Determination of the static spring constant of electrically-driven quartz tuning forks with two freely oscillating prongs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González, Laura; Oria, Roger; Botaya, Luis; Puig-Vidal, Manel; Otero, Jorge

2015-01-01

Quartz tuning forks have become popular in nanotechnology applications, especially as sensors for scanning probe microscopy. The sensor’s spring constant and the oscillation amplitude are required parameters to evaluate the tip-sample forces; however, there is certain controversy within the research community as to how to arrive at a value for the static spring constant of the device when working in shear mode. Here, we present two different methods based on finite element simulations, to determine the value of the spring constant of the sensors: the amplitude and Cleveland methods. The results obtained using these methods are compared to those using the geometrical method, and show that the latter overestimates the spring constant of the device. (paper)

Scanning thermal microscopy based on a quartz tuning fork and a micro-thermocouple in active mode (2ω method)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bontempi, Alexia; Nguyen, Tran Phong; Salut, Roland; Thiery, Laurent; Teyssieux, Damien; Vairac, Pascal

2016-01-01

A novel probe for scanning thermal microscope using a micro-thermocouple probe placed on a Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) is presented. Instead of using an external deflection with a cantilever beam for contact detection, an original combination of piezoelectric resonator and thermal probe is employed. Due to a non-contact photothermal excitation principle, the high quality factor of the QTF allows the probe-to-surface contact detection. Topographic and thermal scanning images obtained on a specific sample points out the interest of our system as an alternative to cantilevered resistive probe systems which are the most spread.

Scanning thermal microscopy based on a quartz tuning fork and a micro-thermocouple in active mode (2ω method).

Science.gov (United States)

Bontempi, Alexia; Nguyen, Tran Phong; Salut, Roland; Thiery, Laurent; Teyssieux, Damien; Vairac, Pascal

2016-06-01

A novel probe for scanning thermal microscope using a micro-thermocouple probe placed on a Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) is presented. Instead of using an external deflection with a cantilever beam for contact detection, an original combination of piezoelectric resonator and thermal probe is employed. Due to a non-contact photothermal excitation principle, the high quality factor of the QTF allows the probe-to-surface contact detection. Topographic and thermal scanning images obtained on a specific sample points out the interest of our system as an alternative to cantilevered resistive probe systems which are the most spread.

Scanning thermal microscopy based on a quartz tuning fork and a micro-thermocouple in active mode (2ω method)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bontempi, Alexia; Nguyen, Tran Phong; Salut, Roland; Thiery, Laurent; Teyssieux, Damien; Vairac, Pascal [FEMTO-ST Institute UMR 6174, Université de Franche-Comté, CNRS, ENSMM, UTBM, 15B Avenue des Montboucons, F-25030 Besançon (France)

2016-06-15

A novel probe for scanning thermal microscope using a micro-thermocouple probe placed on a Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) is presented. Instead of using an external deflection with a cantilever beam for contact detection, an original combination of piezoelectric resonator and thermal probe is employed. Due to a non-contact photothermal excitation principle, the high quality factor of the QTF allows the probe-to-surface contact detection. Topographic and thermal scanning images obtained on a specific sample points out the interest of our system as an alternative to cantilevered resistive probe systems which are the most spread.

Directing the path of light-induced electron transfer at a molecular fork using vibrational excitation

Science.gov (United States)

Delor, Milan; Archer, Stuart A.; Keane, Theo; Meijer, Anthony J. H. M.; Sazanovich, Igor V.; Greetham, Gregory M.; Towrie, Michael; Weinstein, Julia A.

2017-11-01

Ultrafast electron transfer in condensed-phase molecular systems is often strongly coupled to intramolecular vibrations that can promote, suppress and direct electronic processes. Recent experiments exploring this phenomenon proved that light-induced electron transfer can be strongly modulated by vibrational excitation, suggesting a new avenue for active control over molecular function. Here, we achieve the first example of such explicit vibrational control through judicious design of a Pt(II)-acetylide charge-transfer donor-bridge-acceptor-bridge-donor 'fork' system: asymmetric 13C isotopic labelling of one of the two -C≡C- bridges makes the two parallel and otherwise identical donor→acceptor electron-transfer pathways structurally distinct, enabling independent vibrational perturbation of either. Applying an ultrafast UVpump(excitation)-IRpump(perturbation)-IRprobe(monitoring) pulse sequence, we show that the pathway that is vibrationally perturbed during UV-induced electron transfer is dramatically slowed down compared to its unperturbed counterpart. One can thus choose the dominant electron transfer pathway. The findings deliver a new opportunity for precise perturbative control of electronic energy propagation in molecular devices.

A quartz enhanced photo-acoustic gas sensor based on a custom tuning fork and a terahertz quantum cascade laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Patimisco, Pietro; Borri, Simone; Sampaolo, Angelo; Beere, Harvey E; Ritchie, David A; Vitiello, Miriam S; Scamarcio, Gaetano; Spagnolo, Vincenzo

2014-05-07

An innovative quartz enhanced photoacoustic (QEPAS) gas sensing system operating in the THz spectral range and employing a custom quartz tuning fork (QTF) is described. The QTF dimensions are 3.3 cm × 0.4 cm × 0.8 cm, with the two prongs spaced by ∼800 μm. To test our sensor we used a quantum cascade laser as the light source and selected a methanol rotational absorption line at 131.054 cm(-1) (∼3.93 THz), with line-strength S = 4.28 × 10(-21) cm mol(-1). The sensor was operated at 10 Torr pressure on the first flexion QTF resonance frequency of 4245 Hz. The corresponding Q-factor was 74 760. Stepwise concentration measurements were performed to verify the linearity of the QEPAS signal as a function of the methanol concentration. The achieved sensitivity of the system is 7 parts per million in 4 seconds, corresponding to a QEPAS normalized noise-equivalent absorption of 2 × 10(-10) W cm(-1) Hz(-1/2), comparable with the best result of mid-IR QEPAS systems.

Design and Vibration Sensitivity Analysis of a MEMS Tuning Fork Gyroscope with an Anchored Diamond Coupling Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanwei Guan

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new micromachined tuning fork gyroscope (TFG with an anchored diamond coupling mechanism is proposed while the mode ordering and the vibration sensitivity are also investigated. The sense-mode of the proposed TFG was optimized through use of an anchored diamond coupling spring, which enables the in-phase mode frequency to be 108.3% higher than the anti-phase one. The frequencies of the in- and anti-phase modes in the sense direction are 9799.6 Hz and 4705.3 Hz, respectively. The analytical solutions illustrate that the stiffness difference ratio of the in- and anti-phase modes is inversely proportional to the output induced by the vibration from the sense direction. Additionally, FEM simulations demonstrate that the stiffness difference ratio of the anchored diamond coupling TFG is 16.08 times larger than the direct coupling one while the vibration output is reduced by 94.1%. Consequently, the proposed new anchored diamond coupling TFG can structurally increase the stiffness difference ratio to improve the mode ordering and considerably reduce the vibration sensitivity without sacrificing the scale factor.

Quartz enhanced photoacoustic H{sub 2}S gas sensor based on a fiber-amplifier source and a custom tuning fork with large prong spacing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Hongpeng; Liu, Xiaoli; Zheng, Huadan; Yin, Xukun; Ma, Weiguang; Zhang, Lei; Yin, Wangbao; Jia, Suotang [State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China); Sampaolo, Angelo [Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari and Politecnico di Bari, CNR-IFN UOS BARI, Via Amendola 173, Bari 70126 (Italy); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005 (United States); Dong, Lei, E-mail: donglei@sxu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005 (United States); Patimisco, Pietro; Spagnolo, Vincenzo [Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari and Politecnico di Bari, CNR-IFN UOS BARI, Via Amendola 173, Bari 70126 (Italy); Tittel, Frank K. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005 (United States)

2015-09-14

A quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor, employing an erbium-doped fiber amplified laser source and a custom quartz tuning fork (QTF) with its two prongs spaced ∼800 μm apart, is reported. The sensor employs an acoustic micro-resonator (AmR) which is assembled in an “on-beam” QEPAS configuration. Both length and vertical position of the AmR are optimized in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, significantly improving the QEPAS detection sensitivity by a factor of ∼40, compared to the case of a sensor using a bare custom QTF. The fiber-amplifier-enhanced QEPAS sensor is applied to H{sub 2}S trace gas detection, reaching a sensitivity of ∼890 ppb at 1 s integration time, similar to those obtained with a power-enhanced QEPAS sensor equipped with a standard QTF, but with the advantages of easy optical alignment, simple installation, and long-term stability.

SC tuning fork

CERN Document Server

The tuning fork used to modulate the radiofrequency system of the synchro cyclotron (SC) from 1957 to 1973. This piece is an unused spare part. The SC was the 1st accelerator built at CERN. It operated from August 1957 until it was closed down at the end of 1990. In the SC the magnetic field did not change with time, and the particles were accelerated in successive pulses by a radiofrequency voltage of some 20kV which varied in frequency as they spiraled outwards towards the extraction radius. The frequency varied from 30MHz to about 17Mz in each pulse. The tuning fork vibrated at 55MHz in vacuum in an enclosure which formed a variable capacitor in the tuning circuit of the RF system, allowing the RF to vary over the appropriate range to accelerate protons from the centre of the macine up to 600Mev at extraction radius. In operation the tips of the tuning fork blade had an amplitude of movement of over 1 cm. The SC accelerator underwent extensive improvements from 1973 to 1975, including the installation of a...

Development of Tuning Fork Based Probes for Atomic Force Microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Jalilian, Romaneh; Yazdanpanah, Mehdi M.; Torrez, Neil; Alizadeh, Amirali; Askari, Davood

2014-03-01

This article reports on the development of tuning fork-based AFM/STM probes in NaugaNeedles LLC for use in atomic force microscopy. These probes can be mounted on different carriers per customers' request. (e.g., RHK carrier, Omicron carrier, and tuning fork on a Sapphire disk). We are able to design and engineer tuning forks on any type of carrier used in the market. We can attach three types of tips on the edge of a tuning fork prong (i.e., growing Ag2Ga nanoneedles at any arbitrary angle, cantilever of AFM tip, and tungsten wire) with lengths from 100-500 μm. The nanoneedle is located vertical to the fork. Using a suitable insulation and metallic coating, we can make QPlus sensors that can detect tunneling current during the AFM scan. To make Qplus sensors, the entire quartz fork will be coated with an insulating material, before attaching the nanoneedle. Then, the top edge of one prong is coated with a thin layer of conductive metal and the nanoneedle is attached to the fork end of the metal coated prong. The metal coating provides electrical connection to the tip for tunneling current readout and to the electrodes and used to read the QPlus current. Since the amount of mass added to the fork is minimal, the resonance frequency spectrum does not change and still remains around 32.6 KHz and the Q factor is around 1,200 in ambient condition. These probes can enhance the performance of tuning fork based atomic microscopy.

Atomic motion of resonantly vibrating quartz crystal visualized by time-resolved X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoyagi, Shinobu; Osawa, Hitoshi; Sugimoto, Kunihisa; Fujiwara, Akihiko; Takeda, Shoichi; Moriyoshi, Chikako; Kuroiwa, Yoshihiro

2015-01-01

Transient atomic displacements during a resonant thickness-shear vibration of AT-cut α-quartz are revealed by time-resolved X-ray diffraction under an alternating electric field. The lattice strain resonantly amplified by the alternating electric field is ∼10 4 times larger than that induced by a static electric field. The resonantly amplified lattice strain is achieved by fast displacements of oxygen anions and collateral resilient deformation of Si−O−Si angles bridging rigid SiO 4 tetrahedra, which efficiently transduce electric energy into elastic energy

Comparison of quartz tuning forks and AlN-based extensional microresonators for viscosity measurements in oil/fuel mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Toledo, J.; Manzaneque, T.; Hernando-García, J.; Vazquez, J.; Ababneh, A.; Seidel, H.; Lapuerta, M.; Sánchez-Rojas, J. L.

2013-05-01

In-situ monitoring of the physical properties of liquids is of great interest in the automotive industry. For example, lubricants are subject to dilution with diesel fuel as a consequence of late-injection processes, which are necessary for regenerating diesel particulate filters. This dilution can be determined by tracking the viscosity and the density of the lubricant. Here we report the test of two in-plane movement based resonators to explore their capability to monitor oil dilution with diesel and biodiesel. One of the resonators is the commercially available millimeter-sized quartz tuning fork, working at 32.7 kHz. The second resonator is a state-of-the-art micron-sized AlN-based rectangular plate, actuated in the first extensional mode in the MHz range. Electrical impedance measurements were carried out to characterize the performance of the structures in various liquid media in a wide range of viscosities. These measurements were completed with the development of low-cost electronic circuits to track the resonance frequency and the quality factor automatically, these two parameters allow to obtain the viscosity of various fluids under investigation, as in the case of dilution of lubricant SAE 15W40 and biodiesel.

Towards vibrational spectroscopy on surface-attached colloids performed with a quartz crystal microbalance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diethelm Johannsmann

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Colloidal spheres attached to a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM produce the so-called “coupled resonances”. They are resonators of their own, characterized by a particle resonance frequency, a resonance bandwidth, and a modal mass. When the frequency of the main resonator comes close to the frequency of the coupled resonance, the bandwidth goes through a maximum. A coupled resonance can be viewed as an absorption line in acoustic shear-wave spectroscopy. The known concepts from spectroscopy apply. This includes the mode assignment problem, selection rules, and the oscillator strength. In this work, the mode assignment problem was addressed with Finite Element calculations. These reveal that a rigid sphere in contact with a QCM displays two modes of vibration, termed “slipping” and “rocking”. In the slipping mode, the sphere rotates about its center; it exerts a tangential force onto the resonator surface at the point of contact. In the rocking mode, the sphere rotates about the point of contact; it exerts a torque onto the substrate. In liquids, both axes of rotation are slightly displaced from their ideal positions. Characteristic for spectroscopy, the two modes do not couple to the mechanical excitation equally well. The degree of coupling is quantified by an oscillator strength. Because the rocking mode mostly exerts a torque (rather than a tangential force, its coupling to the resonator's tangential motion is weak; the oscillator strength consequently is small. Recent experiments on surface-adsorbed colloidal spheres can be explained by the mode of vibration being of the rocking type. Keywords: Quartz crystal microbalance, Coupled resonance, Biocolloids, Adsorption

Dynamic behavior of tuning fork shear-force structures in a SNOM system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Fengli [Department of Engineering Mechanics, AML, CNMM, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Li, Xide, E-mail: lixide@tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Engineering Mechanics, AML, CNMM, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Wang, Jia [State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instruments, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Fu, Yu [Temasek Laboratories, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, 637553 (Singapore)

2014-07-01

Piezoelectric tuning fork shear-force structures are widely used as a distance control unit in a scanning near-field optical microscopy. However, the complex dynamic behavior among the micro-tuning forks (TFs), optical fiber probes, and the probe–surface interactions is still a crucial issue to achieve high-resolution imaging or near-field interaction inspections. Based on nonlinear beam tension-bending vibration theory, vibration equations in both longitudinal and lateral directions have been established when the TF structure and the optical fiber are treated as deformable structures. The relationship of the probe–surface interaction induced by Van der Waals force has been analyzed and the corresponding numerical results used to describe the vibrational behavior of the probe approaching the sample surface are obtained. Meanwhile, the viscous resistance of the liquid film on the sample surface has also been investigated using linear beam-bending vibration theory. Experiments testing the interaction between the probe and the water film on a single crystal silicon wafer have been carried out and the viscous resistance of the water film was estimated using the established equations. Finally, to use the TF-probe structure as a force sensor, the relation between the dynamic response of the TF-probe system and an external force on the probe tip was obtained. - Highlights: • Nonlinear vibration equation is established for a deformable tuning fork probe assembly. • Probe–sample interactions induced by Van der Waals force and viscous resistance are investigated. • The viscous resistance between the probe and the water film is estimated using testing results.

Application of acoustic micro-resonators in quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy for trace gas analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Huadan; Dong, Lei; Wu, Hongpeng; Yin, Xukun; Xiao, Liantuan; Jia, Suotang; Curl, Robert F.; Tittel, Frank K.

2018-01-01

During the past 15 years since the first report of quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS), QEPAS has become one of the leading optical techniques for trace chemical gas sensing. This paper is a review of the current state-of-the art of QEPAS. QEPAS based spectrophones with different acoustic micro-resonators (AmR) configurations employing both standard quartz tuning forks (QTFs) and custom-made QTFs are summarized and discussed in detail.

Note: Enhanced energy harvesting from low-frequency magnetic fields utilizing magneto-mechano-electric composite tuning-fork.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Aichao; Li, Ping; Wen, Yumei; Yang, Chao; Wang, Decai; Zhang, Feng; Zhang, Jiajia

2015-06-01

A magnetic-field energy harvester using a low-frequency magneto-mechano-electric (MME) composite tuning-fork is proposed. This MME composite tuning-fork consists of a copper tuning fork with piezoelectric Pb(Zr(1-x)Ti(x))O3 (PZT) plates bonded near its fixed end and with NdFeB magnets attached at its free ends. Due to the resonance coupling between fork prongs, the MME composite tuning-fork owns strong vibration and high Q value. Experimental results show that the proposed magnetic-field energy harvester using the MME composite tuning-fork exhibits approximately 4 times larger maximum output voltage and 7.2 times higher maximum power than the conventional magnetic-field energy harvester using the MME composite cantilever.

Quartz tuning fork based sensor for detection of volatile organic compounds: towards breath analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Sampson, Abraham; Panchal, Suresh; Phadke, Apoorva; Kashyap, A.; Suman, Jilma; Unnikrishnan, G.; Datar, Suwarna

2018-04-01

Several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present in the exhaled human breath whose concentration can vary depending on the physiological changes occurring within a human being. These changes in the concentration or the occurrence of a particular VOC can be used as signature of a particular disease in a person. In the present work, a sensor has been developed to detect VOCs such as 1,4-dimethoxy-2,3-butanediol (BD), and cyclohexanone (CH), acetone, methanol and ethanol. Except for BD and CH, the rest of the VOCs are present in a healthy person in ppm levels. CH and BD have been reported to be present in the exhaled human breath of breast cancer patients in ppm levels and can be used to distinguish between a healthy person and a person with breast cancer. The selectivity of the sensor towards these two compounds in the presence of other VOCs commonly present in human breath like acetone, ethanol and methanol has been studied. The sensor has been developed using modified Quartz Tuning Forks (QTFs) with the intent of developing an array of such sensors identifying different VOCs present in a healthy human’s breath. Two differently modified QTFs have been used to detect 1 ppm of 1,4-dimethoxy-2,3-butanediol and 20 ppm of cyclohexanone. Linear Discriminants Analysis (LDA) has been used to classify seven different VOCs. For this purpose, features extracted from sensor responses -shift in resonant frequency, response time and recovery time of the sensors- have been used as features in the model. Differently modified array of QTFs along with the use of LDA can be a useful pathway towards development of a QTF based sensor array for human breath analysis.

The Sound Field around a Tuning Fork and the Role of a Resonance Box

Science.gov (United States)

Bogacz, Bogdan F.; Pedziwiatr, Antoni T.

2015-01-01

Atypical two-tine tuning fork is barely audible when held vibrating at an arm's length. It is enough, however, to touch its base to a table or, better, to a resonance box and the emitted sound becomes much louder. An inquiring student may pose questions: (1) Why is a bare tuning fork such a weak emitter of sound? (2) What is the role of the…

Detection of Molecular Oxygen at Low Concentrations Using Quartz Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Pohlkötter

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Molecular oxygen is detected at low concentrations using photoacoustic spectroscopy despite its unfavorable photoacoustic properties. The system consists of a seed laser diode, a tapered amplifier and a quartz tuning fork based spectrophone, thus employing quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS. With this system a detection limit of 13 ppm is reached with a compact and long term stable setup. Further improvement of the detection limit is possible by adding suitable gases to the sample gas that promote the radiationless de-excitation of the oxygen molecules.

Mechanically stable tuning fork sensor with high quality factor for the atomic force microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kwangyoon; Park, Jun-Young; Kim, K B; Lee, Naesung; Seo, Yongho

2014-01-01

A quartz tuning fork was used instead of cantilever as a force sensor for the atomic force microscope. A tungsten tip was made by electrochemical etching from a wire of 50 µm diameter. In order to have mechanical stability of the tuning fork, it was attached on an alumina plate. The tungsten tip was attached on the inside end of a prong of a tuning fork. The phase shift was used as a feedback signal to control the distance between the tip and sample, and the amplitude was kept constant using a lock-in amplifier and a homemade automatic gain controller. Due to the mechanical stability, the sensor shows a high quality factor (∼10(3)), and the image quality obtained with this sensor was equivalent to that of the cantilever-based AFM. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chemical bond imaging using higher eigenmodes of tuning fork sensors in atomic force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Ebeling, Daniel; Zhong, Qigang; Ahles, Sebastian; Chi, Lifeng; Wegner, Hermann A.; Schirmeisen, André

2017-05-01

We demonstrate the ability of resolving the chemical structure of single organic molecules using non-contact atomic force microscopy with higher normal eigenmodes of quartz tuning fork sensors. In order to achieve submolecular resolution, CO-functionalized tips at low temperatures are used. The tuning fork sensors are operated in ultrahigh vacuum in the frequency modulation mode by exciting either their first or second eigenmode. Despite the high effective spring constant of the second eigenmode (on the order of several tens of kN/m), the force sensitivity is sufficiently high to achieve atomic resolution above the organic molecules. This is observed for two different tuning fork sensors with different tip geometries (small tip vs. large tip). These results represent an important step towards resolving the chemical structure of single molecules with multifrequency atomic force microscopy techniques where two or more eigenmodes are driven simultaneously.

Allan Deviation Plot as a Tool for Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic Sensors Noise Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Giglio, Marilena; Patimisco, Pietro; Sampaolo, Angelo; Scamarcio, Gaetano; Tittel, Frank K; Spagnolo, Vincenzo

2016-04-01

We report here on the use of the Allan deviation plot to analyze the long-term stability of a quartz-enhanced photoacoustic (QEPAS) gas sensor. The Allan plot provides information about the optimum averaging time for the QEPAS signal and allows the prediction of its ultimate detection limit. The Allan deviation can also be used to determine the main sources of noise coming from the individual components of the sensor. Quartz tuning fork thermal noise dominates for integration times up to 275 s, whereas at longer averaging times, the main contribution to the sensor noise originates from laser power instabilities.

Experimental study of acoustic vibration in BWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumagai, Kosuke; Someya, Satoshi; Okamoto, Koji

2009-01-01

In recent years, the power uprate of Boiling Water Reactors have been conducted at several existing power plants as a way to improve plant economy. In one of the power uprated plants (117.8% uprates) in the United States, the steam dryer breakages due to fatigue fracture occurred. It is conceivable that the increased steam flow passing through the branches caused a self-induced vibration with the propagation of sound wave into the steam-dome. The resonance among the structure, flow and the pressure fluctuation resulted in the breakages. To understand the basic mechanism of the resonance, previous researches were done by a point measurement of the pressure and by a phase averaged measurement of the flow, while it was difficult to detect the interaction among them by the conventional method. In this study, Dynamic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) System was applied to investigate the effect of sound on natural convection and forced convection. Dynamic PIV system is the newest entrant to the field of fluid flow measurement. Its paramount advantage is the instantaneous global evaluation of conditions over plane extended across the whole velocity field. Also, to evaluate the coupling between the acoustic wave and structure (simulated as tuning fork vibrator in this experiment), in the resonance frequency of tuning fork vibrator, fluid behavior and the motion of tuning fork vibrator are measured simultaneously. (author)

Silicon micromachined vibrating gyroscopes

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Ralf

1997-09-01

This work gives an overview of silicon micromachined vibrating gyroscopes. Market perspectives and fields of application are pointed out. The advantage of using silicon micromachining is discussed and estimations of the desired performance, especially for automobiles are given. The general principle of vibrating gyroscopes is explained. Vibrating silicon gyroscopes can be divided into seven classes. for each class the characteristic principle is presented and examples are given. Finally a specific sensor, based on a tuning fork for automotive applications with a sensitivity of 250(mu) V/degrees is described in detail.

Vibration Control of Flexible Mode for a Beam-Type Substrate Transport Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheol Hoon Park

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Beam-type substrate transport robots are widely used to handle substrates, especially in the solar cell manufacturing process. To reduce the takt time and increase productivity, accurate position control becomes increasingly important as the size of the substrate increases. However, the vibration caused by the flexible forks in beam-type robots interferes with accurate positioning, which results in long takt times in the manufacturing process. To minimize the vibration and transport substrates on the fork as fast as possible, the trajectories should be prevented from exciting the flexible modes of the forks. For this purpose, a fifth-order polynomial trajectory generator and input shaping were incorporated into the controller of the beam-type robot in this study. The flexible modes of the forks were identified by measuring the frequency response function (FRF, and the input shaping was designed so as not to excite the flexible modes. The controller was implemented by using MATLAB/xPC Target. In this paper, the design procedure of input shaping and its effectiveness for vibration attenuation in both “no load” and “load” cases is presented.

Simple force balance accelerometer/seismometer based on a tuning fork displacement sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuart-Watson, D.; Tapson, J.

2004-01-01

Seismometers and microelectromechanical system accelerometers use the force-balance principle to obtain measurements. In these instruments the displacement of a mass object by an unknown force is sensed using a very high-resolution displacement sensor. The position of the object is then stabilized by applying an equal and opposite force to it. The magnitude of the stabilizing force is easily measured, and is assumed to be equivalent to the unknown force. These systems are critically dependent on the displacement sensor. In this article we use a resonant quartz tuning fork as the sensor. The tuning fork is operated so that its oscillation is lightly damped by the proximity of the movable mass object. Changes in the position of the mass object cause changes in the phase of the fork's resonance; this is used as the feedback variable in controlling the mass position. We have developed an acceleration sensor using this principle. The mass object is a piezoelectric bimorph diaphragm which is anchored around its perimeter, allowing direct electronic control of the displacement of its center. The tuning fork is brought very close to the diaphragm center, and is connected into a self-oscillating feedback circuit which has phase and amplitude as outputs. The diaphragm position is adjusted by a feedback loop, using phase as the feedback variable, to keep it in a constant position with respect to the tuning fork. The measured noise for this sensor is approximately 10.0 mg in a bandwidth of 100 Hz, which is substantially better than commercial systems of equivalent cost and size

Economic fork lifters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roedig, W

1981-01-01

Increased energy costs attribute new interest to the choice between electric fork lifters and fork lifters driven by combustion engines. The advantages and shortcomings of the two drive systems are listed. As previous cost-comparisons are no longer up-to-date a new comparison is made in order to find out which of the three types works most economically: electric diesel- or fuel gas driven fork lifters. The comparison is based on a one-year-operation with a load capacity of 1,5 to 5 tons under normal stress conditions. The following parameters are compared: sum of investments, depreciation, interest rates, fixed costs per annum and per hour of operation. Variable costs like: repair costs, costs for replacement parts, energy cost and total cost. The three-wheeled electric fork lifter has proved to be the most economic one followed by the diesel-driven fork lifter, the four-wheel electric fork lifter and the fuel-gas driven fork lifter.

Study on pivot-point vibration of molecular bond-rupture events by quartz crystal microbalance for biomedical diagnostics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan YJ

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Yong J Yuan, Renjie JiaLaboratory of Biosensing and MicroMechatronics, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: Bond-rupture scanning for biomedical diagnostics is examined using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM experiments and microparticle mechanics modeling calculations. Specific and nonspecific interactions between a microparticle and its binding QCM surface can be distinguished by gradually increasing the amplitude of driving voltage applied to QCM and monitoring its frequency changes. This research proposes a mechanical model of interactions between biological molecules and a QCM substrate surface. The mechanical force required to break a biotin–streptavidin bond was calculated through a one-pivot-point bottom-up vibration model. The bond-rupture force increases with an increase of the microparticle radius, the QCM resonant frequency, and the amplitude of driving voltage applied to the QCM. The significance of the research on biological molecular bond rupture is extremely important in characterizing microbial (such as cells and virus specificity, due to the force magnitude needed to break bonds using a transducer.Keywords: bond rupture, mechanical force, biomolecular binding energy spectra, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM

High quality-factor quartz tuning fork glass probe used in tapping mode atomic force microscopy for surface profile measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuan-Liu; Xu, Yanhao; Shimizu, Yuki; Matsukuma, Hiraku; Gao, Wei

2018-06-01

This paper presents a high quality-factor (Q-factor) quartz tuning fork (QTF) with a glass probe attached, used in frequency modulation tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the surface profile metrology of micro and nanostructures. Unlike conventionally used QTFs, which have tungsten or platinum probes for tapping mode AFM, and suffer from a low Q-factor influenced by the relatively large mass of the probe, the glass probe, which has a lower density, increases the Q-factor of the QTF probe unit allowing it to obtain better measurement sensitivity. In addition, the process of attaching the probe to the QTF with epoxy resin, which is necessary for tapping mode AFM, is also optimized to further improve the Q-factor of the QTF glass probe. The Q-factor of the optimized QTF glass probe unit is demonstrated to be very close to that of a bare QTF without a probe attached. To verify the effectiveness and the advantages of the optimized QTF glass probe unit, the probe unit is integrated into a home-built tapping mode AFM for conducting surface profile measurements of micro and nanostructures. A blazed grating with fine tool marks of 100 nm, a microprism sheet with a vertical amplitude of 25 µm and a Fresnel lens with a steep slope of 90 degrees are used as measurement specimens. From the measurement results, it is demonstrated that the optimized QTF glass probe unit can achieve higher sensitivity as well as better stability than conventional probes in the measurement of micro and nanostructures.

Development of a quartz digital accelerometer for environmental sensing and navigation applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kass, W.J.; Vianco, P.T.

1993-03-01

A quartz digital accelerometer has been developed which uses double ended tuning forks as the active sensing elements. The authors have demonstrated the ability of this accelerometer to be capable of acceleration measurements between ±150G with ±0.5G accuracy. They have further refined the original design and assembly processes to produce accelerometers with < 1mG stability in inertial measurement applications. This report covers the development, design, processing, assembly, and testing of these devices

Homologous Recombination as a Replication Fork Escort: Fork-Protection and Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Audrey Costes

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Homologous recombination is a universal mechanism that allows DNA repair and ensures the efficiency of DNA replication. The substrate initiating the process of homologous recombination is a single-stranded DNA that promotes a strand exchange reaction resulting in a genetic exchange that promotes genetic diversity and DNA repair. The molecular mechanisms by which homologous recombination repairs a double-strand break have been extensively studied and are now well characterized. However, the mechanisms by which homologous recombination contribute to DNA replication in eukaryotes remains poorly understood. Studies in bacteria have identified multiple roles for the machinery of homologous recombination at replication forks. Here, we review our understanding of the molecular pathways involving the homologous recombination machinery to support the robustness of DNA replication. In addition to its role in fork-recovery and in rebuilding a functional replication fork apparatus, homologous recombination may also act as a fork-protection mechanism. We discuss that some of the fork-escort functions of homologous recombination might be achieved by loading of the recombination machinery at inactivated forks without a need for a strand exchange step; as well as the consequence of such a model for the stability of eukaryotic genomes.

Eukaryotic DNA Replication Fork.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgers, Peter M J; Kunkel, Thomas A

2017-06-20

This review focuses on the biogenesis and composition of the eukaryotic DNA replication fork, with an emphasis on the enzymes that synthesize DNA and repair discontinuities on the lagging strand of the replication fork. Physical and genetic methodologies aimed at understanding these processes are discussed. The preponderance of evidence supports a model in which DNA polymerase ε (Pol ε) carries out the bulk of leading strand DNA synthesis at an undisturbed replication fork. DNA polymerases α and δ carry out the initiation of Okazaki fragment synthesis and its elongation and maturation, respectively. This review also discusses alternative proposals, including cellular processes during which alternative forks may be utilized, and new biochemical studies with purified proteins that are aimed at reconstituting leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis separately and as an integrated replication fork.

The effectiveness of front fork systems at damping accelerations during isolated aspects specific to cross-country mountain biking.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdermid, Paul W; Miller, Matthew C; Fink, Philip W; Stannard, Stephen R

2017-11-01

Cross-country mountain bike suspension reportedly enhances comfort and performance through reduced vibration and impact exposure. This study analysed the effectiveness of three different front fork systems at damping accelerations during the crossing of three isolated obstacles (stairs, drop, and root). One participant completed three trials on six separate occasions in a randomised order using rigid, air-sprung, and carbon leaf-sprung forks. Performance was determined by time to cross obstacles, while triaxial accelerometers quantified impact exposure and damping response. Results identified significant main effect of fork type for performance time (p < 0.05). The air-sprung and leaf-sprung forks were significantly slower than the rigid forks for the stairs (p < 0.05), while air-sprung suspension was slower than the rigid for the root protocol (p < 0.05). There were no differences for the drop protocol (p < 0.05). Rigid forks reduced overall exposure (p < 0.05), specifically at the handlebars for the stairs and drop trials. More detailed analysis presented smaller vertical accelerations at the handlebar for air-sprung and leaf-sprung forks on the stairs (p < 0.05), and drop (p < 0.05) but not the root. As such, it appears that the suspension systems tested were ineffective at reducing overall impact exposure at the handlebar during isolated aspects of cross-country terrain features which may be influenced to a larger extent by rider technique.

Study on pivot-point vibration of molecular bond-rupture events by quartz crystal microbalance for biomedical diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yong J; Jia, Renjie

2012-01-01

Bond-rupture scanning for biomedical diagnostics is examined using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) experiments and microparticle mechanics modeling calculations. Specific and nonspecific interactions between a microparticle and its binding QCM surface can be distinguished by gradually increasing the amplitude of driving voltage applied to QCM and monitoring its frequency changes. This research proposes a mechanical model of interactions between biological molecules and a QCM substrate surface. The mechanical force required to break a biotin-streptavidin bond was calculated through a one-pivot-point bottom-up vibration model. The bond-rupture force increases with an increase of the microparticle radius, the QCM resonant frequency, and the amplitude of driving voltage applied to the QCM. The significance of the research on biological molecular bond rupture is extremely important in characterizing microbial (such as cells and virus) specificity, due to the force magnitude needed to break bonds using a transducer.

Phosphorylated RPA recruits PALB2 to stalled DNA replication forks to facilitate fork recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Anar K; Fitzgerald, Michael; Ro, Teresa; Kim, Jee Hyun; Rabinowitsch, Ariana I; Chowdhury, Dipanjan; Schildkraut, Carl L; Borowiec, James A

2014-08-18

Phosphorylation of replication protein A (RPA) by Cdk2 and the checkpoint kinase ATR (ATM and Rad3 related) during replication fork stalling stabilizes the replisome, but how these modifications safeguard the fork is not understood. To address this question, we used single-molecule fiber analysis in cells expressing a phosphorylation-defective RPA2 subunit or lacking phosphatase activity toward RPA2. Deregulation of RPA phosphorylation reduced synthesis at forks both during replication stress and recovery from stress. The ability of phosphorylated RPA to stimulate fork recovery is mediated through the PALB2 tumor suppressor protein. RPA phosphorylation increased localization of PALB2 and BRCA2 to RPA-bound nuclear foci in cells experiencing replication stress. Phosphorylated RPA also stimulated recruitment of PALB2 to single-strand deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in a cell-free system. Expression of mutant RPA2 or loss of PALB2 expression led to significant DNA damage after replication stress, a defect accentuated by poly-ADP (adenosine diphosphate) ribose polymerase inhibitors. These data demonstrate that phosphorylated RPA recruits repair factors to stalled forks, thereby enhancing fork integrity during replication stress. © 2014 Murphy et al.

Pyrimidine dimers block simian virus 40 replication forks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, C.A.; Edenberg, H.J.

1986-01-01

UV light produces lesions, predominantly pyrimidine dimers, which inhibit DNA replication in mammalian cells. The mechanism of inhibition is controversial: is synthesis of a daughter strand halted at a lesion while the replication fork moves on and reinitiates downstream, or is fork progression itself blocked for some time at the site of a lesion? We directly addressed this question by using electron microscopy to examine the distances of replication forks from the origin in unirradiated and UV-irradiated simian virus 40 chromosomes. If UV lesions block replication fork progression, the forks should be asymmetrically located in a large fraction of the irradiated molecules; if replication forks move rapidly past lesions, the forks should be symmetrically located. A large fraction of the simian virus 40 replication forks in irradiated molecules were asymmetrically located, demonstrating that UV lesions present at the frequency of pyrimidine dimers block replication forks. As a mechanism for this fork blockage, we propose that polymerization of the leading strand makes a significant contribution to the energetics of fork movement, so any lesion in the template for the leading strand which blocks polymerization should also block fork movement

Quartz-enhanced photo-acoustic spectroscopy for breath analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Jan C.; Lamard, Laurent; Feng, Yuyang; Focant, Jeff-F.; Peremans, Andre; Lassen, Mikael

2017-03-01

An innovative and novel quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor for highly sensitive and selective breath gas analysis is introduced. The QEPAS sensor consists of two acoustically coupled micro- resonators (mR) with an off-axis 20 kHz quartz tuning fork (QTF). The complete acoustically coupled mR system is optimized based on finite element simulations and experimentally verified. Due to the very low fabrication costs the QEPAS sensor presents a clear breakthrough in the field of photoacoustic spectroscopy by introducing novel disposable gas chambers in order to avoid cleaning after each test. The QEPAS sensor is pumped resonantly by a nanosecond pulsed single-mode mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator (MIR OPO). Spectroscopic measurements of methane and methanol in the 3.1 μm to 3.7 μm wavelength region is conducted. Demonstrating a resolution bandwidth of 1 cm-1. An Allan deviation analysis shows that the detection limit at optimum integration time for the QEPAS sensor is 32 ppbv@190s for methane and that the background noise is solely due to the thermal noise of the QTF. Spectra of both individual molecules as well as mixtures of molecules were measured and analyzed. The molecules are representative of exhaled breath gasses that are bio-markers for medical diagnostics.

Resonant frequency function of thickness-shear vibrations of rectangular crystal plates.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ji; Yang, Lijun; Pan, Qiaoqiao; Chao, Min-Chiang; Du, Jianke

2011-05-01

The resonant frequencies of thickness-shear vibrations of quartz crystal plates in rectangular and circular shapes are always required in the design and manufacturing of quartz crystal resonators. As the size of quartz crystal resonators shrinks, for rectangular plates we must consider effects of both length and width for the precise calculation of resonant frequency. Starting from the three-dimensional equations of wave propagation in finite crystal plates and the general expression of vibration modes, we obtained the relations between frequency and wavenumbers. By satisfying the major boundary conditions of the dominant thickness-shear mode, three wavenumber solutions are obtained and the frequency equation is constructed. It is shown the resonant frequency of thickness-shear mode is a second-order polynomial of aspect ratios. This conforms to known results in the simplest form and is applicable to further analytical and experimental studies of the frequency equation of quartz crystal resonators.

South Fork Holston River basin 1988 biomonitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saylor, C.F.; Ahlstedt, S.A.

1990-06-01

There is concern over the effects of shifts in land use use practices on the aquatic fauna of streams in the South Fork Holston River basin in northwestern North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. Trout reproduction has noticeably declined in the Watauga River subbasin. The Watauga River and Elk River subbasins have been subjected to commercial and resort development. The Middle fork Holston River and the upper South Fork Holston River subbasins have been affected by agricultural and mining activities, respectively (Cox, 1986). To aid reclamation and management of the South Fork Holston basin, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) biologists conducted biomonitoring--including index of biotic integrity and macroinvertebrate sampling--on the Middle Fork Holston, South Fork Holston, Watauga, and Elk Rivers to assess cumulative impairment related to changes in habitat and pollutant loading in these subbasins. Biomonitoring can detect environmental degradation, help document problem areas, and assist in development of strategies for managing water quality. This report discusses the methods and materials and results of the biomonitoring of South Fork Holston River Basin. 13 refs., 5 figs., 12 tabs.

FBH1 Catalyzes Regression of Stalled Replication Forks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kasper Fugger

2015-03-01

Full Text Available DNA replication fork perturbation is a major challenge to the maintenance of genome integrity. It has been suggested that processing of stalled forks might involve fork regression, in which the fork reverses and the two nascent DNA strands anneal. Here, we show that FBH1 catalyzes regression of a model replication fork in vitro and promotes fork regression in vivo in response to replication perturbation. Cells respond to fork stalling by activating checkpoint responses requiring signaling through stress-activated protein kinases. Importantly, we show that FBH1, through its helicase activity, is required for early phosphorylation of ATM substrates such as CHK2 and CtIP as well as hyperphosphorylation of RPA. These phosphorylations occur prior to apparent DNA double-strand break formation. Furthermore, FBH1-dependent signaling promotes checkpoint control and preserves genome integrity. We propose a model whereby FBH1 promotes early checkpoint signaling by remodeling of stalled DNA replication forks.

Code Forking, Governance, and Sustainability in Open Source Software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juho Lindman

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The right to fork open source code is at the core of open source licensing. All open source licenses grant the right to fork their code, that is to start a new development effort using an existing code as its base. Thus, code forking represents the single greatest tool available for guaranteeing sustainability in open source software. In addition to bolstering program sustainability, code forking directly affects the governance of open source initiatives. Forking, and even the mere possibility of forking code, affects the governance and sustainability of open source initiatives on three distinct levels: software, community, and ecosystem. On the software level, the right to fork makes planned obsolescence, versioning, vendor lock-in, end-of-support issues, and similar initiatives all but impossible to implement. On the community level, forking impacts both sustainability and governance through the power it grants the community to safeguard against unfavourable actions by corporations or project leaders. On the business-ecosystem level forking can serve as a catalyst for innovation while simultaneously promoting better quality software through natural selection. Thus, forking helps keep open source initiatives relevant and presents opportunities for the development and commercialization of current and abandoned programs.

Experimental Study of the Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Abrasive Waterjet Micromachining the Quartz Glass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rongguo Hou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The ultrasonic vibration is used to enhance the capability of the abrasive water micromachining glass. And, the ultrasonic vibration is activated on the abrasive waterjet nozzle. The quality of the flow is improved, and the velocity of the abrasive is increased because of the addition of the ultrasonic energy. The relevant experimental results indicate that the erosion depth and the material volume removal of the glass are obviously increased when ultrasonic vibration is working. As for the influence of process parameters on the material removal of the glass such as vibration amplitude, system pressure, distance of the standoff, and abrasive size, the experimental results indicate that the system pressure and vibration contribute greatly to the glass material removal. Also, the erosion depth and the volume of material removal are increased with the increase in the vibration amplitude and system pressure. There are some uplifts found at the edge of erosion pit. Then, it can be inferred that the plastic method is an important material removal method during the machining process of ultrasonic vibration-assisted abrasive waterjet.

Code Forking, Governance, and Sustainability in Open Source Software

OpenAIRE

Juho Lindman; Linus Nyman

2013-01-01

The right to fork open source code is at the core of open source licensing. All open source licenses grant the right to fork their code, that is to start a new development effort using an existing code as its base. Thus, code forking represents the single greatest tool available for guaranteeing sustainability in open source software. In addition to bolstering program sustainability, code forking directly affects the governance of open source initiatives. Forking, and even the mere possibilit...

Miniature quartz crystal-resonator-based thermogravimetric detector.

Science.gov (United States)

Sai, N; Tagawa, Y; Sohgawa, M; Abe, T

2014-09-01

In this work, a new design for a microheater combined with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) array for thermogravimetric analysis is presented. Each QCM consists of two electrodes to excite thickness-shear-mode vibrations and one microheater to increase the temperature on the crystal backside. In addition, all the electrode pads are patterned on the crystal backside, making the design of the QCM compact and user-friendly. Finally, the proposed QCM array was employed to separate ethanol from methanol. This was successfully achieved via thermal desorption spectra calculated by differentiating the frequency changes.

Radiation-induced frequency transients in AT, BT, and SC cut quartz resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, D.R.

1979-01-01

Earlier studies of transient frequency changes in high-purity swept AT quartz resonators led to the conclusion that impurity-induced effects were small, while the observed changes were qualitatively and quantitatively well characterized in terms of the time changing temperature of the vibrating quartz and its effect on frequency. 5 MHz, AT cut fifth overtone, and BT and SC cut third overtone resonators were prepared from a single stone of Sawyer swept Premium-Q quartz. The resonators were operated in precision ovenized oscillators at or near their turnover temperatures. Pulsed irradiation, at dose levels of the order of 10 4 rads (Si) per pulse, was accomplished at Sandia. The experimental data display negative frequency transients for the AT cut resonators, positive frequency transients for the BT cut resonators, and very small transient effects for the SC cut resonators. From these experimental results, it is concluded that no measurable impurity-induced frequency changes are observed in this high-purity swept-quartz and that the frequency transients are accurately modelled in terms of transient temperature effects stemming from the thermal characteristics of the resonator structure

Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy with Right-Angle Prism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongning Liu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A right-angle prism was used to enhance the acoustic signal of a quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS system. The incident laser beam was parallelly inverted by the right-angle prism and passed through the gap between two tuning fork prongs again to produce another acoustic excitation. Correspondingly, two pairs of rigid metal tubes were used as acoustic resonators with resonance enhancement factors of 16 and 12, respectively. The QEPAS signal was enhanced by a factor of 22.4 compared with the original signal, which was acquired without resonators or a prism. In addition, the system noise was reduced a little with double resonators due to the Q factor decrease. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR was greatly improved. Additionally, a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient (NNEA of 5.8 × 10−8 W·cm−1·Hz−1/2 was achieved for water vapor detection in the atmosphere.

Theory and experimental verifications of the resonator Q and equivalent electrical parameters due to viscoelastic and mounting supports losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Yong, Yook-Kong; Patel, Mihir S; Tanaka, Masako

2010-08-01

A novel analytical/numerical method for calculating the resonator Q and its equivalent electrical parameters due to viscoelastic, conductivity, and mounting supports losses is presented. The method presented will be quite useful for designing new resonators and reducing the time and costs of prototyping. There was also a necessity for better and more realistic modeling of the resonators because of miniaturization and the rapid advances in the frequency ranges of telecommunication. We present new 3-D finite elements models of quartz resonators with viscoelasticity, conductivity, and mounting support losses. The losses at the mounting supports were modeled by perfectly matched layers (PMLs). A previously published theory for dissipative anisotropic piezoelectric solids was formulated in a weak form for finite element (FE) applications. PMLs were placed at the base of the mounting supports to simulate the energy losses to a semi-infinite base substrate. FE simulations were carried out for free vibrations and forced vibrations of quartz tuning fork and AT-cut resonators. Results for quartz tuning fork and thickness shear AT-cut resonators were presented and compared with experimental data. Results for the resonator Q and the equivalent electrical parameters were compared with their measured values. Good equivalences were found. Results for both low- and high-Q AT-cut quartz resonators compared well with their experimental values. A method for estimating the Q directly from the frequency spectrum obtained for free vibrations was also presented. An important determinant of the quality factor Q of a quartz resonator is the loss of energy from the electrode area to the base via the mountings. The acoustical characteristics of the plate resonator are changed when the plate is mounted onto a base substrate. The base affects the frequency spectra of the plate resonator. A resonator with a high Q may not have a similarly high Q when mounted on a base. Hence, the base is an

Plasma-assisted quartz-to-quartz direct bonding for the fabrication of a multilayered quartz template for nanoimprint lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jihye; Ali, Altun; Kim, Ki-don; Choi, Dae-guen; Choi, Jun-Hyuk; Jeong, Jun-ho; Kim, Jae-Hyun

2010-01-01

In this paper, a low-temperature plasma-assisted process is developed to realize a uniform, ultraviolet (UV) transparent and chemically inert quartz-to-quartz direct bonding. Two sets of pretests are performed in order to understand how the bond surface energy changes with the plasma exposure time and the wet etching of quartz, respectively. The developed technique is used to fabricate a multilayered quartz template for UV nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL). The multilayered quartz template is fabricated by bonding a square piece of a standard quartz wafer, which is about 625 µm in thickness, to a wet-etched 6.35 mm thick quartz photomask plate. A fabricated multilayered template is loaded to the commercial UV-NIL tool Imprio(TM) 100, and NIL was performed successfully. The developed direct bonding technique makes it possible for standard quartz wafers, which are compatible with high-resolution semiconductor fabrication processes, to be utilized as the templates in commercial UV-NIL machines with enhanced mechanical stability.

Development of a quartz tuning-fork-based force sensor for measurements in the tens of nanoNewton force range during nanomanipulation experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oiko, V. T. A., E-mail: oiko@ifi.unicamp.br; Rodrigues, V.; Ugarte, D. [Instituto de Física “Gleb Wataghin,” Univ. Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-859 (Brazil); Martins, B. V. C. [Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3 (Canada); Silva, P. C. [Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia, CNPEM, Campinas 13083-970 (Brazil)

2014-03-15

Understanding the mechanical properties of nanoscale systems requires new experimental and theoretical tools. In particular, force sensors compatible with nanomechanical testing experiments and with sensitivity in the nN range are required. Here, we report the development and testing of a tuning-fork-based force sensor for in situ nanomanipulation experiments inside a scanning electron microscope. The sensor uses a very simple design for the electronics and it allows the direct and quantitative force measurement in the 1–100 nN force range. The sensor response is initially calibrated against a nN range force standard, as, for example, a calibrated Atomic Force Microscopy cantilever; subsequently, applied force values can be directly derived using only the electric signals generated by the tuning fork. Using a homemade nanomanipulator, the quantitative force sensor has been used to analyze the mechanical deformation of multi-walled carbon nanotube bundles, where we analyzed forces in the 5–40 nN range, measured with an error bar of a few nN.

Recovery of arrested replication forks by homologous recombination is error-prone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Iraqui

Full Text Available Homologous recombination is a universal mechanism that allows repair of DNA and provides support for DNA replication. Homologous recombination is therefore a major pathway that suppresses non-homology-mediated genome instability. Here, we report that recovery of impeded replication forks by homologous recombination is error-prone. Using a fork-arrest-based assay in fission yeast, we demonstrate that a single collapsed fork can cause mutations and large-scale genomic changes, including deletions and translocations. Fork-arrest-induced gross chromosomal rearrangements are mediated by inappropriate ectopic recombination events at the site of collapsed forks. Inverted repeats near the site of fork collapse stimulate large-scale genomic changes up to 1,500 times over spontaneous events. We also show that the high accuracy of DNA replication during S-phase is impaired by impediments to fork progression, since fork-arrest-induced mutation is due to erroneous DNA synthesis during recovery of replication forks. The mutations caused are small insertions/duplications between short tandem repeats (micro-homology indicative of replication slippage. Our data establish that collapsed forks, but not stalled forks, recovered by homologous recombination are prone to replication slippage. The inaccuracy of DNA synthesis does not rely on PCNA ubiquitination or trans-lesion-synthesis DNA polymerases, and it is not counteracted by mismatch repair. We propose that deletions/insertions, mediated by micro-homology, leading to copy number variations during replication stress may arise by progression of error-prone replication forks restarted by homologous recombination.

Forked and Integrated Variants In An Open-Source Firmware Project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stanciulescu, Stefan; Schulze, Sandro; Wasowski, Andrzej

2015-01-01

and interactive source management platforms such as Github. We study advantages and disadvantages of forking using the case of Marlin, an open source firmware for 3D printers. We find that many problems and advantages of cloning do translate to forking. Interestingly, the Marlin community uses both forking......Code cloning has been reported both on small (code fragments) and large (entire projects) scale. Cloning-in-the-large, or forking, is gaining ground as a reuse mechanism thanks to availability of better tools for maintaining forked project variants, hereunder distributed version control systems...

