang Dan

    2009-01-01

    Single-crystalline Fe 3 O 4 nanobelt was first synthesized on a large scale by a facile and efficient hydrothermal process. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The SAED pattern obtained from a typical individual nanobelt has a highly symmetrical dotted lattice, which reveals the single-crystalline nature of belt-like Fe 3 O 4 . The saturation magnetization of the Fe 3 O 4 nanobelt is higher than the wire, hollow sphere and octahedral structure. Such methods are easy and mild, and could synthesize other metal oxide in such experiment situation

  5. GAGG:ce single crystalline films: New perspective scintillators for electron detection in SEM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bok, Jan; Lalinský, Ondřej; Hanuš, Martin; Onderišinová, Zuzana; Kelar, Jakub; Kučera, Miroslav

    2016-01-01

    Single crystal scintillators are frequently used for electron detection in scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We report gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet (GAGG:Ce) single crystalline films as a new perspective scintillators for the SEM. For the first time, the epitaxial garnet films were used in a practical application: the GAGG:Ce scintillator was incorporated into a SEM scintillation electron detector and it showed improved image quality. In order to prove the GAGG:Ce quality accurately, the scintillation properties were examined using electron beam excitation and compared with frequently used scintillators in the SEM. The results demonstrate excellent emission efficiency of the GAGG:Ce single crystalline films together with their very fast scintillation decay useful for demanding SEM applications. - Highlights: • First practical application of epitaxial garnet films demonstrated in SEM. • Improved image quality of SEM equipped with GAGG:Ce single crystalline thin film scintillator. • Scintillation properties of GAGG:Ce films compared with standard bulk crystal scintillators.

  6. 77 FR 14732 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-13

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Postponement of... of an antidumping duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not... currently due no later than March 27, 2012. \\1\\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not...

  7. 76 FR 81914 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-29

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Postponement of... investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from the People..., 2012. \\1\\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the...

  8. Identification of crystalline structures using Moessbauer parameters and artificial neural network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salles, E.O.T.; Souza Junior, P.A. De; Garg, V.K.

    1995-01-01

    Moessbauer spectroscopy is a useful technique for characterizing the valences, electronic and magnetic states, coordination symmetric and site occupancies of Fe cations. The Moessbauer parameters of Isomer Shift (I.S.) and Quadrupole Splitting (Q.S.) are useful to distinguish paramagnetic ferrous and ferric ions in several substances, while the internal magnetic field provides information on the crystallinity. A correlation is being sought between Moessbauer parameters and several structure properties of some iron-containing minerals using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Distinct regions of crystalline structures are defined when any two parameters are plotted, but in several cases superposition of these regions leads to erroneous conclusions. We have tried to eliminate this difficulty by using convenient axes. These axes form n-dimensional vectors as input to our ANN. In recent years ANN has shown to be a powerful technique to solve problems as pattern recognition, optimization, preview ups and downs in stock market, automatic control and identification of a mineral from a Moessbauer spectrum of Moessbauer data bank. Using ANN we have been successful in identification of crystalline structures from plots of Moessbauer spectral parameters of I.S., Q.S., and structure using Moessbauer parameters of I.S., Q.S., and polyhedral volume of a coordination site are presented. (author) 28 refs.; 4 figs.; 2 tabs

  9. Use of low-frequency Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics for the quantification of crystallinity in amorphous griseofulvin tablets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mah, Pei T.; Fraser, Sara J.; Reish, Matthew E.

    2015-01-01

    in stored amorphous samples earlier than the mid-frequency 785 nm Raman system. Overall, this study suggests that low-frequency Raman spectroscopy has at least equally good performance compared to mid-frequency Raman for quantitative analysis of crystallinity in the pharmaceutical setting. More generally......Low-frequency Raman spectroscopy, which directly probes phonon lattice modes of crystal structures, has much unexplored potential for sensitive qualitative and quantitative analysis of crystallinity in drugs and excipients. In this study, the level of crystallinity in tablets containing amorphous...

  10. Raman crystallinity and Hall Effect studies of microcrystalline silicon ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aluminium induced crystallization (AIC) was used to crystallize sputtered amorphous silicon thin films on aluminium‐coated glass at annealing temperatures ranging from 250‐520°C in vacuum. Crystalline volume fractions were measured by Raman spectrometry as a function of annealing temperature. It was shown that the ...