Modeling and control of lateral vibration of an axially translating flexible link

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Heon Seop; Rhim, Sung Soo [Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2015-01-15

Manipulators used for the transportation of large panel-shape payloads often adopt long and slender links (or forks) with translational joins to carry the payloads. As the size of the payload increases, the length of the links also increases to hold the payload securely. The increased length of the link inevitably amplifies the effect of the flexure in the link. Intuitively, the translational motion of the link in its longitudinal direction should have no effect on the lateral vibration of the link because of the orthogonality between the direction of the translational motion and the lateral vibration. If, however, the link was flexible and translated horizontally (perpendicular to the gravitational field) the asymmetric deflection of the link caused by gravity would break the orthogonality between the two directions, and the longitudinal motion of the link would excite lateral motion in the link. In this paper, the lateral oscillatory motion of the flexible link in a large-scale solar cell panel handling robot is investigated where the links carry the panel in its longitudinal direction. The Newtonian approach in conjunction with the assumed modes method is used for derivation of the equation of motion for the flexible forks where non-zero control force is applied at the base of the link. The analysis illustrates the effect of longitudinal motion on the lateral vibration and dynamic stiffening effect (variation of the natural frequency) of the link due to the translational velocity. Lateral vibration behavior is simulated using the derived equations of the motion. A robust vibration control scheme, the input shaping filter technique, is implemented on the model and the effectiveness of the scheme is verified numerically.

Modeling and control of lateral vibration of an axially translating flexible link

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Heon Seop; Rhim, Sung Soo

2015-01-01

Manipulators used for the transportation of large panel-shape payloads often adopt long and slender links (or forks) with translational joins to carry the payloads. As the size of the payload increases, the length of the links also increases to hold the payload securely. The increased length of the link inevitably amplifies the effect of the flexure in the link. Intuitively, the translational motion of the link in its longitudinal direction should have no effect on the lateral vibration of the link because of the orthogonality between the direction of the translational motion and the lateral vibration. If, however, the link was flexible and translated horizontally (perpendicular to the gravitational field) the asymmetric deflection of the link caused by gravity would break the orthogonality between the two directions, and the longitudinal motion of the link would excite lateral motion in the link. In this paper, the lateral oscillatory motion of the flexible link in a large-scale solar cell panel handling robot is investigated where the links carry the panel in its longitudinal direction. The Newtonian approach in conjunction with the assumed modes method is used for derivation of the equation of motion for the flexible forks where non-zero control force is applied at the base of the link. The analysis illustrates the effect of longitudinal motion on the lateral vibration and dynamic stiffening effect (variation of the natural frequency) of the link due to the translational velocity. Lateral vibration behavior is simulated using the derived equations of the motion. A robust vibration control scheme, the input shaping filter technique, is implemented on the model and the effectiveness of the scheme is verified numerically.

Manufacturing polycrystalline pellets of natural quartz for applications in thermoluminescence dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carvalho Junior, Alvaro Barbosa de; Khoury, Helen Jamil [Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Department of Nuclear Energy; Barros, Thiago Fernandes; Guzzo, Pedro Luiz [Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Department of Mining Engineering

2012-07-15

This paper describes the manufacturing process of quartz-pellets and shows their potential use as thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) for those applications where low-levels of ionising radiation are present. Two batches of cold-pressed pellets were produced and their resistance were evaluated by vibration tests and weight-loss measurements. The batch manufactured with 75 Multiplication-Sign 150 Micro-Sign m particles showed enough resistance to be employed as TLD. The dosimetric properties of the 310 Degree-Sign C peak appearing in the glow curves of these pellets were characterized together with commercial TLD-100 units using {gamma}- and X-ray beams with different energies. The uncertainties related to reproducibility and stability of the TL signal were better than 10%. The sensitivity and the linearity of the TL response of quartz-pellets were better than that measured for TLD-100 for doses ranging from 0.5 to 200mGy. The energy dependence of the quartz-pellets was higher than that of TLD-100 but it cannot be considered a restriction to their use in clinical procedures and industrial applications. (author)

Piezoelectric tuning fork biosensors for the quantitative measurement of biomolecular interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Laura; Maria Benito, Angel; Puig-Vidal, Manel; Otero, Jorge; Rodrigues, Mafalda; Pérez-García, Lluïsa

2015-01-01

The quantitative measurement of biomolecular interactions is of great interest in molecular biology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has proved its capacity to act as a biosensor and determine the affinity between biomolecules of interest. Nevertheless, the detection scheme presents certain limitations when it comes to developing a compact biosensor. Recently, piezoelectric quartz tuning forks (QTFs) have been used as laser-free detection sensors for AFM. However, only a few studies along these lines have considered soft biological samples, and even fewer constitute quantified molecular recognition experiments. Here, we demonstrate the capacity of QTF probes to perform specific interaction measurements between biotin–streptavidin complexes in buffer solution. We propose in this paper a variant of dynamic force spectroscopy based on representing adhesion energies E (aJ) against pulling rates v (nm s"–"1). Our results are compared with conventional AFM measurements and show the great potential of these sensors in molecular interaction studies. (paper)

Termination of DNA replication forks: "Breaking up is hard to do".

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Rachael; Priego Moreno, Sara; Gambus, Agnieszka

2015-01-01

To ensure duplication of the entire genome, eukaryotic DNA replication initiates from thousands of replication origins. The replication forks move through the chromatin until they encounter forks from neighboring origins. During replication fork termination forks converge, the replisomes disassemble and topoisomerase II resolves the daughter DNA molecules. If not resolved efficiently, terminating forks result in genomic instability through the formation of pathogenic structures. Our recent findings shed light onto the mechanism of replisome disassembly upon replication fork termination. We have shown that termination-specific polyubiquitylation of the replicative helicase component - Mcm7, leads to dissolution of the active helicase in a process dependent on the p97/VCP/Cdc48 segregase. The inhibition of terminating helicase disassembly resulted in a replication termination defect. In this extended view we present hypothetical models of replication fork termination and discuss remaining and emerging questions in the DNA replication termination field.

Development of a Novel Translational Model of Vibration Injury to the Spine to Study Acute Injury

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

to Dr. Nicolas Jaumard for input on device fabrica- tion and mechanical analyses. REFERENCES 1. Boshuizen HC, Bongers PM, Hulshof CT. 1992. Self...reported back pain in fork-lift truck and freight-container tractor drivers exposed to whole-body vibration. Spine 17:59–65. 2. Bovenzi M, Hulshof CTJ. 1988...Occup Environ Health 72:351–365. 3. Boshuizen HC, Bongers PM, Hulshof CT. 1999. Effect of whole body vibration on low back pain. Spine 24:2506–2515. 4

Burnup verification using the FORK measurement system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewing, R.I.

1994-01-01

Verification measurements may be used to help ensure nuclear criticality safety when burnup credit is applied to spent fuel transport and storage systems. The FORK measurement system, designed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards program, has been used to verify reactor site records for burnup and cooling time for many years. The FORK system measures the passive neutron and gamma-ray emission from spent fuel assemblies while in the storage pool. This report deals with the application of the FORK system to burnup credit operations based on measurements performed on spent fuel assemblies at the Oconee Nuclear Station of Duke Power Company

Take It Slow: can feedback from a smart fork reduce eating speed?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sander Hermsen

2015-09-01

The present study examines the efficacy of a smart fork that helps people to eat more slowly. This adapted fork records eating speed and delivers vibrotactile feedback if users eat too quickly. In two studies, we tested the acceptability and user experience of the fork (Study 1, and its effect on eating rate and satiety levels in a controlled lab-setting (Study 2. Method: In study 1, 11 participants (all self-reported fast eaters ate a meal using the fork in our laboratory and used the fork for three consecutive days in their home setting. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews after the first meal and upon returning the fork, covering perceived effect on eating rate, comfort of use, accuracy, and motivational and social aspects of fork use. Interviews were coded and a thematic classification analysis was performed. In study 2, 128 participants (all self-reported fast eaters ate a standardized meal using the fork in our laboratory. We used a between-participants design with 2 conditions; participants ate their meal either with vibrotactile feedback from the fork (experimental condition or ate their meal without vibrotactile feedback (control condition. Eating rate, meal duration, error rate (number of bites taken faster than 10 seconds after previous bite, total food intake, and satiety were recorded for every participant. Results: Study 1: All participants felt that the feedback was generally accurate and consistent. Fork size, weight, and intensity of the feedback were seen as comfortable and acceptable. All participants reported a heightened awareness of eating rate and all but one participant reported eating more slowly with the fork. Study 2: Participants in the experimental condition ate significantly slower, and with a lower error rate than those in the control condition. Feedback did not significantly affect the amount of food eaten. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that this smart fork is an acceptable and effective tool to disrupt and

Checkpoint-dependent RNR induction promotes fork restart after replicative stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Morafraile, Esther C; Diffley, John F X; Tercero, José Antonio; Segurado, Mónica

2015-01-20

The checkpoint kinase Rad53 is crucial to regulate DNA replication in the presence of replicative stress. Under conditions that interfere with the progression of replication forks, Rad53 prevents Exo1-dependent fork degradation. However, although EXO1 deletion avoids fork degradation in rad53 mutants, it does not suppress their sensitivity to the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU). In this case, the inability to restart stalled forks is likely to account for the lethality of rad53 mutant cells after replication blocks. Here we show that Rad53 regulates replication restart through the checkpoint-dependent transcriptional response, and more specifically, through RNR induction. Thus, in addition to preventing fork degradation, Rad53 prevents cell death in the presence of HU by regulating RNR-expression and localization. When RNR is induced in the absence of Exo1 and RNR negative regulators, cell viability of rad53 mutants treated with HU is increased and the ability of replication forks to restart after replicative stress is restored.

First-principles simulation of Raman spectra and structural properties of quartz up to 5 GPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Lei; Lv Chao-Jia; Yi Li; Liu Hong; Du Jian-Guo; Zhuang Chun-Qiang

2015-01-01

The crystal structure and Raman spectra of quartz are calculated by using first-principles method in a pressure range from 0 to 5 GPa. The results show that the lattice constants (a, c, and V) decrease with increasing pressure and the a-axis is more compressible than the c axis. The Si–O bond distance decreases with increasing pressure, which is in contrast to experimental results reported by Hazen et al. [Hazen R M, Finger L W, Hemley R J and Mao H K 1989 Solid State Communications 725 507–511], and Glinnemann et al. [Glinnemann J, King H E Jr, Schulz H, Hahn T, La Placa S J and Dacol F 1992 Z. Kristallogr. 198 177–212]. The most striking changes are of inter-tetrahedral O–O distances and Si–O–Si angles. The volume of the tetrahedron decreased by 0.9% (from 0 to 5 GPa), which suggests that it is relatively rigid. Vibrational models of the quartz modes are identified by visualizing the associated atomic motions. Raman vibrations are mainly controlled by the deformation of the tetrahedron and the changes in the Si–O–Si bonds. Vibrational directions and intensities of atoms in all Raman modes just show little deviations when pressure increases from 0 to 5 GPa. The pressure derivatives (dν i /dP) of the 12 Raman frequencies are obtained at 0 GPa–5 GPa. The calculated results show that first-principles methods can well describe the high-pressure structural properties and Raman spectra of quartz. The combination of first-principles simulations of the Raman frequencies of minerals and Raman spectroscopy experiments is a useful tool for exploring the stress conditions within the Earth. (paper)

Role of Substrate on Quartz Cementation in Quartz Aggregates

Science.gov (United States)

Farver, J. R.; Winslow, D.; Onasch, C.

2010-12-01

Quartz cementation in quartz aggregates has been experimentally investigated. The starting material was disaggregated detrital quartz grains from the well-sorted, mature St. Peter Sandstone. The ‘as-is’ grains have patches of iron oxide coatings and some have euhedral overgrowths that contain iron oxide dust rims. In addition a set of experiments was run using grains that were cleaned by soaking in sodium hydrosulfite and sodium bisulfate solutions to remove exposed iron oxide coatings. Experimental charges consisted of amorphous silica powder (≈30 mg) to provide a source of silica for the quartz cement, AlCl3 powder (≈3 mg) to provide a tracer for Cathodoluminescence (CL) identification of cement formed during the experiment, 25 wt% NaCl brine solution (≈25 mg) to increase the silica solubility and to better mimic oil field brines, and the natural quartz grains (100-130 mg). The charges were weld-sealed in Au capsules and run in cold-seal pressure vessels at 250°C to 450°C at 150 MPa confining pressure for up to 8 weeks. After the experiments, the samples were vacuum impregnated with a low viscosity epoxy containing a blue dye. After curing, the sample charge was sawn in half along its long axis and one half was polished (to 1 micron diamond paste) for analysis. The nature and amount of quartz cement in the samples were determined by a combination of CL, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Photomosaics of the samples were created and the amount of cement, porosity, and average grain sizes were determined by point-counting. The cement formed during the experiment was easily recognized from the quartz grains (and previous overgrowths) by the difference in luminescence. The results indicate the amorphous silica powder provides a ready source for silica for quartz cementation due to its greater solubility than the quartz. The cementation rates are rapid (>14% cement formed in 2 weeks at 450°C and >7% in 8 weeks at 250°C). Compared to

Relative sensory sparing in the diabetic foot implied through vibration testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todd O'Brien

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The dorsal aspect of the hallux is often cited as the anatomic location of choice for vibration testing in the feet of diabetic patients. To validate this preference, vibration tests were performed and compared at the hallux and 5th metatarsal head in diabetic patients with established neuropathy. Methods: Twenty-eight neuropathic, diabetic patients and 17 non-neuropathic, non-diabetic patients underwent timed vibration testing (TVT with a novel 128 Hz electronic tuning fork (ETF at the hallux and 5th metatarsal head. Results: TVT values in the feet of diabetic patients were found to be reduced at both locations compared to controls. Unexpectedly, these values were significantly lower at the hallux (P < 0.001 compared to the 5th metatarsal head. Conclusion: This study confirms the hallux as the most appropriate location for vibration testing and implies relative sensory sparing at the 5th metatarsal head, a finding not previously reported in diabetic patients.

Regulation of replication fork progression through histone supply and demand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Groth, Anja; Corpet, Armelle; Cook, Adam J L

2007-01-01

DNA replication in eukaryotes requires nucleosome disruption ahead of the replication fork and reassembly behind. An unresolved issue concerns how histone dynamics are coordinated with fork progression to maintain chromosomal stability. Here, we characterize a complex in which the human histone c...... progression and histone supply and demand.......1 chaperone function, histone supply, and replicative unwinding of DNA in chromatin. We propose that Asf1, as a histone acceptor and donor, handles parental and new histones at the replication fork via an Asf1-(H3-H4)-MCM2-7 intermediate and thus provides a means to fine-tune replication fork...

Force regulated dynamics of RPA on a DNA fork.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemmerich, Felix E; Daldrop, Peter; Pinto, Cosimo; Levikova, Maryna; Cejka, Petr; Seidel, Ralf

2016-07-08

Replication protein A (RPA) is a single-stranded DNA binding protein, involved in most aspects of eukaryotic DNA metabolism. Here, we study the behavior of RPA on a DNA substrate that mimics a replication fork. Using magnetic tweezers we show that both yeast and human RPA can open forked DNA when sufficient external tension is applied. In contrast, at low force, RPA becomes rapidly displaced by the rehybridization of the DNA fork. This process appears to be governed by the binding or the release of an RPA microdomain (toehold) of only few base-pairs length. This gives rise to an extremely rapid exchange dynamics of RPA at the fork. Fork rezipping rates reach up to hundreds of base-pairs per second, being orders of magnitude faster than RPA dissociation from ssDNA alone. Additionally, we show that RPA undergoes diffusive motion on ssDNA, such that it can be pushed over long distances by a rezipping fork. Generally the behavior of both human and yeast RPA homologs is very similar. However, in contrast to yeast RPA, the dissociation of human RPA from ssDNA is greatly reduced at low Mg(2+) concentrations, such that human RPA can melt DNA in absence of force. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

RFWD3-Dependent Ubiquitination of RPA Regulates Repair at Stalled Replication Forks.

Science.gov (United States)

Elia, Andrew E H; Wang, David C; Willis, Nicholas A; Boardman, Alexander P; Hajdu, Ildiko; Adeyemi, Richard O; Lowry, Elizabeth; Gygi, Steven P; Scully, Ralph; Elledge, Stephen J

2015-10-15

We have used quantitative proteomics to profile ubiquitination in the DNA damage response (DDR). We demonstrate that RPA, which functions as a protein scaffold in the replication stress response, is multiply ubiquitinated upon replication fork stalling. Ubiquitination of RPA occurs on chromatin, involves sites outside its DNA binding channel, does not cause proteasomal degradation, and increases under conditions of fork collapse, suggesting a role in repair at stalled forks. We demonstrate that the E3 ligase RFWD3 mediates RPA ubiquitination. RFWD3 is necessary for replication fork restart, normal repair kinetics during replication stress, and homologous recombination (HR) at stalled replication forks. Mutational analysis suggests that multisite ubiquitination of the entire RPA complex is responsible for repair at stalled forks. Multisite protein group sumoylation is known to promote HR in yeast. Our findings reveal a similar requirement for multisite protein group ubiquitination during HR at stalled forks in mammalian cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Both DNA Polymerases δ and ε Contact Active and Stalled Replication Forks Differently

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Chuanhe; Gan, Haiyun

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Three DNA polymerases, polymerases α, δ, and ε (Pol α, Pol δ, and Pol ε), are responsible for eukaryotic genome duplication. When DNA replication stress is encountered, DNA synthesis stalls until the stress is ameliorated. However, it is not known whether there is a difference in the association of each polymerase with active and stalled replication forks. Here, we show that each DNA polymerase has a distinct pattern of association with active and stalled replication forks. Pol α is enriched at extending Okazaki fragments of active and stalled forks. In contrast, although Pol δ contacts the nascent lagging strands of active and stalled forks, it binds to only the matured (and not elongating) Okazaki fragments of stalled forks. Pol ε has greater contact with the nascent single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) of the leading strand on active forks than on stalled forks. We propose that the configuration of DNA polymerases at stalled forks facilitates the resumption of DNA synthesis after stress removal. PMID:28784720

DNA Copy-Number Control through Inhibition of Replication Fork Progression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jared T. Nordman

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Proper control of DNA replication is essential to ensure faithful transmission of genetic material and prevent chromosomal aberrations that can drive cancer progression and developmental disorders. DNA replication is regulated primarily at the level of initiation and is under strict cell-cycle regulation. Importantly, DNA replication is highly influenced by developmental cues. In Drosophila, specific regions of the genome are repressed for DNA replication during differentiation by the SNF2 domain-containing protein SUUR through an unknown mechanism. We demonstrate that SUUR is recruited to active replication forks and mediates the repression of DNA replication by directly inhibiting replication fork progression instead of functioning as a replication fork barrier. Mass spectrometry identification of SUUR-associated proteins identified the replicative helicase member CDC45 as a SUUR-associated protein, supporting a role for SUUR directly at replication forks. Our results reveal that control of eukaryotic DNA copy number can occur through the inhibition of replication fork progression.

Stabilization of Reversed Replication Forks by Telomerase Drives Telomere Catastrophe.

Science.gov (United States)

Margalef, Pol; Kotsantis, Panagiotis; Borel, Valerie; Bellelli, Roberto; Panier, Stephanie; Boulton, Simon J

2018-01-25

Telomere maintenance critically depends on the distinct activities of telomerase, which adds telomeric repeats to solve the end replication problem, and RTEL1, which dismantles DNA secondary structures at telomeres to facilitate replisome progression. Here, we establish that reversed replication forks are a pathological substrate for telomerase and the source of telomere catastrophe in Rtel1 -/- cells. Inhibiting telomerase recruitment to telomeres, but not its activity, or blocking replication fork reversal through PARP1 inhibition or depleting UBC13 or ZRANB3 prevents the rapid accumulation of dysfunctional telomeres in RTEL1-deficient cells. In this context, we establish that telomerase binding to reversed replication forks inhibits telomere replication, which can be mimicked by preventing replication fork restart through depletion of RECQ1 or PARG. Our results lead us to propose that telomerase inappropriately binds to and inhibits restart of reversed replication forks within telomeres, which compromises replication and leads to critically short telomeres. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fork rotation and DNA precatenation are restricted during DNA replication to prevent chromosomal instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Schalbetter, Stephanie A; Mansoubi, Sahar; Chambers, Anna L; Downs, Jessica A; Baxter, Jonathan

2015-08-18

Faithful genome duplication and inheritance require the complete resolution of all intertwines within the parental DNA duplex. This is achieved by topoisomerase action ahead of the replication fork or by fork rotation and subsequent resolution of the DNA precatenation formed. Although fork rotation predominates at replication termination, in vitro studies have suggested that it also occurs frequently during elongation. However, the factors that influence fork rotation and how rotation and precatenation may influence other replication-associated processes are unknown. Here we analyze the causes and consequences of fork rotation in budding yeast. We find that fork rotation and precatenation preferentially occur in contexts that inhibit topoisomerase action ahead of the fork, including stable protein-DNA fragile sites and termination. However, generally, fork rotation and precatenation are actively inhibited by Timeless/Tof1 and Tipin/Csm3. In the absence of Tof1/Timeless, excessive fork rotation and precatenation cause extensive DNA damage following DNA replication. With Tof1, damage related to precatenation is focused on the fragile protein-DNA sites where fork rotation is induced. We conclude that although fork rotation and precatenation facilitate unwinding in hard-to-replicate contexts, they intrinsically disrupt normal chromosome duplication and are therefore restricted by Timeless/Tipin.

Improve performance of scanning probe microscopy by balancing tuning fork prongs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, Boon Ping; Zhang Ying; Wei Kok, Shaw; Chai Soh, Yeng

2009-01-01

This paper presents an approach for improving the Q-factor of tuning fork probe used in scanning probe microscopes. The improvement is achieved by balancing the fork prongs with extra mass attachment. An analytical model is proposed to characterize the Q-factor of a tuning fork probe with respect to the attachment of extra mass on the tuning fork prongs, and based on the model, the Q-factors of the unbalanced and balanced tuning fork probes are derived and compared. Experimental results showed that the model fits well the experimental data and the approach can improve the Q-factor by more than a factor of three. The effectiveness of the approach is further demonstrated by applying the balanced probe on an atomic force microscope to obtain improved topographic images.

Mutations in DONSON disrupt replication fork stability and cause microcephalic dwarfism.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, John J; Bicknell, Louise S; Carroll, Paula; Higgs, Martin R; Shaheen, Ranad; Murray, Jennie E; Papadopoulos, Dimitrios K; Leitch, Andrea; Murina, Olga; Tarnauskaitė, Žygimantė; Wessel, Sarah R; Zlatanou, Anastasia; Vernet, Audrey; von Kriegsheim, Alex; Mottram, Rachel M A; Logan, Clare V; Bye, Hannah; Li, Yun; Brean, Alexander; Maddirevula, Sateesh; Challis, Rachel C; Skouloudaki, Kassiani; Almoisheer, Agaadir; Alsaif, Hessa S; Amar, Ariella; Prescott, Natalie J; Bober, Michael B; Duker, Angela; Faqeih, Eissa; Seidahmed, Mohammed Zain; Al Tala, Saeed; Alswaid, Abdulrahman; Ahmed, Saleem; Al-Aama, Jumana Yousuf; Altmüller, Janine; Al Balwi, Mohammed; Brady, Angela F; Chessa, Luciana; Cox, Helen; Fischetto, Rita; Heller, Raoul; Henderson, Bertram D; Hobson, Emma; Nürnberg, Peter; Percin, E Ferda; Peron, Angela; Spaccini, Luigina; Quigley, Alan J; Thakur, Seema; Wise, Carol A; Yoon, Grace; Alnemer, Maha; Tomancak, Pavel; Yigit, Gökhan; Taylor, A Malcolm R; Reijns, Martin A M; Simpson, Michael A; Cortez, David; Alkuraya, Fowzan S; Mathew, Christopher G; Jackson, Andrew P; Stewart, Grant S

2017-04-01

To ensure efficient genome duplication, cells have evolved numerous factors that promote unperturbed DNA replication and protect, repair and restart damaged forks. Here we identify downstream neighbor of SON (DONSON) as a novel fork protection factor and report biallelic DONSON mutations in 29 individuals with microcephalic dwarfism. We demonstrate that DONSON is a replisome component that stabilizes forks during genome replication. Loss of DONSON leads to severe replication-associated DNA damage arising from nucleolytic cleavage of stalled replication forks. Furthermore, ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR)-dependent signaling in response to replication stress is impaired in DONSON-deficient cells, resulting in decreased checkpoint activity and the potentiation of chromosomal instability. Hypomorphic mutations in DONSON substantially reduce DONSON protein levels and impair fork stability in cells from patients, consistent with defective DNA replication underlying the disease phenotype. In summary, we have identified mutations in DONSON as a common cause of microcephalic dwarfism and established DONSON as a critical replication fork protein required for mammalian DNA replication and genome stability.

The fecundity of fork-tailed threadfin bream (Nemipterus furcosus) in Bangka, Bangka Belitung

Science.gov (United States)

Utami, E.; Safitriyani, E.; Gatra Persada, Leo

2018-04-01

Fork-tailed threadfin bream (Nemipterus furcosus) is one of important economic fishes in Bangka. The sustainability of fork-tailed threadfin bream is threatened by degradation of natural habitat. Information of reproductive is needed for further management. The objective of this study was to examine fecundity of fork-tailed threadfin bream. The mean values of temperature was 28.83 ± 0,37°C, respectively. Sex ratio during sampling showed that female fork-tailed threadfin bream greater than male population. Berried female fork-tailed threadfin bream found from March until November. The greatest number of berried female fork-tailed threadfin bream showed in July with berried female value of 25. Fork-tailed threadfin bream fecundity was 19951 and 66628, respectively. The fecundity data can be used to access the reproductive potential of fish stock and also as an assessment on stock size of their natural population.

Inter-Fork Strand Annealing causes genomic deletions during the termination of DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrow, Carl A; Nguyen, Michael O; Fower, Andrew; Wong, Io Nam; Osman, Fekret; Bryer, Claire; Whitby, Matthew C

2017-06-06

Problems that arise during DNA replication can drive genomic alterations that are instrumental in the development of cancers and many human genetic disorders. Replication fork barriers are a commonly encountered problem, which can cause fork collapse and act as hotspots for replication termination. Collapsed forks can be rescued by homologous recombination, which restarts replication. However, replication restart is relatively slow and, therefore, replication termination may frequently occur by an active fork converging on a collapsed fork. We find that this type of non-canonical fork convergence in fission yeast is prone to trigger deletions between repetitive DNA sequences via a mechanism we call Inter-Fork Strand Annealing (IFSA) that depends on the recombination proteins Rad52, Exo1 and Mus81, and is countered by the FANCM-related DNA helicase Fml1. Based on our findings, we propose that IFSA is a potential threat to genomic stability in eukaryotes.

Piezoelectric transducer vibrations in a one-dimensional approximation

CERN Document Server

Hilke, H J

1973-01-01

The theory of piezoelectric transducer vibrations, which may be treated as one-dimensional, is developed in detail for thin discs vibrating in a pure thickness extensional mode. An effort has been made to obtain relations of general validity, which include losses, and which are in a simple explicit form convenient for practical calculations. The behaviour of transducers is discussed with special attention to their characteristics at the two fundamental frequencies, the so-called parallel and series resonances. Several peculiarities occur when transducers are coupled to media with considerably different acoustic impedances. These peculiarities are discussed and illustrated by numerical results for quartz and PZT 4 piezoelectric discs radiating into water, air and liquid hydrogen. The application of the theory to different types of vibrations is briefly illustrated for thin bars vibrating longitudinally. Short discussions are included on compound transducer systems, and on the properties of thin discs as receiv...

Mobile phone generated vibrations used to detect diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Jonathan David; Morris, Matthew William John

2017-12-01

In the current United Kingdom population the incidence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is increasing. The presence of diabetic neuropathy affects decision making and treatment options. This study seeks to evaluate if the vibrations generated from a mobile phone can be used to screen patients for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This study comprised of 61 patients; a control group of 21 patients; a lower limb injury group of 19 patients; a diabetic peripheral neuropathy group of 21 patients. The control and injury group were recruited randomly from fracture clinics. The diabetic peripheral neuropathy group were randomly recruited from the diabetic foot clinic. The 61 patients were examined using a 10g Semmes-Weinstein monofilament, a 128Hz tuning fork and a vibrating mobile phone. The points tested were, index finger, patella, lateral malleoli, medial malleoli, heel, first and fifth metatarsal heads. The most accurate location of all the clinical tests was the head of the 1st metatarsal at 0.86. The overall accuracy of the tuning fork was 0.77, the ten gram monofilament 0.79 and the mobile phone accuracy was 0.88. The control group felt 420 of 441 tests (95%). The injury group felt 349 of 399 tests (87%). The neuropathic group felt 216 of 441 tests (48%). There is a significant difference in the number of tests felt between the control and both the injury and neuropathic groups. pperipheral neuropathy. The most accurate location to test for diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the head of the 1st metatarsal. Screening for diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the index finger and patella were inaccurate. An injury to the lower limb affects the patient's vibration sensation, we would therefore recommend screening the contralateral limb to the injury. This study represents level II evidence of a new diagnostic investigation. Copyright © 2016 European Foot and Ankle Society. All rights reserved.

FANCJ couples replication past natural fork barriers with maintenance of chromatin structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, Rebekka A; Nieminuszczy, Jadwiga; Shin-ya, Kazuo; Niedzwiedz, Wojciech

2013-04-01

Defective DNA repair causes Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare childhood cancer-predisposing syndrome. At least 15 genes are known to be mutated in FA; however, their role in DNA repair remains unclear. Here, we show that the FANCJ helicase promotes DNA replication in trans by counteracting fork stalling on replication barriers, such as G4 quadruplex structures. Accordingly, stabilization of G4 quadruplexes in ΔFANCJ cells restricts fork movements, uncouples leading- and lagging-strand synthesis and generates small single-stranded DNA gaps behind the fork. Unexpectedly, we also discovered that FANCJ suppresses heterochromatin spreading by coupling fork movement through replication barriers with maintenance of chromatin structure. We propose that FANCJ plays an essential role in counteracting chromatin compaction associated with unscheduled replication fork stalling and restart, and suppresses tumorigenesis, at least partially, in this replication-specific manner.

The fork and the kinase: a DNA replication tale from a CHK1 perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

González Besteiro, Marina A; Gottifredi, Vanesa

2015-01-01

Replication fork progression is being continuously hampered by exogenously introduced and naturally occurring DNA lesions and other physical obstacles. Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is activated at replication forks that encounter damaged DNA. Subsequently, Chk1 inhibits the initiation of new replication factories and stimulates the firing of dormant origins (those in the vicinity of stalled forks). Chk1 also avoids fork collapse into DSBs (double strand breaks) and promotes fork elongation. At the molecular level, the current model considers stalled forks as the site of Chk1 activation and the nucleoplasm as the location where Chk1 phosphorylates target proteins. This model certainly serves to explain how Chk1 modulates origin firing, but how Chk1 controls the fate of stalled forks is less clear. Interestingly, recent reports demonstrating that Chk1 phosphorylates chromatin-bound proteins and even holds kinase-independent functions might shed light on how Chk1 contributes to the elongation of damaged DNA. Indeed, such findings have unveiled a puzzling connection between Chk1 and DNA lesion bypass, which might be central to promoting fork elongation and checkpoint attenuation. In summary, Chk1 is a multifaceted and versatile signaling factor that acts at ongoing forks and replication origins to determine the extent and quality of the cellular response to replication stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Three-electrode self-actuating self-sensing quartz cantilever: design, analysis, and experimental verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, C Julian; Schwarz, Alex; Wiesendanger, Roland; Horn, Oliver; Müller, Jörg

2010-05-01

We present a novel quartz cantilever for frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) which has three electrodes: an actuating electrode, a sensing electrode, and a ground electrode. By applying an ac signal on the actuating electrode, the cantilever is set to vibrate. If the frequency of actuation voltage closely matches one of the characteristic frequencies of the cantilever, a sharp resonance should be observed. The vibration of the cantilever in turn generates a current on the sensing electrode. The arrangement of the electrodes is such that the cross-talk capacitance between the actuating electrode and the sensing electrode is less than 10(-16) F, thus the direct coupling is negligible. To verify the principle, a number of samples were made. Direct measurements with a Nanosurf easyPPL controller and detector showed that for each cantilever, one or more vibrational modes can be excited and detected. Using classical theory of elasticity, it is shown that such novel cantilevers with proper dimensions can provide optimized performance and sensitivity in FM-AFM with very simple electronics.

Modification of kaolinite surfaces through mechanochemical activation with quartz: A diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform and chemometrics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmody, Onuma; Frost, Ray L; Kristóf, János; Kokot, Serge; Kloprogge, J Theo; Makó, Eva

2006-12-01

Studies of kaolinite surfaces are of industrial importance. One useful method for studying the changes in kaolinite surface properties is to apply chemometric analyses to the kaolinite surface infrared spectra. A comparison is made between the mechanochemical activation of Kiralyhegy kaolinites with significant amounts of natural quartz and the mechanochemical activation of Zettlitz kaolinite with added quartz. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectra were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods, the preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE) and geometrical analysis for interactive assistance (GAIA). The clear discrimination of the Kiralyhegy spectral objects on the two PC scores plots (400-800 and 800-2030 cm(-1)) indicated the dominance of quartz. Importantly, no ordering of any spectral objects appeared to be related to grinding time in the PC plots of these spectral regions. Thus, neither the kaolinite nor the quartz are systematically responsive to grinding time according to the spectral criteria investigated. The third spectral region (2600-3800 cm(-1), OH vibrations), showed apparent systematic ordering of the Kiralyhegy and, to a lesser extent, Zettlitz spectral objects with grinding time. This was attributed to the effect of the natural quartz on the delamination of kaolinite and the accompanying phenomena (i.e., formation of kaolinite spheres and water). The mechanochemical activation of kaolinite and quartz, through dry grinding, results in changes to the surface structure. Different grinding times were adopted to study the rate of destruction of the kaolinite and quartz structures. This relationship (i.e., grinding time) was classified using PROMETHEE and GAIA methodology.

High-Power DFB Diode Laser-Based CO-QEPAS Sensor: Optimization and Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yufei; Tong, Yao; He, Ying; Yu, Xin; Tittel, Frank K

2018-01-04

A highly sensitive carbon monoxide (CO) trace gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) was demonstrated. A high-power distributed feedback (DFB), continuous wave (CW) 2.33 μm diode laser with an 8.8 mW output power was used as the QEPAS excitation source. By optimizing the modulation depth and adding an optimum micro-resonator, compared to a bare quartz tuning fork (QTF), a 10-fold enhancement of the CO-QEPAS signal amplitude was achieved. When water vapor acting as a vibrational transfer catalyst was added to the target gas, the signal was further increased by a factor of ~7. A minimum detection limit (MDL) of 11.2 ppm and a calculated normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient of 1.8 × 10 -5 cm -1 W/√Hz were obtained for the reported CO-QEPAS sensor.

Colorado quartz: occurrence and discovery

Science.gov (United States)

Kile, D.E.; Modreski, P.J.; Kile, D.L.

1991-01-01

The many varieties and associations of quartz found throughout the state rank it as one of the premier worldwide localities for that species. This paper briefly outlines the historical importance of the mineral, the mining history and the geological setting before discussing the varieties of quartz present, its crystallography and the geological enviroments in which it is found. The latter include volcanic rocks and near surface igneous rocks; pegmatites; metamorphic and plutonic rocks; hydrothermal veins; skarns and sedimentary deposits. Details of the localities and mode of occurrence of smoky quartz, amethyst, milky quartz, rock crystal, rose quartz, citrine, agate and jasper are then given. -S.J.Stone

South Fork Snake River/Palisades Wildlife Mitigation Project: Environmental assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

BPA proposes to fund the implementation of the South Fork Snake River Programmatic Management Plan to compensate for losses of wildlife and wildlife habitat due to hydroelectric development at Palisades Dam. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game drafted the plan, which was completed in May 1993. This plan recommends land and conservation easement acquisition and wildlife habitat enhancement measures. These measures would be implemented on selected lands along the South Fork of the Snake River between Palisades Dam and the confluence with the Henry`s Fork, and on portions of the Henry`s Fork located in Bonneville, Madison, and Jefferson Counties, Idaho. BPA has prepared an Environmental Assessment evaluating the proposed project. The EA also incorporates by reference the analyses in the South Fork Snake River Activity/Operations Plan and EA prepared jointly in 1991 by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Based on the analysis in the EA, BPA has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required and BPA is issuing this FONSI.

Assembly of Slx4 signaling complexes behind DNA replication forks.

Science.gov (United States)

Balint, Attila; Kim, TaeHyung; Gallo, David; Cussiol, Jose Renato; Bastos de Oliveira, Francisco M; Yimit, Askar; Ou, Jiongwen; Nakato, Ryuichiro; Gurevich, Alexey; Shirahige, Katsuhiko; Smolka, Marcus B; Zhang, Zhaolei; Brown, Grant W

2015-08-13

Obstructions to replication fork progression, referred to collectively as DNA replication stress, challenge genome stability. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, cells lacking RTT107 or SLX4 show genome instability and sensitivity to DNA replication stress and are defective in the completion of DNA replication during recovery from replication stress. We demonstrate that Slx4 is recruited to chromatin behind stressed replication forks, in a region that is spatially distinct from that occupied by the replication machinery. Slx4 complex formation is nucleated by Mec1 phosphorylation of histone H2A, which is recognized by the constitutive Slx4 binding partner Rtt107. Slx4 is essential for recruiting the Mec1 activator Dpb11 behind stressed replication forks, and Slx4 complexes are important for full activity of Mec1. We propose that Slx4 complexes promote robust checkpoint signaling by Mec1 by stably recruiting Dpb11 within a discrete domain behind the replication fork, during DNA replication stress. © 2015 The Authors.

Advancing the Fork detector for quantitative spent nuclear fuel verification

Science.gov (United States)

Vaccaro, S.; Gauld, I. C.; Hu, J.; De Baere, P.; Peterson, J.; Schwalbach, P.; Smejkal, A.; Tomanin, A.; Sjöland, A.; Tobin, S.; Wiarda, D.

2018-04-01

The Fork detector is widely used by the safeguards inspectorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify spent nuclear fuel. Fork measurements are routinely performed for safeguards prior to dry storage cask loading. Additionally, spent fuel verification will be required at the facilities where encapsulation is performed for acceptance in the final repositories planned in Sweden and Finland. The use of the Fork detector as a quantitative instrument has not been prevalent due to the complexity of correlating the measured neutron and gamma ray signals with fuel inventories and operator declarations. A spent fuel data analysis module based on the ORIGEN burnup code was recently implemented to provide automated real-time analysis of Fork detector data. This module allows quantitative predictions of expected neutron count rates and gamma units as measured by the Fork detectors using safeguards declarations and available reactor operating data. This paper describes field testing of the Fork data analysis module using data acquired from 339 assemblies measured during routine dry cask loading inspection campaigns in Europe. Assemblies include both uranium oxide and mixed-oxide fuel assemblies. More recent measurements of 50 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel are also analyzed. An evaluation of uncertainties in the Fork measurement data is performed to quantify the ability of the data analysis module to verify operator declarations and to develop quantitative go/no-go criteria for safeguards verification measurements during cask loading or encapsulation operations. The goal of this approach is to provide safeguards inspectors with reliable real-time data analysis tools to rapidly identify discrepancies in operator declarations and to detect potential partial defects in spent fuel assemblies with improved reliability and minimal false positive alarms

Channelization and floodplain forests: impacts of accelerated sedimentation and valley plug formation on floodplain forests of the Middle Fork Forked Deer River, Tennessee, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Sonja N. Oswalt; Sammy L. King

2005-01-01

We evaluated the severe degradation of floodplain habitats resulting from channelization and concomitant excessive coarse sedimentation on the Middle Fork Forked Deer River in west Tennessee from 2000 to 2003. Land use practices have resulted in excessive sediment in the tributaries and river system eventually resulting in sand deposition on the floodplain, increased...

Hydrogen speciation in synthetic quartz

Science.gov (United States)

Aines, R.D.; Kirby, S.H.; Rossman, G.R.

1984-01-01

The dominant hydrogen impurity in synthetic quartz is molecular H2O. H-OH groups also occur, but there is no direct evidence for the hydrolysis of Si-O-Si bonds to yield Si-OH HO-Si groups. Molecular H2O concentrations in the synthetic quartz crystals studied range from less than 10 to 3,300 ppm (H/Si), and decrease smoothly by up to an order of magnitude with distance away from the seed. OH- concentrations range from 96 to 715 ppm, and rise smoothly with distance away from the seed by up to a factor of three. The observed OH- is probably all associated with cationic impurities, as in natural quartz. Molecular H2O is the dominant initial hydrogen impurity in weak quartz. The hydrolytic weakening of quartz may be caused by the transformation H2O + Si-O-Si ??? 2SiOH, but this may be a transitory change with the SiOH groups recombining to form H2O, and the average SiOH concentration remaining very low. Synthetic quartz is strengthened when the H2O is accumulated into fluid inclusions and cannot react with the quartz framework. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag.

DNA fork displacement rates in human cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapp, L.N.; Painter, R.B.

1981-01-01

DNA fork displacement rates were measured in 20 human cell lines by a bromodeoxyuridine-313 nm photolysis technique. Cell lines included representatives of normal diploid, Fanconi's anemia, ataxia telangiectasia, xeroderma pigmentosum, trisomy-21 and several transformed lines. The average value for all the cell lines was 0.53 +- 0.08 μm/min. The average value for individual cell lines, however, displayed a 30% variation. Less than 10% of variation in the fork displacement rate appears to be due to the experimental technique; the remainder is probably due to true variation among the cell types and to culture conditions. (Auth.)

DNA fork displacement rates in human cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kapp, L.N.; Painter, R.B. (California Univ., San Francisco (USA). Lab. of Radiobiology)

1981-11-27

DNA fork displacement rates were measured in 20 human cell lines by a bromodeoxyuridine-313 nm photolysis technique. Cell lines included representatives of normal diploid, Fanconi's anemia, ataxia telangiectasia, xeroderma pigmentosum, trisomy-21 and several transformed lines. The average value for all the cell lines was 0.53 +- 0.08 ..mu..m/min. The average value for individual cell lines, however, displayed a 30% variation. Less than 10% of variation in the fork displacement rate appears to be due to the experimental technique; the remainder is probably due to true variation among the cell types and to culture conditions.

Quartz fiber calorimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akchurin, N.; Doulas, S.; Ganel, O.; Gershtein, Y.; Gavrilov, V.; Kolosov, V.; Kuleshov, S.; Litvinsev, D.; Merlo, J.-P.; Onel, Y.; Osborne, D.; Rosowsky, A.; Stolin, V.; Sulak, L.; Sullivan, J.; Ulyanov, A.; Wigmans, R.; Winn, D.

1996-01-01

A calorimeter with optical quartz fibers embedded into an absorber matrix was proposed for the small angle region of the CMS detector at LHC (CERN). This type of calorimeter is expected to be radiation hard and to produce extremely fast signal. Some results from beam tests of the quartz fiber calorimeter prototype are presented. (orig.)

Pitch Fork

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Williams, Peter Leslie; Overholt, Daniel

2017-01-01

Pitch Fork is a prototype of an alternate, actuated digital musical instrument (DMI). It uses 5 infra-red and 4 piezoelectric sensors to control an additive synthesis engine. Iron bars are used as the physical point of contact in interaction with the aim of using this materials natural acoustic p...... properties as a control signal for aspects of the digitally produced sound. This choice of material was also chosen to affect player experience. Sensor readings are relayed to a Macbook via an Arduino Mega. Mappings and audio output signal is carried out with Pure Data Extended....

Did mosasaurs have forked tongues?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schulp, Anne S.; Mulder, E. W. A.; Schwenk, K.

Ever since the first mosasaur restorations were published, these extinct marine reptiles have been pictured with either notched, forked or undivided tongues. Here, we present an overview of existing iconography, a review of the previous literature, and we discuss how best to reconstruct tongue form

OH-point defects in quartz in B- and Li-bearing systems and their application to pegmatites

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, M. A.; Stalder, R.; Konzett, J.; Hauzenberger, C. A.

2015-01-01

OH incorporation in quartz in Al-, B- and Li-bearing systems (granitic systems containing tourmaline or spodumene) was studied experimentally in order to investigate the effect of pressure, temperature and chemical impurities on the generation of OH-defects. High-pressure experiments were carried out at pressures between 5 and 25 kbar and temperatures between 800 and 900 °C, and OH-contents in quartz were calculated from IR absorption spectra measured on oriented quartz crystals. IR absorption features were assigned to impurity substitutions, such as AlOH (3,420, 3,379 and 3,315 cm-1) and BOH (3,595 cm-1), LiOH (3,483 cm-1), and hydrogarnet substitution (4H)Si defects (3,583 cm-1). Results indicate a negative correlation of incorporated Al-specific OH-defect content versus pressure (630 ± 130 wt ppm H2O at 5 kbar to 102 ± 6 wt ppm H2O at 25 kbar), but no clear correlation of B-specific OH-defects with pressure. In runs initially containing spodumene, virtually OH-free quartzes were observed at pressures ≥10 kbar, where impurity cations compensate each other forming an anhydrous eucryptite-defect component. In contrast, at 5 kbar, both Li- ad Al-specific OH-defects are observed (corresponding to 470 ± 75 wt ppm H2O). Results from this study may therefore be used to monitor formation conditions of quartz in terms of pressure and trace metal saturation of the crystallizing petrological system. IR spectra obtained from natural quartz grains from a tourmaline-bearing pegmatite exhibit B- and Al-related OH-bands. The B-related OH-band is also exhibited in quartz from a tourmaline + spodumene-bearing pegmatite. Li- and Al-related OH-bands, however, are subordinate or not observed at all in the spodumene-bearing system, which suggests that OH-vibrations do not reflect absolute Li-contents in quartz due to efficient coupled substitution involving Al. Data from experimental runs and natural specimens indicate that the B-related OH-band can be used as a rough proxy for

Henrys Fork near Ashton, ID (YHEN)

Data.gov (United States)

Department of the Interior — Henrys Fork near Ashton, Idaho (YHEN) Sample Collection: Samples were collected near the USGS stream gage 13046000 (Latitude 44°04'11", Longitude 111°30'38" NAD83)....

High-Power DFB Diode Laser-Based CO-QEPAS Sensor: Optimization and Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yufei Ma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A highly sensitive carbon monoxide (CO trace gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS was demonstrated. A high-power distributed feedback (DFB, continuous wave (CW 2.33 μm diode laser with an 8.8 mW output power was used as the QEPAS excitation source. By optimizing the modulation depth and adding an optimum micro-resonator, compared to a bare quartz tuning fork (QTF, a 10-fold enhancement of the CO-QEPAS signal amplitude was achieved. When water vapor acting as a vibrational transfer catalyst was added to the target gas, the signal was further increased by a factor of ~7. A minimum detection limit (MDL of 11.2 ppm and a calculated normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA coefficient of 1.8 × 10−5 cm−1W/√Hz were obtained for the reported CO-QEPAS sensor.

The problem of dating quartz 2: Synchrotron generated X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) from quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, G.E.; Finch, A.A.; Robinson, R.A.J.; Taylor, R.P.; Mosselmans, J.F.W.

2011-01-01

The luminescence emission of quartz is used in optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL), however the precise origins of the emission are unclear. A suite of quartz samples were analysed using X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL). Radiation dose effects were observed whereby the UV emissions (3.8 and 3.4 eV) were depleted to the benefit of the red emission (1.9-2.0 eV). Samples were excited at ∼7 keV. Understanding why some quartz emit light more brightly than others will increase the efficiency and precision of OSL analyses. - Highlights: → The X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) emission of quartz is explored. → The XEOL of quartz of different provenances varies. → Radiation dosing causes UV emissions to deplete to the benefit of red emissions. → The 3.8 and 3.4 eV emissions deplete at the same rate. → The quartz luminescence emission exhibits anisotropic effects.

Quartz analysis in gravimetric sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rex, D.A.

1990-01-01

An overview of the methods employed in the assessment of quartz exposure is provided. The principles and some of the problems associated with each method is discussed. The methods reviewed include wet chemical methods, X-ray diffraction and infrared absorption of which the latter two methods are deemed appropriate for analysing quartz on personal gravimetric collected samples. The implications of combining area samples collected over a six month period, and performing only a single quartz analysis rather than separate analyses, are considered. Finally, various options open to mines with regard to their involvement with quartz analysis are also briefly discussed. 35 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

Archaeological Investigations on the East Fork of the Salmon River, Custer County, Idaho.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

coniferous environment in addition to pine marten (Martes americana), red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), porcupine (Erithizon dorsatum), mountain vole...can be seen in small herds throughout the East Fork valley from the Salmon River to Big Boulder Creek. Two bands of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep...utilize the Challis Planning Unit, one on the East Fork and the other in the Birch Creek area. The East Fork herd is comprised of approximately 50-70

Radiation-Hard Quartz Cerenkov Calorimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akgun, U.; Onel, Y.

2006-01-01

New generation hadron colliders are going to reach unprecedented energies and radiation levels. Quartz has been identified as a radiation-hard material that can be used for Cerenkov calorimeters of the future experiments. We report from the radiation hardness tests performed on quartz fibers, as well as the characteristics of the quartz fiber and plate Cerenkov calorimeters that have been built, designed, and proposed for the CMS experiment

Structural design of a composite bicycle fork

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldissera, Paolo; Delprete, Cristiana

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Case study about composite bicycle fork design. • Special requirements for a Student Team project. • FE model to evaluate stiffness, strength and potential failure modes. • Comparison of two manufacturing approaches. • FE model stiffness validation on the manufactured fork. - Abstract: Despite the wide literature on the mechanical behaviour of carbon/epoxy composites, it is rare to find practical methodological approaches in finite element design of structural components made by laminate layup. Through the case study of a special bicycle fork needed in a Student Team prototype, this paper proposes a simplified methodology as starting point for educational and manufacturing purposes. In order to compare two manufacturing solutions in terms of stiffness, strength and failure mode, a numerical model was implemented. Since the project requirements imposed to avoid standard destructive testing, the model validation was based on a posteriori linear stiffness comparison with the manufactured component. The slight discrepancies between experimental and numerical results were discussed in order to check their origin and to assess the reliability of the model. The overall methodology, even if complain with only a part of the safety standard requirements, shows to be reliable enough and can be the basis for further extension and refinement

77 FR 39675 - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Baker County, OR; North Fork Burnt River Mining

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-05

...-Whitman National Forest, Baker County, OR; North Fork Burnt River Mining AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA... North Fork Burnt River Mining Record of Decision will replace and supercede the 2004 North Fork Burnt River Mining Record of Decision only where necessary to address the inadequacies identified by the court...

Interface circuit for a multiple-beam tuning-fork gyroscope with high quality factors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ren

This research work presents the design, theoretical analysis, fabrication, interface electronics, and experimental results of a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) based Multiple-Beam Tuning-Fork Gyroscope (MB-TFG). Based on a numerical model of Thermo-Elastic Damping (TED), a Multiple-Beam Tuning-Fork Structure (MB-TFS) is designed with high Quality factors (Qs) in its two operation modes. A comprehensive theoretical analysis of the MB-TFG design is conducted to relate the design parameters to its operation parameters and further performance parameters. In conjunction with a mask that defines the device through trenches to alleviate severe fabrication effect on anchor loss, a simple one-mask fabrication process is employed to implement this MB-TFG design on SOI wafers. The fabricated MB-TFGs are tested with PCB-level interface electronics and a thorough comparison between the experimental results and a theoretical analysis is conducted to verify the MB-TFG design and accurately interpret the measured performance. The highest measured Qs of the fabricated MB-TFGs in vacuum are 255,000 in the drive-mode and 103,000 in the sense-mode, at a frequency of 15.7kHz. Under a frequency difference of 4Hz between the two modes (operation frequency is 16.8kHz) and a drive-mode vibration amplitude of 3.0um, the measured rate sensitivity is 80mVpp/°/s with an equivalent impedance of 6MQ. The calculated overall rate resolution of this device is 0.37/hrhiElz, while the measured Angle Random Walk (ARW) and bias instability are 6.67°/'vhr and 95°/hr, respectively.