  11. Propagation of plasmons in designed single crystalline silver nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kumar, Shailesh; Lu, Ying-Wei; Huck, Alexander

    2012-01-01

    We demonstrate propagation of plasmons in single crystalline silver nanostructures fabricated using a combination of a bottom-up and a top-down approach. Silver nanoplates of thickness around 65 nm and a surface area of about 100 μm2 are made using a wet chemical method. Silver nanotips...

  12. STM, SECPM, AFM and Electrochemistry on Single Crystalline Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich Stimming

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Scanning probe microscopy (SPM techniques have had a great impact on research fields of surface science and nanotechnology during the last decades. They are used to investigate surfaces with scanning ranges between several 100 mm down to atomic resolution. Depending on experimental conditions, and the interaction forces between probe and sample, different SPM techniques allow mapping of different surface properties. In this work, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM in air and under electrochemical conditions (EC-STM, atomic force microscopy (AFM in air and scanning electrochemical potential microscopy (SECPM under electrochemical conditions, were used to study different single crystalline surfaces in electrochemistry. Especially SECPM offers potentially new insights into the solid-liquid interface by providing the possibility to image the potential distribution of the surface, with a resolution that is comparable to STM. In electrocatalysis, nanostructured catalysts supported on different electrode materials often show behavior different from their bulk electrodes. This was experimentally and theoretically shown for several combinations and recently on Pt on Au(111 towards fuel cell relevant reactions. For these investigations single crystals often provide accurate and well defined reference and support systems. We will show heteroepitaxially grown Ru, Ir and Rh single crystalline surface films and bulk Au single crystals with different orientations under electrochemical conditions. Image studies from all three different SPM methods will be presented and compared to electrochemical data obtained by cyclic voltammetry in acidic media. The quality of the single crystalline supports will be verified by the SPM images and the cyclic voltammograms. Furthermore, an outlook will be presented on how such supports can be used in electrocatalytic studies.

  13. Reactions and Interactions in Liquid Crystalline Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-10-30

    nematic lyophases of potassium laurate, myristyl tri methylammonium bromide or sodium decylsulfate with 1-decanol and 23 water. A strong retardation of the...crystalline polyacrylate crosslinked elastomers were synthesized. 198c 0 0 96 0 0 0O-(CH12 ) 2 -0O(k 97 Crosslinking, up to 10% of structural units produced...in their isotropic state and they work as the transporting phase for the azo-crown ether molecules. The permeation of K+ from a potassium p

  14. Near-infrared emission from mesoporous crystalline germanium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boucherif, Abderraouf; Aimez, Vincent; Arès, Richard, E-mail: richard.ares@usherbrooke.ca [Institut Interdisciplinaire d’Innovation Technologique (3IT), Université de Sherbrooke, 3000 Boulevard Université, Sherbrooke, J1K OA5, Québec (Canada); Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, 3000 Boulevard Université, Sherbrooke, J1K OA5, Québec (Canada); Korinek, Andreas [Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy, Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4M1 (Canada)

    2014-10-15

    Mesoporous crystalline germanium was fabricated by bipolar electrochemical etching of Ge wafer in HF-based electrolyte. It yields uniform mesoporous germanium layers composed of high density of crystallites with an average size 5-7 nm. Subsequent extended chemical etching allows tuning of crystallites size while preserving the same chemical composition. This highly controllable nanostructure exhibits photoluminescence emission above the bulk Ge bandgap, in the near-infrared range (1095-1360nm) with strong evidence of quantum confinement within the crystallites.

  15. Extracellular requirements for the endocytosis of carcinogenic crystalline nickel sulfide particles by facultative phagocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heck, J.D.; Costa, M.

    1982-01-01

    Various culture medium components were examined for their effect upon the phagocytosis of carcinogenic crystalline and non-carcinogenic amorphous NiS by cultured fibroblastic cells using both a visual and radioactive assay for phagocytosis. Crystalline 63 NiS was phagocytosed by cells in a simple salts/glucose maintenance medium to an extent similar to that observed in complex culture medium fortified with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), suggesting that serum proteins and other components in complex culture medium exert little influence upon the uptake of these heavy metal particles. Phagocytosis of crystalline NiS was shown to be highly dependent upon Ca 2+ since omission of Ca 2+ from the salts/glucose medium substantially reduced phagocytosis, while readdition of Ca 2+ stimulated uptake in a concentration-dependent manner. The uptake of the NiS particles was inhibited by trifluoperazine, a calmodulin antagonist, implicating intracellular Ca 2+ in this phagocytosis process. Since the opposite surface charge of crystalline and amorphous NiS has been related to their different phagocytic uptake by cells whose primary function is not phagocytosis (facultative phagocytes), these results show that the culture medium components do not modify the surface charge of these particles in a way that significantly influences their uptake. (Auth.)

  16. Region-to-area screening methodology for the Crystalline Repository Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-04-01

    The purpose of this document is to describe the Crystalline Repository Project's (CRP) process for region-to-area screening of exposed and near-surface crystalline rock bodies in the three regions of the conterminous United States where crystalline rock is being evaluated as a potential host for the second nuclear waste repository (i.e., in the North Central, Northeastern, and Southeastern Regions). This document indicates how the US Department of Energy's (DOE) General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories (10 CFR 960) were used to select and apply factors and variables for the region-to-area screening, explains how these factors and variable are to be applied in the region-to-area screening, and indicates how this methodology relates to the decision process leading to the selection of candidate areas. A brief general discussion of the screening process from the national survey through area screening and site recommendation is presented. This discussion sets the scene for detailed discussions which follow concerning the region-to-area screening process, the guidance provided by the DOE Siting Guidelines for establishing disqualifying factors and variables for screening, and application of the disqualifying factors and variables in the screening process. This document is complementary to the regional geologic and environmental characterization reports to be issued in the summer of 1985 as final documents. These reports will contain the geologic and environmental data base that will be used in conjunction with the methodology to conduct region-to-area screening

  17. Thermotropic liquid crystalline polyazomethine nanocomposites via in situ interlayer polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Ungki; Chang, Jin-Hae

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Nanocomposites of polyazomethine with the organoclay C 12 -MMT were synthesized by using the in situ interlayer polymerization method. → The thermal properties of the polyazomethine hybrids increase with the addition of the organoclay up to a critical content and then decrease with further organoclay loading. → Liquid crystalline compositions with 0-9 wt% organoclay have threaded Schlieren nematic textures. - Abstract: Nanocomposites of polyazomethine (PAM) with the organoclay C 12 -MMT were synthesized by using the in situ interlayer polymerization method. The variations with organoclay content of the thermal properties, morphology, and liquid crystalline mesophases of the hybrids were determined for concentrations from 0 to 9 wt% C 12 -MMT. The thermal properties and the morphologies of the PAM nanocomposites were examined by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), wide angle X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The XRD analysis and TEM micrographs show that the levels of nanosize dispersion can be controlled by varying the C 12 -MMT content. The clay particles are better dispersed in the matrix polymer at low clay contents than at high clay contents. With the exception of the glass transition temperature (T g ), the maximum enhancement in the thermal properties was found to arise at an organoclay content of 1 wt%. Further, the PAM hybrids were shown to exhibit a nematic liquid crystalline phase for organoclay contents in the range 0-9 wt%.

  18. Analysis of dose to crystalline in Interventional radiology: a purpose of one case

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carrera M, F.; Moreno R, F.; Velazquez M, F.; Manzano M, F.J.; Moreno S, T.

    1998-01-01

    The present work shows the dose values to crystalline for the personnel which works in interventional radiology procedures. It was took data of 436 studies with a total of 2,133.4 minutes in fluoroscopy and 19,563 images. It was showed dose values to crystalline in three situations: without blinding, with blinding of 0.25 and 0.50 mm Pb and by type of study: fluoroscopy, graphie and total. The dose means and ranges to patient for each of these studies also are detailed. (Author)

  19. Effect of extrusion temperature and moisture content of corn flour on crystallinity and hardness of rice analogues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budi, Faleh Setia; Hariyadi, Purwiyatno; Budijanto, Slamet; Syah, Dahrul