Quartz glass behavior at ultraviolet spectrum region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braga, A.F.B.; Barbosa, L.C.; Evora, C.A.P.D.

1990-01-01

Melted quartz ingots were produced from raw materials of different sources. Behavior studies of these three different quartz glass were made at the eletromagnetic spectrum ultraviolet region. The atomic absorption spectroscopy was used as an analysis technique of the alkaline, transition and aluminum metal traces. It was found that the alkaline, transition and aluminum metals impurities present a great influence on the melted quartz spectral behavior at the ultraviolet region. It was stated that measurments at this spectrum region constitute an important characterization technique to natural quartz as well as melted quartz. (author) [pt

Performance Evaluation of the New Fork-Absorbers of RSG-GAS Control Rod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slamet Wiranto; Purwadi; Arif Hidayat; Agus Sanjaya

2012-01-01

During the operation of RSG-GAS reactor, it has been replaced 8 fork-absorber by the new absorber from PT. Batan Teknologi. After almost 5 years under utilization it is important to be evaluated to determine the physical condition and its performance, which is still in good condition and functioning according to the requirements of its operations. The evaluation has been carried out by studying and analyzing the data of the fork-absorber utilization in the the reactor core. The fork absorber data consist of visual inspection, control rod drop time measurement and control rod reactivity and safety margin measurement for each operation cycle. Through the observation up to date with the operating cycle of 79, could be concluded that the fork-absorber condition is still good, and has ability, to support the operation until ± 660 MWD/cycle, which is characterized by obtaining the value of ρ-excess is sufficient for operation, with a large safety margin. (author)

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation of Replication Factors Moving with the Replication Fork

OpenAIRE

Rapp, Jordan B.; Ansbach, Alison B.; Noguchi, Chiaki; Noguchi, Eishi

2009-01-01

Replication of chromosomes involves a variety of replication proteins including DNA polymerases, DNA helicases, and other accessory factors. Many of these proteins are known to localize at replication forks and travel with them as components of the replisome complex. Other proteins do not move with replication forks but still play an essential role in DNA replication. Therefore, in order to understand the mechanisms of DNA replication and its controls, it is important to examine localization ...

The forked flap repair for hypospadias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil Chadha

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Despite the abundance of techniques for the repair of Hypospadias, its problems still persist and a satisfactory design to correct the penile curvature with the formation of neourethra from the native urethral tissue or genital or extragenital tissues, with minimal postoperative complications has yet to evolve. Aim: Persisting with such an endeavor, a new technique for the repair of distal and midpenile hypospadias is described. Materials and Methods: The study has been done in 70 cases over the past 11 years. The "Forked-Flap" repair is a single stage method for the repair of such Hypospadias with chordee. It takes advantage of the rich vascular communication at the corona and capitalizes on the established reliability of the meatal based flip-flap. The repair achieves straightening of the curvature of the penis by complete excision of chordee tissue from the ventral surface of the penis beneath the urethral plate. The urethra is reconstructed using the native plate with forked flap extensions and genital tissue relying on the concept of meatal based flaps. Water proofing by dartos tissue and reinforcement by Nesbit′s prepucial tissue transfer completes the one stage procedure. Statistical Analysis: An analysis of 70 cases of this single stage technique of repair of penile hypospadias with chordee, operated at 3 to 5 years of age over the past 11 years is presented. Results and Conclusion: The Forked Flap gives comparable and replicable results; except for a urethrocutaneous fistula rate of 4% no other complications were observed.

Frequency shift of a crystal quartz resonator in thickness-shear modes induced by an array of hemispherical material units.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuantai Hu; Huiliang Hu; Bin Luo; Huan Xue; Jiemin Xie; Ji Wang

2013-08-01

A two-dimensional model was established to study the dynamic characteristics of a quartz crystal resonator with the upper surface covered by an array of hemispherical material units. A frequency-dependent equivalent mass ratio was proposed to simulate the effect of the covered units on frequency shift of the resonator system. It was found that the equivalent mass ratio alternately becomes positive or negative with change of shear modulus and radius of each material unit, which indicates that the equivalent mass ratio is strongly related to the vibration mode of the covered loadings. The further numerical results show the cyclical feature in the relationship of frequency shift and shear modulus/radius as expected. The solutions are useful in the analysis of frequency stability of quartz resonators and acoustic wave sensors.

Experimental diagenesis of quartz with petroleum; Diagenese experimentale du quartz en presence d'hydrocarbures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teinturier, St.

2002-11-01

Quartz cementation has a great impact on petroleum reservoir quality by controlling the porosity and thus the gas or oil storage. However, the possible cementation of quartz during petroleum emplacement is still debated. In most cases, the reconstitution and the understanding of diagenetic processes is based on fluid inclusions studies. However, many questions concerning the representativeness and the reading of the fluid inclusions still remains misunderstood. The experiments were carried out in a silica{+-}water{+-}salts{+-}oil{+-}gas system with the objective to simulate the siliceous diagenesis of natural petroleum reservoirs and to better understand the mechanisms of fluid inclusions formation and quartz cementation in a water and/or petroleum system. Calibration curves have been established using Raman micro-spectroscopy and synthetic reference inclusions to calculate the methane content of aqueous inclusions in the H{sub 2}O-CH{sub 4}-NaCl system. A quantitative procedure for FT-IR micro-spectrometry has been developed to obtain, from individual petroleum fluid inclusions, mole % concentrations of methane, alkanes and carbon dioxide as constraints to thermodynamic modelling. Synthetic aqueous inclusions were created within quartz micro-fractures, with methane (from 150 deg C-200 bar), with petroleum (from 184 deg C-163 bar) and inside quartz overgrowth with the presence of hydrocarbons (from 277 deg C-300 bar). Synthetic petroleum inclusions were created with different water/oil ratios (W/O) within quartz micro-fractures (0quartz overgrowth (10

High-affinity DNA-binding Domains of Replication Protein A (RPA) Direct SMARCAL1-dependent Replication Fork Remodeling*

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Kamakoti P.; Bétous, Rémy; Cortez, David

2015-01-01

SMARCAL1 catalyzes replication fork remodeling to maintain genome stability. It is recruited to replication forks via an interaction with replication protein A (RPA), the major ssDNA-binding protein in eukaryotic cells. In addition to directing its localization, RPA also activates SMARCAL1 on some fork substrates but inhibits it on others, thereby conferring substrate specificity to SMARCAL1 fork-remodeling reactions. We investigated the mechanism by which RPA regulates SMARCAL1. Our results indicate that although an interaction between SMARCAL1 and RPA is essential for SMARCAL1 activation, the location of the interacting surface on RPA is not. Counterintuitively, high-affinity DNA binding of RPA DNA-binding domain (DBD) A and DBD-B near the fork junction makes it easier for SMARCAL1 to remodel the fork, which requires removing RPA. We also found that RPA DBD-C and DBD-D are not required for SMARCAL1 regulation. Thus, the orientation of the high-affinity RPA DBDs at forks dictates SMARCAL1 substrate specificity. PMID:25552480

High-affinity DNA-binding domains of replication protein A (RPA) direct SMARCAL1-dependent replication fork remodeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Kamakoti P; Bétous, Rémy; Cortez, David

2015-02-13

SMARCAL1 catalyzes replication fork remodeling to maintain genome stability. It is recruited to replication forks via an interaction with replication protein A (RPA), the major ssDNA-binding protein in eukaryotic cells. In addition to directing its localization, RPA also activates SMARCAL1 on some fork substrates but inhibits it on others, thereby conferring substrate specificity to SMARCAL1 fork-remodeling reactions. We investigated the mechanism by which RPA regulates SMARCAL1. Our results indicate that although an interaction between SMARCAL1 and RPA is essential for SMARCAL1 activation, the location of the interacting surface on RPA is not. Counterintuitively, high-affinity DNA binding of RPA DNA-binding domain (DBD) A and DBD-B near the fork junction makes it easier for SMARCAL1 to remodel the fork, which requires removing RPA. We also found that RPA DBD-C and DBD-D are not required for SMARCAL1 regulation. Thus, the orientation of the high-affinity RPA DBDs at forks dictates SMARCAL1 substrate specificity. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Study of seed for synthetical quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, C.K.; Torikai, D.

1988-01-01

Natural quartz blocks for seed (synthetic quartz technology) were studied by using various characterization techniques, such as X-ray topography, optical micrography, inspectoscopy, polariscopy and conoscopy, and etching. One of the most commonly found defect is the electrical or Dauphine twin. In The present research, we have developed a methodology to obtain a highly perfect seed for the synthetic quartz industries. (author) [pt

Replication stress-induced chromosome breakage is correlated with replication fork progression and is preceded by single-stranded DNA formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Wenyi; Di Rienzi, Sara C; Raghuraman, M K; Brewer, Bonita J

2011-10-01

Chromosome breakage as a result of replication stress has been hypothesized to be the direct consequence of defective replication fork progression, or "collapsed" replication forks. However, direct and genome-wide evidence that collapsed replication forks give rise to chromosome breakage is still lacking. Previously we showed that a yeast replication checkpoint mutant mec1-1, after transient exposure to replication impediment imposed by hydroxyurea (HU), failed to complete DNA replication, accumulated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) at the replication forks, and fragmented its chromosomes. In this study, by following replication fork progression genome-wide via ssDNA detection and by direct mapping of chromosome breakage after HU exposure, we have tested the hypothesis that the chromosome breakage in mec1 cells occurs at collapsed replication forks. We demonstrate that sites of chromosome breakage indeed correlate with replication fork locations. Moreover, ssDNA can be detected prior to chromosome breakage, suggesting that ssDNA accumulation is the common precursor to double strand breaks at collapsed replication forks.

Reduced fuel consumption for fork-lift trucks with hydrostatic transmission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abels, T

1983-05-01

Cost calculations for a 3,5-t diesel fork lifter done on the basis of VDI 2695 shows, that fuel costs account only for a small part of the operating costs despite the price increase for diesel fuel. Fork lifters with disk-cam controlled primary/secondary adjusted hydrostatic transmission used less fuel than was indicated in the VDI-guideline. Fuel consumption could further be reduced by an optimized hydraulic adjustment together with a precisely harmonized engine speed adjustment. Annual cost savings are considerable.

Quartz gauge response in ion radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, P.E.; Gilbert, P.H.; Kernthaler, C.; Anderson, M.U.

1995-01-01

This paper describes recent work to make high quality quartz gauge (temporal and spatial) shock wave measurements in a pulsed ion beam environment. Intense ion beam radiation, nominally 1 MeV protons, was deposited into material samples instrumented with shunted quartz gauges adjacent to the ion deposition zone. Fluence levels were chosen to excite three fundamentally different material response modes (1) strong vapor, (2) combined vapor and melt phase and (3) thermoelastic material response. A unique quartz gauge design was utilized that employed printed circuit board (PCB) technology to facilitate electrical shielding, ruggedness, and fabrication at sign e meeting the essential one dimensional requirements of the characterized Sandia shunted quartz gauge. Shock loading and unloading experiments were conducted to evaluate the piezoelectric response of the coupled quartz gauge/PCB transducer. High fidelity shock wave profiles were recorded at the three ion fluence levels providing dynamic material response data for vapor, melt and solid material phases

Final Environmental Assessment: Installation of Digital Airport Surveillance Radar at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-11

Grand Forks AFB public web site. Notices of Availability were published in the Grand Forks Herald on 10 Mar 2011 and on the Grand Forks AFB web site from...Squadron (319th) FTA Fire Training Area GATR Ground-Air Transmit Receive GFAFB Grand Forks Air Force Base GHG Greenhouse Gas Hz Hertz IEEE Institute of...feet west of the closed/capped ERP Site FT-02, the Fire Training Area/Old Sanitary Landfill Area ( FTA /OSLA), which encompasses 28 acres, five of

Oriented Onion Sowing by a Forked-Roller Sowing Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandr G.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The existing sowing machines do not provide a single feeding of the bulbs with a planting (sowing unit that leads to a violation of the agrotechnical requirements of planting bulbs. It is necessary to search new solutions to preserve the position of the bulbs in the furrow with the bottom down and their regularly spaced distribution. Materials and Methods: The article presents the design for a prototype for a planting machine equipped with a forked-roller sowing unit for orienting the onion-sowing into a furrow. Testing the forked-roller sowing unit were carried out on a flat area where the physical and mechanical properties of the soil were determined on the days of sowing, and the indices of the quality of the onion-sowing were determined. The study of the effect of the sowing machine speed on the quality of the onion-seed bulb landing was determined by the change in the translational speed of the sowing unit in the range of 0.8 m/s to 1.2 m/s with a variation interval of 0.1 m/s. The indicators of the quality of the planting of the bulbs were determined by the opening of the closed furrow. The results of laboratory-field studies of the planting machine prototype are presented. Results: The results of laboratory-field studies of a planting machine equipped with a forked-roller sowing unit for planting onion bulbs are presented. The optimal technological parameters are determined experimentally. It was determined the number of bulbs that are for up is 51 % and the regularity of planting by the forked-roller sowing unit – 79 %. These figures are provided at the forward speed of the planting machine VM = 0.9–1.0 m/s, the height of the fall of the bulb HA = 0.12 m, and the rotation frequency of the landing drum nБ = 0.47 c-1. Discussion and Conclusions: The use of a forked-roller sowing unit makes it possible to increase the proportion of onions planted by bottom down by 200 %, and the uniformity of planting bulbs by 19 %, in

Positron states and nanoobjects in proton-irradiated quartz single crystals: Positronium atom in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grafutin, V. I.; Zaluzhnyi, A. G.; Timoshenkov, S. P.; Britkov, O. M.; Ilyukhina, O. V.; Myasishcheva, G. G.; Prokop'ev, E. P.; Funtikov, Yu. V.

2008-01-01

The influence of proton bombardment and metal atom impurities on the structure of quartz single crystals has been studied. The related defects have been studied using positron annihilation spectroscopy (angular correlation of positron-annihilation photons), acoustic absorption, and optical absorption measurements. It is shown that the presence of a narrow component f in the angular distribution of annihilation photons (ADAP), which is related to the formation of parapositronium, determines a high sensitivity of this method with respect to features of the crystal structure of quartz. It is established that the defectness of the structure of irradiated quartz crystals can be characterized by the ratio f/f 0 of the relative intensities of narrow components in the ADAP curves measured before (f 0 ) and after (f) irradiation. Any process leading to a decrease in the probability of positronium formation (e.g., positron loss as a result of the trapping on defects and the interaction with impurity atoms and lattice distortions) decreases the intensity of the narrow component. Based on the ADAP data, estimates of the radii and concentrations of nanodefects in quartz have been obtained and their variation upon annealing at temperatures up to T = 873 K has been studied

Quartz crystal reinforced quartz glass by spark plasma sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torikai, D.; Barazani, B.; Ono, E.; Santos, M.F.M.; Suzuki, C.K.

2011-01-01

The Spark Plasma Sintering presents fast processing time when compared to conventional sintering techniques. This allows to control the grain growth during sintering as well as the diffusion rate of a multi-material compounds, and make possible obtainment of functionally graded materials and nanostructured compounds. Powders of high purity silica glass and crystalline silica were sintered in a SPS equipment at temperatures around 1350° C, i.e., above the softening temperature of silica glass and below the melting temperature of quartz crystal. As a result, glass ceramics with pure silica glass matrix reinforced with crystalline alpha-quartz grains were fabricated at almost any desired range of composition, as well as controlled size of the crystalline reinforcement. X-ray diffraction and density measurements showed the possibility to manufacture a well controlled density and crystallinity glass-ceramic materials. (author)

Additive manufacturing of transparent fused quartz

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Junjie; Hostetler, John M.; Gilbert, Luke; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Kinzel, Edward C.

2018-04-01

This paper investigates a filament-fed process for additive manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Glasses such as fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications, which include optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. AM has several attractive benefits such as increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research into glass AM has focused primarily on nonoptical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for use in high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser-generated molten region, smoothly depositing material onto the workpiece. Spectroscopy and pyrometry are used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the molten region. The effects of the laser power and scan speed are determined by measuring the morphology of single tracks. Thin walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. This information is used to deposit solid pieces including a cylindrical-convex shape capable of focusing visible light. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the printed fused quartz are measured. These results show that the filament-fed process has the potential to print transmissive optics.

Development of the Pintle Release Fork Mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BOGER, R.M.; DALE, R.

1999-01-01

An improved method of attachment of the pintle to the piston in the universal sampler is being developed. The mechanism utilizes a forked release disk which captures two balls in a cavity formed by a hole in the piston and a groove in the pintle rod

Aberrant thermoluminescence dates obtained from primary volcanic quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerin, Gilles; Samper, Agnes

2007-01-01

This study deals with the dating by thermoluminescence (TL) of quartz from six volcanic formations of the Saint Lucia Island (Lesser Antilles Arc). Quartz microcrystals up to one millimetre in size were extracted from dacites and pumice flows and prepared in a way similar to the well-known inclusion technique. The TL properties of these quartz were used to estimate apparent palaeodoses using the multi-aliquot protocol. The quartz TL was studied in three different spectral domains: red, green and ultraviolet/blue. The calculated annual dose-rates yielded a set of 18 age-estimates. For some samples complementary dates were obtained using high temperature TL (HTTL) of plagioclase feldspars. These latter dates combined with previously determined radiocarbon and unspiked K-Ar dates were used to explore the validity of ages computed from the TL of quartz. Individual values for quartz appear to be scattered and do not match ages deduced from 14 C, unspiked K-Ar or HTTL on plagioclase dates. These results indicate that when conventional TL methodologies derived from the inclusion method are applied to volcanic quartz major dating problems are to be expected

Aberrant thermoluminescence dates obtained from primary volcanic quartz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerin, Gilles [Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l' Environnement, CEA-CNRS, avenue de la Terrasse, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)], E-mail: gilles.guerin@u-psud.fr; Samper, Agnes [Laboratoire de geochronologie multitechnique (UPS-IPGP), Universite de Paris-Sud Orsay, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France)

2007-10-15

This study deals with the dating by thermoluminescence (TL) of quartz from six volcanic formations of the Saint Lucia Island (Lesser Antilles Arc). Quartz microcrystals up to one millimetre in size were extracted from dacites and pumice flows and prepared in a way similar to the well-known inclusion technique. The TL properties of these quartz were used to estimate apparent palaeodoses using the multi-aliquot protocol. The quartz TL was studied in three different spectral domains: red, green and ultraviolet/blue. The calculated annual dose-rates yielded a set of 18 age-estimates. For some samples complementary dates were obtained using high temperature TL (HTTL) of plagioclase feldspars. These latter dates combined with previously determined radiocarbon and unspiked K-Ar dates were used to explore the validity of ages computed from the TL of quartz. Individual values for quartz appear to be scattered and do not match ages deduced from {sup 14}C, unspiked K-Ar or HTTL on plagioclase dates. These results indicate that when conventional TL methodologies derived from the inclusion method are applied to volcanic quartz major dating problems are to be expected.

[Study on the vibrational spectra and XRD characters of Huanglong jade from Longling County, Yunnan Province].

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Jing-cheng; Fan, Lu-wei; Xie, Hao

2014-12-01

Based on the conventional test methods, the infrared absorption spectrum, Raman spectrum and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to study the characters of the vibration spectrum and mineral composition of Huanglong jade. The testing results show that Huanglong jade shows typical vibrational spectrum characteristics of quartziferous jade. The main infrared absorption bands at 1162, 1076, 800, 779, 691, 530 and 466 cm(-1) were induced by the asymmetric stretching vibration, symmetrical stretching vibration and bending vibration of Si-O-Si separately. Especially the absorption band near 800 cm(-1) is split, which indicates that Huanglong jade has good crystallinity. In Raman spectrum, the main strong vibration bands at 463 and 355 cm(-1) were attributed to bending vibration of Si-O-Si. XRD test confirmed that Quartz is main mineral composition of Huanglong jade and there is a small amount of hematite in red color samples which induced the red color of Huanglong jade. This is the first report on the infrared, Raman and XRD spectra feature of Huanglong jade. It will provide a scientific basis for the identification, naming and other research for huanglong jade.

Progerin sequestration of PCNA promotes replication fork collapse and mislocalization of XPA in laminopathy-related progeroid syndromes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilton, Benjamin A; Liu, Ji; Cartwright, Brian M; Liu, Yiyong; Breitman, Maya; Wang, Youjie; Jones, Rowdy; Tang, Hui; Rusinol, Antonio; Musich, Phillip R; Zou, Yue

2017-09-01

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic disorder that is caused by a point mutation in the LMNA gene, resulting in production of a truncated farnesylated-prelamin A protein (progerin). We previously reported that XPA mislocalized to the progerin-induced DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites, blocking DSB repair, which led to DSB accumulation, DNA damage responses, and early replication arrest in HGPS. In this study, the XPA mislocalization to DSBs occurred at stalled or collapsed replication forks, concurrent with a significant loss of PCNA at the forks, whereas PCNA efficiently bound to progerin. This PCNA sequestration likely exposed ds-ssDNA junctions at replication forks for XPA binding. Depletion of XPA or progerin each significantly restored PCNA at replication forks. Our results suggest that although PCNA is much more competitive than XPA in binding replication forks, PCNA sequestration by progerin may shift the equilibrium to favor XPA binding. Furthermore, we demonstrated that progerin-induced apoptosis could be rescued by XPA, suggesting that XPA-replication fork binding may prevent apoptosis in HGPS cells. Our results propose a mechanism for progerin-induced genome instability and accelerated replicative senescence in HGPS.-Hilton, B. A., Liu, J., Cartwright, B. M., Liu, Y., Breitman, M., Wang, Y., Jones, R., Tang, H., Rusinol, A., Musich, P. R., Zou, Y. Progerin sequestration of PCNA promotes replication fork collapse and mislocalization of XPA in laminopathy-related progeroid syndromes. © FASEB.

Production of quartz plates for CMS-CASTOR Experiment

CERN Document Server

Adiguzel, Aytul; Ayhan, Aydin; Bakirci, Mustafa Numan; Basegmez, Suzan; Beaumont, Willem; Borras, Kerstin; Campbell, Alan; De Paula Carvalho, W; Çerçi, Salim; De Jesus Damiao, Dilson; Dogangün, O; Dumanoglu, Isa; d'Enterria, David; Erchov, Y; Eskut, Eda; Figueiredo, D; Girgis, Semiray; Göttlicher, P; Gouskos, Loukas; Gurpinar, Emine; Hos, Ilknur; Katkov, Igor; Katsas, Panagiotis; Khein, Lev; Knutsson, Albert; Kuznetsov, Andrey; Lebeau, Michel; Van Mechelen, Pierre; Muhl, Carsten; Musienko, Yuri; Ochesanu, Silvia; Onengüt, G; Onengut, G Jr; Ozdemir, Kadri; Panagiotou, Apostolos; Polatoz, A; Ripert, Marion; Shileev, K; Sogut, Kenan; Tiflov, B TaliV; Kayis-Topaksu, A; Uzun, Dilber

2008-01-01

Light transmission rate performance of $102$ irradiated quartz samples was measured to select the best quartz plates for CMS-CASTOR calorimeter. All the produced quartz plates were originally used in a previous CERN experiment, DELPHI. Three different doses of $^{60}$Co source were used with the collaboration of PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.) to study the transmission rate performance of the quartz samples after irradiation for different incident light, ranging from $250$ to $700$ nm in $5$ nm increasing steps. All samples show different decrease in the rate with wavelength for different doses. Three different steps were followed before irradiation to find out the best way of cleaning the original DELPHI Cu/Cr tracks on the samples. Results of these measurements presented here correspond to the quartz plates that will be used in one hadronic sector of CASTOR calorimeter until end of 2008. For the full calorimeter new quartz plates will be installed. We also present the light transmi...

Mechanical and optical nanodevices in single-crystal quartz

Science.gov (United States)

Sohn, Young-Ik; Miller, Rachel; Venkataraman, Vivek; Lončar, Marko

2017-12-01

Single-crystal α-quartz, one of the most widely used piezoelectric materials, has enabled a wide range of timing applications. Owing to the fact that an integrated thin-film based quartz platform is not available, most of these applications rely on macroscopic, bulk crystal-based devices. Here, we show that the Faraday cage angled-etching technique can be used to realize nanoscale electromechanical and photonic devices in quartz. Using this approach, we demonstrate quartz nanomechanical cantilevers and ring resonators featuring Qs of 4900 and 8900, respectively.

Von Economo Neurons and Fork Cells: A Neurochemical Signature Linked to Monoaminergic Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkstra, Anke A; Lin, Li-Chun; Nana, Alissa L; Gaus, Stephanie E; Seeley, William W

2018-01-01

The human anterior cingulate and frontoinsular cortices are distinguished by 2 unique Layer 5 neuronal morphotypes, the von Economo neurons (VENs) and fork cells, whose biological identity remains mysterious. Insights could impact research on diverse neuropsychiatric diseases to which these cells have been linked. Here, we leveraged the Allen Brain Atlas to evaluate mRNA expression of 176 neurotransmitter-related genes and identified vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor subunit θ (GABRQ), and adrenoreceptor α-1A (ADRA1A) expression in human VENs, fork cells, and a minority of neighboring Layer 5 neurons. We confirmed these results using immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization. VMAT2 and GABRQ expression was absent in mouse cerebral cortex. Although VMAT2 is known to package monoamines into synaptic vesicles, in VENs and fork cells its expression occurs in the absence of monoamine-synthesizing enzymes or reuptake transporters. Thus, VENs and fork cells may possess a novel, uncharacterized mode of cortical monoaminergic function that distinguishes them from most other mammalian Layer 5 neurons. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Timing, coordination, and rhythm: Acrobatics at the DNA replication fork

KAUST Repository

Hamdan, Samir

2010-04-09

In DNA replication, the antiparallel nature of the parental duplex imposes certain constraints on the activity of the DNA polymerases that synthesize new DNA. The leading-strand polymerase advances in a continuous fashion, but the lagging-strand polymerase is forced to restart at short intervals. In several prokaryotic systems studied so far, this problem is solved by the formation of a loop in the lagging strand of the replication fork to reorient the lagging-strand DNA polymerase so that it advances in parallel with the leading-strand polymerase. The replication loop grows and shrinks during each cycle of Okazaki fragment synthesis. The timing of Okazaki fragment synthesis and loop formation is determined by a subtle interplay of enzymatic activities at the fork. Recent developments in single-molecule techniques have enabled the direct observation of these processes and have greatly contributed to a better understanding of the dynamic nature of the replication fork. Here, we will review recent experimental advances, present the current models, and discuss some of the exciting developments in the field. 2010 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Timing, coordination, and rhythm: Acrobatics at the DNA replication fork

KAUST Repository

Hamdan, Samir; van Oijen, Antoine M.

2010-01-01

In DNA replication, the antiparallel nature of the parental duplex imposes certain constraints on the activity of the DNA polymerases that synthesize new DNA. The leading-strand polymerase advances in a continuous fashion, but the lagging-strand polymerase is forced to restart at short intervals. In several prokaryotic systems studied so far, this problem is solved by the formation of a loop in the lagging strand of the replication fork to reorient the lagging-strand DNA polymerase so that it advances in parallel with the leading-strand polymerase. The replication loop grows and shrinks during each cycle of Okazaki fragment synthesis. The timing of Okazaki fragment synthesis and loop formation is determined by a subtle interplay of enzymatic activities at the fork. Recent developments in single-molecule techniques have enabled the direct observation of these processes and have greatly contributed to a better understanding of the dynamic nature of the replication fork. Here, we will review recent experimental advances, present the current models, and discuss some of the exciting developments in the field. 2010 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Quartz exposure and increased respiratory symptoms among coal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Quartz has been an inevitable composition of different type of coal mined. The quartz exposures among coalmine workers has been attributed to activities such as cutting the adjacent rock, the roof, the floor and the intrusions. Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the associations between quartz exposures and ...

Mammalian RAD52 Functions in Break-Induced Replication Repair of Collapsed DNA Replication Forks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sotiriou, Sotirios K; Kamileri, Irene; Lugli, Natalia; Evangelou, Konstantinos; Da-Ré, Caterina; Huber, Florian; Padayachy, Laura; Tardy, Sebastien; Nicati, Noemie L; Barriot, Samia; Ochs, Fena; Lukas, Claudia; Lukas, Jiri; Gorgoulis, Vassilis G; Scapozza, Leonardo; Halazonetis, Thanos D

2016-12-15

Human cancers are characterized by the presence of oncogene-induced DNA replication stress (DRS), making them dependent on repair pathways such as break-induced replication (BIR) for damaged DNA replication forks. To better understand BIR, we performed a targeted siRNA screen for genes whose depletion inhibited G1 to S phase progression when oncogenic cyclin E was overexpressed. RAD52, a gene dispensable for normal development in mice, was among the top hits. In cells in which fork collapse was induced by oncogenes or chemicals, the Rad52 protein localized to DRS foci. Depletion of Rad52 by siRNA or knockout of the gene by CRISPR/Cas9 compromised restart of collapsed forks and led to DNA damage in cells experiencing DRS. Furthermore, in cancer-prone, heterozygous APC mutant mice, homozygous deletion of the Rad52 gene suppressed tumor growth and prolonged lifespan. We therefore propose that mammalian RAD52 facilitates repair of collapsed DNA replication forks in cancer cells. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microwave GaAs Integrated Circuits On Quartz Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, Peter H.; Mehdi, Imran; Wilson, Barbara

1994-01-01

Integrated circuits for use in detecting electromagnetic radiation at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths constructed by bonding GaAs-based integrated circuits onto quartz-substrate-based stripline circuits. Approach offers combined advantages of high-speed semiconductor active devices made only on epitaxially deposited GaAs substrates with low-dielectric-loss, mechanically rugged quartz substrates. Other potential applications include integration of antenna elements with active devices, using carrier substrates other than quartz to meet particular requirements using lifted-off GaAs layer in membrane configuration with quartz substrate supporting edges only, and using lift-off technique to fabricate ultrathin discrete devices diced separately and inserted into predefined larger circuits. In different device concept, quartz substrate utilized as transparent support for GaAs devices excited from back side by optical radiation.

Experimental study of quartz inclusions in garnet at pressures up to 3.0 GPa: evaluating validity of the quartz-in-garnet inclusion elastic thermobarometer

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Jay B.; Spear, Frank S.

2018-05-01

Garnet crystals with quartz inclusions were hydrothermally crystallized from oxide starting materials in piston-cylinder apparatuses at pressures from 0.5 to 3 GPa and temperatures ranging from 700 to 800 °C to study how entrapment conditions affect remnant pressures of quartz inclusions used for quartz-in-garnet (QuiG) elastic thermobarometry. Systematic changes of the 128, 206 and 464 cm-1 Raman band frequencies of quartz were used to determine pressures of quartz inclusions in garnet using Raman spectroscopy calibrations that describe the P-T dependencies of Raman band shifts for quartz under hydrostatic pressure. Within analytical uncertainties, inclusion pressures calculated for each of the three Raman band frequencies are equivalent, which suggests that non-hydrostatic stress effects caused by elastic anisotropy in quartz are smaller than measurement errors. The experimental quartz inclusions have pressures ranging from - 0.351 to 1.247 GPa that span the range of values observed for quartz inclusions in garnets from natural rocks. Quartz inclusion pressures were used to model P-T conditions at which the inclusions could have been trapped. The accuracy of QuiG thermobarometry was evaluated by considering the differences between pressures measured during experiments and pressures calculated using published equation of state parameters for quartz and garnet. Our experimental results demonstrate that Raman measurements performed at room temperature can be used without corrections to estimate garnet crystallization pressures. Calculated entrapment pressures for quartz inclusions in garnet are less than 10% different from pressures measured during the experiments. Because the method is simple to apply with reasonable accuracy, we expect widespread usage of QuiG thermobarometry to estimate crystallization conditions for garnet-bearing silicic rocks.

Characterization of color centers in quartz induced by gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guttler, Rainer A.S.

2009-01-01

The availability of gamma ray irradiators in Brazil increased the possibilities of treatments of gemstones for color enhancements. One of the minerals with a very high potential of these treatments is quartz, a very widespread mineral with much colored commercial varieties. Quartz occurs in Brazil mainly in two geological environments, called pegmatitic and hydrothermal. The detailed mechanism of color center formation of these two types of quartz will be investigated by spectroscopic and chemical analysis. Until yet, it can be shown that due to chemical differences of the nature of mineral forming fluids, the two types behave differently. All quartzes contain mainly traces of Iron, Aluminum, Lithium and some amounts of Water. The quartz of hydrothermal origin incorporated much structurally bound water, and despite some similarities with the chemical composition of pegmatitic quartz, this high water content is the reason for the formation of Silanol radicals, giving the green color to the quartz. The main difference in chemical composition of pegmatitic quartz is the presence of higher amounts of Al and Li , responsible for the brownish and yellowish colors formed by irradiation. Since each pegmatite is different, the quartz will behave differently. This explains the formation of the famous 'Green Gold' of quartz from Sao Jose da Safira , and the more yellowish, Citrine type, color of quartz from the Coluna deposit, near Itamarandiba, Minas Gerais. (author)

Characterization of color centers in quartz induced by gamma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guttler, Rainer A.S., E-mail: rainersg@usp.b [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Geociencias; Enokihara, Cyro T.; Rela, Paulo R., E-mail: prela@ipen.b, E-mail: cteiti@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2009-07-01

The availability of gamma ray irradiators in Brazil increased the possibilities of treatments of gemstones for color enhancements. One of the minerals with a very high potential of these treatments is quartz, a very widespread mineral with much colored commercial varieties. Quartz occurs in Brazil mainly in two geological environments, called pegmatitic and hydrothermal. The detailed mechanism of color center formation of these two types of quartz will be investigated by spectroscopic and chemical analysis. Until yet, it can be shown that due to chemical differences of the nature of mineral forming fluids, the two types behave differently. All quartzes contain mainly traces of Iron, Aluminum, Lithium and some amounts of Water. The quartz of hydrothermal origin incorporated much structurally bound water, and despite some similarities with the chemical composition of pegmatitic quartz, this high water content is the reason for the formation of Silanol radicals, giving the green color to the quartz. The main difference in chemical composition of pegmatitic quartz is the presence of higher amounts of Al and Li , responsible for the brownish and yellowish colors formed by irradiation. Since each pegmatite is different, the quartz will behave differently. This explains the formation of the famous 'Green Gold' of quartz from Sao Jose da Safira , and the more yellowish, Citrine type, color of quartz from the Coluna deposit, near Itamarandiba, Minas Gerais. (author)

Mammalian RAD52 Functions in Break-Induced Replication Repair of Collapsed DNA Replication Forks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sotiriou, Sotirios K; Kamileri, Irene; Lugli, Natalia

2016-01-01

Human cancers are characterized by the presence of oncogene-induced DNA replication stress (DRS), making them dependent on repair pathways such as break-induced replication (BIR) for damaged DNA replication forks. To better understand BIR, we performed a targeted siRNA screen for genes whose...... RAD52 facilitates repair of collapsed DNA replication forks in cancer cells....

In Situ Adsorption Studies at the Solid/Liquid Interface: Characterization of Biological Surfaces and Interfaces Using Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Quartz Crystal Microbalance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, D.C.

2006-01-01

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) have been used to study the molecular surface structure, surface topography and mechanical properties, and quantitative adsorbed amount of biological molecules at the solid-liquid interface. The molecular-level behavior of designed peptides adsorbed on hydrophobic polystyrene and hydrophilic silica substrates has been examined as a model of protein adsorption on polymeric biomaterial surfaces. Proteins are such large and complex molecules that it is difficult to identify the features in their structure that lead to adsorption and interaction with solid surfaces. Designed peptides which possess secondary structure provide simple model systems for understanding protein adsorption. Depending on the amino acid sequence of a peptide, different secondary structures (α-helix and β-sheet) can be induced at apolar (air/liquid or air/solid) interfaces. Having a well-defined secondary structure allows experiments to be carried out under controlled conditions, where it is possible to investigate the affects of peptide amino acid sequence and chain length, concentration, buffering effects, etc. on adsorbed peptide structure. The experiments presented in this dissertation demonstrate that SFG vibrational spectroscopy can be used to directly probe the interaction of adsorbing biomolecules with a surface or interface. The use of well designed model systems aided in isolation of the SFG signal of the adsorbing species, and showed that surface functional groups of the substrate are sensitive to surface adsorbates. The complementary techniques of AFM and QCM allowed for deconvolution of the effects of surface topography and coverage from the observed SFG spectra. Initial studies of biologically relevant surfaces are also presented: SFG spectroscopy was used to study the surface composition of common soil bacteria for use in bioremediation of nuclear waste

In Situ Adsorption Studies at the Solid/Liquid Interface:Characterization of Biological Surfaces and Interfaces Using SumFrequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy,and Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, Diana Christine [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2006-01-01

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) have been used to study the molecular surface structure, surface topography and mechanical properties, and quantitative adsorbed amount of biological molecules at the solid-liquid interface. The molecular-level behavior of designed peptides adsorbed on hydrophobic polystyrene and hydrophilic silica substrates has been examined as a model of protein adsorption on polymeric biomaterial surfaces. Proteins are such large and complex molecules that it is difficult to identify the features in their structure that lead to adsorption and interaction with solid surfaces. Designed peptides which possess secondary structure provide simple model systems for understanding protein adsorption. Depending on the amino acid sequence of a peptide, different secondary structures (α-helix and β-sheet) can be induced at apolar (air/liquid or air/solid) interfaces. Having a well-defined secondary structure allows experiments to be carried out under controlled conditions, where it is possible to investigate the affects of peptide amino acid sequence and chain length, concentration, buffering effects, etc. on adsorbed peptide structure. The experiments presented in this dissertation demonstrate that SFG vibrational spectroscopy can be used to directly probe the interaction of adsorbing biomolecules with a surface or interface. The use of well designed model systems aided in isolation of the SFG signal of the adsorbing species, and showed that surface functional groups of the substrate are sensitive to surface adsorbates. The complementary techniques of AFM and QCM allowed for deconvolution of the effects of surface topography and coverage from the observed SFG spectra. Initial studies of biologically relevant surfaces are also presented: SFG spectroscopy was used to study the surface composition of common soil bacteria for use in bioremediation of nuclear waste.

Surface complexation modelling: Experiments on sorption of nickel on quartz, goethite and kaolinite and preliminary tests on sorption of thorium on quartz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puukko, E.; Hakanen, M. [Univ. of Helsinki (Finland). Dept. of Chemistry. Lab. of Radiochemistry

1997-09-01

The aim of the work was to study the sorption behaviour of Ni on quartz, goethite and kaolinite at different pH levels and in different electrolyte solutions of different strength. In addition preliminary experiments were made to study the sorption of thorium on quartz. The MUS quartz and Nilsiae quartz were analysed for MnO{sub 2} by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and the experimental results were modelled with the HYDRAQL computer model. 9 refs.

Geology and geochemistry of giant quartz veins from the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Numerous younger thin quartz veins with somewhat similar orientation cut across the giant quartz .... Angular fragments of quartz are set in ... places along grain boundaries. ... Oxide values are in wt%, and trace element concentrations are.

Investigation of planar channeling radiation on diamond and quartz crystals at electron energies between 14 and 34 MeV and probing the influence of ultrasonic waves on channeling radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azadegan, B.

2007-01-01

Measurements of planar channeling radiation (CR) have been performed at the electron beam of ELBE within an energy range between 14 and 34 MeV and for thicknesses of the diamond crystals between 42.5 and 500 μm. Absolute CR photon yields have for the first time been obtained for the above given ranges of electron energy and crystal thickness. The square-root dependence of the planar CR photon yield on the thickness of diamond crystals has been confirmed. A systematic quantitative investigation of the influence of the crystal thickness on the CR line shape has for the first time been performed. The mean-squared multiple-scattering angle effective for planar CR observed in forward direction has been found to be weaker as assumed from scattering in amorphous targets. Scaling laws deduced from the measured CR data are of advantage for the operation of a CR source. The second part of this thesis deals with the possibility of stimulation of CR emission by means of ultrasonic vibrations excited in a piezoelectric single crystal. Since the knowledge of the CR spectra generated on undisturbed quartz crystals is a necessary precondition for some investigation of the influence of US, planar CR has for the first time been measured at medium electron energies for a variety of planes in quartz. As a consequence of the hexagonal structure of this crystal, relative intense CR could be registered even out of planes with indices larger than one. On the base of the non-linear optics method, occupation functions and spectral distributions of planar CR have been calculated for channeling of 20 MeV electrons in the (01 anti 15) plane of a 20 μm thick quartz crystal at resonant influence of ultrasound (US). The resonance frequencies have been deduced from the measurements of CR spectra performed on quartz. First experimental investigations of the influence of US on CR started at ELBE aimed at the study of the effect of non-resonant ultrasonic vibrations excited in a 500 μm thick

Investigation of planar channeling radiation on diamond and quartz crystals at electron energies between 14 and 34 MeV and probing the influence of ultrasonic waves on channeling radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azadegan, B.

2007-11-15

Measurements of planar channeling radiation (CR) have been performed at the electron beam of ELBE within an energy range between 14 and 34 MeV and for thicknesses of the diamond crystals between 42.5 and 500 {mu}m. Absolute CR photon yields have for the first time been obtained for the above given ranges of electron energy and crystal thickness. The square-root dependence of the planar CR photon yield on the thickness of diamond crystals has been confirmed. A systematic quantitative investigation of the influence of the crystal thickness on the CR line shape has for the first time been performed. The mean-squared multiple-scattering angle effective for planar CR observed in forward direction has been found to be weaker as assumed from scattering in amorphous targets. Scaling laws deduced from the measured CR data are of advantage for the operation of a CR source. The second part of this thesis deals with the possibility of stimulation of CR emission by means of ultrasonic vibrations excited in a piezoelectric single crystal. Since the knowledge of the CR spectra generated on undisturbed quartz crystals is a necessary precondition for some investigation of the influence of US, planar CR has for the first time been measured at medium electron energies for a variety of planes in quartz. As a consequence of the hexagonal structure of this crystal, relative intense CR could be registered even out of planes with indices larger than one. On the base of the non-linear optics method, occupation functions and spectral distributions of planar CR have been calculated for channeling of 20 MeV electrons in the (01 anti 15) plane of a 20 {mu}m thick quartz crystal at resonant influence of ultrasound (US). The resonance frequencies have been deduced from the measurements of CR spectra performed on quartz. First experimental investigations of the influence of US on CR started at ELBE aimed at the study of the effect of non-resonant ultrasonic vibrations excited in a 500 {mu}m thick

76 FR 46721 - Salmon-Challis National Forest, ID; Upper North Fork HFRA Ecosystem Restoration Project...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-03

...-Challis National Forest, ID; Upper North Fork HFRA Ecosystem Restoration Project Environmental Impact... improve the health of the ecosystem and reach the desired future condition. DATES: Comments concerning the... Ecosystem Restoration Project EIS, P.O. Box 180, 11 Casey Rd., North Fork, ID 83466. Comments may also be...

Identifying well-bleached quartz using the different bleaching rates of quartz and feldspar luminescence signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murray, A.S.; Thomsen, Kristina Jørkov; Masuda, N.

2012-01-01

When dating older sedimentary deposits using quartz, there are no unambiguous methods for identifying the presence of incomplete bleaching. Current statistical analysis of dose distributions depends entirely on the assumption that incomplete bleaching and mixing are the main causes of any excess...... dispersion in the distribution; the only existing way to test this assumption is using independent age control. Here we suggest a new approach to this question, based on the differential bleaching rates of quartz and feldspar luminescence signals. We first present data that confirm the differences...... in relative bleaching rates of quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar luminescence stimulated at 50 °C by infrared light (IR50) and feldspar luminescence stimulated at 290 °C by infrared light after a stimulation at 50 °C (pIRIR290), and use recently deposited samples to determine...

Spent-fuel verification with the Los Alamos fork detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinard, P.M.; Bosler, G.E.

1987-01-01

The Los Alamos fork detector for the verification of spent-fuel assemblies has generated precise, reproducible data. The data analyses have now evolved to the point of placing tight restrictions on a diverter's actions

Minerals from Macedonia. XII. The dependence of quartz and opal color on trace element composition - AAS, FT IR and micro-Raman spectroscopy study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makreski, Petre; Jovanovski, Gligor; Stafilov, Trajce; Boev, Blazho

2004-01-01

The dependence of the color of quartz and opal natural minerals, collected from different localities in the Republic of Macedonia (Alinci, Belutche, Budinarci, Mariovo, Sasa, Sazhdevo, Chanishte, Cheshinovo, Zletovo) on their element composition is studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT IR), micro-Raman spectroscopy and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). In order to determine the content of different trace elements (Al, Cd, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and Zn), 15 quartz and 2 opal mineral samples, using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and Zeeman electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) are studied. To avoid matrix interferences, the method for elimination of silicium is proposed. Optimal instrumental parameters for ETAAS determination (temperature and time for drying, pyrolysis and atomizing) are established by extensive testing for each investigated element. It is found that the milky white color of quartz minerals is due to the presence of traces of Ca, the appearance of black color is the result of the existence of Pb, Mn and Al impurities, and the occurrence of Fe and Cr introduce appearance of red and green color, respectively. Preliminary identification of the minerals is based on the comparison of our results, obtained by using the infrared and Raman vibrational spectroscopy, with the corresponding literature data for the analogous mineral species originating all over the world. An overview of the basic morphological and physico-chemical characteristics of the quartz and opal minerals and the geology of the localities is given. The colored pictures of the studied quartz and opal minerals are presented as well. (Author)

76 FR 35909 - Temporary Concession Contract for Big South Fork National Recreation Area, TN/KY

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-20

... Recreation Area, TN/KY. SUMMARY: Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.24, public notice is hereby given that the National... Concession Contract for Big South Fork National Recreation Area, TN/KY AGENCY: National Park Service... services within Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Tennessee and Kentucky, for a term not to exceed 3...

Flood-inundation maps for the East Fork White River at Columbus, Indiana

Science.gov (United States)

Lombard, Pamela J.

2013-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5.4-mile reach of the East Fork White River at Columbus, Indiana, from where the Flatrock and Driftwood Rivers combine to make up East Fork White River to just upstream of the confluence of Clifty Creek with the East Fork White River, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation, depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at USGS streamgage 03364000, East Fork White River at Columbus, Indiana. Current conditions at the USGS streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/uv/?site_no=03364000&agency_cd=USGS&). The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts flood hydrographs for the East Fork White River at Columbus, Indiana at their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system Website (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/), that may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relation at USGS streamgage 03364000, East Fork White River at Columbus, Indiana. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to determine 15 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from bankfull to approximately the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data), having a 0.37-ft vertical accuracy and a 1.02 ft

Red and blue colouration of thermoluminescence from natural quartz sands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashimoto, T; Hayashi, Y; Koyanagi, A; Yokosaka, K; Kimura, K

1986-01-01

Quartz extracts, from a pegmatite rock, volcanic ashes and beach sands, were exposed to X-rays or gamma-rays upto 8.8kGy. The irradiated sands were observed through a thermoluminescence colour image technique (abbreviated to TLCI by the authors) using highly sensitive colour photographic system. The quartz sands from volcanic ash layers, containing ..beta..-quartz (mineralized at high temperature), always indicate a red TLCI, whereas the quartz rocks from pegmatite origin and granite strata, containing ..cap alpha..-quartz (mineralized at low temperature), gave a typical blue TLCI, being consistent with the well known quartz TL colour. Quartz fractions from the beach sands showed a mixture of both red and blue TLCI, probably reflecting the respective mixtures of ..beta..-(in their origin) and ..cap alpha..-quartz fractions along the riverside area. The search using X-ray diffractometry and instrumental neutron activation analysis proved that the cause of distinctly different colourations was attributable to the impurity atoms: light rare earth elements (Eu and/or Sm) bringing on red TLCI, while structural defects yielding the blue TLCI).

Gamma irradiation of quartz from Pannier basin, South America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enokihara, Cyro T.; Rela, Paulo R. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], E-mail: cteiti@ipen.br, E-mail: prela@ipen.br; Guttler, Rainer A.S. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Geociencias

2007-07-01

The use of gamma radiation to induce or enhance color centers in gemstones is a widespread technique and applied worldwide on a industrial scale since at least 1970. The presence of defects and defect structures in quartz from a border region of southern Brazil and Uruguay are the reason for the creation of a new color variety of quartz called 'Prasiolite' in the gem trade. This quartz has a pleasant green color produced by gamma irradiation. The procedures of irradiation at IPEN show that the activation of these color producing defects can be monitored by detailed chemical and spectroscopic analysis. For the first time UV-VIS-NIR spectra of this new color variety of quartz are shown. They revealed special features of these quartz crystals coming from basaltic terranes of the Parana Basin. Contrary to most specimen of quartz from other parts of Brazil, they have such a high water and OH content that they resemble more chalcedony or opal, but not highly crystalline quartz specimens. The cause of the color are broken bonds of Si-OH defining the so-called dangling bonds. (author)

TL response to quartz and aluminum oxide grain for α-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Baolin; Wei Mingjian; Li Dongxu; Liu Zhaowen; Liu Chao; Zhao Shiyuan

2009-01-01

Thermoluminescence (TL) response for an α-ray irradiation system ( 241 Am) was examined with quartz grains of 11-40 μm. Quartz grains of different sizes, i.e. 137 Cs), before they were irradiated to different doses by the α-ray irradiation system. TL response to the quartz grain samples was measured. TL response of the quartz grains smaller than 4 μm and 11-40 μm to α-ray irradiation is the best, as the α-rays cannot penetrate quartz larger than 40 μm. The TL response characteristic is related with quartz grain surface area. TL responses to α-irradiation of 11-40 μm quartz and aluminum oxide grains were compared. The α-irradiation TL response of aluminum oxide (330 degree C) is better than the quartz (375 degree C). (authors)

Burnup verification tests with the FORK measurement system-implementation for burnup credit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewing, R.I.

1994-01-01

Verification measurements may be used to help ensure nuclear criticality safety when burnup credit is applied to spent fuel transport and storage systems. The FORK system measures the passive neutron and gamma-ray emission from spent fuel assemblies while in the storage pool. It was designed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards program and is well suited to verify burnup and cooling time records at commercial Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) sites. This report deals with the application of the FORK system to burnup credit operations

Replication fork stability confers chemoresistance in BRCA-deficient cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaudhuri, Arnab Ray; Callen, Elsa; Ding, Xia

2016-01-01

/4 complex protein, PTIP, protects Brca1/2-deficient cells from DNA damage and rescues the lethality of Brca2-deficient embryonic stem cells. However, PTIP deficiency does not restore homologous recombination activity at double-strand breaks. Instead, its absence inhibits the recruitment of the MRE11......Cells deficient in the Brca1 and Brca2 genes have reduced capacity to repair DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination and consequently are hypersensitive to DNA-damaging agents, including cisplatin and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Here we show that loss of the MLL3...... nuclease to stalled replication forks, which in turn protects nascent DNA strands from extensive degradation. More generally, acquisition of PARP inhibitors and cisplatin resistance is associated with replication fork protection in Brca2-deficient tumour cells that do not develop Brca2 reversion mutations...

Radiation resistivity of quartz core fiber, 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gozen, Toshikazu; Suzuki, Toshiya; Hayashi, Tokuji; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Okamoto, Shinichi.