    2015-12-01

    Rice analogues are food products made of broken rice and/or any other carbohydrate sources to have similar texture and shape as rice. They are usually made by hot extrusion processing. The hot extrusion process may change the crystallinity of starch and influence the characteristic of rice analogues. Therefore, this research aimed to study the effect of moisture content of incoming dough and temperature of extrusion process on the crystallinity and hardness of resulting rice analogues. The dough's were prepared by mixing of corn starch-flour with ratio 10/90 (w/w) and moisture content of 35%, 40% and 45% (w/w) and extrusion process were done at temperature of 70, 80, 90°C by using of twin screw extruder BEX-DS-2256 Berto. The analyses were done to determine the type of crystal, degree of crystallinity, and hardness of the resulting rice analogues. Our result showed that the enhancement of extrusion temperature from 70 - 90°C increased degree of crystallinity from 5.86 - 15.00% to 10.70 - 18.87% and hardness from 1.71 - 4.36 kg to 2.05 - 5.70 kg. The raising of dough moisture content from 35 - 45% decreased degree of crystallinity from 15.00 - 18.87% to 5.86 - 10.70% and hardness from 4.36 - 5.70 kg to 1.71 - 2.05 kg. The increase of degree of crystallinity correlated positively with the increase of hardness of rice analogues (r = 0.746, p = 0.05).

  20. Dynamical structure analysis of crystalline-state reaction and elucidation of chemical reactivity in crystalline environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohashi, Yuji

    2010-01-01

    It was found that a chiral alkyl group bonded to the cobalt atom in a cobalt complex crystal was racemized with retention of the single crystal form on exposure to visible light. Such reactions, which are called crystalline-state reactions, have been found in a variety of cobalt complex crystals. The concept of reaction cavity was introduced to explain the reaction rate quantitatively and the chirality of the photo-product. The new diffractometers and detectors were made for rapid data collection. The reaction mechanism was also elucidated using neutron diffraction analysis. The unstable reaction intermediates were analyzed using cryo-trapping method. The excited-state structures were obtained at the equilibrium state between ground and excited states. (author)

  1. Nonlinear optics of liquid crystalline materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khoo, Iam Choon

    2009-01-01

    Liquid crystals occupy an important niche in nonlinear optics as a result of their unique physical and optical properties. Besides their broadband birefringence and transparency, abilities to self-assemble into various crystalline phases and to conform to various flexible forms and shapes, liquid crystals are compatible with almost all other optoelectronic materials and technology platforms. In both isotropic and ordered phases, liquid crystals possess extraordinarily large optical nonlinearities that stretch over multiple time scales. To date, almost all conceivable nonlinear optical phenomena have been observed in a very broad spectrum spanning the entire visible to infrared and beyond. In this review, we present a self-contained complete discussion of the optical nonlinearities of liquid crystals, and a thorough review of a wide range of nonlinear optical processes and phenomena enabled by these unique properties. Starting with a brief historical account of the development of nonlinear optical studies of the mesophases of liquid crystals, we then review various liquid crystalline materials and structures, and their nonlinear optical properties. Emphasis is placed on the nematic phase, which best exemplifies the dual nature of liquid crystals, although frequent references to other phases are also made. We also delve into recent work on novel structures such as photonic crystals, metamaterials and nanostructures and their special characteristics and emergent properties. The mechanisms and complex nonlocal dynamics of optical nonlinearities associated with laser induced director axis reorientation, thermal, density, and order parameter fluctuations, space charge field formation and photorefractivity are critically reviewed as a foundation for the discussions of various nonlinear optical processes detailed in this paper

  2. Interface-Induced Zeeman-Protected Superconductivity in Ultrathin Crystalline Lead Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Liu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Two-dimensional (2D superconducting systems are of great importance for exploring exotic quantum physics. The recent development of fabrication techniques has stimulated studies of high-quality single-crystalline 2D superconductors, where intrinsic properties give rise to unprecedented physical phenomena. Here, we report the observation of Zeeman-type spin-orbit interaction protected superconductivity (Zeeman-protected superconductivity in 4-monolayer (ML to 6-ML crystalline Pb films grown on striped incommensurate Pb layers on Si(111 substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. An anomalously large in-plane critical field far beyond the Pauli limit is detected, which can be attributed to the Zeeman-protected superconductivity due to the in-plane inversion symmetry breaking at the interface. Our work demonstrates that, in superconducting heterostructures, the interface can induce Zeeman-type spin-orbit interactions and modulate the superconductivity.