1985-01-01

Radiation resistance characteristics were evaluated for a multi-mode quartz core fiber in low temperature region together with photobleaching effect depending on the incident light power and dependency on the wavelength of measuring rays. This report describes the results of the abovementioned items and the next step study of trial manufacturing of a pure-quartz single-mode fiber for the employment of longer wavelength rays and greater capacity in light transmission communication system. Quartz core fiber specimens were irradiated by 60 Co γ-ray source at -55 deg C to 80 deg C in a constant temperature bath and light transmission loss was determined under irradiation conditions. Low temperature characteristics were superior in an MRT (modified rod-in tube) pure quartz fiber prepared by the plasma method as compared to VAD quartz and Ge-GI fibers. The MRT fiber showed better quality than the Ge-GI fiber also in the photobleaching effect examination. As for the wavelength dependency, light transmission loss of the MRT fiber was less than that of the Ge-GI fiber. The MRT fiber also showed a superior quality in the wide range of irradiation temperatures. Based on the above-mentioned understandings, a pure-quartz single-mode fiber of both BF 3 -doped and F-doped cladding types were developed for longer wavelengths uses. The fibers could attain low light transmission loss of less than 1.0 dB/km at 1.30 μm of wavelength. At the standpoint of radiation resistivity, the BF 3 -doped fiber was found superior. (Takagi, S.)

A watershed's response to logging and roads: South Fork of Caspar Creek, California, 1967-1976

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond M. Rice; Forest B. Tilley; Patricia A. Datzman

1979-01-01

The effect of logging and roadbuilding on erosion and sedimentation are analyzed by comparing the North Fork and South Fork of Caspar Creek, in northern California. Increased sediment production during the 4 years after road construction, was 326 cu yd/sq mi/yr—80 percent greater than that predicted by the predisturbance regression analysis. The average...

33 CFR 165.552 - Security Zone; Oyster Creek Generation Station, Forked River, Ocean County, New Jersey.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Generation Station, Forked River, Ocean County, New Jersey. 165.552 Section 165.552 Navigation and Navigable... Coast Guard District § 165.552 Security Zone; Oyster Creek Generation Station, Forked River, Ocean... part. (2) No person or vessel may enter or navigate within this security zone unless authorized to do...

Fabrication of a novel quartz micromachined gyroscope

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Liqiang; Xing, Jianchun; Wang, Haoxu; Wu, Xuezhong

2015-04-01

A novel quartz micromachined gyroscope is proposed in this paper. The novel gyroscope is realized by quartz anisotropic wet etching and 3-dimensional electrodes deposition. In the quartz wet etching process, the quality of Cr/Au mask films affecting the process are studied by experiment. An excellent mask film with 100 Å Cr and 2000 Å Au is achieved by optimization of experimental parameters. Crystal facets after etching seriously affect the following sidewall electrodes deposition process and the structure's mechanical behaviours. Removal of crystal facets is successfully implemented by increasing etching time based on etching rate ratios between facets and crystal planes. In the electrodes deposition process, an aperture mask evaporation method is employed to prepare electrodes on 3-dimensional surfaces of the gyroscope structure. The alignments among the aperture masks are realized by the ABM™ Mask Aligner System. Based on the processes described above, a z-axis quartz gyroscope is fabricated successfully.

Asymmetric adsorption of alanine by quartz powder from ethanol solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furuyama, Shozo; Sawada, Michio; Hachiya, Kinji; Morimoto, Tetsuo (Okayama Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Science)

1982-11-01

The asymmetric adsorption of the racemic alanine by the optically active quartz from ethanol solution at 8/sup 0/C was studied by the /sup 14/C-tracer method and the newly developed /sup 14/C-tracer ninhydrin-colorimetry combination method. The preferential adsorption of L-alanine by levorotatory quartz (l-quartz) and D-alanine by dextrorotatory quartz (d-quartz) was confirmed. The asymmetric adsorptivity (Asub(s)) falls in the range of 1.1 - 1.3, which is comparable with the value determined at - 80/sup 0/C in the previous paper. The effects of water content in the ethanol solution and of the adsorption temperature upon the adsorption affinity of alanine to quartz were also measured. The cause for the asymmetric adsorption is discussed from the crystallographic point of view.

Cell lethality after selective irradiation of the DNA replication fork

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofer, K.G.; Warters, R.L.

1985-01-01

It has been suggested that nascent DNA located at the DNA replication fork may exhibit enhanced sensitivity to radiation damage. To evaluate this hypothesis, Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) were labeled with 125 I-iododeoxyuridine ( 125 IUdR) either in the presence or absence of aphidicolin. Aphidicolin (5 μg/ml) reduced cellular 125 IUdR incorporation to 3-5% of the control value. The residual 125 I incorporation appeared to be restricted to low molecular weight (sub-replicon sized) fragments of DNA which were more sensitive to micrococcal nuclease attack and less sensitive to high salt DNase I digestion than randomly labeled DNA. These findings suggest that DNA replicated in the presence of aphidicolin remains localized at the replication fork adjacent to the nuclear matrix. Based on these observations an attempt was made to compare the lethal consequences of 125 I decays at the replication fork to that of 125 I decays randomly distributed over the entire genome. Regardless of the distribution of decay events, all treatment groups exhibited identical dose-response curves (D 0 : 101 125 I decays/cell). Since differential irradiation of the replication complex did not result in enhanced cell lethality, it can be concluded that neither the nascent DNA nor the protein components (replicative enzymes, nuclear protein matrix) associated with the DNA replication site constitute key radiosensitive targets within the cellular genome. (orig.)

Human ribonuclease H1 resolves R-loops and thereby enables progression of the DNA replication fork.

Science.gov (United States)

Parajuli, Shankar; Teasley, Daniel C; Murali, Bhavna; Jackson, Jessica; Vindigni, Alessandro; Stewart, Sheila A

2017-09-15

Faithful DNA replication is essential for genome stability. To ensure accurate replication, numerous complex and redundant replication and repair mechanisms function in tandem with the core replication proteins to ensure DNA replication continues even when replication challenges are present that could impede progression of the replication fork. A unique topological challenge to the replication machinery is posed by RNA-DNA hybrids, commonly referred to as R-loops. Although R-loops play important roles in gene expression and recombination at immunoglobulin sites, their persistence is thought to interfere with DNA replication by slowing or impeding replication fork progression. Therefore, it is of interest to identify DNA-associated enzymes that help resolve replication-impeding R-loops. Here, using DNA fiber analysis, we demonstrate that human ribonuclease H1 (RNH1) plays an important role in replication fork movement in the mammalian nucleus by resolving R-loops. We found that RNH1 depletion results in accumulation of RNA-DNA hybrids, slowing of replication forks, and increased DNA damage. Our data uncovered a role for RNH1 in global DNA replication in the mammalian nucleus. Because accumulation of RNA-DNA hybrids is linked to various human cancers and neurodegenerative disorders, our study raises the possibility that replication fork progression might be impeded, adding to increased genomic instability and contributing to disease. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Uncertainty Quantification of Fork Detector Measurements from Spent Fuel Loading Campaigns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaccaro, S.; De Baere, P.; Schwalbach, P.; Gauld, I.; Hu, J.

2015-01-01

With increasing activities at the end of the fuel cycle, the requirements for the verification of spent nuclear fuel for safeguards purposes are continuously growing. In the European Union we are experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of cask loadings for interim dry storage. This is caused by the progressive shut-down of reactors, related to facility ageing but also due to politically motivated phase-out of nuclear power. On the other hand there are advanced plans for the construction of encapsulation plants and geological repositories. The cask loading or the encapsulation process will provide the last occasion to verify the spent fuel assemblies. In this context, Euratom and the US DOE have carried out a critical review of the widely used Fork measurements method of irradiated assemblies. The Nuclear Safeguards directorates of the European Commission's Directorate General for Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have collaborated to improve the Fork data evaluation process and simplify its use for inspection applications. Within the Commission's standard data evaluation package CRISP, we included a SCALE/ORIGEN-based irradiation and depletion simulation of the measured assembly and modelled the fork transfer function to calculate expected count rates based on operator's declarations. The complete acquisition and evaluation process has been automated to compare expected (calculated) with measured count rates. This approach allows a physics-based improvement of the data review and evaluation process. At the same time the new method provides the means for better measurement uncertainty quantification. The present paper will address the implications of the combined approach involving measured and simulated data to the quantification of measurement uncertainty and the consequences of these uncertainties in the possible use of the Fork detector as a partial defect detection method. (author)

Luminescence sensitivity changes in quartz

CERN Document Server

Wintle, A G

1999-01-01

In the luminescence dating of sedimentary or heated quartz, some heat treatment is usually applied to the sample immediately prior to the measurement of the optically stimulated luminescence. In this paper we report experiments on a 30,000-year-old sedimentary quartz, in which we use the luminescence response to a test dose to monitor the changes in sensitivity that are caused by holding the quartz at temperatures from 160 to 280 deg. C for times from 10 s to 22 h. For an optically bleached sample, the monitoring is by both optically stimulated luminescence and the 110 deg. C TL peak; both luminescence signals are shown to have the same sensitisation (i.e. activation energy) characteristics. For natural or laboratory irradiated samples only the 110 deg. C TL peak can be used; sensitivity increases of up to a factor of 1.3 and 3 are observed for the natural and laboratory irradiated aliquots, respectively. Up to four exponential components are used to deconvolve the sensitivity change data; the dominant compon...

The investigation of trapped thickness shear modes in a contoured AT-cut quartz plate using the power series expansion technique

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Peng; Jin, Feng

2018-01-01

The dynamic model about the anti-plane vibration of a contoured quartz plate with thickness changing continuously is established by ignoring the effect of small elastic constant c 56. The governing equation is solved using the power series expansion technique, and the trapped thickness shear modes caused by bulge thickness are revealed. Theoretically, the proposed method is more general, which can be capable of handling various thickness profiles defined mathematically. After the convergence of the series is demonstrated and the correctness is numerically validated with the aid of finite element method results, systematic parametric studies are subsequently carried out to quantify the effects of the geometry parameter upon the trapped modes, including resonant frequency and mode shape. After that, the band structures of thickness shear waves propagation in a periodically contoured quartz plate, as well as the power transmission spectra, are obtained based on the power series expansion technique. It is revealed that broad stop bands below cut-off frequency exist owing to the trapped modes excited by the geometry inhomogeneity, which has little relationship with the structural periodicity, and its physical mechanism is different from the Bragg scattering effect. The outcome is widely applicable, and can be utilized to provide theoretical and practical guidance for the design and manufacturing of quartz resonators and wave filters.

Microbially induced separation of quartz from hematite using sulfate reducing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakasan, M R Sabari; Natarajan, K A

2010-07-01

Cells and metabolic products of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans were successfully used to separate quartz from hematite through environmentally benign microbially induced flotation. Bacterial metabolic products such as extracellular proteins and polysaccharides were isolated from both unadapted and mineral-adapted bacterial metabolite and their basic characteristics were studied in order to get insight into the changes brought about on bioreagents during adaptation. Interaction between bacterial cells and metabolites with minerals like hematite and quartz brought about significant surface-chemical changes on both the minerals. Quartz was rendered more hydrophobic, while hematite became more hydrophilic after biotreatment. The predominance of bacterial polysaccharides on interacted hematite and of proteins on quartz was responsible for the above surface-chemical changes, as attested through adsorption studies. Surface-chemical changes were also observed on bacterial cells after adaptation to the above minerals. Selective separation of quartz from hematite was achieved through interaction with quartz-adapted bacterial cells and metabolite. Mineral-specific proteins secreted by quartz-adapted cells were responsible for conferment of hydrophobicity on quartz resulting in enhanced separation from hematite through flotation. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal quenching of thermoluminescence in quartz samples of various origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subedi, B.; Oniya, E.; Polymeris, G.S.; Afouxenidis, D.; Tsirliganis, N.C.; Kitis, G.

2011-01-01

The effect of thermal quenching stands among the most important properties in the thermoluminescence (TL) of quartz on which many applications of TL are based. Since the quartz samples used in various applications are all of different origin it is useful to investigate whether the values of the thermal quenching parameters, i.e. the activation energy for thermal quenching W and a parameter C which describes the ratio of non-radiative to radiative luminescence transitions, evaluated mainly in specific quartz samples can be extrapolated to quartz samples of unknown origin as well as to quartz samples which are annealed at high temperatures. In the present work the TL glow curve of a series of un-annealed and annealed natural and synthetic quartz samples were studied as a function of the heating rate between 0.25 K/s and 16 K/s. Using an indirect fitting method it was found that the thermal quenching parameters W and C in most of the quartz samples are very similar to the values accepted in the literature. Furthermore, in some cases the thermal quenching parameters W and C are not the same for all TL glow-peaks in the same glow-curve. Finally, the strong external treatment of annealing the quartz samples at very high temperature can also influence at least one of the thermal quenching parameters.

Sediment transport and storage in North Fork Caspar Creek, Mendocino County, California: water years 1980-1988

Science.gov (United States)

Michael Brent Napolitano

1996-01-01

Abstract - The old-growth redwood forest of North Fork Caspar Creek was clear-cut between 1864 and 1904. Previous research on logging-related changes in suspended sediment and streamflow would suggest that North Fork Caspar Creek has recovered from historical logging (Rice et al., 1979; Ziemer, 1981); research on the influence of large woody debris (LWD) on channel...

Quartz exsolution topotaxy in clinopyroxene from the UHP eclogite of Weihai, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Haijun; Zhang, Junfeng; Zong, Keqing; Liu, Liang

2015-06-01

Abundant oriented silica precipitates of α-quartz (4.0 ± 1.0 vol.%), in part coexisting with calcic amphiboles (topotactic relationships with their host clinopyroxenes. Three types of crystallographic topotactic relationship have been identified between quartz and host clinopyroxene: (1) 52% quartz precipitates share the same orientation for the c-axes with [0001]qz//[001]cpx; (2) 34% quartz precipitates share the same orientation for the a-axes with [11 2 bar0]qz//[001]cpx; and (3) 11% quartz precipitates share the same orientation for the s-planes with (11 2 bar1)qz//(100)cpx. Other quartz axes and planes disperse in large or small girdles around the shared axes or planes. Many quartz rods/needles are elongated parallel to the [001]cpx with the long axes of quartz being either [0001]qz or [11 2 bar0]qz. Amphibole precipitates have also a strong crystallographic relationship with host clinopyroxene, i.e., (100)amp//(100)cpx, [010]amp//[010]cpx, and [001]amp//[001]cpx. These results provide quantitative microstructural evidence supporting an exsolution origin for oriented quartz needles/rods in clinopyroxene and demonstrate that the exsolution of quartz from clinopyroxene occurred within the stability field of α-quartz rather than coesite. The oriented precipitates of α-quartz, in part coexisting with calcic amphiboles, in host clinopyroxene are probably promoted by supercritical fluid or partial melting during the early exhumation of eclogites. Our results suggest that oriented quartz precipitates in clinopyroxene cannot be used as an indisputable UHP-indicator.

Dating quartz: Ar/Ar analyses of coexisting muscovite and fluid inclusion - rich quartz from paleocene amorphic aureole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, S.J.; Perez de Arce, C.; Cornejo, P.; Cuitino, L; Klein, J

2001-01-01

We present Ar/Ar total fusion and step-heating data for coexisting muscovite and white quartz from the metamorphic aureole of the Lower Paleocene La Copiapina Pluton, 6 km south of Inca de Oro, III Region, Chile. The pluton intrudes the upper clastic sedimentary member of the Punta del Cobre Group (Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous) and the calcareous sedimentary rocks of the Chanarcillo Group (Neocomian), and comprises fine to coarse grained pyroxene-hornblende-biotite quartz diorites and monzodiorites. Its emplacement was controlled on its north-western side by a subvertical NE-trending fault, along which were developed vertically banded skarns (skarn mylonite), suggesting syntectonic intrusion. Biotite K-Ar ages for the pluton fall in the range 61-63 Ma, relating it to a latest Cretaceous to Lowest Paleocene syn-compressional intrusive belt which is present in the area (Matthews and Cornejo, 2000). A metamorphic / metasomatic aureole is developed within the sandstones of the Punta del Cobre Group, on the extreme northern limit of the pluton. In this area, the sedimentary rocks have been replaced by quartz-sericite and quartz-muscovite assemblages, with minor hematite and tourmaline, and late supergene kaolinite and pyrophyllite. A coarse muscovite-quartz-tourmaline-hematite assemblage is developed in and around older (early Upper Cretaceous) andesitic dykes, in the form of replacement / fracture fill veins and replacement zones. Further from the contact with the pluton, fine-grained quartz-sericite rock with coarser muscovite-rich replacement veins represents the dominant lithology. Quartz in the coarse replacement rock is very rich in fluid inclusions. Primary inclusions are mainly of two coexisting types; bi-phase (liquid and gas bubble) and tri-phase (liquid, gas bubble and halite crystal), indicating that the quartz formed in the presence of a boiling fluid. Some inclusions also contain sylvite and occasional hematite daughter crystals. Secondary inclusions

Far-travelled permian chert of the North Fork terrane, Klamath mountains, California

Science.gov (United States)

Mankinen, E.A.; Irwin, W.P.; Blome, C.D.

1996-01-01

Permian chert in the North Fork terrane and correlative rocks of the Klamath Mountains province has a remanent magnetization that is prefolding and presumably primary. Paleomagnetic results indicate that the chert formed at a paleolatitude of 8.6?? ?? 2.5?? but in which hemisphere remains uncertain. This finding requires that these rocks have undergone at least 8.6?? ?? 4.4?? of northward transport relative to Permian North America since their deposition. Paleontological evidence suggests that the Permian limestone of the Eastern Klamath terrane originated thousands of kilometers distant from North America. The limestone of the North Fork terrane may have formed at a similar or even greater distance as suggested by its faunal affinity to the Eastern Klamath terrane and more westerly position. Available evidence indicates that convergence of the North Fork and composite Central Metamorphic-Eastern Klamath terranes occurred during Triassic or Early Jurassic time and that their joining together was a Middle Jurassic event. Primary and secondary magnetizations indicate that the new composite terrane containing these and other rocks of the Western Paleozoic and Triassic belt behaved as a single rigid block that has been latitudinally concordant with the North American craton since Middle Jurassic time.

Passivation of quartz for halogen-containing light sources

Science.gov (United States)

Falkenstein, Zoran

1999-01-01

Lifetime of halogen containing VUV, UV, visible or IR light sources can be extended by passivating the quartz or glass gas containers with halogens prior to filling the quartz with the halogen and rare gas mixtures used to produce the light.

Vibrational and electronic spectroscopy of ion-implantation-induced defects in fused silica and crystalline quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, G.W.

1978-01-01

Defects produced by implantation of various atomic species in fused and crystalline SiO 2 were studied using infrared reflection spectroscopy (IRS) with UV-visible spectroscopy. We observe a new vibrational band at 830 cm -1 which is tentatively associated with the creation of two nonbridging O atoms in SiO 4 units. Numerous chemical effects were also observed, including evidence for chemical incorporation of Li and anomalously large O-vacancy production for Al + , B + and Si + implantation

Integrating Salmon Recovery, Clean Water Act Compliance, Restoration, and Climate Change Impacts in the South Fork Nooksack River

Science.gov (United States)

"The South Fork Nooksack River (SFNR) is an important tributary to the Nooksack River, Bellingham Bay, and the Salish Sea. The South Fork Nooksack River comprises one of the 22 independent populations of spring Chinook in the Puget Sound Chinook Evolutionarily Significant Un...

Turbo Charge CPU Utilization in Fork/Join Using the ManagedBlocker

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

Fork/Join is a framework for parallelizing calculations using recursive decomposition, also called divide and conquer. These algorithms occasionally end up duplicating work, especially at the beginning of the run. We can reduce wasted CPU cycles by implementing a reserved caching scheme. Before a task starts its calculation, it tries to reserve an entry in the shared map. If it is successful, it immediately begins. If not, it blocks until the other thread has finished its calculation. Unfortunately this might result in a significant number of blocked threads, decreasing CPU utilization. In this talk we will demonstrate this issue and offer a solution in the form of the ManagedBlocker. Combined with the Fork/Join, it can keep parallelism at the desired level.

Burnup verification measurements at a US nuclear utility using the FORK measurement system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewing, R.I.; Bosler, G.E.; Walden, G.

1993-01-01

The FORK measurement system, designed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards program, has been used to examine spent reactor fuel assemblies at Duke Power Company's Oconee Nuclear Station. The FORK system measures the passive neutron and gamma-ray emission from spent fuel assemblies while in the storage pool. These measurements can be correlated with burnup and cooling time, and can be used to verify the reactor site records. Verification measurements may be used to help ensure nuclear criticality safety when burnup credit is applied to spent fuel transport and storage systems. By taking into account the reduced reactivity of spent fuel due to its burnup in the reactor, burnup credit results in more efficient and economic transport and storage. The objectives of these tests are to demonstrate the applicability of the FORK system to verify reactor records and to develop optimal procedures compatible with utility operations. The test program is a cooperative effort supported by Sandia National Laboratories, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Duke Power Company

Disruption of PCNA-lamins A/C interactions by prelamin A induces DNA replication fork stalling.

Science.gov (United States)

Cobb, Andrew M; Murray, Thomas V; Warren, Derek T; Liu, Yiwen; Shanahan, Catherine M

2016-09-02

The accumulation of prelamin A is linked to disruption of cellular homeostasis, tissue degeneration and aging. Its expression is implicated in compromised genome stability and increased levels of DNA damage, but to date there is no complete explanation for how prelamin A exerts its toxic effects. As the nuclear lamina is important for DNA replication we wanted to investigate the relationship between prelamin A expression and DNA replication fork stability. In this study we report that the expression of prelamin A in U2OS cells induced both mono-ubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and subsequent induction of Pol η, two hallmarks of DNA replication fork stalling. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that cells expressing prelamin A presented with high levels of colocalisation between PCNA and γH2AX, indicating collapse of stalled DNA replication forks into DNA double-strand breaks. Subsequent protein-protein interaction assays showed prelamin A interacted with PCNA and that its presence mitigated interactions between PCNA and the mature nuclear lamina. Thus, we propose that the cytotoxicity of prelamin A arises in part, from it actively competing against mature lamin A to bind PCNA and that this destabilises DNA replication to induce fork stalling which in turn contributes to genomic instability.

Quartz-molybdenite veins in the Priestly Lake granodiorite, north-central Maine

Science.gov (United States)

Ayuso, Robert A.; Shank, Stephen G.

1983-01-01

Quartz-molybdenite veins up to 15 cm in width occur in fine to medium-grained porphyritic biotite-hornblende granodiorite at Priestly Lake north-central Maine. An area of about 150 m x 150 m contains quartz-molybdenite veins; a larger area is characterized by barren quartz veins. Quartz-molybdenite veins are concentrated within the most felsic variants of the intrusion as suggested by lower mafic mineral contents. The pluton has a narrow range in SiO2 (67-70 wt.%), major oxides, and in trace-element compositions. Molybdenite occurs as coarse grained clusters in pockets within the quartz veins, and fills fractures in the quartz veins and host rocks. Disseminated molybdenite in the granodiorite is relatively rare and occurs only in the area characterized by a high density of quartz veins (up to 50 veins per square meter). Alteration envelopes along the quartz veins are very thin or absent, although in some areas the granodiorite appears to be selectively and pervasively altered. Sericite, chlorite, epidote, calcite, pyrite, and quartz are concentrated near the quartz-molybdenite veins. Many of the field and geochemical characteristics of the Priestly Lake pluton are unlike those of major molybdenum-producing areas (Climax, Henderson, Urad). For example, the area of alteration seems to be of limited extent, the host rock is not intensely altered hydrothermally at the surface, the density of fractures is rather low in the mineralized area, and the amount of disseminated molybdenite appears to be small. However, the Priestly Lake pluton may be a small fraction of a concealed batholith as suggested by geophysical data. It is conceivable that the type of mineralization at the surface might be the expression of more extensive molybdenite mineralization at depth. The quartz-molybdenite veins in the Priestly Lake pluton are significant because they indicate that potential molybdenum sources for producing mineralized granites were available at depth. Future studies should be

The ophiolitic North Fork terrane in the Salmon River region, central Klamath Mountains, California

Science.gov (United States)

Ando, C.J.; Irwin, W.P.; Jones, D.L.; Saleeby, J.B.

1983-01-01

The North Fork terrane is an assemblage of ophiolitic and other oceanic volcanic and sedimentary rocks that has been internally imbricated and folded. The ophiolitic rocks form a north-trending belt through the central part of the region and consist of a disrupted sequence of homogeneous gabbro, diabase, massive to pillowed basalt, and interleaved tectonitic harzburgite. U-Pb zircon age data on a plagiogranite pod from the gabbroic unit indicate that at least this part of the igneous sequence is late Paleozoic in age.The ophiolitic belt is flanked on either side by mafic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, limestone, bedded chert, and argillite. Most of the chert is Triassic, including much of Late Triassic age, but chert with uncertain stratigraphic relations at one locality is Permian. The strata flanking the east side of the ophiolitic belt face eastward, and depositional contacts between units are for the most part preserved. The strata on the west side of the ophiolitic belt are more highly disrupted than those on the east side, contain chert-argillite melange, and have unproven stratigraphic relation to either the ophiolitic rocks or the eastern strata.Rocks of the North Fork terrane do not show widespread evidence of penetrative deformation at elevated temperatures, except an early tectonitic fabric in the harzburgite. Slip-fiber foliation in serpentinite, phacoidal foliation in chert and mafic rocks, scaly foliation in argillite, and mesoscopic folds in bedded chert are consistent with an interpretation of large-scale anti-formal folding of the terrane about a north-south hinge found along the ophiolitic belt, but other structural interpretations are tenable. The age of folding of North Fork rocks is constrained by the involvement of Triassic and younger cherts and crosscutting Late Jurassic plutons. Deformation in the North Fork terrane must have spanned a short period of time because the terrane is bounded structurally above and below by Middle or Late

[History of the tuning fork. II: Evolution of the classical experiments by Weber, Rinne and Schwabach].

Science.gov (United States)

Feldmann, H

1997-05-01

Since the 17th centrury it was known that sounds could be perceived via air conduction and bone conduction and that this provided a means of differentiating between hearing disorders located in the middle ear and those located in the acoustic nerve. For a long time to come, however, there was no need for such a differential diagnosis. After the invention of the tuning fork in 1711 this instrument had soon become widely used in music, but it took well over 100 years until it was introduced into physiology and otology. FROM DIRECTIONAL HEARING TO WEBER'S TEST: J. B. Venturi, a physicist in Modena, Italy, in 1802 had shown that the perception of the direction from which a sound is coming is governed by the fact that one ear is hit by the sound more intensely than the other ear. C. T. Tourtual, a physician in Münster, Germany, demonstrated in 1827 that this also holds true for sound conducted via the skull bones. He used a watch as sound source. He found that occlusion of both ear canals would increase the sensation in both ears equally, but that occlusion of only one ear would increase the sensation only in the occluded ear, thus giving the impression that the sound were coming from that side. He was interested in a comparison between vision and audition, and he concluded that with regard to recognizing the direction of a sensory signal vision was superior to audition. In the same year 1827 C. Wheatstone, a physicist in London, investigating the mode of vibration of the tympanic membrane and using a tuning fork found the same phenomena as Tourtual and some more effects. E. H. Weber, an anatomist and physiologist in Leipzig, Germany, described the very same phenomena as Tourtual and Wheatstone once more in 1834. He wanted to prove that airborne sound is perceived by the vestibulum and the semicircular canals, bone conducted sound by the cochlea. None of these investigators was thinking of a clinical use of their findings and made no such suggestion. E. Schmalz, an

Estimating Quartz Reserves Using Compositional Kriging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Taboada

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine spatial distribution and volume of four commercial quartz grades, namely, silicon metal, ferrosilicon, aggregate, and kaolin (depending on content in impurities in a quartz seam. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the reserves in the seam were determined from samples collected from outcrops, blasting operations, and exploratory drilling, and compositional kriging was used to calculate the volume and distribution of the reserves. A more accurate knowledge of the deposit ensures better mine planning, leading to higher profitability and an improved relationship with the environment.

MOF Suppresses Replication Stress and Contributes to Resolution of Stalled Replication Forks.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Dharmendra Kumar; Pandita, Raj K; Singh, Mayank; Chakraborty, Sharmistha; Hambarde, Shashank; Ramnarain, Deepti; Charaka, Vijaya; Ahmed, Kazi Mokim; Hunt, Clayton R; Pandita, Tej K

2018-03-15

The human MOF (hMOF) protein belongs to the MYST family of histone acetyltransferases and plays a critical role in transcription and the DNA damage response. MOF is essential for cell proliferation; however, its role during replication and replicative stress is unknown. Here we demonstrate that cells depleted of MOF and under replicative stress induced by cisplatin, hydroxyurea, or camptothecin have reduced survival, a higher frequency of S-phase-specific chromosome damage, and increased R-loop formation. MOF depletion decreased replication fork speed and, when combined with replicative stress, also increased stalled replication forks as well as new origin firing. MOF interacted with PCNA, a key coordinator of replication and repair machinery at replication forks, and affected its ubiquitination and recruitment to the DNA damage site. Depletion of MOF, therefore, compromised the DNA damage repair response as evidenced by decreased Mre11, RPA70, Rad51, and PCNA focus formation, reduced DNA end resection, and decreased CHK1 phosphorylation in cells after exposure to hydroxyurea or cisplatin. These results support the argument that MOF plays an important role in suppressing replication stress induced by genotoxic agents at several stages during the DNA damage response. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Refractometry characteristics of α-quartz after neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdkadyrova, I.Kh.

1997-01-01

Lattice structure distortions in irradiated crystalline quartz were studied by refractometry methods. The refractometry constants of α-quartz for the flux of fast neutrons 10 18 - 10 21 neutron/cm 2 were calculated. The critical kinetics of this constants at the phase transformation is observed.(author). 5 refs., 1 fig

Flood-inundation maps for the East Fork White River near Bedford, Indiana

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, Kathleen K.

2014-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for an 1.8-mile reach of the East Fork White River near Bedford, Indiana (Ind.) were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selectedwater levels (stages) at USGS streamgage 03371500, East Fork White River near Bedford, Ind. Current conditions for estimating near-real-time areas of inundation using USGS streamgage information may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/uv?site_no=03371500. In addition, information has been provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation into their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/). The NWS forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often colocated with USGS streamgages, including the East Fork White River near Bedford, Ind. NWS-forecasted peak-stage information may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. For this study, flood profiles were computed for the East Fork White River reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relations at USGS streamgage 03371500, East Fork White River near Bedford, Ind., and documented high-water marks from the flood of June 2008. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to determine 20 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from bankfull to the highest stage of the current stage-discharge rating curve. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system (GIS) digital elevation model (DEM, derived from

Dependence of red thermoluminescence on Eu-anomaly in natural quartzes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashimoto, T; Yokosaka, K; Notoya, S; Ojima, T; Sakaue, S [Niigata Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Science

1993-04-01

The causes of red colour thermoluminescence (RTL) from natural quartz have been sought in the presence of impurity elements. Some impurities in 31 varieties of natural quartz extracts, determined by a neutron activation analysis, have been examined with respect to a meaningful correlation of the RTL to the total detectable TL strength. Generally, the higher impurity contents were found in quartz of volcanic origin, which always emits purely RTL colour, whereas the lower impurities were usually detected in hydrothermal quartz, which emits purely blue TL (BTL) in all absorbed doses. Among the impurities, the middle REE (rare earth elements), involving Eu and Sm, particularly offered considerable correlation with RTL emission with the exception of pegmatite quartz. It was found from the chondrite-normalized REE patterns that a positive Eu anomaly or flattened Eu distribution gave rise to relatively high RTL proportions, while a negative Eu anomaly always showed extremely weak RTL intensity. Thus, it was concluded that the Eu[sup 3+], formed from the oxidizable surrounding or high oxygen fugacity relative to a Cl chondrite formation, is strongly related to the RTL intensity in natural quartz. (author).

Formation of cogenetic quartz and nepheline syenites

Science.gov (United States)

Foland, K. A.; Landoll, J. D.; Henderson, C. M. B.; Chen, Jiangfeng

1993-02-01

Understanding the processes involved in the formation of cogenetic silica-undersaturated and silica-saturated felsic rocks in alkaline igneous complexes has been a long-standing enigma because of constraints imposed by phase equilibria relationships. This problem is discussed in general drawing upon relationships at two magmatic centers: Marangudzi in Zimbabwe and Mt. Brome in Quebec, Canada. At each locality, cogenetic quartz and nepheline syenites appear to be derived from common critically undersaturated magmas. Strontium and neodymium isotope results indicate that quartz syenites bear the signatures of substantial amounts of crustal assimilation whereas nepheline syenites lack or display lesser effects. In the model outlined, quartz syenite melts develop from felsic silica undersaturated magmas by assimilation of granitic crust coupled with fractional crystallization whereas nepheline syenites form without large amounts of contamination. This model is compatible with the constraints imposed by phase equilibria.

Evaluation of the Use of a Bedleveler to Improve Navigability of Atchafalaya River Bar Channel Fluid Mud

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-01

dredged (new work), clay , and even small pieces of rock but are used much less often in sand. The number of passes required depends entirely on the...the vibrating fork sensor decreases as the density of the fluid mud increases, and the amplitude of vibrations decrease with increasing viscosity ...density and viscosity . In general, the tuning-fork method of measuring density and viscosity is restricted to Newtonian fluids, which continue to flow

Identification of color development potential of quartz by Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alkmim, Danielle G.; Lameiras, Fernando S.; Almeida, Frederico O.T.

2013-01-01

Colorless quartz is usually exposed to ionizing radiation (gamma rays or high energy electron beams) to acquire different colors for jewelry. Color development is due to the presence of traces of some elements such as aluminum, iron, hydrogen, lithium, or sodium. Most quartz crystals are extracted colorless from nature and it is necessary to separate those that can develop colors from those that cannot. Irradiation tests can be used to accomplish this separation, but they take a long time. Infrared signature of colorless quartz can also be used. However, infrared spectroscopy is quite expensive, especially when using portable devices. Raman spectroscopy is now available as an inexpensive and portable technique that could provide identification of the samples of colorless quartz still in the field, facilitating the prediction for their economic exploitation. In addition, Raman spectroscopy usually requires a minimum or no sample preparation. This paper presents an investigation of the feasibility of using Raman spectroscopy as a substitute for infrared spectroscopy to predict the potential for color development of quartz. A band at 3595 cm -1 in the Raman shift spectrum was observed only along the c axis of a prasiolite excited by a high power 514 nm laser. This band was not observed in quartz samples that do not develop color after irradiation. Further studies are required to identify the potential for color development by Raman spectroscopy of other types of colorless quartz. (author)

Radioluminescence of synthetic quartz related to alkali ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martini, M., E-mail: m.martini@unimib.it [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Universita degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53, I-20125 Milano (Italy); INFN-Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53, I-20125 Milano (Italy); Fasoli, M. [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Universita degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53, I-20125 Milano (Italy); Galli, A. [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Universita degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53, I-20125 Milano (Italy); Istituto di Fotonica e Nanostrutture, IFN-CNR (Italy); Villa, I. [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Universita degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53, I-20125 Milano (Italy); Guibert, P. [IRAMAT-CRP2A (Institut de recherche sur les Archeomateriaux), UMR no. 5060, CNRS-Universite Bordeaux III, F-33607 Pessac (France)

2012-04-15

The radioluminescence (RL) of synthetic quartzes (GEMMA Quartz and Crystal Company) has been measured at room temperature. Some samples were treated by electrodiffusion ('sweeping') in order to change the concentrations of alkali ions, mainly Li{sup +} and Na{sup +}, which in quartz are known to be linked to Al ions, substitutional for Si ions. The RL emission spectra show evidence of a role of alkali ions in affecting some specific emissions. All the spectra could be analysed as composed of four bands in the blue and UV region. Specifically, the well known blue emission at around 470 nm was seen to be composed by two bands at 430 nm (2.86 eV) and at 485 nm (2.53 eV). Effects of irradiation, during the RL measurements, were clearly seen only in the 'Li swept in' sample, namely an increase in the 485 nm band intensity and a decrease in the 430 nm band one. The previously reported UV emission was detected at 355 nm (3.44 eV) in all the samples, being the most intense band in the 'swept out' sample. A further UV emission was detected at 315 nm (3.94 eV), more intense in untreated samples. Possible assignments of the detected emission bands are discussed in relation to the defects of quartz, specifically focusing on the Al centres that are most affected by sweeping procedures. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Contribution to the understanding of relationships between defects in quartz and luminescence emissions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Role of charge compensators at substitutional Al sites in the optical properties of quartz. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Evidence of the double nature of the 'blue emission' (around 470 nm).

Food irradiation dosimetry using thermoluminescence of quartz sand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, H.M.; Ehlermann, D.A.E.

1993-01-01

Thermoluminescence of quartz sand, which is inert and concomitant to several food materials, has been investigated for applications in food irradiation dosimetry and detection of irradiated foods. The glow curves consist of at least three overlapping peaks from 100 to 420 C. The peak at lower temperature is not stable and decays quickly at room temperature. However, the peaks at higher temperature are stable and more useful for dosimetry work. The intensity of the peak at 360 C, measured using different optical filters, shows a linear response in the range of 0.05 to 23 kGy. Stability of these signals at different annealing temperatures has been investigated. Thermoluminescence from adhering minerals and contaminating dust in different food materials has been found useful for the detection of irradiation treatment. Since quartz is frequently one of these minerals, further computerized deconvolution of individual glow peaks from the complex glow curves of quartz sand was carried out which improves the dosimetric results. Possible applications of thermoluminescence of quartz sand in food irradiation dosimetry and detection of irradiated foods have been discussed. (orig.)

Alpha efficiency determination for OSL of quartz extracted from Chinese loess

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai Zhongping; Zoeller, Ludwig; Fuchs, Markus; Brueckner, Helmut

2008-01-01

We report here the estimates of alpha efficiency for fine grain quartz extracted from Chinese loess using the SAR protocol. For the seven samples, the α-values range from 0.028 to 0.038 with an average of 0.035±0.001. The annealed quartz (450 deg. C, 45 min) has an α-value of 0.030±0.001 which is similar to the α-value of 0.029±0.001 for the non-annealed quartz extracts, suggesting that the α-value is independent of the quartz's thermal history for this sample. We suggest that an α-value of 0.035±0.003 can be adopted for quartz extracted from Chinese loess when calculating the environmental dose rate

Activation analysis of high pure quartz used as packing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luknitskij, V.A.; Morozov, B.A.

1979-01-01

A γ-spectrometric technique of neutron activation determination of microelements in quartz tubes used as a packing material for irradiation in reactors is reported. The analysis of 29 micro-admixtures in quartz tubes of USSR brands ''spectrtosil'' and ''KV'' was carried out. The γ-spectra of ''KV'' quartz irradiated by thermal and epithermal neutrons are presented. The activation by epithermal neutrons provides an activity gain for the nuclei whose resonance integral is high enough as compared to the activation cross-section with regard to thermal neutrons. The activation by epithermal neutrons permits additional determination of W, Cd, V, Th, Mn and Ni and provides for a substantial decrease in the activity of 24 Na, 42 K, 140 La, 46 Sc, 141 Ce, 51 Cr, and 59 Fe, which hinder the determination of the above-mentioned elements. The microelement composition of Soviet-made quartz varieties is compared to that of foreign-made quartz brands

Construction of simple quartz crystal microbalance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ristov, Milcho [Center of Energy, Informatics and Materials of the Macedonian Academy fo Science and Arts, Skopje (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Mitrevski, Mitre [Institute of Physics, Faculty of natural Science and Mathematics, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of)

2003-07-01

A very simple Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) was constructed for the measurement of thickness of chemically deposited thin films. QCM consisted of two active elements: one dual-gate MOSFET and one bipolar transistor, and as usually two AT-cut quartz crystal. The beat frequency oscillation generated as a result of loading of the sensor crystal by the deposited thin film, was measured by HP-multimeter, set as a low frequency meter. The sensitivity was found to be high and satisfactory for the study of growth rate of thin films, mainly deposited by methods of chemical deposition.

Construction of simple quartz crystal microbalance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ristov, Milcho; Mitrevski, Mitre

2002-01-01

A very simple Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) was constructed for the measurement of thickness of chemically deposited thin films. QCM consisted of two active elements: one dual-gate MOSFET and one bipolar transistor, and as usually two AT-cut quartz crystal. The beat frequency oscillation generated as a result of loading of the sensor crystal by the deposited thin film, was measured by HP-multimeter, set as a low frequency meter. The sensitivity was found to be high and satisfactory for the study of growth rate of thin films, mainly deposited by methods of chemical deposition.

EPR investigation into the structure of boron-containing quartz glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amosov, A.V.; Bushmarin, D.B.; Prokhorova, T.I.; Yudin, D.M.

1975-01-01

Certain properties of boron-containing quartz glasses and the nature of occurrence of boron in the glass lattice are studied as functions of the method of alloying. The formation of three types of borate structural nodes (BO 4 , BO 3 and BO 4 -BO 3 ) in the lattice of quartz glasses is established. Alloying by boron oxide up to 3% (weight) increases the crystallization stability of quartz glasses, lowers down tsub(g) from 1220 to 950 deg C and does not affect the coefficient of thermal expansion. Low symmetry of borate structural nodes, following from the analysis of EPR spectra, confirms the literature data concerning the low symmetry of glass-forming polyhedrons in a quartz glass

Soil chemistry in lithologically diverse datasets: the quartz dilution effect

Science.gov (United States)

Bern, Carleton R.

2009-01-01

National- and continental-scale soil geochemical datasets are likely to move our understanding of broad soil geochemistry patterns forward significantly. Patterns of chemistry and mineralogy delineated from these datasets are strongly influenced by the composition of the soil parent material, which itself is largely a function of lithology and particle size sorting. Such controls present a challenge by obscuring subtler patterns arising from subsequent pedogenic processes. Here the effect of quartz concentration is examined in moist-climate soils from a pilot dataset of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. Due to variable and high quartz contents (6.2–81.7 wt.%), and its residual and inert nature in soil, quartz is demonstrated to influence broad patterns in soil chemistry. A dilution effect is observed whereby concentrations of various elements are significantly and strongly negatively correlated with quartz. Quartz content drives artificial positive correlations between concentrations of some elements and obscures negative correlations between others. Unadjusted soil data show the highly mobile base cations Ca, Mg, and Na to be often strongly positively correlated with intermediately mobile Al or Fe, and generally uncorrelated with the relatively immobile high-field-strength elements (HFS) Ti and Nb. Both patterns are contrary to broad expectations for soils being weathered and leached. After transforming bulk soil chemistry to a quartz-free basis, the base cations are generally uncorrelated with Al and Fe, and negative correlations generally emerge with the HFS elements. Quartz-free element data may be a useful tool for elucidating patterns of weathering or parent-material chemistry in large soil datasets.

Implementing farm-to-fork traceability in Tanzania

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Dyk, FE

2005-08-01

Full Text Available stream_source_info Van Dyk2_2005.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 10949 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Van Dyk2_2005.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Copyright @ CSIR 2005 www....csir.co.za Implementing farm-to-fork traceability in Tanzania Esbeth van Dyk CSIR Centre for Logistics ORSSA/SAIIE August 2005 Copyright @ CSIR 2005 www.csir.co.za Structure • Why traceability? • Legislation • Tanzania project • Recordkeeping in coffee...

Importance of surface characteristics of QUARTZ DQ 12 for acute inflammation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albrecht, C.; Becher, A.; Scins, R.P.F.; Hoehr, D.; Unfried, K.; Knaapen, A.M.; Borm, P.J.A. [Institut fuer medizinische Forschung (IUF), Duesseldorf (Germany)

2004-07-01

Although quartz is known to induce inflammation in rat lungs, mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The importance of particle surface characteristics was investigated in vivo after intratracheal instillation of different preparations of quartz in rat lungs. Three days after instillation of 2 mg DQ12 quartz, or DQ12 coated with polyvinylpyridine-N-oxide (PVNO) or Aluminium lactate (AL), lungs of female Wistar rats were lavaged in situ to determine markers of inflammation. Control rats received saline or the coating substances alone. DQ12 induced a marked inflammatory response, as indicated by a significant increase in the number of neutrophils and macrophages, as well as in the levels of b-glucuronidase and myeloperoxidase. None of these inflammatory markers was increased for both coated quartz preparations, with the exception of neutrophil influx which was also increased after treatment with AL quartz. Our results indicate that surface characteristics are important in the onset of quartz-induced lung inflammation which could imply a different development of persistent inflammation. This will be investigated in later follow-up time points of the same animal study. (orig.)

The progression of replication forks at natural replication barriers in live bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Moolman, M Charl; Tiruvadi Krishnan, Sriram; Kerssemakers, Jacob W J; de Leeuw, Roy; Lorent, Vincent; Sherratt, David J; Dekker, Nynke H

2016-07-27

Protein-DNA complexes are one of the principal barriers the replisome encounters during replication. One such barrier is the Tus-ter complex, which is a direction dependent barrier for replication fork progression. The details concerning the dynamics of the replisome when encountering these Tus-ter barriers in the cell are poorly understood. By performing quantitative fluorescence microscopy with microfuidics, we investigate the effect on the replisome when encountering these barriers in live Escherichia coli cells. We make use of an E. coli variant that includes only an ectopic origin of replication that is positioned such that one of the two replisomes encounters a Tus-ter barrier before the other replisome. This enables us to single out the effect of encountering a Tus-ter roadblock on an individual replisome. We demonstrate that the replisome remains stably bound after encountering a Tus-ter complex from the non-permissive direction. Furthermore, the replisome is only transiently blocked, and continues replication beyond the barrier. Additionally, we demonstrate that these barriers affect sister chromosome segregation by visualizing specific chromosomal loci in the presence and absence of the Tus protein. These observations demonstrate the resilience of the replication fork to natural barriers and the sensitivity of chromosome alignment to fork progression. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Properties and behavior of quartz for the silicon process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aasly, Kurt

2008-07-01

This PhD-thesis is a result of the study on important properties of quartz as a raw material for the metallurgical production of ferrosilicon and silicon metal. This includes defining mechanical properties important for the size reduction experienced during transport and storage and thermo-mechanical properties of quartz that is important for how the quartz reacts to the high temperatures experienced as it is charged on the furnace. Additionally, softening properties of quartz have been briefly discussed in some of the papers. Another important goal has been to test analytical and experimental methods for investigating the various properties. The investigations of important factors for the mechanical properties of ores and industrial minerals have been carried out as a literature study. The mining operation and transport from mine to smelter has been discussed and several factors that are significant for achieving best possible mechanical properties of the quartz have been identified. The most important factors are related to production in the mine and processing plant, which should be carefully planned to minimize the amount of blast-induced damage in the rock and thus achieve the best possible mechanical strength of the raw material. The amount of fines can be minimized by controlling the handling of the raw materials during the transport and storage. It is especially important to avoid high drops, both high single drops and accumulated height of all the drops in total. Investigations of the thermo-mechanical properties of quartz have been carried out by using different experimental and characterization methods. The petrographic investigations of the raw materials by polarized light microscopy have been important. Thermo-mechanical investigations have been high-temperature microthermometry and shock heating of quartz samples in an induction furnace with subsequent investigations of the heated material. The subsequent investigation included polarized- and

Dual parasitism of Fork-tailed Drongos by African and Jacobin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Different species of brood parasitic birds, which lay their eggs in the nests of host foster-parents, rarely target the same host species population. We report brood parasitism of Fork-tailed Drongos Dicrurus adsimilis in the southern Kalahari Desert by both African Cuckoo Cuculus gularis and Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator ...

Structure optimization and simulation analysis of the quartz micromachined gyroscope

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Xuezhong Wu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Structure optimization and simulation analysis of the quartz micromachined gyroscope are reported in this paper. The relationships between the structure parameters and the frequencies of work mode were analysed by finite element analysis. The structure parameters of the quartz micromachined gyroscope were optimized to reduce the difference between the frequencies of the drive mode and the sense mode. The simulation results were proved by testing the prototype gyroscope, which was fabricated by micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS technology. Therefore, the frequencies of the drive mode and the sense mode can match each other by the structure optimization and simulation analysis of the quartz micromachined gyroscope, which is helpful in the design of the high sensitivity quartz micromachined gyroscope.

Water-quality trends for selected sampling sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin, Montana, water years 1996-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Sando, Steven K.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Lorenz, David L.; Barnhart, Elliott P.

2014-01-01

A large-scale trend analysis was done on specific conductance, selected trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, and zinc), and suspended-sediment data for 22 sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin for water years 1996–2010. Trend analysis was conducted by using two parametric methods: a time-series model (TSM) and multiple linear regression on time, streamflow, and season (MLR). Trend results for 1996–2010 indicate moderate to large decreases in flow-adjusted concentrations (FACs) and loads of copper (and other metallic elements) and suspended sediment in Silver Bow Creek upstream from Warm Springs. Deposition of metallic elements and suspended sediment within Warm Springs Ponds substantially reduces the downstream transport of those constituents. However, mobilization of copper and suspended sediment from floodplain tailings and stream banks in the Clark Fork reach from Galen to Deer Lodge is a large source of metallic elements and suspended sediment, which also affects downstream transport of those constituents. Copper and suspended-sediment loads mobilized from within this reach accounted for about 40 and 20 percent, respectively, of the loads for Clark Fork at Turah Bridge (site 20); whereas, streamflow contributed from within this reach only accounted for about 8 percent of the streamflow at Turah Bridge. Minor changes in FACs and loads of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for this reach during 1996–2010. Clark Fork reaches downstream from Deer Lodge are relatively smaller sources of metallic elements than the reach from Galen to Deer Lodge. In general, small decreases in loads and FACs of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for Clark Fork sites downstream from Deer Lodge during 1996–2010. Thus, although large decreases in FACs and loads of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for Silver Bow Creek upstream from Warm Springs, those large decreases are not translated to the more downstream reaches largely

Toroidal helical quartz forming machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanks, K.W.; Cole, T.R.

1977-01-01

The Scyllac fusion experimental machine used 10 cm diameter smooth bore discharge tubes formed into a simple toroidal shape prior to 1974. At about that time, it was discovered that a discharge tube was required to follow the convoluted shape of the load coil. A machine was designed and built to form a fused quartz tube with a toroidal shape. The machine will accommodate quartz tubes from 5 cm to 20 cm diameter forming it into a 4 m toroidal radius with a 1 to 5 cm helical displacement. The machine will also generate a helical shape on a linear tube. Two sets of tubes with different helical radii and wavelengths have been successfully fabricated. The problems encountered with the design and fabrication of this machine are discussed

A new equation of state for α-quartz

Science.gov (United States)

Magyar, Rudolph; Carpenter, John

2015-06-01

Quartz (SiO2) is often used as an optically transparent window for visar signals in shock experiments and is itself an active component of the experiments. Therefore, the shock response of quartz is an important input that must be known to high fidelity for precise measurement of other materials. We describe on-going work to develop a wide-range equation of state table that includes multiple phases and incorporates the latest high quality experimental and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The emphasis in this work is the proper description of α-quartz along its principal Hugoniot through Stishovite and liquid phases. While molecular dissociation occurs at high pressures and temperatures, we find that an additional dissociation model is unnecessary. Although SiO2 possesses a number of solid phases, we restrict our focus to α-quartz and Stishovite as these two provide the density change along the Hugoniot path. We compare the model to recently measured data on Sandia's Z-machine. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE.

Application of hydrometallurgy techniques in quartz processing and purification: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Min; Lei, Shaomin; Pei, Zhenyu; Liu, Yuanyuan; Xia, Zhangjie; Xie, Feixiang

2018-04-01

Although there have been numerous studies on separation and purification of metallic minerals by hydrometallurgy techniques, applications of the chemical techniques in separation and purification of non-metallic minerals are rarely reported. This paper reviews disparate areas of study into processing and purification of quartz (typical non-metallic ore) in an attempt to summarize current work, as well as to suggest potential for future consolidation in the field. The review encompasses chemical techniques of the quartz processing including situations, progresses, leaching mechanism, scopes of application, advantages and drawbacks of micro-bioleaching, high temperature leaching, high temperature pressure leaching and catalyzed high temperature pressure leaching. Traditional leaching techniques including micro-bioleaching and high temperature leaching are unequal to demand of modern glass industry for quality of quartz concentrate because the quartz products has to be further processed. High temperature pressure leaching and catalyzed high temperature pressure leaching provide new ways to produce high-grade quartz sand with only one process and lower acid consumption. Furthermore, the catalyzed high temperature pressure leaching realizes effective purification of quartz with extremely low acid consumption (no using HF or any fluoride). It is proposed that, by integrating the different chemical processes of quartz processing and expounding leaching mechanisms and scopes of application, the research field as a monopolized industry would benefit.