  3. Controlling growth density and patterning of single crystalline silicon nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Tung-Hao; Chang, Yu-Cheng; Liu, Fu-Ken; Chu, Tieh-Chi

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the usage of well-patterned Au nanoparticles (NPs) as a catalyst for one-dimensional growth of single crystalline Si nanowires (NWs) through the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. The study reports the fabrication of monolayer Au NPs through the self-assembly of Au NPs on a 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS)-modified silicon substrate. Results indicate that the spin coating time of Au NPs plays a crucial role in determining the density of Au NPs on the surface of the silicon substrate and the later catalysis growth of Si NWs. The experiments in this study employed optical lithography to pattern Au NPs, treating them as a catalyst for Si NW growth. The patterned Si NW structures easily produced and controlled Si NW density. This approach may be useful for further studies on single crystalline Si NW-based nanodevices and their properties.

  4. A review of numerical techniques approaching microstructures of crystalline rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yahui; Wong, Louis Ngai Yuen

    2018-06-01

    The macro-mechanical behavior of crystalline rocks including strength, deformability and failure pattern are dominantly influenced by their grain-scale structures. Numerical technique is commonly used to assist understanding the complicated mechanisms from a microscopic perspective. Each numerical method has its respective strengths and limitations. This review paper elucidates how numerical techniques take geometrical aspects of the grain into consideration. Four categories of numerical methods are examined: particle-based methods, block-based methods, grain-based methods, and node-based methods. Focusing on the grain-scale characters, specific relevant issues including increasing complexity of micro-structure, deformation and breakage of model elements, fracturing and fragmentation process are described in more detail. Therefore, the intrinsic capabilities and limitations of different numerical approaches in terms of accounting for the micro-mechanics of crystalline rocks and their phenomenal mechanical behavior are explicitly presented.

  5. Durable crystalline Si photovoltaic modules based on silicone-sheet encapsulants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Kohjiro; Ohwada, Hiroto; Furihata, Tomoyoshi; Masuda, Atsushi

    2018-02-01

    Crystalline Si photovoltaic (PV) modules were fabricated with sheets of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (silicone) as an encapsulant. The long-term durability of the silicone-encapsulated PV modules was experimentally investigated. The silicone-based modules enhanced the long-term durability against potential-induced degradation (PID) and a damp-heat (DH) condition at 85 °C with 85% relative humidity (RH). In addition, we designed and fabricated substrate-type Si PV modules based on the silicone encapsulant and an Al-alloy plate as the substratum, which demonstrated high impact resistance and high incombustible performance. The high chemical stability, high volume resistivity, rubber-like elasticity, and incombustibility of the silicone encapsulant resulted in the high durability of the modules. Our results indicate that silicone is an attractive encapsulation material, as it improves the long-term durability of crystalline Si PV modules.

  6. Comparison of defects in crystalline oxide semiconductor materials by electron spin resonance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuda, Tokiyoshi; Kimura, Mutsumi

    2015-01-01

    Defects in crystalline InGaZnO 4 (IGZO) induced by plasma were investigated using electron spin resonance (ESR). Thermal stabilities and g factors of two ESR signals (A and B observed at g = 1.939 and 2.003, respectively) in IGZO were different from those of the ESR signals observed in component materials such as Ga 2 O 3 (signal observed at g = 1.969), In 2 O 3 (no signal), and ZnO (signal observed at g = 1.957). Signal A in IGZO increased upon annealing at 300 °C for 1 h, but decreased when annealing was continued for more than 2 h. On the other hand, signal B decreased upon annealing at 300 °C for 1 h. The ESR signal in ZnO decayed in accordance with a second-order decay model with a rate constant of 2.1 × 10 −4 s −1 ; however, this phenomenon was not observed in other materials. This difference might have been due to randomly formed IGZO lattices such as asymmetrical (Ga, Zn)O and In-O layers. Defects in signals A and B in IGZO were formed in trap states (at the deep level) and tail states, respectively

  7. The factor that determines photo-induced crystalline-state reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takenaka, Y.