Plasma parameter diagnosis using hydrogen emission spectra of a quartz-chamber 2.45 GHz ECRIS at Peking University

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, WenBin; Ren, HaiTao; Peng, ShiXiang; Xu, Yuan; Wen, JiaMei; Zhang, Tao; Zhang, JingFeng; Zhang, AiLin; Sun, Jiang; Guo, ZhiYu; Chen, JiaEr

2018-04-01

A quartz-chamber 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) was designed for diagnostic purposes at Peking University [Patent Number: ZL 201110026605.4]. This ion source can produce a maximum 84 mA hydrogen ion beam at 50 kV with a duty factor of 10%. The root-mean-square (RMS) emittance of this beam is less than 0.12π mm mrad. In our initial work, the electron temperature and electron density inside the plasma chamber had been measured with the line intensity ratio of noble gases. Based on these results, the atomic and molecular emission spectra of hydrogen were applied to determine the dissociation degree of hydrogen and the vibrational temperature of hydrogen molecules in the ground state, respectively. Measurements were performed at gas pressures from 4×10-4 to 1×10-3 Pa and at input peak RF power ranging from 1000 to 1800 W. The dissociation degree of hydrogen in the range of 0.5%-10% and the vibrational temperature of hydrogen molecules in the ground state in the range of 3500-8500 K were obtained. The plasma processes inside this ECRIS chamber were discussed based on these results.

Identification of Color Development Potential of Quartz by Raman Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomides Alkmim, D.; Soares Lameiras, F.

2013-01-01

Colorless quartz is usually exposed to ionizing radiation (gamma rays or high energy electron beams) in order to acquire different colors for jewelry. This is due to the presence of traces of some elements such as aluminum, iron, hydrogen, lithium, or sodium, which are responsible for the extrinsic colors developed after irradiation. Most quartz crystals are extracted colorless from nature and it is necessary to separate those that can develop colors from those that cannot. This can be done through irradiation tests, which take a long time. Other option is to collect the infrared signature of colorless quartz. However, infrared spectroscopic analysis is quite expensive, especially when using portable devices. Raman spectroscopy is now available as an inexpensive and portable technique that could provide identification of the samples of colorless quartz still in the field, facilitating the prediction for their economic exploitation. In addition, Raman spectroscopy usually requires a minimum or no sample preparation. This paper presents an investigation of the feasibility of using Raman spectroscopy as a substitute for infrared spectroscopy to predict the potential for color development of quartz. A band at 3595 cm -1 was observed, only along the c axis of a prasiolite excited by a high power 514 nm laser. This band was nor observed in quartz samples that do not develop color after irradiation, hence requiring further studies. (Author)

The Suitability Of Local Quartz Sand In The Production Of Bath Crucibles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. O. Okpanachi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The suitability of local quartz sand in the production of bath crucibles is a study that was carried out in order to impart overall strength on bath crucibles hence reduce breakages during fettling. Therefore this research constitutes a study to enhance the efficiency of production of bath crucibles by addition of quartz sand in slip preparation. The steps taken in the beneficiation of quartz sand for the production of bath crucibles are comminution which entails crushing and milling classification washing liquid dispersion sizing and reduction of iron content by magnetic separation. The slip contains materials like plastic clay feldspar kaolin talc sodium silicate water quartz sand etc. These were all milled in the ball mill for slip production casting and fettling glazing and sintering to get final bath crucibles as the end products. Quartz sand is used in a variety of products essentially as raw material for the foundry casting and glass industries and also in chemicals water filtration and ceramics the heat resistance nature of quartz sand makes it an excellent refractory substance for these industrial processes. Slip can be prepared for production of bath crucibles without the inclusion of quartz sand however the addition of quartz sand is needed to improve the mechanical performance of the slip in the production of bath crucibles.

FANCD2 Maintains Fork Stability in BRCA1/2-Deficient Tumors and Promotes Alternative End-Joining DNA Repair

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Zeina Kais

2016-06-01

Full Text Available BRCA1/2 proteins function in homologous recombination (HR-mediated DNA repair and cooperate with Fanconi anemia (FA proteins to maintain genomic integrity through replication fork stabilization. Loss of BRCA1/2 proteins results in DNA repair deficiency and replicative stress, leading to genomic instability and enhanced sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. Recent studies have shown that BRCA1/2-deficient tumors upregulate Polθ-mediated alternative end-joining (alt-EJ repair as a survival mechanism. Whether other mechanisms maintain genomic integrity upon loss of BRCA1/2 proteins is currently unknown. Here we show that BRCA1/2-deficient tumors also upregulate FANCD2 activity. FANCD2 is required for fork protection and fork restart in BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. Moreover, FANCD2 promotes Polθ recruitment at sites of damage and alt-EJ repair. Finally, loss of FANCD2 in BRCA1/2-deficient tumors enhances cell death. These results reveal a synthetic lethal relationship between FANCD2 and BRCA1/2, and they identify FANCD2 as a central player orchestrating DNA repair pathway choice at the replication fork.

Pulsed ESR measurements of oxygen deficient type centers in various quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanaka, C.; Kohno, H.; Ikeya, M.

1996-01-01

Phase-memory times T M for E'-centers in various quartz samples were measured by pulse-ESR. Manually ground quartz followed by γ-irradiation, α-irradiated quartz and that from a natural uranium deposit showed T M M of 15-18μs. Natural SiO 2 with dense spins, (∼ 3.96 Ga) and sandstone from an impact crater were also examined. (author)

U.S. Geological Survey 2013 assessment of undiscovered resources in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of the U.S. Williston Basin Province

Science.gov (United States)

Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.

2014-01-01

The Upper Devonian Three Forks and Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian Bakken Formations comprise a major United States continuous oil resource. Current exploitation of oil is from horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of the Middle Member of the Bakken and upper Three Forks, with ongoing exploration of the lower Three Forks, and the Upper, Lower, and Pronghorn Members of the Bakken Formation. In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated a mean of 3.65 billion bbl of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil resource within the Bakken Formation. The USGS recently reassessed the Bakken Formation, which included an assessment of the underlying Three Forks Formation. The Pronghorn Member of the Bakken Formation, where present, was included as part of the Three Forks assessment due to probable fluid communication between reservoirs. For the Bakken Formation, five continuous and one conventional assessment units (AUs) were defined. These AUs are modified from the 2008 AU boundaries to incorporate expanded geologic and production information. The Three Forks Formation was defined with one continuous and one conventional AU. Within the continuous AUs, optimal regions of hydrocarbon recovery, or “sweet spots,” were delineated and estimated ultimate recoveries were calculated for each continuous AU. Resulting undiscovered, technically recoverable resource estimates were 3.65 billion bbl for the five Bakken continuous oil AUs and 3.73 billion bbl for the Three Forks Continuous Oil AU, generating a total mean resource estimate of 7.38 billion bbl. The two conventional AUs are hypothetical and represent a negligible component of the total estimated resource (8 million barrels of oil).

Luminescence sensitivity changes in quartz as a result of annealing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøtter-Jensen, L.; Agersnap Larsen, N.; Mejdahl, V.

1995-01-01

archaeological samples show very different OSL sensitivities. In this paper we report on studies of the effect of high temperature annealing on the OSL and phototransferred TL (PTTL) signals from sedimentary and synthetic quartz. A dramatic enhancement of both OSL and PTTL sensitivity was found especially...... in the temperature range 500-800 degrees C. Computer simulations of the possible effects are shown to produce data that agree in all essential details with the experimental observations. It is further demonstrated that the enhanced OSL sensitivity as a function of annealing temperature is not a pre-dose effect....... of magnitude less per unit radiation than that for heated material. The reason these temperature-induced sensitivity changes occur in quartz is presently not well understood. This phenomenon is also seen in the related area of luminescence dating in which sedimentary quartz and quartz from heated...

Fracture flow due to hydrothermally induced quartz growth

Science.gov (United States)

Kling, Tobias; Schwarz, Jens-Oliver; Wendler, Frank; Enzmann, Frieder; Blum, Philipp

2017-09-01

Mineral precipitations are a common feature and limitation of initially open, permeable rock fractures by forming sealing structures or secondary roughness in open voids. Hence, the objective of this numerical study is the evaluation of hydraulic properties of fractures sealed by hydrothermally induced needle and compact quartz growth. Phase-field models of progressive syntaxial and idiomorphic quartz growth are implemented into a fluid flow simulation solving the Navier-Stokes equation. Flow simulations for both quartz types indicate an obvious correlation between changes in permeability, fracture properties (e.g. aperture, relative roughness and porosity) and crystal growth behavior, which also forms distinct flow paths. Thus, at lower sealing stages initial fracture permeability significantly drops down for the 'needle fracture' forming highly tortuous flow paths, while the 'compact fracture' records a considerably smaller loss. Fluid flow in both sealing fractures most widely is governed by a ;parallel plate;-like cubic law behavior. However, the 'needle fracture' also reveals flow characteristics of a porous media. A semi-theoretical equation is introduced that links geometrical (am) with hydraulically effective apertures (ah) and the relative fracture roughness. For this purpose, a geometry factor α is introduced being α = 2.5 for needle quartz and α = 1.0 for compact quartz growth. In contrast to most common ah-am-relationships this novel formulation not only reveals more precise predictions for the needle (RMSE = 1.5) and the compact fractures (RMSE = 3.2), but also exhibit a larger range of validity concerning the roughness of the 'needle' (σ/am = 0-2.4) and the 'compact fractures' (σ/am = 0-1.8).

Quartz dissolution and silica deposition in hot-dry-rock geothermal systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, B.A.

1982-07-01

The kinetics of quartz dissolution control the produced fluid dissolved silica concentration in geothermal systems in which the downhole residence time is finite. The produced fluid of the Phase I, Run Segment 5 experimental Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal system at Fenton Hill, NM, was undersaturated with respect to quartz in one pass through the reservoir, suggesting that the rate of granite dissolution governed the outlet dissolved silica concentration in this system. The literature data for the rate of quartz dissolution in water from 65 to 625/sup 0/C is correlated using an empirical rate law which is first order in quartz surface area and degree of undersaturation of the fluid. The Arrhenius plot (ln k vs T/sup -1/) is linear over eight orders of magnitude of the rate constant, verifying the validity of the proposed rate expression. Carefully performed quartz dissolution experiments in the present study duplicated the literature data and completed the data base in the temperature range from 150 to 250/sup 0/C. Identical experiments using crushed granite indicate that the rate of quartz dissolution in the presence of granite could be as much as 1 to 2 orders of magnitude faster than the rates observed in the pure quartz experiments. A temperature dependent HDR reservoir model incorporates the quartz dissolution rate law to simulate the dissolved silica behavior during the Fenton Hill Run Segment 5 experiment. For this low-permeability, fracture-dominated reservoir, the assumptions of one-dimensional plug flow through a vertically-inclined rectangular fracture and one-dimensional rock heat conduction perpendicular to the direction of flow are employed. These simplifications lead to an analytical solution for the temperature field in the reservoir.

Molecular basis for PrimPol recruitment to replication forks by RPA.

Science.gov (United States)

Guilliam, Thomas A; Brissett, Nigel C; Ehlinger, Aaron; Keen, Benjamin A; Kolesar, Peter; Taylor, Elaine M; Bailey, Laura J; Lindsay, Howard D; Chazin, Walter J; Doherty, Aidan J

2017-05-23

DNA damage and secondary structures can stall the replication machinery. Cells possess numerous tolerance mechanisms to complete genome duplication in the presence of such impediments. In addition to translesion synthesis (TLS) polymerases, most eukaryotic cells contain a multifunctional replicative enzyme called primase-polymerase (PrimPol) that is capable of directly bypassing DNA damage by TLS, as well as repriming replication downstream of impediments. Here, we report that PrimPol is recruited to reprime through its interaction with RPA. Using biophysical and crystallographic approaches, we identify that PrimPol possesses two RPA-binding motifs and ascertained the key residues required for these interactions. We demonstrate that one of these motifs is critical for PrimPol's recruitment to stalled replication forks in vivo. In addition, biochemical analysis reveals that RPA serves to stimulate the primase activity of PrimPol. Together, these findings provide significant molecular insights into PrimPol's mode of recruitment to stalled forks to facilitate repriming and restart.

The ammonoids from the Three Forks Shale (Late Devonian of Montana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Korn

2006-08-01

Full Text Available The ammonoid fauna from the Late Devonian Three Forks Shale of Montana is revised. Six taxa were recognised, which belong to the genera Tornoceras, Pernoceras, Raymondiceras, Platyclymenia, Pleuroclymenia, and Carinoclymenia. The ammonoid assemblage suggests a stratigraphic position within the middle Famennian, most probably the Platyclymenia annulata Zone. The ammonoids display extreme septal crowding in intermediate as well as adult growth stages, which can be regarded as evidence for instable palaeoecological conditions during lifetime of the animals. Die Ammonoideenfauna aus dem oberdevonischen Three Forks Shale von Montana wird revidiert. Sechs Taxa werden unterschieden; sie gehören zu den Gattungen Tornoceras, Pernoceras, Raymondiceras, Platyclymenia, Pleuroclymenia und Carinoclymenia. Die Ammonoideen-Vergesellschaftung spricht für eine stratigraphische Position im mittleren Famennium, wahrscheinlich in der Platyclymenia annulata Zone. Die Ammonoideen zeigen auffällige Drängung der Septen in intermediären und adulten Wachstumsstadien, die als Hinweis auf instabile Lebensbedingungen für die Tiere gewertet werden kann. doi:10.1002/mmng.200600008

Ionic diffusion in quartz studied by transport measurements, SIMS and atomistic simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartbaeva, Asel; Wells, Stephen A; Redfern, Simon A T; Hinton, Richard W; Reed, Stephen J B

2005-01-01

Ionic diffusion in the quartz-β-eucryptite system is studied by DC transport measurements, SIMS and atomistic simulations. Transport data show a large transient increase in ionic current at the α-β phase transition of quartz (the Hedvall effect). The SIMS data indicate two diffusion processes, one involving rapid Li + motion and the other involving penetration of Al and Li atoms into quartz at the phase transition. Atomistic simulations explain why the fine microstructure of twin domain walls in quartz near the transition does not hinder Li + diffusion

Mineralogy, morphology, and textural relationships in coatings on quartz grains in sediments in a quartz-sand aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shouliang; Kent, Douglas B.; Elbert, David C.; Shi, Zhi; Davis, James A.; Veblen, David R.

2011-01-01

Mineralogical studies of coatings on quartz grains and bulk sediments from an aquifer on Western Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA were carried out using a variety of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Previous studies demonstrated that coatings on quartz grains control the adsorption properties of these sediments. Samples for TEM characterization were made by a gentle mechanical grinding method and focused ion beam (FIB) milling. The former method can make abundant electron-transparent coating assemblages for comprehensive and quantitative X-ray analysis and the latter technique protects the coating texture from being destroyed. Characterization of the samples from both a pristine area and an area heavily impacted by wastewater discharge shows similar coating textures and chemical compositions. Major constituents of the coating include Al-substituted goethite and illite/chlorite clays. Goethite is aggregated into well-crystallized domains through oriented attachment resulting in increased porosity. Illite/chlorite clays with various chemical compositions were observed to be mixed with goethite aggregates and aligned sub-parallel to the associated quartz surface. The uniform spatial distribution of wastewater-derived phosphorus throughout the coating from the wastewater-contaminated site suggests that all of the coating constituents, including those adjacent to the quartz surface, are accessible to groundwater solutes. Both TEM characterization and chemical extraction results indicate there is a significantly greater amount of amorphous iron oxide in samples from wastewater discharge area compared to those from the pristine region, which might reflect the impact of redox cycling of iron under the wastewater-discharge area. Coating compositions are consistent with the moderate metal and oxy-metalloid adsorption capacities, low but significant cation exchange capacities, and control of iron(III) solubility by goethite observed in reactive transport

Three-dimensional thermoluminescence spectra of different origin quartz from Altay Orogenic belt, Xinjiang, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Kaixuan; Liu Zehua; Zeng Sheng; Liu Yan; Xie Yanshi; Rieser, Uwe

2009-01-01

Three-dimensional thermoluminescence spectra are measured for different types of geological origin quartz from the Altay orogenic belt, northern Xinjiang, China. The results show striking differences which appear to be characteristic of their geological origin. Granitic quartz is dominated by emission bands at 420-430 nm, 550-560 nm, at a temperature of 170 deg. C. Pegmatite quartz is characterized by an intense 480 nm emission band at 170 deg. C. Volcanic quartz has exclusive UV (340-360 nm) and violet (410-430 nm) emission bands. Hydrothermal quartz exhibits very different TL spectral characteristics because of different hydrothermal activity and mineralization. Only one TL peaks at 485 nm/170 deg. C was observed in sedimentary quartz. An intense 730 nm emission band observed at 170 deg. C considered generally to be characteristics of feldspar was observed in quartz from granite and hydrothermal Au-bearing quartz. This TL peak is probably related to the centre of [FeO 4 ] 0 on an Si site. All samples show an intense 990-1000 nm emission band at 330 deg. C. Identical types of quartz formed in different regions or different geological and tectonic settings can also exhibit striking differences in TL spectra.

Content of some microelements in Bulgarian quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostadinov, K.; Kuleff, I.; Djingova, R.; Todorovski, D.

1982-01-01

Data on the content of As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, Hg, Ir, K, La, Lu, Mn, Nd, Na, Rb, Sb, Sm, Ta, Tb, Sc, Th, U, W, Yb, Zn obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis are reported. The method is published elsewhere (Kuleff, I. et J. Radional. Chem. 62 (1981) 187). The results of other authors for the amount of Al, Li, Ti, obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry and Cu, P measured by destructive neutron activation analysis are also reported for 3 batches of electrothermal quartz glass, manufactured by ''Svetlina'' plant in Sliven, Bulgaria. The results for Bulgarian quartz glass are compared with literature and authors' data for similar quality glasses produced in England, France, FRG, GDR, USA and USSR. The results show that the amount of As, Au, Cd, Ce, Co, Cs, Eu, Hg, La, Ta, Yb in Bulgarian made quartz glass is lower than in a number of other similar glasses and the amount of the other impurities is close to the mean values. (authors)

Pitch Fork: A Novel tactile Digital Musical Instrument

OpenAIRE

Williams, Peter; Overholt, Daniel

2017-01-01

Pitch Fork is a prototype of an alternate, actuated digital musical instrument (DMI). It uses 5 infra-red and 4 piezoelectric sensors to control an additive synthesis engine. Iron bars are used as the physical point of contact in interaction with the aim of using material computation to control aspects of the digitally produced sound. This choice of material was also chosen to affect player experience. Sensor readings are relayed to a Macbook via an Arduino Mega. Mappings and audio output sig...

Slow Replication Fork Velocity of Homologous Recombination-Defective Cells Results from Endogenous Oxidative Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Magdalou, Indiana; Machon, Christelle; Dardillac, Elodie; Técher, Hervé; Guitton, Jérôme; Debatisse, Michelle; Lopez, Bernard S.

2016-01-01

Replications forks are routinely hindered by different endogenous stresses. Because homologous recombination plays a pivotal role in the reactivation of arrested replication forks, defects in homologous recombination reveal the initial endogenous stress(es). Homologous recombination-defective cells consistently exhibit a spontaneously reduced replication speed, leading to mitotic extra centrosomes. Here, we identify oxidative stress as a major endogenous source of replication speed deceleration in homologous recombination-defective cells. The treatment of homologous recombination-defective cells with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine or the maintenance of the cells at low O2 levels (3%) rescues both the replication fork speed, as monitored by single-molecule analysis (molecular combing), and the associated mitotic extra centrosome frequency. Reciprocally, the exposure of wild-type cells to H2O2 reduces the replication fork speed and generates mitotic extra centrosomes. Supplying deoxynucleotide precursors to H2O2-exposed cells rescued the replication speed. Remarkably, treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine strongly expanded the nucleotide pool, accounting for the replication speed rescue. Remarkably, homologous recombination-defective cells exhibit a high level of endogenous reactive oxygen species. Consistently, homologous recombination-defective cells accumulate spontaneous γH2AX or XRCC1 foci that are abolished by treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine or maintenance at 3% O2. Finally, oxidative stress stimulated homologous recombination, which is suppressed by supplying deoxynucleotide precursors. Therefore, the cellular redox status strongly impacts genome duplication and transmission. Oxidative stress should generate replication stress through different mechanisms, including DNA damage and nucleotide pool imbalance. These data highlight the intricacy of endogenous replication and oxidative stresses, which are both evoked during tumorigenesis and senescence initiation

Slow Replication Fork Velocity of Homologous Recombination-Defective Cells Results from Endogenous Oxidative Stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Therese Wilhelm

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Replications forks are routinely hindered by different endogenous stresses. Because homologous recombination plays a pivotal role in the reactivation of arrested replication forks, defects in homologous recombination reveal the initial endogenous stress(es. Homologous recombination-defective cells consistently exhibit a spontaneously reduced replication speed, leading to mitotic extra centrosomes. Here, we identify oxidative stress as a major endogenous source of replication speed deceleration in homologous recombination-defective cells. The treatment of homologous recombination-defective cells with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine or the maintenance of the cells at low O2 levels (3% rescues both the replication fork speed, as monitored by single-molecule analysis (molecular combing, and the associated mitotic extra centrosome frequency. Reciprocally, the exposure of wild-type cells to H2O2 reduces the replication fork speed and generates mitotic extra centrosomes. Supplying deoxynucleotide precursors to H2O2-exposed cells rescued the replication speed. Remarkably, treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine strongly expanded the nucleotide pool, accounting for the replication speed rescue. Remarkably, homologous recombination-defective cells exhibit a high level of endogenous reactive oxygen species. Consistently, homologous recombination-defective cells accumulate spontaneous γH2AX or XRCC1 foci that are abolished by treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine or maintenance at 3% O2. Finally, oxidative stress stimulated homologous recombination, which is suppressed by supplying deoxynucleotide precursors. Therefore, the cellular redox status strongly impacts genome duplication and transmission. Oxidative stress should generate replication stress through different mechanisms, including DNA damage and nucleotide pool imbalance. These data highlight the intricacy of endogenous replication and oxidative stresses, which are both evoked during tumorigenesis and

Slow Replication Fork Velocity of Homologous Recombination-Defective Cells Results from Endogenous Oxidative Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilhelm, Therese; Ragu, Sandrine; Magdalou, Indiana; Machon, Christelle; Dardillac, Elodie; Técher, Hervé; Guitton, Jérôme; Debatisse, Michelle; Lopez, Bernard S

2016-05-01

Replications forks are routinely hindered by different endogenous stresses. Because homologous recombination plays a pivotal role in the reactivation of arrested replication forks, defects in homologous recombination reveal the initial endogenous stress(es). Homologous recombination-defective cells consistently exhibit a spontaneously reduced replication speed, leading to mitotic extra centrosomes. Here, we identify oxidative stress as a major endogenous source of replication speed deceleration in homologous recombination-defective cells. The treatment of homologous recombination-defective cells with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine or the maintenance of the cells at low O2 levels (3%) rescues both the replication fork speed, as monitored by single-molecule analysis (molecular combing), and the associated mitotic extra centrosome frequency. Reciprocally, the exposure of wild-type cells to H2O2 reduces the replication fork speed and generates mitotic extra centrosomes. Supplying deoxynucleotide precursors to H2O2-exposed cells rescued the replication speed. Remarkably, treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine strongly expanded the nucleotide pool, accounting for the replication speed rescue. Remarkably, homologous recombination-defective cells exhibit a high level of endogenous reactive oxygen species. Consistently, homologous recombination-defective cells accumulate spontaneous γH2AX or XRCC1 foci that are abolished by treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine or maintenance at 3% O2. Finally, oxidative stress stimulated homologous recombination, which is suppressed by supplying deoxynucleotide precursors. Therefore, the cellular redox status strongly impacts genome duplication and transmission. Oxidative stress should generate replication stress through different mechanisms, including DNA damage and nucleotide pool imbalance. These data highlight the intricacy of endogenous replication and oxidative stresses, which are both evoked during tumorigenesis and senescence initiation

Escherichia coli DinB inhibits replication fork progression without significantly inducing the SOS response.

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, Tetsuya; Nakamura, Tatsuro; Okazaki, Naoto; Furukohri, Asako; Maki, Hisaji; Akiyama, Masahiro Tatsumi

2012-01-01

The SOS response is readily triggered by replication fork stalling caused by DNA damage or a dysfunctional replicative apparatus in Escherichia coli cells. E. coli dinB encodes DinB DNA polymerase and its expression is upregulated during the SOS response. DinB catalyzes translesion DNA synthesis in place of a replicative DNA polymerase III that is stalled at a DNA lesion. We showed previously that DNA replication was suppressed without exogenous DNA damage in cells overproducing DinB. In this report, we confirm that this was due to a dose-dependent inhibition of ongoing replication forks by DinB. Interestingly, the DinB-overproducing cells did not significantly induce the SOS response even though DNA replication was perturbed. RecA protein is activated by forming a nucleoprotein filament with single-stranded DNA, which leads to the onset of the SOS response. In the DinB-overproducing cells, RecA was not activated to induce the SOS response. However, the SOS response was observed after heat-inducible activation in strain recA441 (encoding a temperature-sensitive RecA) and after replication blockage in strain dnaE486 (encoding a temperature-sensitive catalytic subunit of the replicative DNA polymerase III) at a non-permissive temperature when DinB was overproduced in these cells. Furthermore, since catalytically inactive DinB could avoid the SOS response to a DinB-promoted fork block, it is unlikely that overproduced DinB takes control of primer extension and thus limits single-stranded DNA. These observations suggest that DinB possesses a feature that suppresses DNA replication but does not abolish the cell's capacity to induce the SOS response. We conclude that DinB impedes replication fork progression in a way that does not activate RecA, in contrast to obstructive DNA lesions and dysfunctional replication machinery.

Qualitative Assessment: Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Change on Endangered Species Act Recovery Actions for the South Fork Nooksack River, WA

Science.gov (United States)

The South Fork Nooksack River (South Fork) is located in northwest Washington State and is home to nine species of Pacific salmon, including Nooksack early Chinook (aka, spring Chinook salmon), an iconic species for the Nooksack Indian Tribe. The quantity of salmon in the South F...

Development of quartz particulate reinforced AA6063 aluminum matrix composites via friction stir processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Joyson Abraham

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Friction stir processing (FSP has been accepted as a potential method to produce aluminum matrix composites (AMCs without the drawbacks of liquid metallurgy methods. The present work focuses on the development of AMCs reinforced with quartz (SiO2 particles using FSP. Grooves with various dimensions were machined on AA6063 plates and compacted with quartz particles. A single pass FSP was carried out using a combination of optimized process parameters. The volume fraction of quartz particles in the AMCs was varied from 0 to 18 vol.% in steps of 6 vol.%. The developed AA6063/Quartz AMCs were characterized using optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The quartz particles were distributed uniformly in the aluminum matrix irrespective of the location within the stir zone. The grains of the AA6063 were extensively refined by the combination of thermomechanical effect of FSP and the pinning effect of quartz particles. The dispersion of the quartz particles improved the microhardness and wear resistance of the AMCs. The role of quartz particles on the worn surface and wear debris is reported.

Historical review of quartz crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

Iwasaki, Fumiko; Iwasaki, Hideo

2002-04-01

The history of quartz crystal growth is reviewed from the origin to the industrialization. The developing process of growth techniques is divided into the following three stages: (1) The fundamental work based on the mineralogical genetic view point, which was performed in Italy during the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th centuries. (2) The works to attempt the industrial application made in Germany and in England during World War II. (3) The industrialization of quartz growth after World War II. These were initiated in England, in USA and independently in Russia. The highest mass production process was developed in Japan. The historical flow is traced by the interview of several persons based on the original references.

Surface coatings on quartz grains in bentonites and their relevance to human health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wendlandt, Richard F.; Harrison, Wendy J.; Vaughan, David J.

2007-01-01

The cytotoxicity of quartz in the human lung is recognized to be dependent on both the inherent properties of the silica dust and external factors related to the history of the dust and including the presence of surface contamination. In this study, the physical and chemical surface properties of quartz grains in commercial bentonite deposits from the western (South Dakota) and southern (Alabama) USA were investigated. Measured quartz contents of bentonites range from 1.9 to 8.5 wt% with the <10 μm size fraction comprising 6-45% of this total. Trace element contents (Fe-Ti-Al) of quartz grains from any given bentonite are similar, indicating a single origin for the quartz with little if any contamination from other sources. Surface coatings are pervasive on all quartz grains and resist removal by repeated vigorous washings and reaction with HCl. Textural attributes and XPS and EDS analyses of these coatings are consistent with most being montmorillonite and, less frequently, mixtures of montmorillonite and opaline silica. Opaline silica (opal-A and opal-CT) occurs in two texturally distinct generations: an early massive grain-coating event and as later lepispheres. Montmorillonite coating thicknesses range from <1 μm to more than 10 μm thick. Surfaces of plagioclase, K-feldspar, and biotite grains are conspicuously devoid of montmorillonite coatings, but may show sparse distributions of opal-CT lepispheres. HRTEM has not confirmed a topotactic relationship or atomic structural concordance between montmorillonite coatings and underlying quartz grains. Alternatively, a precursor volcanic glass phase that coats the quartz surfaces during volcanic eruption and/or preferential early precipitation of opaline silica on quartz may provide substrates for development of montmorillonite coatings. Estimations of montmorillonite biodurability under pulmonary pH conditions suggest possible prolonged sequestration of respired bentonite quartz grains from contact with lung

Evaluation of trapping parameters of annealed natural quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Rui; Wei, Ming-Jian; Song, Bo; Zhang, Yan; Zhao, Qiu-Yue; Pan, Bao-Lin; Li, Teng-Fei

2016-01-01

The thermoluminescence (TL) trapping parameters of annealed quartz have been investigated. The apparent TL peaks observed at temperatures of 133 °C, 211 °C, 266 °C and 405 °C, respectively, were named Peak I, Peak II, Peak III and Peak IV. The T_m − T_s_t_o_p method is applied to investigate the number of peaks and their positions, and to obtain the trap distributions in the quartz. Peak shape (PS), Hoogenstraaten method (Various Heating Rates Method, VHR), and Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution (CGCD) are used to evaluate the trapping parameters of the annealed quartz. The glow curve can be considered as a superposition of at least nine overlapping peaks. These peaks show up at 133 °C, 211 °C, 266 °C, 308 °C, 333 °C, 384 °C, 441 °C, 466 °C and 484 °C. The PS method can be only used in evaluating the parameters for Peaks I. The VHR method can be used in evaluating the trapping parameters for the first three peaks. CGCD method is complementary to obtaining parameters for the sub-peaks, and the thermal quenching correction with the Urbach’s method is necessary. The Urbach’s coefficient for the quartz is 30.03 kT_m.

Evaluation of trapping parameters of annealed natural quartz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Rui [College of Resources, Environment & Tourism, Capital Normal University, 100048 Beijing (China); Shisanling Seismic Station, Institute of Earthquake Science, CEA, 102200 Beijing (China); Wei, Ming-Jian, E-mail: weimj@cnu.edu.cn [College of Resources, Environment & Tourism, Capital Normal University, 100048 Beijing (China); Song, Bo [College of Resources, Environment & Tourism, Capital Normal University, 100048 Beijing (China); Beijing Jing Yuan School, 100040 Beijing (China); Zhang, Yan [College of Resources, Environment & Tourism, Capital Normal University, 100048 Beijing (China); School of TaiPingqiao, Nan Lu of West Railway Station, 100073 Beijing (China); Zhao, Qiu-Yue [Key Laboratory of Tourism and Resources Environment in Universities of Shandong, Taishan University, 271000 Tai’an (China); Pan, Bao-Lin; Li, Teng-Fei [College of Resources, Environment & Tourism, Capital Normal University, 100048 Beijing (China)

2016-05-15

The thermoluminescence (TL) trapping parameters of annealed quartz have been investigated. The apparent TL peaks observed at temperatures of 133 °C, 211 °C, 266 °C and 405 °C, respectively, were named Peak I, Peak II, Peak III and Peak IV. The T{sub m} − T{sub stop} method is applied to investigate the number of peaks and their positions, and to obtain the trap distributions in the quartz. Peak shape (PS), Hoogenstraaten method (Various Heating Rates Method, VHR), and Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution (CGCD) are used to evaluate the trapping parameters of the annealed quartz. The glow curve can be considered as a superposition of at least nine overlapping peaks. These peaks show up at 133 °C, 211 °C, 266 °C, 308 °C, 333 °C, 384 °C, 441 °C, 466 °C and 484 °C. The PS method can be only used in evaluating the parameters for Peaks I. The VHR method can be used in evaluating the trapping parameters for the first three peaks. CGCD method is complementary to obtaining parameters for the sub-peaks, and the thermal quenching correction with the Urbach’s method is necessary. The Urbach’s coefficient for the quartz is 30.03 kT{sub m}.

75 FR 30282 - Airworthiness Directives; Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. Model 11E Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

... Airworthiness Directives; Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. Model 11E Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation... airworthiness directive (AD) for all Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. Model 11E airplanes. This AD requires you... reference of certain publications listed in this AD. ADDRESSES: Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. is in...

RPA Mediates Recruitment of MRX to Forks and Double-Strand Breaks to Hold Sister Chromatids Together.

Science.gov (United States)

Seeber, Andrew; Hegnauer, Anna Maria; Hustedt, Nicole; Deshpande, Ishan; Poli, Jérôme; Eglinger, Jan; Pasero, Philippe; Gut, Heinz; Shinohara, Miki; Hopfner, Karl-Peter; Shimada, Kenji; Gasser, Susan M

2016-12-01

The Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex is related to SMC complexes that form rings capable of holding two distinct DNA strands together. MRX functions at stalled replication forks and double-strand breaks (DSBs). A mutation in the N-terminal OB fold of the 70 kDa subunit of yeast replication protein A, rfa1-t11, abrogates MRX recruitment to both types of DNA damage. The rfa1 mutation is functionally epistatic with loss of any of the MRX subunits for survival of replication fork stress or DSB recovery, although it does not compromise end-resection. High-resolution imaging shows that either the rfa1-t11 or the rad50Δ mutation lets stalled replication forks collapse and allows the separation not only of opposing ends but of sister chromatids at breaks. Given that cohesin loss does not provoke visible sister separation as long as the RPA-MRX contacts are intact, we conclude that MRX also serves as a structural linchpin holding sister chromatids together at breaks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fork-join and data-driven execution models on multi-core architectures: Case study of the FMM

KAUST Repository

Amer, Abdelhalim

2013-01-01

Extracting maximum performance of multi-core architectures is a difficult task primarily due to bandwidth limitations of the memory subsystem and its complex hierarchy. In this work, we study the implications of fork-join and data-driven execution models on this type of architecture at the level of task parallelism. For this purpose, we use a highly optimized fork-join based implementation of the FMM and extend it to a data-driven implementation using a distributed task scheduling approach. This study exposes some limitations of the conventional fork-join implementation in terms of synchronization overheads. We find that these are not negligible and their elimination by the data-driven method, with a careful data locality strategy, was beneficial. Experimental evaluation of both methods on state-of-the-art multi-socket multi-core architectures showed up to 22% speed-ups of the data-driven approach compared to the original method. We demonstrate that a data-driven execution of FMM not only improves performance by avoiding global synchronization overheads but also reduces the memory-bandwidth pressure caused by memory-intensive computations. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

Hydrogeology and simulated groundwater flow and availability in the North Fork Red River aquifer, southwest Oklahoma, 1980–2013

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, S. Jerrod; Ellis, John H.; Wagner, Derrick L.; Peterson, Steven M.

2017-09-28

On September 8, 1981, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board established regulatory limits on the maximum annual yield of groundwater (343,042 acre-feet per year) and equal-proportionate-share (EPS) pumping rate (1.0 acre-foot per acre per year) for the North Fork Red River aquifer. The maximum annual yield and EPS were based on a hydrologic investigation that used a numerical groundwater-flow model to evaluate the effects of potential groundwater withdrawals on groundwater availability in the North Fork Red River aquifer. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board is statutorily required (every 20 years) to update the hydrologic investigation on which the maximum annual yield and EPS were based. Because 20 years have elapsed since the final order was issued, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, conducted an updated hydrologic investigation and evaluated the effects of potential groundwater withdrawals on groundwater flow and availability in the North Fork Red River aquifer in Oklahoma. This report describes a hydrologic investigation of the North Fork Red River aquifer that includes an updated summary of the aquifer hydrogeology. As part of this investigation, groundwater flow and availability were simulated by using a numerical groundwater-flow model.The North Fork Red River aquifer in Beckham, Greer, Jackson, Kiowa, and Roger Mills Counties in Oklahoma is composed of about 777 square miles (497,582 acres) of alluvium and terrace deposits along the North Fork Red River and tributaries, including Sweetwater Creek, Elk Creek, Otter Creek, and Elm Fork Red River. The North Fork Red River is the primary source of surface-water inflow to Lake Altus, which overlies the North Fork Red River aquifer. Lake Altus is a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reservoir with the primary purpose of supplying irrigation water to the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District.A hydrogeologic framework was developed for the North Fork Red River aquifer and included a

Enhanced vibration diagnostics using vibration signature analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, S.; Shehzad, K.; Zahoor, Y.; Mahmood, A.; Bibi, A.

2001-01-01

Symptoms will appear in equipment, as well as in human beings. when 'suffering from sickness. Symptoms of abnormality in equipment are vibration, noise, deformation, temperature, pressure, electric current, crack, wearing, leakage etc. these are called modes of failure. If the mode of failure is vibration then the vibration signature analysis can be effectively used in order to diagnose the machinery problems. Much valuable information is contained within these vibration 'Spectra' or 'Signatures' but is only of use if the analyst can unlock its 'Secrets'. This paper documents a vibration problem in the motor of a centrifugal pump (Type ETA). It focuses mainly on the roll of modern vibration monitoring system in problem analysis. The problem experienced was the motor unstability and noise due to high vibration. Using enhanced vibration signature data, the problem was analyzed. which suggested that the rotor eccentricity was the cause of excessive noise and vibration in the motor. In conclusion, advanced electronic monitoring and diagnostic systems provide powerful information for machine's condition assessment and problem analysis. Appropriate interpretation and use of this information is important for accurate and effective vibration analysis. (author)

Dose response on the 110 °C thermoluminescence peak of un-heated, synthetic Merck quartz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaya Keleş, Şule, E-mail: sule.kaya@ankara.edu.tr; Meriç, Niyazi; Polymeris, George S.

2016-07-15

Studies on 110 °C TL peak have been carried out using natural quartz from different origins and synthetic quartz produced by different suppliers. The interest in quartz is due to its usage in dating and retrospective dosimetry as a main material; both synthetic and natural types of quartz yield the 110 °C TL peak in their glow curve. In most studies to understand the physical mechanism behind the TL system, synthetic quartz samples are used and there are many investigations about dose response, in both low and high radiation dose region. In these studies generally synthetic quartz samples produced by Sawyer Research Products are used and the studies showed that both heated and un-heated synthetic quartz samples have intense supra-linear responses. Supra-linearity was enhanced by applying a pre-irradiation while several models have been developed towards an explanation to these supra-linearity effects. In this study commercially available synthetic Merck quartz was used. Different combinations of optical filters were used to obtain dose response curves upto 266 Gy and the effect of pre-dose to these dose response curves was studied. Un-pre-dosed Merck quartz samples dose supra-linearity index is below 1 independently on the optical filters; so Merck quartz showed linear or sub-linear dose response.

The Model Analysis of a Complex Tuning Fork Probe and Its Application in Bimodal Atomic Force Microscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhichao Wu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A new electromechanical coupling model was built to quantitatively analyze the tuning fork probes, especially the complex ones. A special feature of a novel, soft tuning fork probe, that the second eigenfrequency of the probe was insensitive to the effective force gradient, was found and used in a homemade bimodal atomic force microscopy to measure power dissipation quantitatively. By transforming the mechanical parameters to the electrical parameters, a monotonous and concise method without using phase to calculate the power dissipation was proposed.

The Effect of Quartz on the Flotation of Fine Wolframite with Octyl Hydroxamic Acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingyou Meng

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The influence of quartz on the flotation of fine wolframite using octyl hydroxamic acid (OHA as the collector was investigated by micro-flotation tests, inductively coupled plasma (ICP measurements, adsorption experiments, zeta potential, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR analysis. Micro-flotation tests showed that a large difference in floatability existed between fine wolframite and quartz in the pH range of 7.0 to 10.0. However, in a synthetic mixture, the flotation separation of fine wolframite from quartz became more difficult as the particle size of the latter decreased. When a dissolved solution of wolframite was used as the flotation medium, quartz floatability improved significantly. Zeta potentials of quartz particles shifted positively in the dissolved solution of wolframite compared to distilled water, especially at a pH level of 7.0–10.0, which was attributed to the metal ions dissolved from the wolframite being adsorbed onto the quartz surface. The surface activation of quartz led to an increase in the OHA adsorption and made the surface hydrophobic. FT-IR analysis further demonstrated that OHA could adsorb onto the activated quartz surface through a dominantly chemical process.

Strand-Specific Analysis of DNA Synthesis and Proteins Association with DNA Replication Forks in Budding Yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Chuanhe; Gan, Haiyun; Zhang, Zhiguo

2018-01-01

DNA replication initiates at DNA replication origins after unwinding of double-strand DNA(dsDNA) by replicative helicase to generate single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) templates for the continuous synthesis of leading-strand and the discontinuous synthesis of lagging-strand. Therefore, methods capable of detecting strand-specific information will likely yield insight into the association of proteins at leading and lagging strand of DNA replication forks and the regulation of leading and lagging strand synthesis during DNA replication. The enrichment and Sequencing of Protein-Associated Nascent DNA (eSPAN), which measure the relative amounts of proteins at nascent leading and lagging strands of DNA replication forks, is a step-wise procedure involving the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) of a protein of interest followed by the enrichment of protein-associated nascent DNA through BrdU immunoprecipitation. The isolated ssDNA is then subjected to strand-specific sequencing. This method can detect whether a protein is enriched at leading or lagging strand of DNA replication forks. In addition to eSPAN, two other strand-specific methods, (ChIP-ssSeq), which detects potential protein-ssDNA binding and BrdU-IP-ssSeq, which can measure synthesis of both leading and lagging strand, were developed along the way. These methods can provide strand-specific and complementary information about the association of the target protein with DNA replication forks as well as synthesis of leading and lagging strands genome wide. Below, we describe the detailed eSPAN, ChIP-ssSeq, and BrdU-IP-ssSeq protocols.

The progression of replication forks at natural replication barriers in live bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moolman, M.C.; Tiruvadi Krishnan, S; Kerssemakers, J.W.J.; de Leeuw, R.; Lorent, V.J.F.; Sherratt, David J.; Dekker, N.H.

2016-01-01

Protein-DNA complexes are one of the principal barriers the replisome encounters during replication. One such barrier is the Tus-ter complex, which is a direction dependent barrier for replication fork progression. The details concerning the dynamics of the replisome when encountering these

Apatite-brannerite-pitchblende association in hydrothermal quartz veins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodin, B.V.; Mel'nikova, A.M.; Osipov, B.S.; Pavlov, E.G.

1976-01-01

A study into the vein quartz mineralization confined to the tectonic zones of crush and silicification in sedimentary-igneous rocks of the lower Paleozoic has been made. The physicochemical characteristics of minerals were studied by way of optical and electron microscopy, chemical, laser-microspectral and X-ray structural analyses, microprobing and alpha-microradiography. 3 mineral associations have been discriminated, representative of the sequence of hydrothermal mineralization. An unusual parogenesis of pitchblende and brannerite with apatite, xenotime and more recent goethite has been revealed. The results are indicative of a medium-low-temperature hydrothermal process occurring at the final stages of formation of uraniferrous quartz veins. By composition and mineralization sequence, the latters are close to low- and medium-temperature uranium-quartz-chlorite-hydromica formations with apatite, coffinite, brannerite and pitchblende. The weak initial metamictization of goethite in veins 80 to 100 million years old is due to the radioactive effect of the submicroscopic radioactive mineral impurity on the crystalline lattice

Flood disaster preparedness: a retrospect from Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Science.gov (United States)

Siders, C; Jacobson, R

1998-01-01

Natural disasters often come without warning. The clinical, financial, and business risks can be enormous. Grand Forks' (ND) healthcare systems experienced a flooding disaster of unprecedented proportions in April of 1997. Planned and practiced disaster and evacuation procedures can significantly reduce a healthcare facilities' risk to life, health, and safety. This article retrospectively analyzes disaster preparation and the complete evacuation of the facilities' patients.

Oxygen isotopic ratios in quartz as an indicator of provenance of dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, M.L.

1977-01-01

Quartz was isolated in the long range aerosol size range (fine silt, 1-10 μm in diameter) from atmospheric aerosols, wind-erosive soils, soil silts, shales, and Pacific pelagic sediments of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, to trace their provenance or origin, as part of a study of dust mineral sequestering of 137 Cs and other products of nuclear fission. The oxygen isotopic ratio ( 18 O/ 16 O) was determined by mass spectrometry. The provenance has been established for this fine silt fraction which reflects the relative proportion of two classes of quartz source: (a) weathering of igneous and metamorphic rocks (high temperature origin and low 18 O/ 16 O ratio) and (b) of quartz crystallized in cherts and overgrowths (low temperature origin and high 18 O/ 16 O ratio). This quartz mixing ratio is a basic model or paradigm. Analyses of present day atmospheric aerosols and eolian-derived soils, Pacific pelagic sediments, and now-raised Phanerozoic marine sediments show that the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have separate large-scale reservoirs of the fine grain sizes that contribute to aerosol dusts. These can be identified by distinctive values of 18 O/ 16 O ratios of the quartz therein. The difference in quartz delta 18 O value in parts per thousand per ml ( 0 / 00 of about 12 +- 2 0 / 00 in Southern Hemisphere mixed detrital sediments and about 19 +- 2 0 / 00 in those of the Northern Hemisphere (for constant size, the 1-10 μm size fraction) results from the presence of a considerably larger proportion of quartz having low-temperature origin and higher delta 18 O values (chert, silica overgrowths, etc.) in the Northern Hemisphere reservoirs. The early paleoclimatic and paleogeochemical differences remain the control of the North-South Hemisphere difference in delta 18 O values in long-range aerosol sized quartz

OSL and IRSL characteristics of quartz and feldspar from southern California, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawson, Michael J.; Roder, Belinda J.; Stang, Dallon M.; Rhodes, Edward J.

2012-01-01

Southern California comprises of a wide range of diverse landscapes and environments, from high mountains with glacial and periglacial sediments to deserts with large sand dunes, extensive alluvial fans and ephemeral playas. Highly active tectonic processes has exposed ancient (c. 2 Ga) plutonic and metamorphic basement from deep within the crust, while similar Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks are also common. A rich array of volcanic lithologies extending into the late Quaternary complement many thick sedimentary sequences that formed in equally diverse ancient environments typical of an accreting active continental margin. In some locations, notably in the Coachella Valley close to Palm Springs and the Salton Sea, low OSL sensitivity and poor characteristics restrict the application of the quartz SAR protocol to date late Pleistocene and Holocene fluvial sediments. In other locations such as the Malibu coastline, high sensitivity of the quartz OSL signal is observed, despite local source rocks being dominated by volcanic lithologies. Problems of poor quartz characteristics, along with uncertainty in predicting quartz OSL behavior for future dating campaigns poses a significant problem for projects, in particular for neotectonic contexts. While K-feldspar has been used extensively to date eolian and fluvial sediments in southern California, little information regarding signal stability is available. We explore the characteristics of both quartz and feldspar sub-samples from eolian, fluvial, lacustrine environments, in order to help develop mineral selection criteria for optical dating applications and clarify these issues. The importance of radiation quenching in quartz grains recently eroded from bedrock and the role of fires in enhancing OSL sensitivity are considered. The relative bleachability of quartz and feldspar fractions, along with thermal stability considerations is discussed. A simple test for quartz OSL signal contamination based on thermal

Microscopy and Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy Characterization of Quartz Exhibiting Different Alkali-Silica Reaction Potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchařová, Aneta; Götze, Jens; Šachlová, Šárka; Pertold, Zdeněk; Přikryl, Richard

2016-02-01

Different quartz types from several localities in the Czech Republic and Sweden were examined by polarizing microscopy combined with cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy, spectroscopy, and petrographic image analysis, and tested by use of an accelerated mortar bar test (following ASTM C1260). The highest alkali-silica reaction potential was indicated by very fine-grained chert, containing significant amounts of fine-grained to cryptocrystalline matrix. The chert exhibited a dark red CL emission band at ~640 nm with a low intensity. Fine-grained orthoquartzites, as well as fine-grained metamorphic vein quartz, separated from phyllite exhibited medium expansion values. The orthoquartzites showed various CL of quartz grains, from blue through violet, red, and brown. Two CL spectral bands at ~450 and ~630 nm, with various intensities, were detected. The quartz from phyllite displayed an inhomogeneous dark red CL with two CL spectral bands of low intensities at ~460 and ~640 nm. The massive coarse-grained pegmatite quartz from pegmatite was assessed to be nonreactive and displayed a typical short-lived blue CL (~480 nm). The higher reactivity of the fine-grained hydrothermal quartz may be connected with high concentrations of defect centers, and probably with amorphized micro-regions in the quartz, respectively; indicated by a yellow CL emission (~570 nm).

South Fork Salmon River Watershed Restoration, 2008-2009 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reaney, Mark D. [Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management

2009-04-15

The watershed restoration work elements within the project area, the South Fork Salmon River Watershed, follow the watershed restoration approach adopted by the Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management (DFRM) - Watershed Division. The vision of the Nez Perce Tribe DFRM-Watershed Division focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing watersheds and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government. The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects and strategies that rely on natural fish production and healthy river ecosystems. The Nez Perce Tribe DFRM-Watershed Division strives towards maximizing historic ecosystem productivity and health for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations and the habitat on which all depend on for future generations Originally, this project was funded to create a step/pool stream channel that was appropriate to restore fish passage where the 'Glory Hole Cascade' is currently located at the Stibnite Mine. Due to unforeseen circumstances at the time, the project is unable to move forward as planned and a request for a change in scope of the project and an expansion of the geographic area in which to complete project work was submitted. No additional funds were being requested. The ultimate goal of this project is to work with the holistic, ridge top to ridge top approach to protect and restore the ecological and biological functions of the South Fork Salmon River Watershed to assist in the recovery of threatened and endangered anadromous and resident fish species. FY 2008 Work Elements included two aquatic organism passage (AOP) projects to restore habitat connectivity to two fish-bearing tributaries to the East Fork South Fork Salmon River, Salt and Profile Creeks. The Work Elements also included road survey and assessment

Absorption and luminescence of crystalline quartz under electron nanosecond irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gritsenko, B P; Lisitsyn, V M; Stepanchuk, V N [Tomskij Politekhnicheskij Inst. (USSR)

1981-02-01

The purpose of the study is continuation of investigations of principal regularities of production and destruction of short-lived defects in quartz and accompanying luminescence under electron pulse irradiation. For investigation purposes samples of crystalline synthetic quartz have been used. The irradiation has been performed at 80-400 K temperatures by means of an electron pulse accelerator with parameters: electron flow pulse duration 10 ns, pulse current density up to 1000 A/cm/sup 2/, electron mean energy 200 keV. Temperature-time characteristics of absorption and luminescence spectrum are studied. It has been found that quartz irradiation by electron pulses of nanosecond duration leads to appearance of short-lived bands of optical absorption at 4.1 and 5.15 eV to which by kinetic parameters correspond luminescence bands at 2.6 and 3.1 eV, respectively. The enumerated absorption bands are induced by quartz irradiation independently of the prehistory and phase state of the sample and are caused obviously by intrinsic radiation defects. Possible models of such defects are suggested.

Study of green quartz of hydrothermal origin treated by gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enokihara, Cyro Teiti

2013-01-01

A specific variety of quartz showing a green color in nature or induced artificially by radiation is quite rare. This can be explained by the fact that the mechanism of formation of this color is very different from the ones widely discussed in the literature and responsible for the formation of the fumee, citrine and amethyst types of quartz, including the prasiolite (leak green quartz) formed by heating amethyst from Montezuma, Brazil. Only two occurrences are known today, where this type of quartz can be found: Canada, at the Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine, Ontario, a small district, and Brazil, at widely scattered geode occurrences along a 600 km stretch from Quarai at Brazils southernmost tip to Uberlandia in Minas Gerais. These two occurrences have been formed by strong hydrothermal activities, at Thunder Bay due to tectonics and in Brazil by meteoric and hydrothermal waters of the Guarani aquifer. That way much quartz crystals showed a very fast growth history facilitating the formation of growth defects (twinning, small angle tilting, mosaic growth, striations) and the uptake of water in form of micro inclusions, molecular water, silanol (Si-OH) and OH. This type of quartz can be considered 'wet quartz', similar to synthetic quartz. The water content with up to 3200 ppm by weight exceeds the amount of charge balancing cations (Fe, Al, Li). There is no correlation between water content and cations as in other color varieties. Instead, silanol complexes are formed, which by radiation due to gamma rays form the color center NBOHC (non-bonding oxygen hole defect), showing absorption between 590 to 620 nm and leaving a transmission window at about 550nm, responsible for the green color. To characterize samples which will be colored green by gamma rays analyses by ICP, NAA, Electron microscopy, water loss techniques and UV-VIS and NIR-FTIR spectroscopic have been made. The spectroscopic water determination showed less water (up to 2300 ppm by weight) compared with

Correct interpretation of diffraction properties of quartz crystals for X-ray optics applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Xian-Rong; Gog, Thomas; Kim, Jungho; Kasman, Elina; Said, Ayman H.; Casa, Diego M.; Wieczorek, Michael; Hönnicke, Marcelo G.; Assoufid, Lahsen

2018-02-01

Quartz has hundreds of strong Bragg reflections that may offer a great number of choices for making fixed-angle X-ray analyzers and polarizers at virtually any hard X-ray energies with selectable resolution. However, quartz crystals, unlike silicon and germanium, are chiral and may thus appear in two different forms of handedness that are mirror images. Furthermore, because of the threefold rotational symmetry along thecaxis, the {h₁h₂h₃L} and {h₂h₁h₃L} Bragg reflections may have quite different Darwin bandwidth, reflectivity and angular acceptance, although they have the same Bragg angle. The design of X-ray optics from quartz crystals therefore requires unambiguous determination of the orientation, handedness and polarity of the crystals. The Laue method and single-axis diffraction technique can provide such information, but the variety of conventions used in the literature to describe quartz structures has caused widespread confusion. The current studies give detailed guidelines for design and fabrication of quartz X-ray optics, with special emphasis on the correct interpretation of Laue patterns in terms of the crystallography and diffraction properties of quartz. Meanwhile, the quartz crystals examined were confirmed by X-ray topography to have acceptably low densities of dislocations and other defects, which is the foundation for developing high-resolution quartz-based X-ray optics.

Geospatializing The Klang Gate Quartz Ridge in Malaysia: A Technological Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Azahari Razak, Khamarrul; Mohamad, Zakaria; Zaki Ibrahim, Mohd; Azad Rosle, Qalam; Hattanajmie Abd Wahab, Mohd; Abu Bakar, Rabieahtul; Mohd Akib, Wan Abdul Aziz Wan

2015-04-01

Establishment of inventories on geological heritage, or geoheritage resources is a step forward for a comprehensive geoheritage management leading to a better conservation at national and global levels. Compiling and updating inventory of geoheritage is a tedious process and even so in a tropical environment. Malaysia has a tremendous list of geodiversity and generating its national database is a multi-institutional effort and worthwhile investment. However, producing accurate and reliable characteristics of such landform and spectacular geological features remained elusive. The advanced and modern mapping techniques have revolutionized the mapping, monitoring and modelling of the earth surface processes and landforms. Yet the methods for quantification of geodiversity physical features are not fully utilized in Malaysia for a better understanding its processes and activity. This study provides a better insight into the use of advanced active remote sensing technology for characterizing the forested Quartz Ridge in Malaysia. We have developed the novel method and tested in the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, Selangor. The granitic country rock made up by quartz mineral is known as the longest quartz ridge in Malaysia and characterized by rugged topography, steep slopes, densely vegetated terrain and also rich-biodiversity area. This study presents an integrated field methodological framework and processing scheme by taking into account the climatic, topographic, geologic, and anthropogenic challenges in an equatorial region. Advanced terrestrial laser scanning system was used to accurately capture, map and model the ridge carried out within a relatively stringent time period. The high frequency Global Navigation Satellite System and modern Total Station coupled with the optical satellite and radar imageries and also advanced spatial analysis were fully utilized in the field campaign and data assessment performed during the recent monsoon season. As a result, the mapping

Complex impedance spectroscopy of alkali impurities in as-grown, irradiated and annealed quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devautour-Vinot, S.; Cambon, O.; Prud'homme, N.; Giuntini, J. C.; Boy, J.-J.; Cibiel, G.

2007-01-01

This work compares the dielectric relaxation properties of different crystalline quartz materials, according to their source (natural or synthetics). It is shown that these relaxation properties are due to a hopping process of alkaline (Li + , Na + , and K + ) impurities located near [Al-O 4 ] 5- tetrahedra. A detailed analysis, in terms of the distribution function of the dielectric loss peak, allowed us to perfectly distinguish the different types of as-grown quartz. We show that (i) the natural quartz has less stable M + charge carriers than the synthetic materials and that (ii) the homogeneity of the M + trapping sites, created by the [Al-O 4 ] 5- tetrahedra, strongly depends on the crystal growth conditions. These features were then studied using quartz samples with different treatment conditions: as-grown, irradiated, or annealed at high temperature. We propose that the irradiation greatly facilitates the M + relaxation, by creating additional low energy M + hosting sites, whose number depends on the source of the quartz crystals. We also show that for 100 krad irradiation, the saturation state of the defects is already reached for all the materials under consideration. Finally, we propose that the irradiation followed by annealing at 450 deg. C improves the M + stability and homogeneity in quartz materials, compared with the as-grown materials, this trend being much more relevant for the natural than for the synthetic quartz

Mercury Content of Sediments in East Fork Poplar Creek: Current Assessment and Past Trends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brooks, Scott C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Eller, Virginia A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Dickson, Johnbull O. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Earles, Jennifer E. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lowe, Kenneth Alan [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Mehlhorn, Tonia L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Olsen, Todd A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); DeRolph, Christopher R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Watson, David J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Phillips, Debra H. [Queen' s Univ., Belfast (United Kingdom); Peterson, Mark J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-01-01

This study provided new information on sediment mercury (Hg) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) content and chemistry. The current inventory of Hg in East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) bed sediments was estimated to be 334 kg, which represents a ~67% decrease relative to the initial investigations in 1984. MMHg sediment inventory was estimated to be 44.1 g, lower but roughly similar to past estimates. The results support the relevance and potential impacts of other active and planned investigations within the Mercury Remediation Technology Development for Lower East Fork Poplar Creek project (e.g., assessment and control of bank soil inputs, sorbents for Hg and MMHg removal, re-introduction of freshwater clams to EFPC), and identify gaps in current understanding that represent opportunities to understand controlling variables that may inform future technology development studies.

Stable isotope compositions of quartz pebbles and their fluid inclusions as tracers of sediment provenance: Implications for gold- and uranium-bearing quartz pebble conglomerates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vennemann, T.W.; Kesler, S.E.; O' Neil, J.R. (Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor (United States))

1992-09-01

Oxygen isotope compositions of pebbles from late Archean to paleo-Proterozoic gold- and/or uranium-bearing oligomictic quartz pebble conglomerates of the Witwatersrand district, South Africa, and Huronian Supergroup, Canada, were determined in an attempt to define the nature of the source terrain. The [delta][sup 18]O values of quartz pebbles within any one sample typically vary by [approximately] 4[per thousand] or more, but occasionally by as much as 8[per thousand], even for adjacent pebbles within the same hand specimen. In addition, adjacent quartz pebbles of widely contrasting [delta][sup 18]O values also preserve distinct isotopic signatures of their fluid inclusions. This overall heterogeneity suggests that the pebbles did not undergo significant oxygen isotope exchange after incorporation in the conglomerates. Therefore, oxygen isotope analyses of such quartz pebbles, in combination with a detailed investigation of their mineral and fluid inclusions, can provide a useful method for characterizing pebble populations and hence dominant sediment source modes. Comparison of values found in this study with [delta][sup 18]O values of quartz from Archean granites, pegmatites, and mesothermal greenstone gold veins, i.e., [delta][sup 18]O values of sources commonly proposed for the conglomerate ores, suggests that uranium is derived from a granitic source, whereas gold has a mesothermal greenstone gold source. Low [delta][sup 18]O values of chert pebbles (9[per thousand] to 11.5[per thousand]) relative to those expected for Archean and Proterozoic marine cherts (commonly [ge] 17[per thousand]) effectively exclude marine cherts, and therefore, auriferous iron formations and exhalatives, as likely sources of gold.

Stable isotope compositions of quartz pebbles and their fluid inclusions as tracers of sediment provenance: Implications for gold- and uranium-bearing quartz pebble conglomerates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vennemann, T.W.; Kesler, S.E.; O'Neil, J.R.

1992-01-01

Oxygen isotope compositions of pebbles from late Archean to paleo-Proterozoic gold- and/or uranium-bearing oligomictic quartz pebble conglomerates of the Witwatersrand district, South Africa, and Huronian Supergroup, Canada, were determined in an attempt to define the nature of the source terrain. The δ 18 O values of quartz pebbles within any one sample typically vary by ∼ 4 per-thousand or more, but occasionally by as much as 8 per-thousand, even for adjacent pebbles within the same hand specimen. In addition, adjacent quartz pebbles of widely contrasting δ 18 O values also preserve distinct isotopic signatures of their fluid inclusions. This overall heterogeneity suggests that the pebbles did not undergo significant oxygen isotope exchange after incorporation in the conglomerates. Therefore, oxygen isotope analyses of such quartz pebbles, in combination with a detailed investigation of their mineral and fluid inclusions, can provide a useful method for characterizing pebble populations and hence dominant sediment source modes. Comparison of values found in this study with δ 18 O values of quartz from Archean granites, pegmatites, and mesothermal greenstone gold veins, i.e., δ 18 O values of sources commonly proposed for the conglomerate ores, suggests that uranium is derived from a granitic source, whereas gold has a mesothermal greenstone gold source. Low δ 18 O values of chert pebbles (9 per-thousand to 11.5 per-thousand) relative to those expected for Archean and Proterozoic marine cherts (commonly ≥ 17 per-thousand) effectively exclude marine cherts, and therefore, auriferous iron formations and exhalatives, as likely sources of gold

Dew point fast measurement in organic vapor mixtures using quartz resonant sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Jing; Liu, Jia; Meng, Xiaofeng

2017-01-01

A fast dew point sensor has been developed for organic vapor mixtures by using the quartz crystal with sensitive circuits. The sensor consists of the quartz crystal and a cooler device. Proactive approach is taken to produce condensation on the surface of the quartz crystal, and it will lead to a change in electrical features of the quartz crystal. The cessation of oscillation was measured because this phenomenon is caused by dew condensation. Such a phenomenon can be used to detect the dew point. This method exploits the high sensitivity of the quartz crystal but without frequency measurement and also retains the stability of the resonant circuit. It is strongly anti-interfered. Its performance was evaluated with acetone-methanol mixtures under different pressures. The results were compared with the dew points predicted from the universal quasi-chemical equation to evaluate the performance of the proposed sensor. Though the maximum deviations of the sensor are less than 1.1 °C, it still has a fast response time with a recovery time of less than 10 s, providing an excellent dehumidifying performance.

Influence of hydrogen on optical destruction of the irradiated quartz glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedilov, M.R.; Beysembayeva, Kh.B.; Sabitov, M.S.

2002-01-01

The influence of concentration impurity of hydrogen on optical destruction of a quartz glass was investigated. As objects of researches the fragments of capsules of industrial lamps OQG, intended for job in low and hard load operation, modes i.e. lamp IFF-500 and IFF-8000 respectively were taken. The results of the elemental analysis of capsules lamps IFF-500 and IFF-8000 showed their complete identity. The exception was made only for an impurity of H, contents of which in a material of an environment of a lamp capsule IFF-500 was almost of the order higher than in quartz glass of lamp capsule IFF-8000 (10 -2 %). Absence in structure of investigated by us of Cl ions, as well as the available concentration of H, allowed to make the conclusion, that the quartz glasses used for manufacturing of environments of lamps capsules, investigated by us, are the full pump lamps and represent glasses of gas melt up; and the quartz glass of a lamp IFF-500 was melt- up or is processed in hydrogen. As of spectra of absorption results of research showed, quartz glass of an of a lamp capsule IFF-500, containing highest quantity impurity of hydrogen, at flux, not exceeding 10 18 neutron/cm 2 , is less painted in comparison with an capsule IFF-8000. Smaller density of coloring of capsules containing higher concentration H, is connected to the hydrogen, existing in glass, blocks the potential centers of capture holes as defective aluminum oxygen tetrahedron of non-bridge of oxygen. The authors found out, that at high γ-radiation and influence flux of neutrons leads to degradation of regular ≡Si-O-Si≡ connections in quartz glasses producing defects as non-bridge oxygen and three-coordinate of silicon, and also production of vacancies of oxygen. By results of the researches, carried out by us, at increase of concentration of hydrogen ions in quartz glass process of structural defective formation intensifies. Research of beam durability of quartz glasses of environments of not

BENTONITE-QUARTZ SAND AS THE BACKFILL MATERIALS ON THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raharjo Raharjo

2010-06-01

Full Text Available An investigation of the contribution of quartz sand in the bentonite mixture as the backfill materials on the shallow land burial of radioactive waste has been done. The experiment objective is to determine the effect of quartz sand in a bentonite mixture with bentonite particle sizes of -20+40, -40+60, and -60+80 mesh on the retardation factor and the uranium dispersion in the simulation of uranium migration in the backfill materials. The experiment was carried out by the fixed bed method in the column filled by the bentonite mixture with a bentonite-to-quartz sand weight percent ratio of 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, and 100/0 on the water saturated condition flown by uranyl nitrate solution at concentration (Co of 500 ppm. The concentration of uranium in the effluents in interval 15 minutes represented as Ct was analyzed by spectrophotometer, then using Co and Ct, retardation factor (R and dispersivity ( were determined. The experiment data showed that the bentonite of -60+80 mesh and the quartz sand of -20+40 mesh on bentonite-to-quartz sand with weight percent ratio of 50/50 gave the highest retardation factor and dispersivity of 18.37 and 0.0363 cm, respectively.   Keywords: bentonite, quartz sand, backfill materials, radioactive waste

Recent progress in the performances of ultrastable quartz resonators and oscillators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salzenstein Patrice

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Stressed compensated (SC cut led recently to the best frequency stability ever obtained with a quartz oscillator, 2.5 × 10−14 for the flicker frequency modulation (FFM floor. This result is confirmed in this paper with a 3.2 × 10−14 ± 1.1 × 10−14. The quartz resonator is integrated in a 5 MHz enhanced aging box double oven controlled oscillator. After reminding a bit of history, this paper describes how the first significant development in terms of ultra-stable quartz state-of-the-art oscillators was performed in the last 20 years, how the resonators were chosen, and main information about the development of adequate electronics and how to mechanically and thermally stabilized such an ultra-stable oscillator. We also present how to characterize the expected performances, and hot topics in quartz based oscillators.

Integrated Outcrop and Subsurface Studies of the Interwell Environment of Carbonate Reservoirs: Clear Fork (Leonaradian Age) Reservoirs, West Texas and New Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucia, F.J.; Ruppel, S.C.

2001-01-01

Characterization of cycle and facies architecture on lower Clear Fork and lowermost upper Clear Fork equivalent outcrops in Apache Canyon of Sierra Diablo was complete. The focus of detailed study in Apache Canyon has been the upper Clear Fork section because this interval contains the productive interval in South Wasson field, the preliminary subsurface study area. Parts of three high-frequency sequences (HFS), each 60 to 100 ft thick, are present on the south wall of Apache Canyon. HFS's display an upper-deepening or backstepping pattern associated with longer-term sea level rise. Each HFS is composed of upward-shallowing cycles whose thickness, facies composition, and continuity vary within and between HFS's

Mass loading of selected major and trace elements in Lake Fork Creek near Leadville, Colorado, September-October 2001

Science.gov (United States)

Walton-Day, Katherine; Flynn, Jennifer L.; Kimball, Briant A.; Runkel, Robert L.

2005-01-01

A mass-loading study of Lake Fork Creek of the Arkansas River between Sugarloaf Dam and the mouth was completed in September-October 2001 to help ascertain the following: (1) variation of pH and aqueous constituent concentrations (calcium, sulfate, alkalinity, aluminum, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, lead, and zinc) and their relation to toxicity standards along the study reach; (2) location and magnitude of sources of metal loading to Lake Fork Creek; (3) amount and locations of metal attenuation; (4) the effect of streamside wetlands on metal transport from contributing mine tunnels; and (5) the effect of organic-rich inflow from the Leadville National Fish Hatchery on water quality in Lake Fork Creek. The study was done in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Constituent concentrations and pH showed variable patterns over the study reach. Hardness-based acute and chronic toxicity standards were exceeded for some inflows and some constituents. However, stream concentrations did not exceed standards except for zinc starting in the upper parts of the study reach and extending to just downstream from the inflow from the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. Dilution from that inflow lowered stream zinc concentrations to less than acute and chronic toxicity standards. The uppermost 800 meters of the study reach that contained inflow from the Bartlett, Dinero, and Nelson mine tunnels and the Dinero wetland was the greatest source of loading for manganese and zinc. A middle section of the study reach that extended approximately 2 kilometers upstream from the National Fish Hatchery inflow to just downstream from that inflow was the largest source of aluminum, copper, iron, and lead loading. The loading was partially from the National Fish Hatchery inflow but also from unknown sources upstream from that inflow, possibly ground water. The largest sources for calcium and sulfate

Burnup measurements with the Los Alamos fork detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosler, G.E.; Rinard, P.M.

1991-01-01

The fork detector system can determine the burnup of spent-fuel assemblies. It is a transportable instrument that can be mounted permanently in a spent-fuel pond near a loading area for shipping casks, or be attached to the storage pond bridge for measurements on partially raised spent-fuel assemblies. The accuracy of the predicted burnup has been demonstrated to be as good as 2% from measurements on assemblies in the United States and other countries. Instruments have also been developed at other facilities throughout the world using the same or different techniques, but with similar accuracies. 14 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

The effects of vibration-reducing gloves on finger vibration

Science.gov (United States)

Welcome, Daniel E.; Dong, Ren G.; Xu, Xueyan S.; Warren, Christopher; McDowell, Thomas W.

2015-01-01

Vibration-reducing (VR) gloves have been used to reduce the hand-transmitted vibration exposures from machines and powered hand tools but their effectiveness remains unclear, especially for finger protection. The objectives of this study are to determine whether VR gloves can attenuate the vibration transmitted to the fingers and to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms of how these gloves work. Seven adult male subjects participated in the experiment. The fixed factors evaluated include hand force (four levels), glove condition (gel-filled, air bladder, no gloves), and location of the finger vibration measurement. A 3-D laser vibrometer was used to measure the vibrations on the fingers with and without wearing a glove on a 3-D hand-arm vibration test system. This study finds that the effect of VR gloves on the finger vibration depends on not only the gloves but also their influence on the distribution of the finger contact stiffness and the grip effort. As a result, the gloves increase the vibration in the fingertip area but marginally reduce the vibration in the proximal area at some frequencies below 100 Hz. On average, the gloves reduce the vibration of the entire fingers by less than 3% at frequencies below 80 Hz but increase at frequencies from 80 to 400 Hz. At higher frequencies, the gel-filled glove is more effective at reducing the finger vibration than the air bladder-filled glove. The implications of these findings are discussed. Relevance to industry Prolonged, intensive exposure to hand-transmitted vibration can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome. Vibration-reducing gloves have been used as an alternative approach to reduce the vibration exposure. However, their effectiveness for reducing finger-transmitted vibrations remains unclear. This study enhanced the understanding of the glove effects on finger vibration and provided useful information on the effectiveness of typical VR gloves at reducing the vibration transmitted to the fingers. The new

Development of a red TL detection system for a single grain of quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yawata, T.; Hashimoto, T.

2007-01-01

Red thermoluminescence (RTL) of natural quartz grains offers many desirable properties for quaternary chronology and archaeological dating, although RTL measurements suffer from high thermal background due to black-body radiation on heating. To reduce the thermal background to as low a level as possible, a silver sample disc covered with a biotite plate with a sample hole was used in combination with a light guide, cluster heater, optical filters, and photomultiplier tube cooling to -20 deg. C in the present system. As a result, the thermal background decreased from 2x10 4 to 1000 cps in the temperature range 350-380 deg. C, resulting in a detection limit of approximately 100 cps, corresponding to the RTL signal from a single quartz grain (250-500μm) irradiated with 4.0 Gy. In addition, application of lower heating rates retarded the thermal quenching effect, resulting in high RTL signals, which are preferable for young or insensitive quartz samples. Using RTL measurements with the single quartz grain method under optimal RTL conditions, comparison of equivalent doses from artificially irradiated single quartz grains to the known dose was within the 20% measurement error. Based on equivalent dose determinations for single quartz grains, large irregularities on non-etched quartz surfaces might be very detrimental to the TL detection process. This result confirms that surface etching treatment is required to achieve reliable dating with high counting efficiency

Radiation-Induced Changes in Quartz, A Mineral Analog of Nuclear Power Plant Concrete Aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Chinthaka M; Rosseel, Thomas M; Kirkegaard, Marie C

2018-03-19

Quartz single-crystal samples consisting of α-quartz crystal structure were neutron irradiated to fluences of 5 × 10 18 , 4 × 10 19 , and 2 × 10 20 n/cm 2 (E > 0.1 MeV) at two temperatures (52 and 95 °C). The changes in the α-quartz phase as a function of these two conditions (temperature and fluence) were studied using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the results acquired using these complementary techniques are presented in a single place for the first time. XRD studies showed that the lattice parameters of α-quartz increased with increasing neutron flux. The lattice growth was larger for the samples that were neutron irradiated at 52 °C than at 95 °C. Moreover, an amorphous content was determined in the quartz samples neutron irradiated at 4 × 10 19 n/cm 2 , with the greater amount being in the 52 °C irradiated sample. Complete amorphization of quartz was observed at a fluence of 2 × 10 20 n/cm 2 (E > 0.1 MeV) using XRD and confirmed by TEM characterization and Raman spectroscopic studies. The cause for α-quartz lattice expansion and sample amorphization was also explored using XRD and Raman spectroscopic studies.

Genomic instability in quartz dust exposed rat lungs: Is inflammation responsible?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albrecht, C; Schins, R P F [Institut fuer Umweltmedizinische Forschung (IUF) at the Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf (Germany); Demircigil, G Cakmak; Coskun, Erdem [Gazi University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Ankara (Turkey); Schooten, F J van [Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Department of Health Risk Analysis and Toxicology, University of Maastricht (Netherlands); Borm, P J A [Centre of Expertise in Life Sciences (Cel), Hogeschool Zuyd, Heerlen (Netherlands); Knaapen, A M, E-mail: catrin.albrecht@uni-duesseldorf.d

2009-02-01

Exposure to quartz dusts has been associated with lung cancer and fibrosis. Although the responsible mechanisms are not completely understood, progressive inflammation with associated induction of persistent oxidative stress has been discussed as a key event for these diseases. Previously we have evaluated the kinetics of pulmonary inflammation in the rat model following a single intratracheal instillation of 2mg DQ12 quartz, either in its native form or upon its surface modification with polyvinylpyridine-N-oxide or aluminium lactate. This model has been applied now to evaluate the role of inflammation in the kinetics of induction of DNA damage and response at 3, 7, 28, and 90 days after treatment. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell counts and differentials as well as BAL fluid myeloperoxidase activity were used as markers of inflammation. Whole lung homogenate was investigated to determine the induction of the oxidative and pre-mutagenic DNA lesion 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine (8-OHdG) by HPLC/ECD, while mRNA and protein expression of oxidative stress and DNA damage response genes including hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE/Ref-1) were evaluated using Western blotting and real time PCR. Isolated lung epithelial cells from the treated rats were used for DNA strand breakage analysis using the alkaline comet assay as well as for micronucleus scoring in May-Gruenwald-Giemsa stained cytospin preparations. In the rats that were treated with quartz, no increased 8-OHdG levels were observed, despite the presence of a marked and persistent inflammation. However, DNA strand breakage in the lung epithelial cells of the quartz treated rats was significantly enhanced at 3 days, but not at 28 days. Moreover, significantly enhanced micronucleus frequencies were observed for all four time points investigated. In the animals that were treated with the PVNO modified quartz, micronuclei scores did not differ from controls, while in those treated with

OSL, TL and IRSL emission spectra of sedimentary quartz and feldspar samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lomax, Johanna; Mittelstraß, Dirk; Kreutzer, Sebastian; Fuchs, Markus

2015-01-01

This contribution presents a variety of different luminescence emission spectra from sedimentary feldspar and quartz samples under various stimulation modes. These are green stimulated quartz (OSL-) spectra, quartz TL spectra, feldspar IRSL and post-IR IRSL spectra. A focus was set at recording OSL and IRSL spectra at elevated stimulation temperatures such as routinely applied in luminescence dating. This was to test whether optical stimulation at elevated temperatures results in a shift of emission peaks. For OSL emissions of quartz, this has so far not been tested. In case of feldspar emissions, post-IR IRSL conditions, hence IRSL emissions at a low temperature, directly followed by high temperature post-IRSL emissions, are explicitly investigated. All spectra were recorded using a new system incorporated into a Lexsyg luminescence reader. Thus, this study, besides presenting new spectral data, also serves as a feasibility study for this new device. It is shown that (a) the new device is capable of automatically measuring different sorts of spectra, also at elevated temperatures, (b) known thermally and optically stimulated peak emissions of quartz and feldspar are confirmed, (c) obtained IRSL and OSL spectra indicate that there is no significant relation between peak emission and stimulation temperature. - Highlights: • We have measured OSL, IRSL and TL emission spectra of sedimentary quartz and feldspar samples. • Spectral analyses were performed at elevated stimulation temperatures. • Emission spectra show very little variation with stimulation temperatures.

Stream bank and sediment movement associated with 2008 flooding, South Fork Iowa River

Science.gov (United States)

Stream bank erosion can cause substantial damage to riparian systems and impact the use of water downstream. Risks of bank erosion increase during extreme flood events, and frequencies of extreme events may be increasing under changing climate. We assessed bank erosion within the South Fork Iowa Riv...

Optically stimulated luminescence characteristics of natural and doped quartz and alkali feldspars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huett, G.; Jaek, I.; Brodski, L. [Institute of Geology at Tallinn Technical University, Tallinn (Estonia); Vasilchenko, V. [Institute of Experimental Physics and Technology of Tartu University, Tartu (Estonia)

1999-05-01

Natural alkali feldspars and quartz were doped by Tl and Cu by thermodiffusion and electrodiffusion technology. As a result of doping, intensive UV emission bands were created. The OSL stimulation spectra of irradiated natural and doped quartz and alkali feldspars were measured in the span of 400-1300 nm using UV emission of Tl at 280 nm and of Cu at 380 nm. One-trap centre conception was confirmed for high-temperature palaeodosimetrical TL peaks and OSL stimulation spectrum bands: for alkali feldspars at 880 and 420 nm and visible region of the spectrum for quartz. A thermooptical mechanism of the optical depopulation of the corresponding trap is confirmed in alkali feldspars, but there is no evidence for processes of this kind in quartz. An analogy between the physical background of OSL properties of both minerals is discussed.

Optically stimulated luminescence characteristics of natural and doped quartz and alkali feldspars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huett, G.; Jaek, I.; Brodski, L.; Vasilchenko, V.

1999-01-01

Natural alkali feldspars and quartz were doped by Tl and Cu by thermodiffusion and electrodiffusion technology. As a result of doping, intensive UV emission bands were created. The OSL stimulation spectra of irradiated natural and doped quartz and alkali feldspars were measured in the span of 400-1300 nm using UV emission of Tl at 280 nm and of Cu at 380 nm. One-trap centre conception was confirmed for high-temperature palaeodosimetrical TL peaks and OSL stimulation spectrum bands: for alkali feldspars at 880 and 420 nm and visible region of the spectrum for quartz. A thermooptical mechanism of the optical depopulation of the corresponding trap is confirmed in alkali feldspars, but there is no evidence for processes of this kind in quartz. An analogy between the physical background of OSL properties of both minerals is discussed

Recombination at DNA replication fork barriers is not universal and is differentially regulated by Swi1.

Science.gov (United States)

Pryce, David W; Ramayah, Soshila; Jaendling, Alessa; McFarlane, Ramsay J

2009-03-24

DNA replication stress has been implicated in the etiology of genetic diseases, including cancers. It has been proposed that genomic sites that inhibit or slow DNA replication fork progression possess recombination hotspot activity and can form potential fragile sites. Here we used the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to demonstrate that hotspot activity is not a universal feature of replication fork barriers (RFBs), and we propose that most sites within the genome that form RFBs do not have recombination hotspot activity under nonstressed conditions. We further demonstrate that Swi1, the TIMELESS homologue, differentially controls the recombination potential of RFBs, switching between being a suppressor and an activator of recombination in a site-specific fashion.

Correlates of mercury in fish from lakes near Clyde Forks, Ontario, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ethier, A.L.M.; Scheuhammer, A.M.; Bond, D.E.

2008-01-01

Subsurface soils near Clyde Forks, Ontario, Canada, can have naturally high concentrations of mercury (Hg) from local geological sources. To investigate Hg in local aquatic food webs, Hg was measured in fish dorsal muscle (mainly yellow perch [YP] and pumpkinseed sunfish [PS]) and surface sediments from 10 regional lakes. Water chemistry, along with fork length, weight, and stable isotopes (δ 15 N, δ 13 C, δ 34 S) in fish were also measured. No lake sediments had elevated (>0.3 μg/g dw) Hg, and average Hg concentrations in fish were not sufficiently high ( 13 C), and certain lake variables (e.g., pH for YP). PS with more pelagic feeding habits had higher δ 34 S and Hg than those with more littoral feeding habits. Potential biological linkages between fish Hg and δ 34 S, a parameter that may be related to the lake sulphate-reducing bacteria activity, requires further investigation. - Fish from lakes near a localized geological Hg source do not have elevated Hg concentrations

Thermal activation of OSL as a geothermometer for quartz grain heating during fault movements

CERN Document Server

Rink, W J; Rees-Jones, J; Schwarcz, H P

1999-01-01

In discussions of ESR dating of fault movements, there has been much debate whether zeroing of ESR signals is a mechanical shearing effect or caused by frictional heating. The OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) sensitivity of quartz is known to increase after heating. This thermal activation of dose response of the OSL in quartz should be useful as a geothermometer to test whether quartz particles in fault gouge had been heated. We tested the OSL sensitivities of quartz from fault gouge, and from a control (quartz grains from sandstone) and were able to show heat-induced enhancement of OSL sensitivity to a test dose. We observed that relative enhancement of OSL dose response (ratio of heated to unheated single aliquots) is significantly less for the finest grains (45-75 and 100-150 mu m) compared with coarser grains (150-250 mu m). These data are consistent with a model of zeroing of the quartz grains during faulting, by frictional heating localized to the grain boundaries, which would be expected to aff...

The response of quartz crystals coated with thin fatty acid film to organic gases

CERN Document Server

Jin, C N; Kim, K H; Kwon, Y S

1999-01-01

We tried to apply a quartz crystal as a sensor by using the resonant frequency and the resistance properties of quartz crystals. Four kinds of fatty acids that have the same head groups were coated on the surfaces of the quartz crystals, and the shift of the resonant frequency and the resistance were observed based on the lengths of the tail groups. Myristic acid (C sub 1 sub 4), palmitic acid (C sub 1 sub 6), stearic acid (C sub 1 sub 8), and arachidic acid (C sub 2 sub 0) were deposited on the surfaces of quartz crystals by using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. As a result, the resonant frequency change was more sensitive to high molecular-weight fatty acids than to low molecular-weight ones. We also observed the effect of temperature on stearic acid LB films, and the response properties of quartz crystals coated with stearic-acid LB films to organic gases were investigated. As a result, the sensitivity of quartz crystals to organic gases was higher for higher molecular-weight gas, and we found that quar...

Temperature, Frequency, and Young’s Modulus of an Aluminum Tuning Fork

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zachery L. Greer

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The frequency produced by a standard C (523.3 Hz aluminum alloy tuning fork when struck at temperatures ranging from 29 ̊C to 300 ̊C was studied. It was found that frequency decreased with increasing temperature with an inverse exponential relationship. The frequency was used to calculate Young’s Modulus for aluminum, with the results being in close agreement with published values.

Investigations on low temperature thermoluminescence centres in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernhardt, H.

1984-01-01

The present paper will help to understand the often investigated process of thermoluminescence of quartz which is of high complexity. A lot of traps exist in quartz crystals which compete with each other with respect to the trapping of charge carriers during the X-ray treatment. That is why a variety of processes takes place after X-irradiation at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT) of quartz which complicate the phenomenology of low temperature thermoluminescence. This competition in the trapping process leads to the so-called 'sensibilization' or 'desensibilization' effects of thermoluminescence, respectively, which are described in this paper for the first time. This effect means the dependence of the LNT thermoluminescence intensity on a pre-irradiation dose applied at room temperature (RT). The influence of this pre-irradiation is understood assuming the saturation of competitive traps. This favours an enhanced trapping of charge carriers at LNT-(shallow) traps instead of the preferential trapping on the deep traps in the case of X-ray treatment of the as-grown crystal at LNT. To get the afore mentioned model we take into account not only thermoluminescence but also coloration, ir- and vuv-absorption measurements. (author)

Reconstruction of thermally quenched glow curves in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subedi, Bhagawan; Polymeris, George S.; Tsirliganis, Nestor C.; Pagonis, Vasilis; Kitis, George

2012-01-01

The experimentally measured thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves of quartz samples are influenced by the presence of the thermal quenching effect, which involves a variation of the luminescence efficiency as a function of temperature. The real shape of the thermally unquenched TL glow curves is completely unknown. In the present work an attempt is made to reconstruct these unquenched glow curves from the quenched experimental data, and for two different types of quartz samples. The reconstruction is based on the values of the thermal quenching parameter W (activation energy) and C (a dimensionless constant), which are known from recent experimental work on these two samples. A computerized glow-curve deconvolution (CGCD) analysis was performed twice for both the reconstructed and the experimental TL glow curves. Special attention was paid to check for consistency between the results of these two independent CGCD analyses. The investigation showed that the reconstruction attempt was successful, and it is concluded that the analysis of reconstructed TL glow curves can provide improved values of the kinetic parameters E, s for the glow peaks of quartz. This also leads to a better evaluation of the half-lives of electron trapping levels used for dosimetry and luminescence dating.

Oxygen isotope exchange with quartz during pyrolysis of silver sulfate and silver nitrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Schauer, Andrew J; Kunasek, Shelley A; Sofen, Eric D; Erbland, Joseph; Savarino, Joel; Johnson, Ben W; Amos, Helen M; Shaheen, Robina; Abaunza, Mariana; Jackson, Terri L; Thiemens, Mark H; Alexander, Becky

2012-09-30

Triple oxygen isotopes of sulfate and nitrate are useful metrics for the chemistry of their formation. Existing measurement methods, however, do not account for oxygen atom exchange with quartz during the thermal decomposition of sulfate. We present evidence for oxygen atom exchange, a simple modification to prevent exchange, and a correction for previous measurements. Silver sulfates and silver nitrates with excess (17)O were thermally decomposed in quartz and gold (for sulfate) and quartz and silver (for nitrate) sample containers to O(2) and byproducts in a modified Temperature Conversion/Elemental Analyzer (TC/EA). Helium carries O(2) through purification for isotope-ratio analysis of the three isotopes of oxygen in a Finnigan MAT253 isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The Δ(17)O results show clear oxygen atom exchange from non-zero (17)O-excess reference materials to zero (17)O-excess quartz cup sample containers. Quartz sample containers lower the Δ(17)O values of designer sulfate reference materials and USGS35 nitrate by 15% relative to gold or silver sample containers for quantities of 2-10 µmol O(2). Previous Δ(17)O measurements of sulfate that rely on pyrolysis in a quartz cup have been affected by oxygen exchange. These previous results can be corrected using a simple linear equation (Δ(17)O(gold) = Δ(17)O(quartz) * 1.14 + 0.06). Future pyrolysis of silver sulfate should be conducted in gold capsules or corrected to data obtained from gold capsules to avoid obtaining oxygen isotope exchange-affected data. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

True Tapping Mode Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy with Bent Glass Fiber Probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnov, A; Yasinskii, V M; Filimonenko, D S; Rostova, E; Dietler, G; Sekatskii, S K

2018-01-01

In scanning near-field optical microscopy, the most popular probes are made of sharpened glass fiber attached to a quartz tuning fork (TF) and exploiting the shear force-based feedback. The use of tapping mode feedback could be preferable. Such an approach can be realized, for example, using bent fiber probes. Detailed analysis of fiber vibration modes shows that realization of truly tapping mode of the probe dithering requires an extreme caution. In case of using the second resonance mode, probes vibrate mostly in shear force mode unless the bending radius is rather small (ca. 0.3 mm) and the probe's tip is short. Otherwise, the shear force character of the dithering persists. Probes having these characteristics were prepared by irradiation of a tapered etched glass fiber with a CW CO 2 laser. These probes were attached to the TF in double resonance conditions which enables achieving significant quality factor (4000-6000) of the TF + probe system (Cherkun et al., 2006). We also show that, to achieve a truly tapping character, dithering, short, and not exceeding 3 mm lengths of a freestanding part of bent fiber probe beam should also be used in the case of nonresonant excitation.

True Tapping Mode Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy with Bent Glass Fiber Probes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Smirnov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In scanning near-field optical microscopy, the most popular probes are made of sharpened glass fiber attached to a quartz tuning fork (TF and exploiting the shear force-based feedback. The use of tapping mode feedback could be preferable. Such an approach can be realized, for example, using bent fiber probes. Detailed analysis of fiber vibration modes shows that realization of truly tapping mode of the probe dithering requires an extreme caution. In case of using the second resonance mode, probes vibrate mostly in shear force mode unless the bending radius is rather small (ca. 0.3 mm and the probe’s tip is short. Otherwise, the shear force character of the dithering persists. Probes having these characteristics were prepared by irradiation of a tapered etched glass fiber with a CW CO2 laser. These probes were attached to the TF in double resonance conditions which enables achieving significant quality factor (4000–6000 of the TF + probe system (Cherkun et al., 2006. We also show that, to achieve a truly tapping character, dithering, short, and not exceeding 3 mm lengths of a freestanding part of bent fiber probe beam should also be used in the case of nonresonant excitation.

"Forked Tongue: The Politics of Bilingual Education," by Rosalie Pedalino Porter. Book Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Amabisca, Anastasia Aimee

1994-01-01

Based on personal experience rather than empirical evidence, "Forked Tongue" presents a biased view that could damage the future of bilingual education in the United States. The book considers bilingual education a threat because it prolongs the learning of English and promotes the maintenance of other "un-American" languages…

Cathodoluminescence (CL Characteristics of Quartz from Different Metamorphic Rocks within the Kaoko Belt (Namibia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Sittner

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Quartz of metamorphic rocks from the Kaoko belt (Namibia representing metamorphic zones from greenshist to granulite facies were investigated by cathodoluminescence (CL microscopy and spectroscopy to characterize their CL properties. The samples cover P-T conditions from the garnet zone (500 ± 30 °C, 9 ± 1 kbar up to the garnet-cordierite-sillimanite-K-feldspar zone (750 ± 30 °C, 4.0–5.5 kbar. Quartz from 10 different localities and metamorphic environments exclusively exhibits blue CL. The observed CL colors and spectra seem to be more or less independent of the metamorphic grade of the host rocks, but are determined by the regional geological conditions. Quartz from different localities of the garnet-cordierite-sillimanite-K-feldspar zone shows a dominant 450 nm emission band similar to quartz from igneous rocks, which might be related to recrystallization processes. In contrast, quartz from different metamorphic zones in the western part of the central Kaoko zone (garnet, staurolite, kyanite, and kyanite-sillimanite-muscovite zone is characterized by a heterogeneous blue-green CL and a dominant 500 nm emission band that strongly decreases in intensity under electron irradiation. Such CL characteristics are typical for quartz of pegmatitic and/or hydrothermal origin and indicate the participation of fluids during neoformation of quartz during metamorphism.

Establishment of gold-quartz standard GQS-1

Science.gov (United States)

Millard, Hugh T.; Marinenko, John; McLane, John E.

1969-01-01

A homogeneous gold-quartz standard, GQS-1, was prepared from a heterogeneous gold-bearing quartz by chemical treatment. The concentration of gold in GQS-1 was determined by both instrumental neutron activation analysis and radioisotope dilution analysis to be 2.61?0.10 parts per million. Analysis of 10 samples of the standard by both instrumental neutron activation analysis and radioisotope dilution analysis failed to reveal heterogeneity within the standard. The precision of the analytical methods, expressed as standard error, was approximately 0.1 part per million. The analytical data were also used to estimate the average size of gold particles. The chemical treatment apparently reduced the average diameter of the gold particles by at least an order of magnitude and increased the concentration of gold grains by a factor of at least 4,000.

The interpretation of quartz optically stimulated luminescence equivalent dose versus time plots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, R.M.

2000-01-01

Numerical modelling has shown that the form of the quartz OSL shine plateau (hereafter 'D e (t)-plot') is influenced by the effects of phototransferred TL in the ∼110 deg. C region. It is suggested also that the presence of multiple OSL components (as described by Partial bleaching and the decay form characteristics of quartz OSL. Radiat. Meas., 27, 123-136. The form of the optically stimulated luminescence signal of quartz: implications of dating. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of London) affects the form of the D e (t)-plot. Laboratory measurements of a fully reset and artificially dosed sample yielded non-flat D e (t)-plots, the deviation being greater for the larger of the two simulated palaeodoses, in accordance with theoretical predictions. It is suggested that the so-called 'shine plateau' test is of limited use in assessing the bleaching history of quartz sediments

Carbothermal Reduction of Quartz and Carbon Pellets at Elevated Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fei; Tangstad, Merete; Ringdalen, Eli

2018-02-01

In this study, the carbothermal reduction of pellets composed of quartz and carbon at temperatures between 1898 K and 1948 K (1625 °C and 1675 °C) are investigated. The main product from this reaction is silicon carbide (SiC). The reduction of quartz with carbon black, charcoal, coke, coal, and pre-heated coal in the pellet were compared to investigate the different carbon resources used in silicon production. Charcoal and coke have high SiO reactivity, while carbon black and coal (pre-heated coal) have low SiO reactivity. Charcoal and carbon black show better matching between quartz/carbon reactivity and SiO reactivity, and will lose less SiO gas than coke and pre-heated coal. Coal has a high volatile content and is thus not recommended as a raw material for the pellets.

Carbothermal Reduction of Quartz and Carbon Pellets at Elevated Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fei; Tangstad, Merete; Ringdalen, Eli

2018-06-01

In this study, the carbothermal reduction of pellets composed of quartz and carbon at temperatures between 1898 K and 1948 K (1625 °C and 1675 °C) are investigated. The main product from this reaction is silicon carbide (SiC). The reduction of quartz with carbon black, charcoal, coke, coal, and pre-heated coal in the pellet were compared to investigate the different carbon resources used in silicon production. Charcoal and coke have high SiO reactivity, while carbon black and coal (pre-heated coal) have low SiO reactivity. Charcoal and carbon black show better matching between quartz/carbon reactivity and SiO reactivity, and will lose less SiO gas than coke and pre-heated coal. Coal has a high volatile content and is thus not recommended as a raw material for the pellets.

Natural alpha recoil particle radiation and ionizing radiation sensitivities in quartz detected with EPR: implications for geochronometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rink, W.J.; Odom, A.L.

1991-01-01

The electron paramagnetic resonance EPR signals in granitic quartz samples of known age are studied. Time-integrated alpha recoil activity and EPR signal intensity are more significantly correlated than sample age and EPR signal intensity. Neutron activation analysis for internal uranium and thorium in quartz are reported. Natural germanium EPR signals are observed in pegmatitic quartz samples and one granitic quartz. Pegmatitic quartz exhibits germanium EPR center growth competing strongly with E' center growth, apparently leading to depleted natural concentrations of E' centers. Calculations of lattice vacancy accumulation associated with alpha recoil damage are presented and compared with concentrations of paramagnetic oxygen vacancies in the quartz. Based on the results reported, the potential and problems associated with dating quartz are discussed, relating both to accumulated lattice damage and the additive dose methods. (author)

Emission properties of thermoluminescence from natural quartz - blue and red TL response to absorbed dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, T.; Yokosaka, K.; Habuki, H.

1987-01-01

The TL spectrometry of natural quartz exposed to a gamma radiation dose of 8.8 kGy proved that the red TL, mainly from volcanically originated quartz, has a broad emission band with a peak around 620 nm, while the blue TL from plutonically originated quartz also has a broad emission band giving a peak around 470 nm. These typical red or blue intrinsic colours were also confirmed on the thermoluminescence colour images (TLCI). Exceptionally, a pegmatite quartz changed its TLCI colour from red to blue when the absorbed dose was increased. By using colour filter assemblies, all these quartz samples were shown to emit mainly blue and red TLs, which have distinctly different TL responses to the absorbed dose; the blue invariably showed a supralinearity relation between 1 and 10 kGy dose. For the purpose of dating, the use of red TL, is preferable. The red TL component is related to the impurity Eu content in quartz minerals. (author)

Changes in the artificial thermoluminescence glow curves of quartz associated with uranium deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hochman, M.B.M.; Ypma, P.J.M.

1988-01-01

Previous laboratory-based studies have shown that quartz thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves change in intensity and shape in response to large radiation doses. Initially, low temperature peaks are sensitized though at gamma doses of greater than 10/sup 5/ - 10/sup 6/ kGy desensitization occurs. This study has examined the change in artificial TL in quartz at various distances from a uranium deposit. Such quartz has been subjected to varying palaeoradiation doses in a natural uranium rich environment. Quartz from an uranium rich environment shows that the 130/sup 0/C glow peak is the dominant glow peak in background radiation environments, though this peak decreases with increasing palaeoradiation dose. At doses greater than 10/sup 5/-10/sup 6/ kGy the 350/sup 0/C glow peak is the dominant glow peak in these quartz samples. An increase in E'/sub 1/ centre concentration also occurs from the least radiation affected sample to the most radiation affected sample. These results suggest that artificial TL is useful in uranium exploration.

Thermal activation of OSL as a geothermometer for quartz grain heating during fault movements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rink, W.J.; Toyoda, S.; Rees-Jones, J.; Schwarcz, H.P.

1999-01-01

In discussions of ESR dating of fault movements, there has been much debate whether zeroing of ESR signals is a mechanical shearing effect or caused by frictional heating. The OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) sensitivity of quartz is known to increase after heating. This thermal activation of dose response of the OSL in quartz should be useful as a geothermometer to test whether quartz particles in fault gouge had been heated. We tested the OSL sensitivities of quartz from fault gouge, and from a control (quartz grains from sandstone) and were able to show heat-induced enhancement of OSL sensitivity to a test dose. We observed that relative enhancement of OSL dose response (ratio of heated to unheated single aliquots) is significantly less for the finest grains (45-75 and 100-150 μm) compared with coarser grains (150-250 μm). These data are consistent with a model of zeroing of the quartz grains during faulting, by frictional heating localized to the grain boundaries, which would be expected to affect smaller grains more than large ones. This argues against a zeroing model in which the entire fault gouge is heated by friction. Higher laboratory preheating of sandstone quartz reduces between-aliquot variability of OSL dose response in the unheated grains to nearly zero. Unheated coarsest fault gouge grains displayed virtually no among-aliquot variability, whereas fine grains showed much larger between-aliquot variability; as with the quartz sand, variability dropped to near zero after laboratory heating, suggesting that fine grains in fault gouge have experienced a wide range of natural thermal histories during faulting. This may present a problem for ESR dating of fault gouge using the plateau method

Creep of quartz by dislocation and grain boundary processes

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, J. I.; Holyoke, C. W., III; Kronenberg, A. K.

2015-12-01

Wet polycrystalline quartz aggregates deformed at temperatures T of 600°-900°C and strain rates of 10-4-10-6 s-1 at a confining pressure Pc of 1.5 GPa exhibit plasticity at low T, governed by dislocation glide and limited recovery, and grain size-sensitive creep at high T, governed by diffusion and sliding at grain boundaries. Quartz aggregates were HIP-synthesized, subjecting natural milky quartz powder to T=900°C and Pc=1.5 GPa, and grain sizes (2 to 25 mm) were varied by annealing at these conditions for up to 10 days. Infrared absorption spectra exhibit a broad OH band at 3400 cm-1 due to molecular water inclusions with a calculated OH content (~4000 ppm, H/106Si) that is unchanged by deformation. Rate-stepping experiments reveal different stress-strain rate functions at different temperatures and grain sizes, which correspond to differing stress-temperature sensitivities. At 600-700°C and grain sizes of 5-10 mm, flow law parameters compare favorably with those for basal plasticity and dislocation creep of wet quartzites (effective stress exponents n of 3 to 6 and activation enthalpy H* ~150 kJ/mol). Deformed samples show undulatory extinction, limited recrystallization, and c-axis maxima parallel to the shortening direction. Similarly fine-grained samples deformed at 800°-900°C exhibit flow parameters n=1.3-2.0 and H*=135-200 kJ/mol corresponding to grain size-sensitive Newtonian creep. Deformed samples show some undulatory extinction and grain sizes change by recrystallization; however, grain boundary deformation processes are indicated by the low value of n. Our experimental results for grain size-sensitive creep can be compared with models of grain boundary diffusion and grain boundary sliding using measured rates of silicon grain boundary diffusion. While many quartz mylonites show microstructural and textural evidence for dislocation creep, results for grain size-sensitive creep may apply to very fine-grained (<10 mm) quartz mylonites.

Studies of the spectral and spatial characteristics of shock-induced luminescence from x-cut quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brannon, P.J.; Konrad, C.; Morris, R.W.; Jones, E.D.; Asay, J.R.