    1995-01-01

    The photo-induced crystalline-state reaction of cobaloxime complexes were investigated by X-ray diffraction method. The reactivity or the reaction rate is dependent only on the volume of the reaction cavity. The hydrogen bond formation of the reactive group and the difference of the base ligand have no effect. (author)

  8. Probing the inhibitory potency of epigallocatechin gallate against human γB-crystallin aggregation: Spectroscopic, microscopic and simulation studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhury, Susmitnarayan; Dutta, Anirudha; Bag, Sudipta; Biswas, Pranandita; Das, Amit Kumar; Dasgupta, Swagata

    2018-03-01

    Aggregation of human ocular lens proteins, the crystallins is believed to be one of the key reasons for age-onset cataract. Previous studies have shown that human γD-crystallin forms amyloid like fibres under conditions of low pH and elevated temperature. In this article, we have investigated the aggregation propensity of human γB-crystallin in absence and presence of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), in vitro, when exposed to stressful conditions. We have used different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to elucidate the inhibitory effect of EGCG towards aggregation. The experimental results have been substantiated by molecular dynamics simulation studies. We have shown that EGCG possesses inhibitory potency against the aggregation of human γB-crystallin at low pH and elevated temperature.

  9. Crystallins are regulated biomarkers for monitoring topical therapy of glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verena Prokosch

    Full Text Available Optic nerve atrophy caused by abnormal intraocular pressure (IOP remains the most common cause of irreversible loss of vision worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine whether topically applied IOP-lowering eye drugs affect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs and retinal metabolism in a rat model of optic neuropathy. IOP was elevated through cauterization of episcleral veins, and then lowered either by the daily topical application of timolol, timolol/travoprost, timolol/dorzolamide, or timolol/brimonidine, or surgically with sectorial iridectomy. RGCs were retrogradely labeled 4 days prior to enucleation, and counted. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry allowed the identification of IOP-dependent proteomic changes. Genomic changes were scrutinized using microarrays and qRT-PCR. The significant increase in IOP induced by episcleral vein cauterization that persisted until 8 weeks of follow-up in control animals (p<0.05 was effectively lowered by the eye drops (p<0.05. As anticipated, the number of RGCs decreased significantly following 8 weeks of elevated IOP (p<0.05, while treatment with combination compounds markedly improved RGC survival (p<0.05. 2D-PAGE and Western blot analyses revealed an IOP-dependent expression of crystallin cry-βb2. Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses verified the results at the mRNA level. IHC demonstrated that crystallins were expressed mainly in the ganglion cell layer. The data suggest that IOP and either topically applied antiglaucomatous drugs influence crystallin expression within the retina. Neuronal crystallins are thus suitable biomarkers for monitoring the progression of neuropathy and evaluating any neuroprotective effects.

  10. Structure of a Highly Active Cephalopod S-crystallin Mutant: New Molecular Evidence for Evolution from an Active Enzyme into Lens-Refractive Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Wei-Hung; Cheng, Shu-Chun; Liu, Yu-Tung; Wu, Cheng-Guo; Lin, Min-Han; Chen, Chiao-Che; Lin, Chao-Hsiung; Chou, Chi-Yuan

    2016-08-08

    Crystallins are found widely in animal lenses and have important functions due to their refractive properties. In the coleoid cephalopods, a lens with a graded refractive index provides good vision and is required for survival. Cephalopod S-crystallin is thought to have evolved from glutathione S-transferase (GST) with various homologs differentially expressed in the lens. However, there is no direct structural information that helps to delineate the mechanisms by which S-crystallin could have evolved. Here we report the structural and biochemical characterization of novel S-crystallin-glutathione complex. The 2.35-Å crystal structure of a S-crystallin mutant from Octopus vulgaris reveals an active-site architecture that is different from that of GST. S-crystallin has a preference for glutathione binding, although almost lost its GST enzymatic activity. We've also identified four historical mutations that are able to produce a "GST-like" S-crystallin that has regained activity. This protein recapitulates the evolution of S-crystallin from GST. Protein stability studies suggest that S-crystallin is stabilized by glutathione binding to prevent its aggregation; this contrasts with GST-σ, which do not possess this protection. We suggest that a tradeoff between enzyme activity and the stability of the lens protein might have been one of the major driving force behind lens evolution.

  11. Casimir Force Contrast Between Amorphous and Crystalline Phases of AIST

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Torricelli, Gauthier; van Zwol, Peter J.; Shpak, Olex; Palasantzas, George; Svetovoy, Vitaly B.; Binns, Chris; Kooi, Bart J.; Jost, Peter; Wuttig, Matthias

    2012-01-01

    Phase change materials (PCMs) can be rapidly and reversibly switched between the amorphous and crystalline state. The structural transformation is accompanied by a significant change of optical and electronic properties rendering PCMs suitable for rewritable optical data storage and non-volatile

  12. Casimir Force Contrast Between Amorphous and Crystalline Phases of AIST

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Torrichelli, G.; van Zwol, P.J.; Shpak, O.; Palasantzas, G.; Svetovoy, Vitaly; Binns, C.; Kooi, B.J.; Jost, P.; Wittig, M.

    2012-01-01

    Phase change materials (PCMs) can be rapidly and reversibly switched between the amorphous and crystalline state. The structural transformation is accompanied by a signifi cant change of optical and electronic properties rendering PCMs suitable for rewritable optical data storage and nonvolatile

  13. Transformation from amorphous to nano-crystalline SiC thin films ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    phous SiC to cubic nano-crystalline SiC films with the increase in the gas flow ratio. Raman scattering ... Auger electron spectroscopy showed that the carbon incorporation in the .... with a 514 nm Ar+ laser excitation source and the laser.

  14. Effect of hydroxyapatite particle size, morphology and crystallinity on proliferation of colon cancer HCT116 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dey, Sangeeta; Das, Mitun, E-mail: mitun@cgcri.res.in; Balla, Vamsi Krishna

    2014-06-01

    The aim of the present work is to chemically and physically characterize the synthesized Hydroxyapatite (HAp) micro and nanoparticles and to explore the inhibitory effect of nano-HAps on the in vitro growth of human colon cancerous cells HCT116. HAp powder was synthesized using three different routes to achieve micro and nanosized powders, with different morphologies and crystallinity. The synthesized powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The results showed that the average crystallite size of HAp powder varies from 11 nm to 177 nm and respective crystallinity of powder found to be in the range of 0.12 and 0.92. The effect of these physico-chemical properties of HAp powders on human colon cancer HCT116 cells inhibition was determined in vitro. It was found that decreasing the HAp powder crystallite size between 11 nm and 22 nm significantly increases the HCT116 cell inhibition. Our results demonstrate that apart from HAp powder size their crystallinity and morphology also play an important role in cellular inhibition of human colon cancer cells. - Highlights: • Chemically synthesized hydroxyapatite micro and nano-particles with different morphologies and crystallinity. • In vitro cell–material interaction showed that hydroxyapatite nano-particles inhibit colon cancer cells. • Human colon cancer cell inhibition also depends on crystallinity and morphology of HAp powder.

  15. Angle-adjustable density field formulation for the modeling of crystalline microstructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zi-Le; Liu, Zhirong; Huang, Zhi-Feng

    2018-05-01

    A continuum density field formulation with particle-scale resolution is constructed to simultaneously incorporate the orientation dependence of interparticle interactions and the rotational invariance of the system, a fundamental but challenging issue in modeling the structure and dynamics of a broad range of material systems across variable scales. This generalized phase field crystal-type approach is based upon the complete expansion of particle direct correlation functions and the concept of isotropic tensors. Through applications to the modeling of various two- and three-dimensional crystalline structures, our study demonstrates the capability of bond-angle control in this continuum field theory and its effects on the emergence of ordered phases, and provides a systematic way of performing tunable angle analyses for crystalline microstructures.

  16. Production of TiO2 crystalline nanoparticles by laser ablation in ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boutinguiza, M.; Rodriguez-Gonzalez, B.; Val, J. del; Comesaña, R.; Lusquiños, F.; Pou, J.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Nanoparticles of TiO 2 have been obtained by laser ablation of Ti submerged in ethanol using CW laser. ► The use of CW laser contributes to control the size distribution and to complete oxidation. ► The particles formation mechanism is the melting and rapid solidification. - Abstract: TiO 2 nanoparticles have received a special attention due to their applications in many different fields, such as catalysis, biomedical engineering, and energy conversion in solar cells. In this paper we report on the production of TiO 2 nanoparticles by means of a pulsed laser to ablate titanium metallic target submerged in ethanol. The results show that titanium crystalline dioxide nanoparticles can be obtained in a narrow size distribution. Crystalline phases, morphology and optical properties of the obtained colloidal nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV/vis absorption spectroscopy. The produced particles consisted mainly of titanium oxide crystalline nanoparticles showing spherical shape with most diameters ranging from 5 to 50 nm. Nanoparticles are polycrystalline exhibiting the coexistence of the three main phases with the predominance of brookite.