1983-01-01

Spatial and spectral studies of shock-induced luminescence from x-cut crystalline quartz as a function of stress level revealed the following information: Crystalline x-cut quartz has a threshold for emission near the dynamic yield point (about 6 GPa); the spatial distribution of the luminescence from x-cut quartz changes from an intersecting linear emission pattern to a uniform emission pattern as the stress level increases from 6 to 8 GPa; spectra from x-cut quartz are band-like rather than blackbody; crystalline x-cut quartz has emission peaks near 400 and 600 nm; a change in the 400-nm emission with time can be correlated to wave interaction times. A discussion of the luminous emission in terms of yielding and other physical mechanisms is given

Gaussian Random Fields Methods for Fork-Join Network with Synchronization Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-22

substantial efforts were dedicated to the study of the max-plus recursions [21, 3, 12]. More recently, Atar et al. [2] have studied a fork-join...feedback and NES, Atar et al. [2] show that a dynamic priority discipline achieves throughput optimal- ity asymptotically in the conventional heavy...2011) Patient flow in hospitals: a data-based queueing-science perspective. Submitted to Stochastic Systems, 20. [2] R. Atar , A. Mandelbaum and A

[Occupational standing vibration rate and vibrational diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Karnaukh, N G; Vyshchipan, V F; Haumenko, B S

2003-12-01

Occupational standing vibration rate is proposed in evaluating a degree of impairment of an organism activity. It will allow more widely to introduce specification of quality and quantity in assessment of the development of vibrational disease. According out-patient and inpatient obtained data we have established criterial values of functional changes in accordance with accumulated occupational standing vibration rate. The nomogram was worked out for defining a risk of the development of vibrational disease in mine workers. This nomogram more objectively can help in diagnostics of the disease.

Measurement of the dose in quartz in the presence of feldspar contamination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wallinga, J.; Murray, A.S.; Bøtter-Jensen, L.

2002-01-01

To allow the determination of the dose in quartz in the presence of feldspar contamination. the quartz-to-feldspar optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ratio needs to be maximised. Experiments were carried Out to find the optimum procedure to bleach the feldspar by exposure to infrared light...

Study of the α and β phases of quartz by neutron multiple diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazzocchi, V.L.

1984-01-01

Crystal structures of α and β phases of quartz are studied, employing neutron multiple diffraction as a method of analysis. Theoretical multiple diffraction patterns in a many-beam case were determined by a computer program which calculates intensities of beams as sums of Taylor's series expansions, retaining terms up to a order n. Experimental 'umweg' and transmitted beam patterns were obtained for the 00.1 primary reflection of α and β phases of quartz. To calculate α - quartz multiple diffraction intensities it was necessary to determine the Dauphine twinning fraction for the crystal after having passed by the β-phase. For the two models of β-quartz a better agreement between experimental and calculated integrated intensities was found for the disordered structure model based on split-half-oxigen positions. (Author) [pt

Imperfections study of the smoky quartz from Bahia by X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Aguiar Neto, M.M.F.

1974-01-01

X-ray diffraction techniques were used to study the type of point defects in Smoky quartz from Itambe and Vitoria da Conquista in Bahia. The power method, using the Seemann Bohlin camara (back refletion), was utilized in the analysis of the policrystals, while the monocrystals were studied by means of the precession camara. The positions occupied by the defects in the crystal net were calculated. The results show that while the defects of substitutional impurities predominate in the quartz from Itambe, in the quartz from Vitoria da Conquista the substitutional defects exist in comparable proportions that the interstital ones. Isochronous annealing curves, for both type of smoky quartz indicate an increase in the net parameter to temperature values above the annealing temperatures. Was formulated the hypothesis that providing a thermal energy greater than that of annealing is used, new interstitial defects would be created as a result of a thermic diffusion mechanism. (C.D.G.) [pt

Electrospun single crystalline fork-like K2V8O21 as high-performance cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Pengfei; Zhu, Ting; Su, Qiong; Lin, Jiande; Cui, Rong; Cao, Xinxin; Wang, Yaping; Pan, Anqiang

2018-06-01

Single crystalline fork-like potassium vanadate (K2V8O21) has been successfully prepared through electrospinning combined with a subsequent annealing process. The as-obtained K2V8O21 forks show a unique layer-by-layer stacked structure with conductive carbon. When used as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the as-prepared fork-like materials exhibit high specific discharge capacity and excellent cyclic stability. High specific discharge capacity of 200.2 mA h g-1 and 131.5 mA h g-1 can be delivered at the current densities of 50 mA g-1 and 500 mA g-1, respectively. Furthermore, the K2V8O21 electrodes exhibit excellent long-term cycling stability that maintain a capacity of 108.3 mA h g-1 after 300 cycles at 500 mA g-1 with a fading rate of only 0.054% per cycle, revealing their potential applications in next generation high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Experiment study of a quartz tube falling particle receiver

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tianjian WANG; Fengwu BAI; Shunzhou CHU; Xiliang ZHANG; Zhifeng WANG

2017-01-01

This paper presents an experimental evaluation of a specially designed falling particle receiver.A quartz tube was used in the design,with which the particles would not be blown away by wind.Concentrated solar radiation was absorbed and converted into thermal energy by the solid particles flowed inside the quartz tube.Several experiments were conducted to test the dynamic thermal performance of the receiver on solar furnace system.During the experiments,the maximum particle temperature rise is 212℃,with an efficiency of 61.2％,which shows a good thermal performance with a falling distance of 0.2 m in a small scale particle receiver.The average outlet particle temperature is affected by direct normal irradiance (DNI) and other factors such as wind speed.The solid particles obtain a larger viscosity with a higher temperature while smaller solid particles are easier to get stuck in the helix quartz tube.The heat capacity of the silicon carbide gets larger with the rise of particle temperature,because as the temperature of solid particles increases,the temperature rise of the silicon carbide decreases.

Petrogenesis of low-δ18O quartz porphyry dykes, Koegel Fontein complex, South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Chris; Mulder, Kwenidyn; Sarkar, Saheli; Whitehead, Benjamin; Roopnarain, Sherissa

2018-04-01

This paper investigates the origin of low-δ18O quartz porphyry dykes associated with the 144-133 Ma Koegel Fontein Igneous Complex, which was intruded during the initial phase of breakup of Africa and South America. The 25-km diameter Rietpoort Granite is the largest and youngest phase of activity, and is roofed by a 10-km diameter pendant of gneiss. Quartz porphyry (QP) dykes, up to 15 m in width, strike NW-SE across the complex. The QP dykes that intruded outside the granite have similar quartz phenocryst δ18O values (average 8.0‰, ± 0.7, n = 33) to the granite (average 8.3 ± 1.0, n = 7). The QP dykes that intruded the roof pendant have quartz phenocrysts with more variable δ18O values (average 1.6‰, ± 2.1, n = 55). In some cases quartz phenocrysts have δ18O values as low as - 2.5‰. The variation in δ18O value within the quartz crystal population of individual dykes is small relative to the overall range, and core and rim material from individual quartz phenocrysts in three samples are identical within error. There is no evidence that quartz phenocryst δ18O values have been affected by fluid-rock interaction. Based on a Δquartz-magma value of 0.6‰, magma δ18O values must have been as low as - 3.1‰. Samples collected along the length of the two main QP dykes that traverse the roof pendant have quartz phenocryst δ18O values that range from + 1.1 to + 4.6‰, and - 2.3 to + 5.6‰, respectively. These δ18O values correlate negatively ( r = - 0.96) with initial 87Sr/86Sr, which can be explained by the event that lowered δ18O values of the source being older than the dykes. We suggest that the QP dykes were fed by magma produced by partial melting of gneiss, which had been variably altered at high temperature by 18O-depleted meteoric water during global glaciation at 550 Ma. The early melts had variable δ18O value but as melt pockets interconnected during melting, the δ18O values approached that of average gneiss. Variable quartz phenocryst �

Thermal annealing studies in muscovite and in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, J.H.; Gold, R.; Ruddy, F.H.

1979-06-01

In order to use Solid State Track Recorders (SSTR) in environments at elevated temperatures, it is necessary to know the thermal annealing characteristics of various types of SSTR. For applications in the nuclear energy program, the principal interest is focused upon the annealing of fission tracks in muscovite mica and in quartz. Data showing correlations between changes in track diameters and track densities as a function of annealing time and temperature will be presented for Amersil quartz glass. Similar data showing changes in track lengths and in track densities will be presented for mica. Time-temperature regions will be defined where muscovite mica can be accurately applied with negligible correction for thermal annealing

Recovering Intrinsic Fragmental Vibrations Using the Generalized Subsystem Vibrational Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Yunwen; Tian, Chuan; Verma, Niraj; Zou, Wenli; Wang, Chao; Cremer, Dieter; Kraka, Elfi

2018-05-08

Normal vibrational modes are generally delocalized over the molecular system, which makes it difficult to assign certain vibrations to specific fragments or functional groups. We introduce a new approach, the Generalized Subsystem Vibrational Analysis (GSVA), to extract the intrinsic fragmental vibrations of any fragment/subsystem from the whole system via the evaluation of the corresponding effective Hessian matrix. The retention of the curvature information with regard to the potential energy surface for the effective Hessian matrix endows our approach with a concrete physical basis and enables the normal vibrational modes of different molecular systems to be legitimately comparable. Furthermore, the intrinsic fragmental vibrations act as a new link between the Konkoli-Cremer local vibrational modes and the normal vibrational modes.

The effects of pre-dose and annealing temperature on some dosimetric properties of thermoluminescence of quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Zhikai

1996-02-01

The following aspects of dosimetric properties of quartz sample were studied. (1) The changes in dosimetric sensitivity of quartz with different pre-doses under different annealing temperature; (2) the option of optimal annealing temperature which can make the dosimetric sensitivity of quartz to restore its original level; (3) The changes in dosimetric sensitivity of quartz with different annealing time at 500 degree C for 8 h; (4) Repeated experiments were carried out in order to prove whether the sensitivity of quartz can restore its original level at annealing temperature 700 degree C for 3 h. It has been found that at 700 degree C for 3 h gave the least sensitivity change and the sensitivity of quartz almost restored its original level. Repeated experiments with four kinds of quartz sample confirmed this conclusion. The dramatic change of TL glow curve occurred only at the condition of annealing temperature 900 degree C for 1 h. This result was different from that obtained by D. J. Huntley et al. (1988). (3 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.)

Hydraulic, geomorphic, and trout habitat conditions of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River in Hinsdale County, Lake City, Colorado, Water Years 2010-2011

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Cory A.; Richards, Rodney J.; Schaffrath, Keelin R.

2015-01-01

Channel rehabilitation, or reconfiguration, to mitigate a variety of riverine problems has become a common practice in the western United States. However, additional work to monitor and assess the channel response to, and the effectiveness of, these modifications over longer periods of time (decadal or longer) is still needed. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison River has been an area of active channel modification to accommodate the needs of the Lake City community since the 1950s. The Lake Fork Valley Conservancy District began a planning process to assess restoration options for a reach of the Lake Fork in Lake City to enhance hydraulic and ecologic characteristics of the reach. Geomorphic channel form is affected by land-use changes within the basin and geologic controls within the reach. The historic channel was defined as a dynamic, braided channel with an active flood plain. This can result in a natural tendency for the channel to braid. A braided channel can affect channel stability of reconfigured reaches when a single-thread meandering channel is imposed on the stream. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado River Water Conservation District, began a study in 2010 to quantify existing hydraulic and habitat conditions for a reach of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River in Lake City, Colorado. The purpose of this report is to quantify existing Lake Fork hydraulic and habitat conditions and establish a baseline against which post-reconfiguration conditions can be compared. This report (1) quantifies the existing hydraulic and geomorphic conditions in a 1.1-kilometer section of the Lake Fork at Lake City that has been proposed as a location for future channel-rehabilitation efforts, (2) characterizes the habitat suitability of the reach for two trout species based on physical conditions within the stream, and (3) characterizes the current riparian canopy density.

Microbially induced separation of quartz from calcite using Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Padukone, S Usha; Natarajan, K A

2011-11-01

Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and their metabolites were successfully utilized to achieve selective separation of quartz and calcite through microbially induced flotation and flocculation. S. cerevisiae was adapted to calcite and quartz minerals. Adsorption studies and electrokinetic investigations were carried out to understand the changes in the surface chemistry of yeast cells and the minerals after mutual interaction. Possible mechanisms in microbially induced flotation and flocculation are outlined. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carbon-fiber tips for scanning probe microscopes and molecular electronics experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rubio-Bollinger, G.; Castellanos-Gomez, A.; Bilan, S.; Zotti, L.A.; Arroyo, C.R.; Agraït, N.; Cuevas, J.

2012-01-01

We fabricate and characterize carbon-fiber tips for their use in combined scanning tunneling and force microscopy based on piezoelectric quartz tuning fork force sensors. An electrochemical fabrication procedure to etch the tips is used to yield reproducible sub-100-nm apex. We also study electron

Emission polarization study on quartz and calcite.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, R. K.

1972-01-01

Calculation of the spectral emission polarization of quartz and calcite polished plates for observation angles of 20 and 70 deg by the substitution of complex index of refraction values for each mineral into Fresnel's equations. The emission polarization is shown to be quite wavelength-dependent, demonstrating that selected narrow or medium-width spectral bands exhibit a significantly higher percentage of polarization than a broad spectral band for these two minerals. Field measurements with a broadband infrared radiometer yield polarizations on the order of 2% for a coarse-grained granite rock and beach sand (both quartz-rich). This implies that a more sensitive detector with a selected medium-width filter may be capable of measuring emission polarization accurately enough to make this parameter useful as a remote sensing tool for discrimination among rocks on the basis of texture.

An Inventory and Evaluation of Architectural and Engineering Resources of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-02-25

coordinated multidisciplinary study of both the architectural and engineering resources of the National Area. Both research b1 orientation and...South Fork just north of Rugby , and traveled through the site where Jamestown, Tennessee, now stands. A third trail, the Chickamauga Path, left the...Thomas Hughes (1881), the founder of the English colony of Rugby , Tennessee, described his neighbors in the Big South Fork area as mostly poor men

The red thermoluminescence of quartz: 3-D spectral measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholefield, R.B.; Prescott, J.R.

1999-01-01

As part of a general study of the thermoluminescence (TL) of quartz, we have examined the 3-D spectra of samples of quartz extracted from a variety of sediments. Blue emission at about 2.6 eV/475 nm, which is the photon energy region commonly used in luminescence dating, seems ubiquitous. Significant emission in the red, ∼1.9 eV/650 nm, has been found at most glow temperatures in all of our samples of Australian quartz sediments, and it is to this that particular attention is paid in the present work. A limited selection of samples from other countries has also been included. The ratio of the intensities of the red and blue emissions varies widely among samples. We have not found any evidence of a correlation between this ratio, nor the intensity of the red emission, with trace element concentration, including that of Al for which a correlation has been previously observed. In the context of luminescence dating, all samples have been examined to see whether they have a rapidly bleaching red component in a similar sense to the well-known 305 deg. C/2.95 eV/420 nm peak in quartz: some samples have such a component--some do not. A suggestive parallelism is found between the blue and red spectra, in that there are 'slowly bleaching' and 'rapidly bleaching' components at similar temperatures in the both red and the blue. However, there is no red component associated with the 110 deg. C peak used in pre-dose dating

Assessing rare earth elements in quartz rich geological samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santoro, A.; Thoss, V.; Ribeiro Guevara, S.; Urgast, D.; Raab, A.; Mastrolitti, S.; Feldmann, J.

2016-01-01

Sodium peroxide (Na_2O_2) fusion coupled to Inductively Coupled Plasma Tandem Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) measurements was used to rapidly screen quartz-rich geological samples for rare earth element (REE) content. The method accuracy was checked with a geological reference material and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) measurements. The used mass-mode combinations presented accurate results (only exception being "1"5"7Gd in He gas mode) with recovery of the geological reference material QLO-1 between 80% and 98% (lower values for Lu, Nd and Sm) and in general comparable to INAA measurements. Low limits of detection for all elements were achieved, generally below 10 pg g"−"1, as well as measurement repeatability below 15%. Overall, the Na_2O_2/ICP-MS/MS method proved to be a suitable lab-based method to quickly and accurately screen rock samples originating from quartz-rich geological areas for rare earth element content; particularly useful if checking commercial viability. - Highlights: • Na_2O_2 fusion coupled to ICP-MS/MS was used to determine REE in quartz-rich samples. • The method accuracy was checked with a geological reference material and INAA. • Results were within 80–98% recovery of QLO-1 reference material, comparable to INAA. • Detection limits were generally below 10 pg g"−"1, and repeatability was below 15%. • Na_2O_2/ICP-MS/MS proved to be a suitable method for REE in quartz-rich samples.

Effect of pre-dose irradiation in the quartz and its use for archaelogical dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yukimitu, K.

1985-01-01

The technique of pre-dose for dating ceramics, using the thermoluminescent properties of quartz is presented. The behavior of thermoluminescent (TL) sensitivity of the 110 0 C peak of Brazilian quartz, in its geologic state, submitted to thermal treatments from 600 to 900 0 C, is studied. The samples were tritured for separating the quartz crystals from clay. The quartz grains were submitted to leaching with chloric acid solution followed by leaching with running water. The samples were irradiated in laboratory, with gamma radiation using Co-60 and Cs-137 sources, for calibration. A sensitivity enhancement rate of 2% per rad was observed for samples annealed at 900 0 C, was observed. (M.C.K.) [pt

Data Acquisition System for Quartz Crystal Microbalances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kleber Romero Felizardo

2006-02-01

Full Text Available This work presents a data acquisition system used in a mass sensor: quartz crystal microbalance. This system reads the frequency of this sensor along the time and sends the collected data to the computer through a serial interface.

Slaw extracted proton beam formation and monitoring for the ''QUARTZ'' setup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bushnin, Yu.B.; Gres', V.N.; Davydenko, Yu.P.

1982-01-01

The version of optical mode of the beam channel providing with simultaneous operating the experimental setups FODS and ''QUARTZ'' at consecutive usage of the slow extracted proton beam is reported. The ''QUARTZ'' setup beam diagnostics system comprises two subsystems: for measuring beam profile beam timing structure and beam intensity and operates in the beam extraction duration from 20 ns to few seconds at beam intensity from 10 10 to 5x10 12 protons/pulse. The ''QUARTZ'' setup represents a focusing crystal-diffraction spectrometer with 5-meter focal distance and Ge(Li) special construction detector. High efficiency target is applied in the setup. The ''QUARTZ'' setup is designed for studying exotic atoms produced by negative charged heavy particles (π, K, μ, P tilde) and atomic nuclei. Precise energy measurement of X ray transitions in such atoms is performed. For measuring beam geometric parameters 32-channel secondary emission chambers are used. As detector of beam intensity and timing structure of slow extracted beam the secondary emission chamber is employed. The principle circuit of current integrator is given. As data transmission line a 50-pair telephone cable is used. Information conversion into digital form and its subsequent processing is performed in the CAMAC system and the SM-3 computer. The proton beam full intensity measuring system provides with accuracy not worse than +-4.5% in the 10 10 -10 12 proton/sec range. The implemented optical mode of the beam channel and proton beam monitoring system permitted to begin fulfillment of the experimental program on the ''QUARTZ'' setup

In-Field Performance Testing of the Fork Detector for Quantitative Spent Fuel Verification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauld, Ian C.; Hu, Jianwei; De Baere, P.; Tobin, Stephen

2015-01-01

Expanding spent fuel dry storage activities worldwide are increasing demands on safeguards authorities that perform inspections. The European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) require measurements to verify declarations when spent fuel is transferred to difficult-to-access locations, such as dry storage casks and the repositories planned in Finland and Sweden. EURATOM makes routine use of the Fork detector to obtain gross gamma and total neutron measurements during spent fuel inspections. Data analysis is performed by modules in the integrated Review and Analysis Program (iRAP) software, developed jointly by EURATOM and the IAEA. Under the framework of the US Department of Energy-EURATOM cooperation agreement, a module for automated Fork detector data analysis has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using the ORIGEN code from the SCALE code system and implemented in iRAP. EURATOM and ORNL recently performed measurements on 30 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel (Clab), operated by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). The measured assemblies represent a broad range of fuel characteristics. Neutron count rates for 15 measured pressurized water reactor assemblies are predicted with an average relative standard deviation of 4.6%, and gamma signals are predicted on average within 2.6% of the measurement. The 15 measured boiling water reactor assemblies exhibit slightly larger deviations of 5.2% for the gamma signals and 5.7% for the neutron count rates, compared to measurements. These findings suggest that with improved analysis of the measurement data, existing instruments can provide increased verification of operator declarations of the spent fuel and thereby also provide greater ability to confirm integrity of an assembly. These results support the application of the Fork detector as a fully quantitative spent fuel

In-Field Performance Testing of the Fork Detector for Quantitative Spent Fuel Verification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gauld, Ian C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hu, Jianwei [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); De Baere, P. [European Commission (Luxembourg). DG Energy, Directorate Nuclear Safeguards; Vaccaro, S. [European Commission (Luxembourg). DG Energy, Directorate Nuclear Safeguards; Schwalbach, P. [European Commission (Luxembourg). DG Energy, Directorate Nuclear Safeguards; Liljenfeldt, Henrik [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (Sweden); Tobin, Stephen [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-01-01

Expanding spent fuel dry storage activities worldwide are increasing demands on safeguards authorities that perform inspections. The European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) require measurements to verify declarations when spent fuel is transferred to difficult-to-access locations, such as dry storage casks and the repositories planned in Finland and Sweden. EURATOM makes routine use of the Fork detector to obtain gross gamma and total neutron measurements during spent fuel inspections. Data analysis is performed by modules in the integrated Review and Analysis Program (iRAP) software, developed jointly by EURATOM and the IAEA. Under the framework of the US Department of Energy–EURATOM cooperation agreement, a module for automated Fork detector data analysis has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using the ORIGEN code from the SCALE code system and implemented in iRAP. EURATOM and ORNL recently performed measurements on 30 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel (Clab), operated by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). The measured assemblies represent a broad range of fuel characteristics. Neutron count rates for 15 measured pressurized water reactor assemblies are predicted with an average relative standard deviation of 4.6%, and gamma signals are predicted on average within 2.6% of the measurement. The 15 measured boiling water reactor assemblies exhibit slightly larger deviations of 5.2% for the gamma signals and 5.7% for the neutron count rates, compared to measurements. These findings suggest that with improved analysis of the measurement data, existing instruments can provide increased verification of operator declarations of the spent fuel and thereby also provide greater ability to confirm integrity of an assembly. These results support the application of the Fork detector as a fully quantitative spent fuel

The Late Cretaceous Middle Fork caldera, its resurgent intrusion, and enduring landscape stability in east-central Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Bacon, Charles R.; Dusel-Bacon, Cynthia; Aleinikoff, John N.; Slack, John F.

2014-01-01

Dissected caldera structures expose thick intracaldera tuff and, uncommonly, cogenetic shallow plutons, while remnants of correlative outflow tuffs deposited on the pre-eruption ground surface record elements of ancient landscapes. The Middle Fork caldera encompasses a 10 km × 20 km area of rhyolite welded tuff and granite porphyry in east-central Alaska, ∼100 km west of the Yukon border. Intracaldera tuff is at least 850 m thick. The K-feldspar megacrystic granite porphyry is exposed over much of a 7 km × 12 km area having 650 m of relief within the western part of the caldera fill. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe with reverse geometry (SHRIMP-RG) analyses of zircon from intracaldera tuff, granite porphyry, and outflow tuff yield U-Pb ages of 70.0 ± 1.2, 69.7 ± 1.2, and 71.1 ± 0.5 Ma (95% confidence), respectively. An aeromagnetic survey indicates that the tuff is reversely magnetized, and, therefore, that the caldera-forming eruption occurred in the C31r geomagnetic polarity chron. The tuff and porphyry have arc geochemical signatures and a limited range in SiO2 of 69 to 72 wt%. Although their phenocrysts differ in size and abundance, similar quartz + K-feldspar + plagioclase + biotite mineralogy, whole-rock geochemistry, and analytically indistinguishable ages indicate that the tuff and porphyry were comagmatic. Resorption of phenocrysts in tuff and porphyry suggests that these magmas formed by thermal rejuvenation of near-solidus or solidified crystal mush. A rare magmatic enclave (54% SiO2, arc geochemical signature) in the porphyry may be similar to parental magma and provides evidence of mafic magma and thermal input.

Lentiform fork sign: a magnetic resonance finding in a case of acute metabolic acidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grasso, Daniela; Borreggine, Carmela; Perfetto, Francesco; Bertozzi, Vincenzo; Trivisano, Marina; Specchio, Luigi Maria; Grilli, Gianpaolo; Macarini, Luca

2014-06-01

We report a 33 year-old woman addicted to chronic unspecified solvents abuse with stupor, respiratory disorders, tetraplegia and severe metabolic acidosis. On admission an unenhanced cranial CT scan showed symmetrical hypodensities of both lentiform nuclei. MR imaging performed 12 hours after stupor demonstrates bilateral putaminal hemorrhagic necrosis, bilateral external capsule, corona radiata and deep cerebellar hyperintensities with right cingulate cortex involvement. DWI reflected bilateral putaminal hyperintensities with restricted water diffusion as to citotoxic edema and development of vasogenic edema in the external capsule recalling a fork. On day twenty, after specific treatments MRI demonstrated a bilateral putaminal marginal enhancement. Bilateral putaminal necrosis is a characteristic but non-specific radiological finding of methanol poisoning. Lentiform Fork sign is a rare MRI finding reported in literature in 22 patients with various conditions characterized by metabolic acidosis. Vasogenic edema may be due to the differences in metabolic vulnerability between neurons and astrocytes. We postulate that metabolic acidosis could have an important role to generate this sign.

Ferrobielastic twinning in irradiated quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiau, S.M.

1986-01-01

Cultured quartz is usually free from electrical twinning; however, it may occur if the seed crystal is twinned or if undue applied forces are exerted on the crystal. Ferrobielastic twinning was studied optically (photoelastic effect) and electrically (piezoelectric effect). At room temperature, twins were perceptible at stresses of about 2.l5 x 10 8 N/m 2 , and crystals switched from their original states to the alternative twin states at stresses about 5.0 x 10 8 N/m 2 (called coercive stress). The decrease in coercive stress with increasing temperature was observed, and these coercive stresses become very low as temperatures reach to 300 0 C. The effects of irradiation on the twinning in quartz were also studied. The presence of defects produced by irradiation was utilized to pin the domain wall motion. Both neutrons and gamma rays were employed. The stress required to nucleate an appreciable volume of twins is about twice as high for irradiated crystals than for those unirradiated. This result demonstrated that the irradiated crystals can tolerate higher stresses. However, the coercive stress for complete switch-over was not much different for irradiated and unirradiated crystals. It appears that the defects caused by irradiation eliminate the initial twinning events but do not affect switch-over

Chromatin Controls DNA Replication Origin Selection, Lagging-Strand Synthesis, and Replication Fork Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurat, Christoph F; Yeeles, Joseph T P; Patel, Harshil; Early, Anne; Diffley, John F X

2017-01-05

The integrity of eukaryotic genomes requires rapid and regulated chromatin replication. How this is accomplished is still poorly understood. Using purified yeast replication proteins and fully chromatinized templates, we have reconstituted this process in vitro. We show that chromatin enforces DNA replication origin specificity by preventing non-specific MCM helicase loading. Helicase activation occurs efficiently in the context of chromatin, but subsequent replisome progression requires the histone chaperone FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription). The FACT-associated Nhp6 protein, the nucleosome remodelers INO80 or ISW1A, and the lysine acetyltransferases Gcn5 and Esa1 each contribute separately to maximum DNA synthesis rates. Chromatin promotes the regular priming of lagging-strand DNA synthesis by facilitating DNA polymerase α function at replication forks. Finally, nucleosomes disrupted during replication are efficiently re-assembled into regular arrays on nascent DNA. Our work defines the minimum requirements for chromatin replication in vitro and shows how multiple chromatin factors might modulate replication fork rates in vivo. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Significance of Dauphiné twins in crystallographic fabrics of quartz tectonites

Science.gov (United States)

Eske Sørensen, Bjørn

2014-05-01

Dauphine twins are commonly found in quartz tectonites, however their role in deformation processes are not completely understood. This study represents a new attempt to understand the interaction between slip systems and Dauphine twins in deforming quartz-rich rocks at different temperatures. There is no doubt that Dauphine twins are mobilized under stress as this has been shown by experiments for single crystals and in polycrystalline aggregates where distinct crystallographic fabrics develop in previously randomly oriented aggregates related to minimization of elastic energy (Tullis 1972). However in quartz tectonites the Dauphine twin process is a part of interplay between plastic deformation and recovery processes which depends on PT, strain-rate and fluid composition and availability. In quartz tectonites with Y-girdle C-axis (GBM-regime) fabrics Dauphiné twins are abundant, relating different parts of r- and z rhomb "comet" distributions. This is interpreted as completion between prism slip and Dauphiné twinning. Slip rotates grains such that CRSS is low on the prism planes, but then Dauphiné twin boundaries sweeps through the grain back to the orientation giving lower stored elastic energy. The faster recovery at higher temperatures gives subgrain walls slowing down twin movement across the mm-sized grain of the GBM regime. At lower temperatures in the SGR-regime grain-size is reduced and different rotations of the grains are happening due to the domination of rhomb and basal slip. Because recrystallization is effective relative to grain-size the grains are commonly free of internal strain and subgrain walls, allowing the favorably oriented Dauphiné twin member to sweep across the whole grain overwhelming the unfavorably oriented Dauphiné twin member. As a consequence high strain reduces the number of Dauphiné twins and quartz rhomb fabrics appear trigonal, missing the "comet" shape of the GBM regime rhomb fabrics. Since Dauphiné twinning is also

The C-terminal domain of the bacterial SSB protein acts as a DNA maintenance hub at active chromosome replication forks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Audrey Costes

2010-12-01

Full Text Available We have investigated in vivo the role of the carboxy-terminal domain of the Bacillus subtilis Single-Stranded DNA Binding protein (SSB(Cter as a recruitment platform at active chromosomal forks for many proteins of the genome maintenance machineries. We probed this SSB(Cter interactome using GFP fusions and by Tap-tag and biochemical analysis. It includes at least 12 proteins. The interactome was previously shown to include PriA, RecG, and RecQ and extended in this study by addition of DnaE, SbcC, RarA, RecJ, RecO, XseA, Ung, YpbB, and YrrC. Targeting of YpbB to active forks appears to depend on RecS, a RecQ paralogue, with which it forms a stable complex. Most of these SSB partners are conserved in bacteria, while others, such as the essential DNA polymerase DnaE, YrrC, and the YpbB/RecS complex, appear to be specific to B. subtilis. SSB(Cter deletion has a moderate impact on B. subtilis cell growth. However, it markedly affects the efficiency of repair of damaged genomic DNA and arrested replication forks. ssbΔCter mutant cells appear deficient in RecA loading on ssDNA, explaining their inefficiency in triggering the SOS response upon exposure to genotoxic agents. Together, our findings show that the bacterial SSB(Cter acts as a DNA maintenance hub at active chromosomal forks that secures their propagation along the genome.

Mathematical modeling of quartz particle melting process in plasma-chemical reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volokitin, Oleg, E-mail: volokitin-oleg@mail.ru; Volokitin, Gennady, E-mail: vgg-tomsk@mail.ru; Skripnikova, Nelli, E-mail: nks2003@mai.ru; Shekhovtsov, Valentin, E-mail: shehovcov2010@yandex.ru [Tomsk State University of Architecture and Building, 2, Solyanaya Sq., 634003, Tomsk (Russian Federation); Vlasov, Viktor, E-mail: rector@tsuab.ru [Tomsk State University of Architecture and Building, 2, Solyanaya Sq., 634003, Tomsk (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 30, Lenin Ave., 634050, Tomsk (Russian Federation)

2016-01-15

Among silica-based materials vitreous silica has a special place. The paper presents the melting process of a quartz particle under conditions of low-temperature plasma. A mathematical model is designed for stages of melting in the experimental plasma-chemical reactor. As calculation data show, quartz particles having the radius of 0.21≤ r{sub p} ≤0.64 mm completely melt at W = 0.65 l/s particle feed rate depending on the Nusselt number, while 0.14≤ r{sub p} ≤0.44 mm particles melt at W = 1.4 l/s. Calculation data showed that 2 mm and 0.4 mm quartz particles completely melted during and 0.1 s respectively. Thus, phase transformations occurred in silicon dioxide play the important part in its heating up to the melting temperature.

Effect of shelf aging on vibration transmissibility of anti-vibration gloves

Science.gov (United States)

SHIBATA, Nobuyuki

2017-01-01

Anti-vibration gloves have been used in real workplaces to reduce vibration transmitted through hand-held power tools to the hand. Generally materials used for vibration attenuation in gloves are resilient materials composed of certain synthetic and/or composite polymers. The mechanical characteristics of the resilient materials used in anti-vibration gloves are prone to be influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and photo-irradiation, which cause material degradation and aging. This study focused on the influence of shelf aging on the vibration attenuation performance of air-packaged anti-vibration gloves following 2 yr of shelf aging. Effects of shelf aging on the vibration attenuation performance of anti-vibration gloves were examined according to the Japan industrial standard JIS T8114 test protocol. The findings indicate that shelf aging induces the reduction of vibration attenuation performance in air-packaged anti-vibration gloves. PMID:28978817

Measurements of the Shock Release Of Quartz and Paralyene-N

Science.gov (United States)

Hawreliak, James; Karasik, Max; Oh, Jaechul; Aglitskiy, Yefim

2017-06-01

The shock and release properties of Quartz and hydrocarbons are important to high energy density (HED) research and inertial confinement fusion (ICF) science. The bulk of HED material research studies single shock or multiple shock conditions. The challenge with measuring release properties is unlike shocks which have a single interface from which to measure the properties, the release establishes gradients in the sample. The streaked x-ray imaging capability of the NIKE laser allow the interface between quartz and CH to be measured during the release, giving measurements of the interface velocity and CH density. Here, we present experimental results from the NIKE laser where quartz and parylene-N are shock compressed to high pressure and temperature and the release state is measured through x-ray imaging. The shock state is characterized by shock front velocity measurements using VISAR and the release state is characterized by using side-on streaked x-ray radiography Work supported by DOE/NNSA.

Usability of VTL from natural quartz grains for retrospective dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, H.; Hashimoto, T.

2007-01-01

To develop retrospective dosimetry of unexpected radiation accident, basic studies on violet thermoluminescence (VTL) phenomena were conducted using natural quartz grains. All VTL glow curves of as-received samples did not exhibit peaks <250 deg. C, although for artificially irradiated quartz samples there were VTL peaks in the temperature region <250 deg. C. Therefore, accident doses could be estimated without the interference of naturally accumulated doses by VTL measurements from natural quartz. The mean lives of VTL were evaluated by the various heating rates method and the range of values was found to be between some days and ten thousands of years depending on each peak. Especially, the mean life of VTL peak at 200 deg. C was years order. Furthermore, the lower detection limit was calculated to be tens of mGy from the response curve. This value was lower than that of other methods such as ESR dosimetry. From these results, we conclude that VTL dosimetry can be preferred for accidental evaluation. (authors)

Luminescence quartz dating of lime mortars. A first research approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zacharias, N.; Mauz, B.; Michael, C.T.

2002-01-01

Lime mortars mixed with sand are well suited for connecting structural materials, like stones and bricks, due to the mechanical properties this material exhibits. Their extensive use in architectural and decorative works during the last 4000 years motivated the introduction of the 'Luminescence clock' for age determination of mortars. The same principles as for quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments were applied for age estimation of a mortar fragment removed from a Byzantine church monument dated by archaeological means to 1050-1100 years ago (the first half of the 10th century). The OSL from the quartz was monitored under blue light stimulation and UV detection, using a single-aliquot-regenerative-dose protocol. The quartz-OSL dating of the mortar resulted in 870±230 a. TL polymineral fine grain dating was also performed on a brick fragment which was connected to the mortar, resulting in a TL age of 1095±190 a. (author)

Experimental and modelling study of pulsed optically stimulated luminescence in quartz, marble and beta irradiated salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pagonis, V; Mian, S M; Barnold, C; Chithambo, M L; Christensen, E

2009-01-01

Optical stimulation luminescence (OSL) signals can be obtained using continuous-wave optical stimulation (CW-OSL), the linear modulation optical stimulation method (LM-OSL) and the time-resolved optical stimulation (TR-OSL) method. During TR-OSL measurements, the stimulation and emission of luminescence are experimentally separated in time by using short light pulses. This paper presents new TR-OSL data for annealed high purity synthetic quartz, for marble and for commercially available iodized salt. A new type of behaviour for TR-OSL signals for quartz and iodized salt is presented, in which the OSL signal exhibits a nonmonotonic behaviour during optical stimulation; this type of behaviour has not been reported previously in the literature for quartz. Furthermore, a luminescence component with very long luminescence lifetime is reported for some quartz aliquots, which may be due to the presence of a delayed-OSL (DOSL) mechanism in quartz. A new kinetic model for TR-OSL in quartz is presented, which is based on a main electron trap and on several luminescence centres. The model is used to quantitatively fit several sets of experimental data of pulsed optically stimulated luminescence from quartz.

Spectrographic analysis of metallic silicium and natural quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigoletto, T.; Lordello, A.R.

1985-01-01

A method has been developed for the spectrographic determination of B, Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Ag in silicon metal and other for Al, Ca, Mg, Ti, Cr, Mn, and Fe in natural quartz. A mixture of the matrix with a proper buffer is excited directly in a dc-arc. High-current (25A) and argon atmosphere are used for both the methods. Silicon metal is blended with 8% NaF and after 1:1 (w/w) with graphite. For natural quartz 20% NaF and 30% graphite by weight is the buffer mixture employed. The lower values in the determinations varies from 0.5 to 40 μg/g and the precision of the analysis from 7% to 45%. (Author) [pt

Recent advances of mid-infrared compact, field deployable sensors: principles and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Tittel, Frank; Gluszek, Aleksander; Hudzikowski, Arkadiusz; Dong, Lei; Li, Chunguang; Patimisco, Pietro; Sampaolo, Angelo; Spagnolo, Vincenzo; Wojtas, Jacek

2016-04-01

The recent development of compact interband cascade lasers(ICLs) and quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) based trace gas sensors will permit the targeting of strong fundamental rotational-vibrational transitions in the mid-infrared which are one to two orders of magnitude more intense than transitions in the overtone and combination bands in the near-infrared. This has led to the design and fabrication of mid-infrared compact, field deployable sensors for use in the petrochemical industry, environmental monitoring and atmospheric chemistry. Specifically, the spectroscopic detection and monitoring of four molecular species, methane (CH4) [1], ethane (C2H6), formaldehyde (H2CO) [2] and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) [3] will be described. CH4, C2H6 and H2CO can be detected using two detection techniques: mid-infrared tunable laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) using a compact multi-pass gas cell and quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS). Both techniques utilize state-of-the-art mid-IR, continuous wave (CW), distributed feedback (DFB) ICLs and QCLs. TDLAS was performed with an ultra-compact 54.6m effective optical path length innovative spherical multipass gas cell capable of 435 passes between two concave mirrors separated by 12.5 cm. QEPAS used a small robust absorption detection module (ADM) which consists of a quartz tuning fork (QTF), two optical windows, gas inlet/outlet ports and a low noise frequency pre-amplifier. Wavelength modulation and second harmonic detection were employed for spectral data processing. TDLAS and QEPAS can achieve minimum detectable absorption losses in the range from 10-8 to 10-11cm-1/Hz1/2. Several recent examples of real world applications of field deployable gas sensors will be described. For example, an ICL based TDLAS sensor system is capable of detecting CH4 and C2H6 concentration levels of 1 ppb in a 1 sec. sampling time, using an ultra-compact, robust sensor architecture. H2S detection was realized with a THz QEPAS sensor

Quartz luminescence response to a mixed alpha-beta field: Investigations on Romanian loess

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Constantin, Daniela; Jain, Mayank; Murray, Andrew S.; Buylaert, Jan-Pieter; Timar-Gabor, Alida

2015-01-01

Previous SAR-OSL dating studies using quartz extracted from Romanian and Serbian loess samples report SAR-OSL dose–response curves on fine grained (4–11 μm) quartz that grow to much higher doses compared to those of coarse-grained (63–90, 90–125, 125–180 μm) quartz. Furthermore, quartz SAR-OSL laboratory dose response curves do not reflect the growth of the OSL signal in nature. A main difference in coarse- and fine-grained quartz dating lies in the alpha irradiation history, but the effect of mixed alpha-beta fields has so far received little attention. In the present study we investigate whether the alpha dose experienced by fine grains over geological cycles of irradiation and bleaching may have an effect on the saturation characteristics of the laboratory dose response. By applying time resolved optically stimulated luminescence we confirm that the OSL signals induced in quartz by alpha and beta radiation follow the same recombination path. We also show that a mixed alpha-beta dose response reproduces the beta dose response only up to about 800 Gy. Assuming an a-value of 0.04 we have shown that laboratory alpha and beta dose response curves overlap up to effective alpha doses of ∼50 Gy. Based on these results, we conclude that exposure of fine grains to alpha radiation during burial and transport cycles prior to deposition, as well exposure to the mixed radiation field experienced during burial are not responsible for the age discrepancies previously reported on fine and coarse grained quartz extracted from Romanian and Serbian loess. - Highlights: • Prior alpha irradiation history does not influence the laboratory beta growth curves. • Alpha and beta induced photon emissions in quartz follow the same recombination path. • Laboratory alpha and beta growth curves overlap up to total alpha doses of ∼1250 Gy. • Mixed alpha-beta growth curves reproduce the beta dose response curves up to ∼800 Gy. • Mixed radiation field is not

A study of positron properties in quartz crystals and synthetic silica glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwand, W.; Brauer, G.; Hesegawa, M.; Dersch, O.; Rauch, F.

2001-01-01

The monoenergetic positron beamline 'SPONSOR' at Rossendorf has been used to investigate the positron behaviour in a naturally grown Brasilian quartz, two synthetic quartz crystals of different origin, and synthetic silica glass. The measurements allow us to obtain the positron diffusion length of free positrons and Bloch para-positronium, if formed, in these materials. In addition, hydrothermal treatment of a synthetic quartz has been used to introduce hydrogen into the crystal up to a certain depth. The presence of hydrogen is found to influence the formation of para-positronium. The depth distribution of hydrogen has been measured independently by the nuclear reaction analysis, and will be discussed in comparison with the results deduced from the positron studies. (author)

Flood-inundation maps for North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Indiana

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Zachary W.

2017-11-13

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.2-mile reach of North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding that correspond to selected water levels (stages) at the North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Ind., streamgage (USGS station number 03371650). Real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also shows observed USGS stages at the same site as the USGS streamgage (NWS site NFSI3).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional, step-backwater hydraulic modeling software developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic model was calibrated using the current (2015) stage-discharge rating at the USGS streamgage 03371650, North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Ind. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 12 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals, except for the highest profile of 22.9 ft, referenced to the streamgage datum ranging from 12.0 ft (the NWS “action stage”) to 22.9 ft, which is the highest stage of the current (2015) USGS stage-discharge rating curve and 1.9 ft higher than the NWS “major flood stage.” The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging data having a 0.98-ft vertical accuracy and 4.9-ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each stage.The availability of these maps, along with information regarding current stage from the USGS

Constraints on Alpine Fault (New Zealand) Mylonitization Temperatures and Geothermal Gradient from Ti-in-quartz Thermobarometry

OpenAIRE

Kidder, Steven; Toy, Virginia; Prior, Dave; Little, Tim; MacRae, Colin

2018-01-01

We constrain the thermal state of the central Alpine Fault using approximately 750 Ti-in-quartz SIMS analyses from a suite of variably deformed mylonites. Ti-in-quartz concentrations span more than an order of magnitude from 0.24 to ~5 ppm, suggesting recrystallization of quartz over a 300° range in temperature. Most Ti-in-quartz concentrations in mylonites, protomylonites, and the Alpine Schist protolith are between 2 and 4 ppm and do not vary as a function of grain size or bul...

Adhesion of Escherichia coli onto quartz, hematite and corundum: extended DLVO theory and flotation behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Farahat, Mohsen; Hirajima, Tsuyoshi; Sasaki, Keiko; Doi, Katsumi

2009-11-01

The adhesion of Escherichia coli onto quartz, hematite and corundum was experimentally investigated. A strain of E. coli was used that had the genes for expressing protein for silica precipitation. The maximum cell adhesion was observed at pH mineral adhesion was assessed by the extended DLVO theory approach. The essential parameters for calculation of microbe-mineral interaction energy (Hamaker constants and acid-base components) were experimentally determined. The extended DLVO approach could be used to explain the results of the adhesion experiments. The effect of E. coli on the floatability of three oxide minerals was determined and the results showed that E. coli can act as a selective collector for quartz at acidic pH values, with 90% of the quartz floated at 1.5 x 10(9)cells/ml. However, only 9% hematite and 30% corundum could be floated under similar conditions. By using E. coli and no reagents, it was possible to separate quartz from a hematite-quartz mixture with Newton's efficiency of 0.70. Removal of quartz from the corundum mixture was achieved by E. coli with Newton's efficiency of 0.62.

Acoustic loss and frequency stability studies of gamma- and proton-irradiated alpha-quartz crystal resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suter, J.J.

1988-01-01

This work examines the radiation-induced effects in alpha-quartz crystal resonators and distinguishes the various acoustic losses responsible for the frequency susceptibility over these dose ranges. Simulation of low-earth-orbit proton radiation was accomplished with protons from the Harvard University Cyclotron using a novel proton-beam modulator, which was designed to emulate a 10-120 MeV proton spectrum for the radiation susceptibility and acoustic-loss studies on AT quartz resonators. Quartz resonators having aluminum defect center concentrations between 0.01 and 19 ppm experienced proton-induced frequency shifts not correlated to their aluminum impurity content. It was also found that AT quartz resonators of the electrode-less BVA design experienced the smallest frequency shifts. Experiments conducted with 1.25-MeV gamma rays from a cobalt 60 source demonstrated identical frequency shifts in quartz, indicating that the energy losses of gamma rays and protons in quartz over the examined dose and energy ranges were similar. Acoustic-loss measurements conducted over the 0.3-70 K range revealed that the phonon-phonon and two-level energy excitation peaks near 20 and 5 K, respectively, were not affected by proton or cobalt 60 radiation

Post mortem analysis of a JET quartz microbalance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esser, H.G. [Association EURATOM-Forschungszentrum Juelich, IPP, D-52425, Juelich (Germany)]. E-mail: h.g.esser@fz-juelich.de; Philipps, V. [Association EURATOM-Forschungszentrum Juelich, IPP, D-52425, Juelich (Germany); Wienhold, P. [Association EURATOM-Forschungszentrum Juelich, IPP, D-52425, Juelich (Germany); Sugiyama, K. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Kreter, A. [Association EURATOM-Forschungszentrum Juelich, IPP, D-52425, Juelich (Germany); Coad, J.P. [UKAEA/EURATOM Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon (United Kingdom); Tanabe, T. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan)

2007-06-15

In the year 2001, a quartz microbalance system (QMB) was installed in the remote area of the inner JET divertor to investigate in situ material erosion and redeposition processes. When removed in 2004, the system was found to be coated all over with carbon deposits. The deposit on the quartz oscillator and the outer and inner housing was analysed by various methods, as SIMS (secondary ion mass spectroscopy), stylus depth profilometry, EPMA (electron probe microanalysis), TIPT (Tritium imaging plate technique) and colorimetry and compared to the frequency change of the quartz. The layer thickness was determined to 1.85 {+-} 0.1 {mu}m in average on an area of 0.95 cm{sup 2} which has to be related to the equivalent of 1.77 x 10{sup -4} g measured from the frequency change of 23 640 Hz. This corresponds to a carbon areal density of 9.3 x 10{sup 18} C atoms/cm{sup 2}. Significant deposition was found also on the surfaces inside the QMB housing which can only be understood if reflection and low sticking is assumed for a high fraction of particles.

Integrated Outcrop and Subsurface Studies of the Interwell Environment of Carbonate Reservoirs: Clear Fork (Leonaradian Age) Reservoirs, West Texas and New Mexico, Semi-Annual; SEMIANNUAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruppel, Stephen C.; Jennings, James W.; Laubach, Stephen E.

2001-01-01

Outcrop studies include stratigraphic and petrophysical analysis. Analysis of the detailed sequence- and cycle-scale architecture of the Clear Fork reservoir-equivalent outcrops in Apache Canyon is nearly complete. This work reveals two high-frequency transgressive-regressive sequences (HFS) in the lower Clear Fork composite depositional sequence and three HFS in the basal middle Clear Fork composite depositional sequence. A 1,800-ft transect of 1-inch-diameter samples was collected from one cycle at the Apache Canyon outcrop. The transect was sampled with 5-ft spacing, but there were some gaps due to cover and cliff, resulting in 181 samples. Permeability, porosity, and grain density were measured, and the spatial statistics are being analyzed geostatistically

Relationship of Technological Properties with Dynamic Recrystallization of Quartz on the Example of Objects of the Karelian-Kola Region

Science.gov (United States)

Skamnitskaya, Lubov; Rakov, Leonid; Bubnova, Tatyana; Shchiptsov, Vladimir

2017-12-01

Despite the significant reserves of quartz raw materials, there is a deficit of high purity quartz. It is due to the strict technical requirements imposed by standards for this type of raw materials and technological properties of quartz, which are determined by the features of the crystal structure. The crystalline structure is of particular importance for the technological properties of quartz, since such important characteristics as the limit of raw material enrichment, dissolution rate in acid, melting point of quartz, etc., are determined. The formation of the crystal structure of quartz under natural conditions is associated with the successive dynamic recrystallization of the mineral. The degree of dynamic recrystallization of quartz reflects the distribution of dispersed impurities. If it is weakly manifested, the dispersed impurities are not displaced from one zone to another, and all quartz microblocks contain approximately the same concentration. In this case, more or less uniform dissolution of various regions of quartz is observed, and the pattern of distribution of submicroscopic inhomogeneities is monotonic. If intensive dynamic recrystallization of quartz takes place, then it causes a significant redistribution of the scattered impurities. Then the treatment in HF leads to the appearance of a contrast pattern of the distribution of submicroscopic inhomogeneities. The details of the crystal structure of quartz in this work were investigated by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method using the ER-420 “Bruker” spectrometer. In the selected samples of quartz, the concentrations of isomorphic impurities Al and Ti were measured, and the degree of crystallinity D of the mineral was estimated from the EPR spectra of each of them. Thus, the technological properties of quartz are determined by various geological processes. The results of the studies show that when evaluating the prospects of quartz raw materials, it is necessary to take into

Magma reservoir dynamics at Toba caldera, Indonesia, recorded by oxygen isotope zoning in quartz.

Science.gov (United States)

Budd, David A; Troll, Valentin R; Deegan, Frances M; Jolis, Ester M; Smith, Victoria C; Whitehouse, Martin J; Harris, Chris; Freda, Carmela; Hilton, David R; Halldórsson, Sæmundur A; Bindeman, Ilya N

2017-01-25

Quartz is a common phase in high-silica igneous rocks and is resistant to post-eruptive alteration, thus offering a reliable record of magmatic processes in silicic magma systems. Here we employ the 75 ka Toba super-eruption as a case study to show that quartz can resolve late-stage temporal changes in magmatic δ 18 O values. Overall, Toba quartz crystals exhibit comparatively high δ 18 O values, up to 10.2‰, due to magma residence within, and assimilation of, local granite basement. However, some 40% of the analysed quartz crystals display a decrease in δ 18 O values in outermost growth zones compared to their cores, with values as low as 6.7‰ (maximum ∆ core-rim  = 1.8‰). These lower values are consistent with the limited zircon record available for Toba, and the crystallisation history of Toba quartz traces an influx of a low-δ 18 O component into the magma reservoir just prior to eruption. Here we argue that this late-stage low-δ 18 O component is derived from hydrothermally-altered roof material. Our study demonstrates that quartz isotope stratigraphy can resolve magmatic events that may remain undetected by whole-rock or zircon isotope studies, and that assimilation of altered roof material may represent a viable eruption trigger in large Toba-style magmatic systems.