  17. Comparison of the electronic structure of amorphous versus crystalline indium gallium zinc oxide semiconductor: structure, tail states and strain effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Jamblinne de Meux, A; Genoe, J; Heremans, P; Pourtois, G

    2015-01-01

    We study the evolution of the structural and electronic properties of crystalline indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) upon amorphization by first-principles calculation. The bottom of the conduction band (BCB) is found to be constituted of a pseudo-band of molecular orbitals that resonate at the same energy on different atomic sites. They display a bonding character between the s orbitals of the metal sites and an anti-bonding character arising from the interaction between the oxygen and metal s orbitals. The energy level of the BCB shifts upon breaking of the crystal symmetry during the amorphization process, which may be attributed to the reduction of the coordination of the cationic centers. The top of the valence band (TVB) is constructed from anti-bonding oxygen p orbitals. In the amorphous state, they have random orientation, in contrast to the crystalline state. This results in the appearance of localized tail states in the forbidden gap above the TVB. Zinc is found to play a predominant role in the generation of these tail states, while gallium hinders their formation. Last, we study the dependence of the fundamental gap and effective mass of IGZO on mechanical strain. The variation of the gap under strain arises from the enhancement of the anti-bonding interaction in the BCB due to the modification of the length of the oxygen–metal bonds and/or to a variation of the cation coordination. This effect is less pronounced for the amorphous material compared to the crystalline material, making amorphous IGZO a semiconductor of choice for flexible electronics. Finally, the effective mass is found to increase upon strain, in contrast to regular materials. This counterintuitive variation is due to the reduction of the electrostatic shielding of the cationic centers by oxygen, leading to an increase of the overlaps between the metal orbitals at the origin of the delocalization of the BCB. For the range of strain typically met in flexible electronics, the induced

  18. On Positronium Formation in Crystalline and Amorphous Ice at Low Positron Energy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, O. E.

    1986-01-01

    The positronium (Ps) yield for ice, measured by Eldrup et al. using a low-energy positron beam, is discussed in terms of the spur model of Ps formation. The pronounced maxima in the Ps yield for crystalline ice at positron energies below 65 eV are well explained by effects due to energy conservat......The positronium (Ps) yield for ice, measured by Eldrup et al. using a low-energy positron beam, is discussed in terms of the spur model of Ps formation. The pronounced maxima in the Ps yield for crystalline ice at positron energies below 65 eV are well explained by effects due to energy...

  19. Template synthesis of highly crystalline and monodisperse iron oxide pigments of nanosize

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sreeram, Kalarical Janardhanan; Indumathy, Ramasamy; Rajaram, Ananthanarayanan; Nair, Balachandran Unni; Ramasami, Thirumalachari

    2006-01-01

    Synthesis of highly crystalline and monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles is reported. The separation of Fe centers through site-specific binding to a polysaccharide-alginate matrix enables the generation of particles with a monodisperse or narrow size distribution character, resulting in transparent pigments. Site-specific interactions coupled with gel like character of alginate is proposed as the mechanism behind generation of lower particle sizes. Alginate-Fe complexes developed were subjected to heat treatment to provide for crystalline character and development of hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ). Conditions most ideal for achieving monodispersity and lower sizes have been optimized and confirmed through microscopic and photon correlation spectroscopic measurements

  20. Glass-crystalline materials for active waste incorporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulichenko, V.V.; Krylova, N.V.; Vlasov, V.I.; Polyakov, A.S.

    1979-01-01

    This paper presents the results of investigations into the possibility and conditions for using glass-crystalline materials for the incorporation of radionuclides. Materials of a cast pyroxene type that are obtained by smelting calcined wastes with acid blast furnace slags are described. A study was also made of materials of a basalt type prepared from wastes with and without alkali metal salt. Changes in the structure and properties of materials in the process of storage at different temperatures have been studied