A short G1 phase imposes constitutive replication stress and fork remodelling in mouse embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahuja, Akshay K.; Jodkowska, Karolina; Teloni, Federico

2016-01-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent a transient biological state, where pluripotency is coupled with fast proliferation. ESCs display a constitutively active DNA damage response (DDR), but its molecular determinants have remained elusive. Here we show in cultured ESCs and mouse embryos that H2AX...... these marks of replication stress do not impair the mitotic process and are rapidly lost at differentiation onset. Delaying the G1/S transition in ESCs allows formation of 53BP1 nuclear bodies and suppresses ssDNA accumulation, fork slowing and reversal in the following S-phase. Genetic inactivation of fork...... slowing and reversal leads to chromosomal breakage in unperturbed ESCs. We propose that rapid cell cycle progression makes ESCs dependent on effective replication-coupled mechanisms to protect genome integrity....

75 FR 12468 - Airworthiness Directives; Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. Model 11E Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-16

... Aerospace, Inc. Model 11E Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of... airworthiness directive (AD) for all Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. Model 11E airplanes. This proposed AD would... 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. is in...

Nitrate-cancrinite precipitation on quartz sand in simulated Hanford tank solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bickmore, B R; Nagy, K L; Young, J S; Drexler, J W

2001-11-15

Caustic NaNO3 solutions containing dissolved Al were reacted with quartz sand at 89 degrees C to simulate possible reactions between leaked nuclear waste and primary subsurface minerals at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford site in Washington. Nitrate-cancrinite began to precipitate onto the quartz after 2-10 days, cementing the grains together. Estimates of the equilibrium constant for the precipitation reaction differ for solutions with 0.1 or 1.0 m OH- (log Keq = 30.4 +/- 0.8 and 36.2 +/- 0.6, respectively). The difference in solubility may be attributable to more perfect crystallinity (i.e., fewer stacking faults) in the higher-pH cancrinite structure. This is supported by electron micrographs of crystal morphology and measured rates of Na volatilization under an electron beam. Precipitate crystallinity may affect radionuclide mobility, because stacking faults in the cancrinite structure can diminish its zeolitic cation exchange properties. The precipitation rate near the onset of nucleation depends on the total Al and Si concentrations in solution. The evolution of experimental Si concentrations was modeled by considering the dependence of quartz dissolution rate on AI(OH)4- activity, cancrinite precipitation, and the reduction of reactive surface area of quartz due to coverage by cancrinite.

Gas loading of graphene-quartz surface acoustic wave devices

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, E. F.; Chick, E. M.; Bandhu, L.; Lawton, L. M.; Nash, G. R.

2013-08-01

Graphene was transferred to the propagation path of quartz surface acoustic wave devices and the attenuation due to gas loading of air and argon measured at 70 MHz and 210 MHz and compared to devices with no graphene. Under argon loading, there was no significant difference between the graphene and non-graphene device and the values of measured attenuation agree well with those calculated theoretically. Under air loading, at 210 MHz, there was a significant difference between the non-graphene and graphene devices, with the average value of attenuation obtained with the graphene devices being approximately twice that obtained from the bare quartz devices.

Quartz microbalance device for transfer into ultrahigh vacuum systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stavale, F.; Achete, C. A.; Niehus, H.

2008-01-01

An uncomplicated quartz microbalance device has been developed which is transferable into ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) systems. The device is extremely useful for flux calibration of different kinds of material evaporators. Mounted on a commercial specimen holder, the device allows fast quartz microbalance transfer into the UHV and subsequent positioning exactly to the sample location where subsequent thin film deposition experiments shall be carried out. After backtransfer into an UHV sample stage, the manipulator may be loaded in situ with the specimen suited for the experiment. The microbalance device capability is demonstrated for monolayer and submonolayer vanadium depositions with an achieved calibration sensitivity of less the 0.001 ML coverage.

Characterization of silica quartz as raw material in photovoltaic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boussaa, S. Anas, E-mail: sabiha.anas@gmail.com; Kheloufi, A.; Kefaifi, A.; Kerkar, F. [Division croissance cristalline et procédés métallurgiques CCPM Centre de recherche en technologie des semi-conducteurs pour l’énergétique (C.R.T.S.E) 02 Bd Frantz Fanon BP. 140 Alger 7 merveilles, Alger 16200 (Algeria); Zaourar, N. Boutarek [Laboratoire des technologies des matériaux, USTHB, B.P. 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algérie 16111 (Algeria)

2016-07-25

Raw materials are essential for the functioning of modern societies, and access to these raw materials is vital to the world economy. Sustainable development, both globally level, raises important new challenges associated with access and efficient use of raw materials. High purity quartz, is consider as a critical raw material and it is a rare commodity that only forms under geological conditions where a narrow set of chemical and physical parameters is fulfilled. When identified and following special beneficiation techniques, high purity quartz obtains very attractive prices and is applied in high technology sectors that currently are under rapid expansion such as photovoltaic solar cells, silicon metal - oxide wafers in the semiconductor industry and long distance optical fibers that are used in communication networks. Crystalline silicon remains the principal material for photovoltaic technology. Metallurgical silicon is produced industrially by the reduction of silica with carbon in an electric arc furnace at temperatures higher than 2000 °C in the hottest parts, by a reaction that can be written ideally as: SiO{sub 2} + 2C = Si + 2CO. The aim of this study has been to test experimental methods for investigating the various physical and chemical proprieties of Hoggar quartz with different techniques: X Ray Fluorescence, infra-red spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Optic Microscopy, Carbon Analyzer and Vickers Hardness. The results show finally that the quartz has got good result in purity but need enrichment for the photovoltaic application.

Theoretical modelling of experimental diagnostic procedures employed during pre-dose dosimetry of quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pagonis, V.; Chen, R.; Kitis, G.

2006-01-01

The pre-dose technique in thermoluminescence (TL) is used for dating archaeological ceramics and for accident dosimetry. During routine applications of this technique, the sensitisation of the quartz samples is measured as a function of the annealing temperature, yielding the so-called thermal activation characteristic (TAC). The measurement of multiple TACs and the study of the effect of UV-radiation on the TL sensitivity of quartz are important analytical and diagnostic tools. In this paper, it is shown that a modified Zimmerman model for quartz can successfully model the experimental steps undertaken during a measurement of multiple TACs. (authors)

Multiplexing of adjacent vortex modes with the forked grating coupler

Science.gov (United States)

Nadovich, Christopher T.; Kosciolek, Derek J.; Crouse, David T.; Jemison, William D.

2017-08-01

For vortex fiber multiplexing to reach practical commercial viability, simple silicon photonic interfaces with vortex fiber will be required. These interfaces must support multiplexing. Toward this goal, an efficient singlefed multimode Forked Grating Coupler (FGC) for coupling two different optical vortex OAM charges to or from the TE0 and TE1 rectangular waveguide modes has been developed. A simple, apodized device implemented with e-beam lithography and a conventional dual-etch processing on SOI wafer exhibits low crosstalk and reasonable mode match. Advanced designs using this concept are expected to further improve performance.

Luminescence lifetimes in quartz: dependence on annealing temperature prior to beta irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galloway, R.B.

2002-01-01

It is well known that the thermal history of a quartz sample influences the optically stimulated luminescence sensitivity of the quartz. It is found that the optically stimulated luminescence lifetime, determined from time resolved spectra obtained with pulsed stimulation, also depends on past thermal treatment. For samples at 20 deg. C during stimulation, the lifetime depends on beta dose and on duration of preheating at 220 deg. C prior to stimulation for quartz annealed at 600 deg. C and above, but is independent of these factors for quartz annealed at 500 deg. C and below. For stimulation at higher temperatures, the lifetime becomes shorter if the sample is held at temperatures above 125 deg. C during stimulation, in a manner consistent with thermal quenching. A single exponential decay is all that is required to fit the time resolved spectra for un-annealed quartz regardless of the temperature during stimulation (20-175 deg. C), or to fit the time resolved spectra from all samples held at 20 deg. C during stimulation, regardless of annealing temperature (20-1000 deg. C). An additional shorter lifetime is found for some combinations of annealing temperature and temperature during stimulation. The results are discussed in terms of a model previously used to explain thermal sensitisation. The luminescence lifetime data are best explained by the presence of two principal luminescence centres, their relative importance depending on the annealing temperature, with a third centre involved for limited combinations of annealing temperature and temperature during stimulation

High-Precision Hysteresis Sensing of the Quartz Crystal Inductance-to-Frequency Converter.

Science.gov (United States)

Matko, Vojko; Milanović, Miro

2016-06-28

A new method for the automated measurement of the hysteresis of the temperature-compensated inductance-to-frequency converter with a single quartz crystal is proposed. The new idea behind this method is a converter with two programmable analog switches enabling the automated measurement of the converter hysteresis, as well as the temperature compensation of the quartz crystal and any other circuit element. Also used is the programmable timing control device that allows the selection of different oscillating frequencies. In the proposed programmable method two different inductances connected in series to the quartz crystal are switched in a short time sequence, compensating the crystal's natural temperature characteristics (in the temperature range between 0 and 50 °C). The procedure allows for the measurement of the converter hysteresis at various values of capacitance connected in parallel with the quartz crystal for the converter sensitivity setting at selected inductance. It, furthermore, enables the measurement of hysteresis at various values of inductance at selected parallel capacitance (sensitivity) connected to the quartz crystal. The article shows that the proposed hysteresis measurement of the converter, which converts the inductance in the range between 95 and 100 μH to a frequency in the range between 1 and 200 kHz, has only 7 × 10(-13) frequency instability (during the temperature change between 0 and 50 °C) with a maximum 1 × 10(-11) hysteresis frequency difference.

High-Precision Hysteresis Sensing of the Quartz Crystal Inductance-to-Frequency Converter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vojko Matko

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A new method for the automated measurement of the hysteresis of the temperature-compensated inductance-to-frequency converter with a single quartz crystal is proposed. The new idea behind this method is a converter with two programmable analog switches enabling the automated measurement of the converter hysteresis, as well as the temperature compensation of the quartz crystal and any other circuit element. Also used is the programmable timing control device that allows the selection of different oscillating frequencies. In the proposed programmable method two different inductances connected in series to the quartz crystal are switched in a short time sequence, compensating the crystal’s natural temperature characteristics (in the temperature range between 0 and 50 °C. The procedure allows for the measurement of the converter hysteresis at various values of capacitance connected in parallel with the quartz crystal for the converter sensitivity setting at selected inductance. It, furthermore, enables the measurement of hysteresis at various values of inductance at selected parallel capacitance (sensitivity connected to the quartz crystal. The article shows that the proposed hysteresis measurement of the converter, which converts the inductance in the range between 95 and 100 μH to a frequency in the range between 1 and 200 kHz, has only 7 × 10−13 frequency instability (during the temperature change between 0 and 50 °C with a maximum 1 × 10−11 hysteresis frequency difference.

Diagenèse expérimentale du quartz en présence d'hydrocarbures

OpenAIRE

Teinturier , Stéphane

2002-01-01

Quartz cementation has a great impact on petroleum reservoir quality by controlling the porosity and thus the gas or oil storage. Experiments were carried out in a silica+-water+-salts+-oil+-gas system with the objective to simulate the siliceous diagenesis of natural petroleum reservoirs and to better understand the mechanisms of fluid inclusions formation and quartz cementation in a water and/or petroleum system.; La cimentation du quartz est un processus diagénétique important puisqu'elle ...

Vibration mixer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alekhin, S.A.; Chernov, V.S.; Denisenko, V.V.; Gorodnyanskiy, I.F.; Prokopov, L.I.; Tikhonov, Yu.P.

1983-01-01

The vibration mixer is proposed which contains a housing, vibration drive with rod installed in the upper part of the mixing mechanism made in the form of a hollow shaft with blades. In order to improve intensity of mixing and dispersion of the mud, the shaft with the blades is arranged on the rod of the vibrator and is equipped with a cam coupling whose drive disc is attached to the vibration rod. The rod is made helical, while the drive disc of the cam coupling is attached to the helical surface of the rod. In addition, the vibration mixer is equipped with perforated discs installed on the ends of the rods.

Experimental deformation in sandstone, carbonates and quartz aggregate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheung, Cecilia See Nga [Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)

2015-05-01

The first part of my thesis is mainly focused on the effect of grain size distribution on compaction localization in porous sandstone. To identify the microstructural parameters that influence compaction band formation, I conducted a systematic study of mechanical deformation, failure mode and microstructural evolution in Bleurswiller and Boise sandstones, of similar porosity (~25%) and mineralogy but different sorting. Discrete compaction bands were observed to develop over a wide range of pressure in the Bleurswiller sandstone that has a relatively uniform grain size distribution. In contrast, compaction localization was not observed in the poorly sorted Boise sandstone. My results demonstrate that grain size distribution exerts important influence on compaction band development, in agreement with recently published data from Valley of Fire and Buckskin Gulch, as well as numerical studies. The second part aimed to improve current knowledge on inelastic behavior, failure mode and brittle-ductile transition in another sedimentary rock, porous carbonates. A micritic Tavel (porosity of ~13%) and an allochemical Indiana (~18%) limestones were deformed under compaction in wet and dry conditions. At lower confining pressures, shear localization occurred in brittle faulting regime. Through transitional regime, the deformation switched to cataclastic flow regime at higher confining pressure. Specifically in the cataclastic regime, the (dry and wet) Tavel and dry Indiana failed by distributed cataclastic flow, while in contrast, wet Indiana failed as compaction localization. My results demonstrate that different failure modes and mechanical behaviors under different deformation regimes and water saturation are fundamental prior to any geophysical application in porous carbonates. The third part aimed to focus on investigating compaction on quartz aggregate starting at low (MPa) using X-ray diffraction. We report the diffraction peak evolution of quartz with increasing

Thermal dependence of luminescence lifetimes and radioluminescence in quartz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pagonis, V., E-mail: vpagonis@mcdaniel.edu [McDaniel College, Physics Department, Westminster, MD 21157 (United States); Chithambo, M.L. [Department of Physics and Electronics, Rhodes University, PO BOX 94, Grahamstown 6140 (South Africa); Chen, R. [Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978 (Israel); Chruścińska, A. [Institute of Physics, Nicholas Copernicus University, 87-100 Toruń (Poland); Fasoli, M. [Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Li, S.H. [Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Martini, M. [Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Ramseyer, K. [Institut für Geologie, Baltzerstrasse 1-3, 3012 Bern (Switzerland)

2014-01-15

During time-resolved optical stimulation experiments (TR-OSL), one uses short light pulses to separate the stimulation and emission of luminescence in time. Experimental TR-OSL results show that the luminescence lifetime in quartz of sedimentary origin is independent of annealing temperature below 500 °C, but decreases monotonically thereafter. These results have been interpreted previously empirically on the basis of the existence of two separate luminescence centers L{sub H} and L{sub L} in quartz, each with its own distinct luminescence lifetime. Additional experimental evidence also supports the presence of a non-luminescent hole reservoir R, which plays a critical role in the predose effect in this material. This paper extends a recently published analytical model for thermal quenching in quartz, to include the two luminescence centers L{sub H} and L{sub L}, as well as the hole reservoir R. The new extended model involves localized electronic transitions between energy states within the two luminescence centers, and is described by a system of differential equations based on the Mott–Seitz mechanism of thermal quenching. It is shown that by using simplifying physical assumptions, one can obtain analytical solutions for the intensity of the light during a TR-OSL experiment carried out with previously annealed samples. These analytical expressions are found to be in good agreement with the numerical solutions of the equations. The results from the model are shown to be in quantitative agreement with published experimental data for commercially available quartz samples. Specifically the model describes the variation of the luminescence lifetimes with (a) annealing temperatures between room temperature and 900 °C, and (b) with stimulation temperatures between 20 and 200 °C. This paper also reports new radioluminescence (RL) measurements carried out using the same commercially available quartz samples. Gaussian deconvolution of the RL emission spectra was

Optical fiber grating vibration sensor for vibration monitoring of hydraulic pump

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhengyi; Liu, Chuntong; Li, Hongcai; He, Zhenxin; Zhao, Xiaofeng

2017-06-01

In view of the existing electrical vibration monitoring traditional hydraulic pump vibration sensor, the high false alarm rate is susceptible to electromagnetic interference and is not easy to achieve long-term reliable monitoring, based on the design of a beam of the uniform strength structure of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) vibration sensor. In this paper, based on the analysis of the vibration theory of the equal strength beam, the principle of FBG vibration tuning based on the equal intensity beam is derived. According to the practical application of the project, the structural dimensions of the equal strength beam are determined, and the optimization design of the vibrator is carried out. The finite element analysis of the sensor is carried out by ANSYS, and the first order resonant frequency is 94.739 Hz. The vibration test of the sensor is carried out by using the vibration frequency of 35 Hz and the vibration source of 50 Hz. The time domain and frequency domain analysis results of test data show that the sensor has good dynamic response characteristics, which can realize the accurate monitoring of the vibration frequency and meet the special requirements of vibration monitoring of hydraulic pump under specific environment.

Hydrogen sensing method with a quartz sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, A.; Kurokawa, A.; Nonaka, H.

2006-01-01

The stability for hydrogen leakage detection was improved by impedance measurement with a quartz sensor (Q-sensor) instead of pressure measurement with a quartz friction pressure gauge (Q-gauge) previously used. Degree of the experimental fluctuation of the impedance from the Q-sensor and of the pressure from the Q-gauge was 0.06 and 0.2 % of each output, thus showing that the Q-sensor measurement was more stable than that by the Q-gauge. Estimated minimum detection limit for hydrogen by the Q-sensor impedance measurement is also improved compared to the Q-gauge pressure measurement. Low hydrogen concentration experiment presented that the Q-sensor impedance measurement detects the 0.05 vol.% hydrogen in air at atmospheric pressure more sensitively than the Q-gauge pressure measurement. It was proved that the Q-sensor impedance measurement was more sensitive and stable as a hydrogen leakage detection method than the Q-gauge pressure measurement. (authors)

Aspects of pre-dose and other luminescence phenomena in quartz absorbed dose estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamiec, G.

2000-01-01

The understanding of all luminescence processes occurring in quartz is of paramount importance in the further development of robust absorbed dose estimation techniques (for the purpose of dating and retrospective dosimetry). The findings presented in this thesis, aid future improvements of absorbed dose estimation techniques using quartz by presenting investigations in the following areas: 1) interpretation of measurement results, 2) numerical modelling of luminescence in quartz, 3) phenomena needing inclusion in future physical models of luminescence. In the first part, the variability of properties of single quartz grains is examined. Through empirical and theoretical considerations, investigations are made of various problems of measurements of luminescence using multi-grain aliquots, and specifically areas where the heterogeneity of the sample at the inter-grain level may be misinterpreted at the multi-grain-aliquot level. The results obtained suggest that the heterogeneity of samples is often overlooked, and that such differences can have a profound influence on the interpretation of measurement results. Discussed are the shape of TL glow curves, OSL decay curves, dose response curves (including consequences for using certain signals as proxies for others), normalisation procedures and D E estimation techniques. Further, a numerical model of luminescence is proposed, which includes multiple R-centres and is used to describe the pre-dose sensitisation in quartz. The numerical model exhibits a broad-scale behaviour observed experimentally in a sample of annealed quartz. The shapes of TAC for lower (20 Gy) and higher doses (1 kGy) and the evolution with temperature of the isothermal sensitisation curves are qualitatively matched for the empirical and numerical systems. In the third area, a preliminary investigation of the properties of the '110 deg. C peak' in the 550 nm emission band, in annealed quartz is presented. These properties are in sharp contrast with

Fork-join and data-driven execution models on multi-core architectures: Case study of the FMM

KAUST Repository

Amer, Abdelhalim; Maruyama, Naoya; Pericà s, Miquel; Taura, Kenjiro; Yokota, Rio; Matsuoka, Satoshi

2013-01-01

Extracting maximum performance of multi-core architectures is a difficult task primarily due to bandwidth limitations of the memory subsystem and its complex hierarchy. In this work, we study the implications of fork-join and data-driven execution

Continuous water-quality monitoring and regression analysis to estimate constituent concentrations and loads in the Red River of the North at Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota, 2003-12

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Joel M.

2014-01-01

The Red River of the North (hereafter referred to as “Red River”) Basin is an important hydrologic region where water is a valuable resource for the region’s economy. Continuous water-quality monitors have been operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, City of Fargo, City of Moorhead, City of Grand Forks, and City of East Grand Forks at the Red River at Fargo, North Dakota, from 2003 through 2012 and at Grand Forks, N.Dak., from 2007 through 2012. The purpose of the monitoring was to provide a better understanding of the water-quality dynamics of the Red River and provide a way to track changes in water quality. Regression equations were developed that can be used to estimate concentrations and loads for dissolved solids, sulfate, chloride, nitrate plus nitrite, total phosphorus, and suspended sediment using explanatory variables such as streamflow, specific conductance, and turbidity. Specific conductance was determined to be a significant explanatory variable for estimating dissolved solids concentrations at the Red River at Fargo and Grand Forks. The regression equations provided good relations between dissolved solid concentrations and specific conductance for the Red River at Fargo and at Grand Forks, with adjusted coefficients of determination of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. Specific conductance, log-transformed streamflow, and a seasonal component were statistically significant explanatory variables for estimating sulfate in the Red River at Fargo and Grand Forks. Regression equations provided good relations between sulfate concentrations and the explanatory variables, with adjusted coefficients of determination of 0.94 and 0.89, respectively. For the Red River at Fargo and Grand Forks, specific conductance, streamflow, and a seasonal component were statistically significant explanatory variables for estimating chloride. For the Red River at Grand Forks, a time

North Fork Feather River Erosion Control Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, L.

1991-01-01

PG and E, an investor owned gas and electric utility serving northern and central California, has been engaged since 1984 in the development and implementation of a regional erosion control program for the 954 square mile northern Sierra Nevada watersheed of the East Branch of the North Fork Feather River in Plumas County, California. PG and E entered into an agreement with 13 governmental agencies and a number of private landowners using Coordinated Resource Management and Planning: to cooperatively develop, fund and implement the program. The group has completed several field projects and has a number of additional projects in various stages of development. This paper reports that the program provides multiple environmental and economic benefits including reduction of soil erosion and sedimentation, improved fisheries, enhancement of riparian habitat, increased land values, improved recreation opportunities, and preservation of watershed resources

Planar Laser-Based QEPAS Trace Gas Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yufei Ma

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A novel quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS trace gas detection scheme is reported in this paper. A cylindrical lens was employed for near-infrared laser focusing. The laser beam was shaped as a planar line laser between the gap of the quartz tuning fork (QTF prongs. Compared with a spherical lens-based QEPAS sensor, the cylindrical lens-based QEPAS sensor has the advantages of easier laser beam alignment and a reduction of stringent stability requirements. Therefore, the reported approach is useful in long-term and continuous sensor operation.

Design and fabrication of an AT-cut quartz phononic Lamb wave resonator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, Chia-Hao; Liu, Ting-Wei; Wu, Tsung-Tsong; Wang, Wei-Shan; Esashi, Masayoshi; Lin, Yu-Ching; Sun, Jia-Hong; Chen, Yung-Yu

2013-01-01

This paper presents results on the design and fabrication of an AT-cut quartz Lamb wave resonator with phononic crystal (PC) reflective gratings. The deep reactive ion etching process with a laboratory-made etcher was utilized to fabricate PC structures of the AT-cut quartz Lamb wave resonator. The finite element method was adopted to calculate the PC band structure, effective reflective distance from the PC boundary and further the resonant modes and admittance of the phononic Lamb wave resonant cavity. Through the comparison studies between the experimental and simulated results, a design process for the AT-cut quartz phononic Lamb wave resonator was proposed. It is noted that by using the phononic reflectors, the size of the Lamb wave resonator can be reduced significantly. (paper)

Quantitative Classification of Quartz by Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy in Conjunction with Discriminant Function Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ali

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A responsive laser induced breakdown spectroscopic system was developed and improved for utilizing it as a sensor for the classification of quartz samples on the basis of trace elements present in the acquired samples. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS in conjunction with discriminant function analysis (DFA was applied for the classification of five different types of quartz samples. The quartz plasmas were produced at ambient pressure using Nd:YAG laser at fundamental harmonic mode (1064 nm. We optimized the detection system by finding the suitable delay time of the laser excitation. This is the first study, where the developed technique (LIBS+DFA was successfully employed to probe and confirm the elemental composition of quartz samples.

Quartz substrate infrared photonic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Ghadiri, Khosrow; Rejeb, Jalel; Vitchev, Vladimir N.

2003-01-01

This paper presents the fabrication of a planar photonic crystal (p2c) made of a square array of dielectric rods embedded in air, operating in the infrared spectrum. A quartz substrate is employed instead of the commonly used silicon or column III-V substrate. Our square structure has a normalized cylinder radius-to-pitch ratio of r/a = 0.248 and dielectric material contrast ɛr of 4.5. We choose a Z-cut synthetic quartz for its cut (geometry), and etching properties. Then a particular Z-axis etching process is employed in order to ensure the sharp-edged verticality of the rods and fast etching speed. We also present the computer simulations that allowed the establishment of the photonic band gaps (PBG) of our photonic crystal, as well as the actual measurements. An experimental measurement have been carried out and compared with different simulations. It was found that experimental results are in good agreement with different simulation results. Finally, a frequency selective device for optical communication based on the introduction of impurity sites in the photonic crystal is presented. With our proposed structure Optical System on a Chip (OsoC) with micro-cavity based active devices such as lasers, diodes, modulators, couplers, frequency selective emitters, add-drop filters, detectors, mux/demuxes and polarizers connected by passive waveguide links can be realized.

Evaluation of Calendar Year 1996 groundwater and surface water quality data for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime at the US Department of Energy Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

This report presents an evaluation of the groundwater monitoring data obtained in the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime) during calendar year (CY) 1996. The East Fork Regime encompasses several confirmed and suspected sources of groundwater contamination within industrialized areas of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Y-12 Plant in Bear Creek Valley (BCV) southeast of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The CY 1996 groundwater and surface water monitoring data are presented in Calendar Year 1996 Annual Groundwater Monitoring Report for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime at the US Department of Energy Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, along with the required data evaluations specified in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) post-closure permit for the East Fork Regime. This report provides additional evaluation of the CY 1996 groundwater and surface water monitoring data with an emphasis on regime-wide groundwater contamination and long-term concentration trends for regulated and non-regulated monitoring parameters

SORPTION AND DISPERSION OF STRONTIUM RADIONUCLIDE IN THE BENTONITE-QUARTZ-CLAY AS BACKFILL MATERIAL CANDIDATE ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herry Poernomo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The experiment of sorption and dispersion characteristics of strontium in the mixture of bentonite-quartz, clay-quartz, bentonite-clay-quartz as candidate of raw material for backfill material in the radioactive waste repository has been performed. The objective of this research is to know the grain size effect of bentonite, clay, and quartz on the weight percent ratio of bentonite to quartz, clay to quartz, bentonite to clay to-quartz can be gives physical characteristics of best such as bulk density (rb, effective porosity (e, permeability (K, best sorption characteristic such as distribution coefficient (Kd, and best dispersion characteristics such as dispersivity (a and effective dispersion coefficient (De of strontium in the backfill material candidate. The experiment was carried out in the column filled by the mixture of bentonite-quartz, clay-quartz, bentonite-clay-quartz with the weight percent ratio of bentonite to quartz, clay to quartz, bentonite to clay to quartz of 100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80, 0/100 respectively at saturated condition of water, then flowed 0.1 N Sr(NO32 as buffer solution with tracer of 0.05 Ci/cm3 90Sr as strontium radionuclide simulation was leached from immobilized radioactive waste in the radioactive waste repository. The concentration of 90Sr in the effluents represented as Ct were analyzed by Ortec b counter every 30 min, then by using profile concentration of Co and Ct, values of Kd, a and De of 90Sr in the backfill material was determined. The experiment data showed that the best results were -80+120 mesh grain size of bentonite, clay, quartz respectively on the weight percent ratio of bentonite to clay to quartz of 70/10/20 with physical characteristics of rb = 0.658 g/cm3, e = 0.666 cm3/cm3, and K = 1.680x10-2 cm/sec, sorption characteristic of Kd = 46.108 cm3/g, dispersion characteristics of a = 5.443 cm, and De = 1.808x10-03 cm2/sec can be proposed as candidate of raw material of backfill material

Variation of airborne quartz in air of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gang; Li, Yingming; Zhang, Hongxing; Li, Honghua; Gao, Guanjun; Zhou, Qian; Gao, Yuan; Li, Wenjuan; Sun, Huizhong; Wang, Xiaoke; Zhang, Qinghua

2016-01-01

Quartz particles are a toxic component of airborne particulate matter (PM). Quartz concentrations were analyzed by X-ray diffraction in eighty-seven airborne PM samples collected from three locations in Beijing before, during, and after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in 2014. The results showed that the mean concentrations of quartz in PM samples from the two urban sites were considerably higher than those from the rural site. The quartz concentrations in samples collected after the APEC meeting, when the pollution restriction lever was lifted, were higher than those in the samples collected before or during the APEC meeting. The quartz concentrations ranged from 0.97 to 13.2 μg/m(3), which were among the highest values amid those reported from other countries. The highest quartz concentration exceeded the Californian Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment reference exposure level and was close to the occupational threshold limit values for occupational settings. Moreover, a correlation analysis showed that quartz concentrations were positively correlated with concentrations of pollution parameters PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NOx, but were negatively correlated with O3 concentration. The results suggest that the airborne quartz particles may potentially pose health risks to the general population of Beijing. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Natural quartz TL property and similarity in Piper nigrum L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman A, S.; Cruz Z, E.; Furetta, C.; Brown, F.; Barboza F, M.

2009-10-01

Quartz is a mineral abundant in nature and can provide information thermoluminescent (TL), and also is located in the mineral fraction of some herbs and spices consumed. It is present the analysis of the TL properties of a sample of natural quartz rock and compared with those obtained from the fraction of Piper nigrum L. poly mineral when they were exposed to 60 Co gamma radiation. The poly minerals of Piper nigrum L. were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, where the quartz was found as a major component. They separated in different particle sizes (10, 53, 74 and 149 μm). The samples were irradiated at relatively low doses (1-500 Gy) and high (0.1-40 kGy) in order to determine the linearity of the TL emission as a function of the dose and the analysis of glow curves. Also there was the fading of the TL signal, the effect of ultra violet light. The reproducibility of the TL signal in the samples indicates that a smaller particle size gives better TL signal. (author)

Analysis of optical bleaching of OSL signal in sediment quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Przegiętka, K.R.; Chruścińska, A.

2013-01-01

The aim of this work was to study the effect of the quality of optical bleaching on the results of OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) dating method. The large aliquots of coarse quartz grains extracted from fluvial deposit were used in the study. The poor, medium and good bleaching were simulated in laboratory with help of Blue LED light source in series of experiments. Then the samples were irradiated with a common laboratory dose. The equivalent doses (DE) were measured by the help of standard Single Aliquot Regeneration (SAR) technique, but obtained DE distributions are analyzed in a new way. The method for recognizing and compensating for partial bleaching is proposed. The conclusions for dating sediment quartz samples are presented and discussed. -- Highlights: ► Bleaching experiments on sediment quartz are performed. ► Blue LED light source incorporated in luminescence reader is used. ► New analysis of data measured by standard SAR OSL technique is proposed. ► The results are promising for recognizing and compensating for partial bleaching

Tool-specific performance of vibration-reducing gloves for attenuating fingers-transmitted vibration

Science.gov (United States)

Welcome, Daniel E.; Dong, Ren G.; Xu, Xueyan S.; Warren, Christopher; McDowell, Thomas W.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Fingers-transmitted vibration can cause vibration-induced white finger. The effectiveness of vibration-reducing (VR) gloves for reducing hand transmitted vibration to the fingers has not been sufficiently examined. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to examine tool-specific performance of VR gloves for reducing finger-transmitted vibrations in three orthogonal directions (3D) from powered hand tools. METHODS A transfer function method was used to estimate the tool-specific effectiveness of four typical VR gloves. The transfer functions of the VR glove fingers in three directions were either measured in this study or during a previous study using a 3D laser vibrometer. More than seventy vibration spectra of various tools or machines were used in the estimations. RESULTS When assessed based on frequency-weighted acceleration, the gloves provided little vibration reduction. In some cases, the gloves amplified the vibration by more than 10%, especially the neoprene glove. However, the neoprene glove did the best when the assessment was based on unweighted acceleration. The neoprene glove was able to reduce the vibration by 10% or more of the unweighted vibration for 27 out of the 79 tools. If the dominant vibration of a tool handle or workpiece was in the shear direction relative to the fingers, as observed in the operation of needle scalers, hammer chisels, and bucking bars, the gloves did not reduce the vibration but increased it. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed that the effectiveness for reducing vibration varied with the gloves and the vibration reduction of each glove depended on tool, vibration direction to the fingers, and finger location. VR gloves, including certified anti-vibration gloves do not provide much vibration reduction when judged based on frequency-weighted acceleration. However, some of the VR gloves can provide more than 10% reduction of the unweighted vibration for some tools or workpieces. Tools and gloves can be matched for

Understanding optically stimulated charge movement in quartz and feldspar using time-resolved measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ankjaergaard, C.

2010-02-01

Thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from quartz and feldspar are widely used in accident dosimetry and luminescence dating. In order to improve already existing methods or to develop new methods towards extending the current limits of the technique, it is important to understand the charge movement within these materials. Earlier studies have primarily focussed on examination of the trap behaviour; however, this only tells half of the story as OSL is a combination of charge stimulation and recombination. By using time-resolved OSL (TR-OSL), one can directly examine the recombination route(s), and thus obtain insight into the other half of the process involved in luminescence emission. This thesis studies the TR-OSL and optically stimulated phosphorescence signals from quartz and feldspars spanning several orders of magnitude in time (few ns to the seconds time scale) in order to identify various charge transport mechanisms in the different time regimes. The techniques employed are time-resolved OSL, continuous-wave OSL, TL, optically stimulated exo-electron (OSE) emission and time-resolved OSE. These different techniques are used in combination with variable thermal or optical stimulation energy. The thesis first delves into three main methodological developments, namely (i) research and development of the equipment for TR-OSL measurements, (ii) finding the best method for multiple-exponential analysis of a TR-OSL curve, and (iii) optimisation of the pulsing configuration for the best separation of quartz OSL from a mixed quarts-feldspar sample. It then proceeds to study the different charge transport mechanisms subsequent to an optical stimulation pulse in quartz and feldspars. The results obtained for quartz conclude that the main lifetime component in quartz represents an excited state lifetime of the recombination centre, and the more slowly decaying components on the millisecond to seconds time scale arise from charge recycling

Understanding optically stimulated charge movement in quartz and feldspar using time-resolved measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ankjaergaard, C.

2010-02-15

Thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from quartz and feldspar are widely used in accident dosimetry and luminescence dating. In order to improve already existing methods or to develop new methods towards extending the current limits of the technique, it is important to understand the charge movement within these materials. Earlier studies have primarily focussed on examination of the trap behaviour; however, this only tells half of the story as OSL is a combination of charge stimulation and recombination. By using time-resolved OSL (TR-OSL), one can directly examine the recombination route(s), and thus obtain insight into the other half of the process involved in luminescence emission. This thesis studies the TR-OSL and optically stimulated phosphorescence signals from quartz and feldspars spanning several orders of magnitude in time (few ns to the seconds time scale) in order to identify various charge transport mechanisms in the different time regimes. The techniques employed are time-resolved OSL, continuous-wave OSL, TL, optically stimulated exo-electron (OSE) emission and time-resolved OSE. These different techniques are used in combination with variable thermal or optical stimulation energy. The thesis first delves into three main methodological developments, namely (i) research and development of the equipment for TR-OSL measurements, (ii) finding the best method for multiple-exponential analysis of a TR-OSL curve, and (iii) optimisation of the pulsing configuration for the best separation of quartz OSL from a mixed quarts-feldspar sample. It then proceeds to study the different charge transport mechanisms subsequent to an optical stimulation pulse in quartz and feldspars. The results obtained for quartz conclude that the main lifetime component in quartz represents an excited state lifetime of the recombination centre, and the more slowly decaying components on the millisecond to seconds time scale arise from charge recycling

On luminescence lifetimes in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chithambo, M.L.; Galloway, R.B.

2000-01-01

In this paper we present results of investigations concerning the time dependence of luminescence emission relative to the time of stimulation in quartz. Measurements of time-resolved spectra were performed on a new versatile pulsed light emitting diode system using 525 nm stimulation, an 11 μs duration pulse, a repetition rate of 11 kHz and a 64 μs dynamic range. Effects on luminescence lifetime resulting from sample treatments such as optical stimulation, irradiation, and preheating, are reported

Measurement of fast risetime megampere currents by quartz gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, R.R.; McDaniel, D.H.; Stinnett, R.W.

1980-01-01

Quartz gauges have been used on the Sandia National Laboratories Proto II accelerator to measure current in the magnetically insulated transmission line at the 11 TW power level. The accelerator delivers 3.5 MA at 2 x 10 14 A/s in a 40 ns pulse to a 0.0127 m diameter aluminum liner to produce a high density plasma. At this radius and dI/dt levels, the B-dot monitors no longer function for the measurement of load current because the monitor suffers electrical breakdown. Quartz pressure gauges mounted at a radius of 0.0086 m have successfully measured the magnetic pressure due to the load current with nanosecond temporal resolution

Natural sunlight bleaching of the aluminum center in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Min; Yin Gongming; Han Kongyan; Bao Jifei; Liu Jingwei; Jia Li

2007-01-01

The effect of sunlight bleaching on ESR signals from the aluminum center in quartz is reported for two samples of sand-sized quartz, one from a granite and one from a beach sand. The grains were exposed to direct sunlight for periods of time up to 500 h, with bleaching carried out in four different cities in China that are from 50 to 3600 m above sea level. Each sample bleached to the same residual level, ∼55% for the granite and 80% for the beach sand of the initial value after a 200 Gy dose had been given. After 200 h, the bleaching level reached was independent of the height above sea level

Timescales of quartz crystallization and the longevity of the Bishop giant magma body.

Science.gov (United States)

Gualda, Guilherme A R; Pamukcu, Ayla S; Ghiorso, Mark S; Anderson, Alfred T; Sutton, Stephen R; Rivers, Mark L

2012-01-01

Supereruptions violently transfer huge amounts (100 s-1000 s km(3)) of magma to the surface in a matter of days and testify to the existence of giant pools of magma at depth. The longevity of these giant magma bodies is of significant scientific and societal interest. Radiometric data on whole rocks, glasses, feldspar and zircon crystals have been used to suggest that the Bishop Tuff giant magma body, which erupted ~760,000 years ago and created the Long Valley caldera (California), was long-lived (>100,000 years) and evolved rather slowly. In this work, we present four lines of evidence to constrain the timescales of crystallization of the Bishop magma body: (1) quartz residence times based on diffusional relaxation of Ti profiles, (2) quartz residence times based on the kinetics of faceting of melt inclusions, (3) quartz and feldspar crystallization times derived using quartz+feldspar crystal size distributions, and (4) timescales of cooling and crystallization based on thermodynamic and heat flow modeling. All of our estimates suggest quartz crystallization on timescales of magma bodies are ephemeral features that, once established, evolve on millennial timescales. We also suggest that zircon crystals, rather than recording the timescales of crystallization of a large pool of crystal-poor magma, record the extended periods of time necessary for maturation of the crust and establishment of these giant magma bodies.

Theory of vibration protection

CERN Document Server

Karnovsky, Igor A

2016-01-01

This text is an advancement of the theory of vibration protection of mechanical systems with lumped and distributed parameters. The book offers various concepts and methods of solving vibration protection problems, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different methods, and the fields of their effective applications. Fundamental approaches of vibration protection, which are considered in this book, are the passive, parametric and optimal active vibration protection. The passive vibration protection is based on vibration isolation, vibration damping and dynamic absorbers. Parametric vibration protection theory is based on the Shchipanov-Luzin invariance principle. Optimal active vibration protection theory is based on the Pontryagin principle and the Krein moment method. The book also contains special topics such as suppression of vibrations at the source of their occurrence and the harmful influence of vibrations on humans. Numerous examples, which illustrate the theoretical ideas of each chapter, ar...

Radiation-induced conductivity and high-temperature Q changes in quartz resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, D.R.

1981-01-01

While high temperature electrolysis has proven beneficial as a technique to remove interstitial impurities from quartz, reliable indices to measure the efficacy of such a processing step are still under development. The present work is directed toward providing such an index. Two techniques have been investigated - one involves measurement of the radiation induced conductivity in quartz along the optic axis, and the second involves measurement of high temperature Q changes. Both effects originate when impurity charge compensators are released from their traps, in the first case resulting in ionic conduction and in the second case resulting in increased acoustic losses. Radiation induced conductivity measurements have been carried out with a 200 kV, 14 mA x-ray machine producing 5 rads/s. With electric fields of the order of 10 4 V/cm, the noise level in the current measuring system is equivalent to an ionic current generated by quartz impurities in the 1 ppB range. The accuracy of the high temperature ( 300 to 800 0 K) Q -1 measurement technique will be determined. A number of resonators constructed of quartz material of different impurity contents have been tested and both the radiation induced conductivity and the high temperature Q -1 results compared with earlier radiation induced frequency and resonator resistance changes. 10 figures

Vibration of machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, Mun Gyu; Na, Sung Su; Baek, Gwang Hyeon; Song, Chul Gi; Han, Sang Bo

2001-09-01

This book deals with vibration of machine which gives descriptions of free vibration using SDOF system, forced vibration using SDOF system, vibration of multi-degree of freedom system like introduction and normal form, distribution system such as introduction, free vibration of bar and practice problem, approximate solution like lumped approximations and Raleigh's quotient, engineering by intuition and experience, real problem and experimental method such as technology of signal, fourier transform analysis, frequency analysis and sensor and actuator.

Defect studies in quartz: Composite nature of the blue and UV emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martini, Marco, E-mail: m.martini@unimib.it [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Fasoli, Mauro; Villa, Irene [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano (Italy)

2014-05-01

Quartz is an extremely diffused natural luminescence dosimeter. Thanks to the presence of traps and luminescence centres, its TSL and OSL (Thermally and Optically Stimulated Luminescence) properties have been extensively exploited. Quartz is then used for archaeological and geological dating and is one of the most useful materials for accident dosimetry. Many luminescence emissions are known to be present in the OSL and TSL of quartz. Three main emission bands are always reported, as the red, blue and UV bands, centred at around 650, 470, and 360–380 nm, respectively. Although the assignment of the luminescence emissions to specific defect centres in quartz is still undefined, a thorough analysis of the radioluminescence emissions and their response to irradiation and thermal treatments turned out to be very useful in understanding many features. Specifically, the presence of the same emission bands in natural and synthetic quartz and their dependence on the presence of extrinsic impurities is a common characteristic. The main impurities involve Al ions substituting Si ones and charge compensated by nearby either alkali ions, H{sup +}, or a hole. The emission spectra dynamics evidenced in our experiment confirm the role of Al-related centres in the luminescence properties of quartz. From the measurements presented in this paper the composite nature of the “blue” emission is confirmed. Two bands labelled as A at 2.5 eV and B at 2.8 eV contribute to the emission in this region, their behaviour being different as a function of irradiation. More complex is the picture in the UV region, where, besides the already detected C and D bands at 3.4 eV and 3.9 eV, respectively, two further emissions have been detected at 3.1 eV and 3.7 eV. Despite both the 3.4 eV and the 3.7 eV bands are shown to be affected by thermal treatments, the annealing temperature dependence of their intensity is markedly different. In fact, whereas the C band intensity, at 3.4 eV, increases

Defect studies in quartz: Composite nature of the blue and UV emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martini, Marco; Fasoli, Mauro; Villa, Irene

2014-01-01

Quartz is an extremely diffused natural luminescence dosimeter. Thanks to the presence of traps and luminescence centres, its TSL and OSL (Thermally and Optically Stimulated Luminescence) properties have been extensively exploited. Quartz is then used for archaeological and geological dating and is one of the most useful materials for accident dosimetry. Many luminescence emissions are known to be present in the OSL and TSL of quartz. Three main emission bands are always reported, as the red, blue and UV bands, centred at around 650, 470, and 360–380 nm, respectively. Although the assignment of the luminescence emissions to specific defect centres in quartz is still undefined, a thorough analysis of the radioluminescence emissions and their response to irradiation and thermal treatments turned out to be very useful in understanding many features. Specifically, the presence of the same emission bands in natural and synthetic quartz and their dependence on the presence of extrinsic impurities is a common characteristic. The main impurities involve Al ions substituting Si ones and charge compensated by nearby either alkali ions, H + , or a hole. The emission spectra dynamics evidenced in our experiment confirm the role of Al-related centres in the luminescence properties of quartz. From the measurements presented in this paper the composite nature of the “blue” emission is confirmed. Two bands labelled as A at 2.5 eV and B at 2.8 eV contribute to the emission in this region, their behaviour being different as a function of irradiation. More complex is the picture in the UV region, where, besides the already detected C and D bands at 3.4 eV and 3.9 eV, respectively, two further emissions have been detected at 3.1 eV and 3.7 eV. Despite both the 3.4 eV and the 3.7 eV bands are shown to be affected by thermal treatments, the annealing temperature dependence of their intensity is markedly different. In fact, whereas the C band intensity, at 3.4 eV, increases after

Optically stimulated exoelectron emission processes in quartz: comparison of experiment and theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pagonis, V.; Ankjærgaard, Christina; Murray, A.S.

2009-01-01

Recent experiments have demonstrated that it is possible to measure optically stimulated exoelectron emission (OSE) signals simultaneously with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from quartz samples. These experiments provide valuable information on the charge movement in quartz grains. Two...... data yield a value of χ1.2 eV for the work function of quartz. The experimental temperature dependence of the OSE signals is interpreted on the basis of a photo-thermostimulated (PTSEE) process involving the main OSL trap at 320 °C; this process takes place with a thermal assistance energy estimated...... at W(0.29±0.02) eV. Good quantitative agreement is obtained between theory and experiment by assuming a thermal broadening of the thermal depletion factor for the OSL traps, described by a Gaussian distribution of energies....

Ultrasonic superlensing jets and acoustic-fork sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitri, F.G., E-mail: F.G.Mitri@ieee.org

2017-05-18

Focusing acoustical (and optical) beams beyond the diffraction limit has remained a major challenge in imaging instruments and systems, until recent advances on “hyper” or “super” lensing and higher-resolution imaging techniques have shown the counterintuitive violation of this rule under certain circumstances. Nonetheless, the proposed technologies of super-resolution acoustical focusing beyond the diffraction barrier require complex tools such as artificially engineered metamaterials, and other hardware equipment that may not be easily synthesized or manufactured. The present contribution therefore suggests a simple and reliable method of using a sound-penetrable circular cylinder lens illuminated by a nonparaxial Gaussian acoustical sheet (i.e. finite beam in 2D) to produce non-evanescent ultrasonic superlensing jets (or bullets) and acoustical ‘snail-fork’ shaped wavefronts with limited diffraction. The generalized (near-field) scattering theory for acoustical sheets of arbitrary wavefronts and incidence is utilized to synthesize the incident beam based upon the angular spectrum decomposition method and the multipole expansion method in cylindrical wave functions to compute the scattered pressure around the cylinder with particular emphasis on its physical properties. The results show that depending on the beam and lens parameters, a tight focusing (with dimensions much smaller than the beam waist) can be achieved. Subwavelength resolution can be also achieved by selecting a lens material with a speed of sound exceeding that of the host fluid medium. The ultrasonic superlensing jets provide the impetus to develop improved subwavelength microscopy and acoustical image-slicing systems, cell lysis and surgery, and photoacoustic imaging to name a few examples. Moreover, an acoustical fork-sheet generation may open innovative avenues in reconfigurable on-chip micro/nanoparticle tweezers and surface acoustic waves devices. - Highlights: • Ultrasonic

Mercury and other Mining-Related Contaminants in Ospreys along the Upper Clark Fork River, MT

Science.gov (United States)

Langner, H.; Domenech, R.; Greene, E.; Staats, M. F.

2010-12-01

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) are widely recognized as bio-indicators of the health of aquatic ecosystems. Until the time of fledging, nestlings feed exclusively on fish caught within a few kilometers of the nest. Therefore, tissues of these young birds may reflect the level of contamination of local fish and more generally, the contamination status of the aquatic ecosystem they inhabit. Nests can often be accessed with a boom truck and obtaining small blood samples from the flightless chicks is fairly noninvasive. Ospreys are nesting along the Upper Clark Fork River, Montana, which is heavily contaminated with wastes left from a century of copper and precious metals mining. We have been monitoring the levels of priority pollutants (arsenic, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, mercury and selenium) in Osprey chicks along a 250 km section of the river for four years. Objectives are to establish current contaminant status, pinpoint pollution hotspots, and assess the success of restoration efforts. Our results suggest that of highest concern may be the bioaccumulation of mercury with blood levels of up to 0.7 mg/L in the growing chicks. These concentrations are expected to increase many fold upon fledging as feather growth stops, which acts as the major sink for mercury. Interestingly, we found mercury levels increased in downstream direction, in contrast to concentrations of other pollutants. Reasons may be the different origin of mercury versus other contaminants and the distribution of wetlands where mercury can be transformed into highly bioavailable methylmercury. Blood levels of selenium are also elevated throughout the Upper Clark Fork River drainage. We discuss the implications for restoration and remediation of the Clark Fork River.

76 FR 6114 - Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico, North Fork Eagle Creek Wells Special Use Authorization

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-03

... National Forest, New Mexico, North Fork Eagle Creek Wells Special Use Authorization AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. SUMMARY: The Lincoln National Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose...

Trace element characterisation and purification of quartz powder of Indian origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dash, K.; Thangavel, S.; Dhavile, S.M.; Sahayam, A.C.; Chaurasia, S.C.

2002-11-01

Analytical methodologies for the trace element characterisation and purification of quartz powder of Indian origin have been described. Metallic impurities (11 elements) in ∼700 quartz samples have been analysed using different instrumental techniques. The values are cross-validated by American and British analytical laboratories. A special multi channel vapour phase digestion (MCVPD) chamber has been designed to reduce the process blank levels for the determination of ultra trace impurities in high purity silicon matrix. In this vessel 21 samples can be digested at a time in a period of 8 hrs. at normal pressure and low temperature (∼ 80 degC). Analytical methodologies for the determination of non-metals (phosphorus, boron and chloride) at very low levels <1 ppm) have also been described. A highly cost effective, single step, room temperature purification procedure is developed based on chemical leaching. Around 300 raw quartz powders (3-4N) from various mines have been purified to 5N pure ( optical grade ). (author)

Recommendations concerning an interim annual individual exposure limit for respirable quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stocker, H.; Horvath, F.J.; Napier, W.

1983-07-01

This paper presents AECB staff recommendations on the desirability of an annual individual occupational exposure limit for respirable quartz and on the magnitude of this limit, for uranium miners. Justifications are presented for the magnitude of this suggested limit for respirable quartz, drawing on experience gained in Ontario uranium and non-uranium mines and on that in other countries. The suggestion is made that an exposure limit be set for an interim period in order that additional information on the adequacy of the magnitude of the limit may be acquired. To complement the suggested exposure limit, it is proposed that a co-existing control program of action levels, to be triggered at various respirable quartz concentrations, be set up. It is the contention of this paper that the degree of protection afforded to individuals by the suggested exposure limit would be equivalent to the time-weighted average threshold limit value derived from recommendations, based on group average exposures, of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

Difference in luminescence sensitivity of coarse-grained quartz from deserts of northern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, C.X.; Zhou, L.P.; Qin, J.T.

2009-01-01

The luminescence sensitivity of coarse quartz extracted from desert sands in northern China was investigated. In general, the western deserts' samples are shown to be less sensitive than samples from the eastern deserts with respect to both OSL and the 110 deg. C TL peak. However, internal scatter among different aliquots of the same sample is observed for these two signals, which have already been normalized by weight. Laboratory dosing/bleach experiments indicate that earth surface processes, such as repeated burial and transportation can cause the sensitivity change and suggest that they may be responsible for the internal scatter. An intrinsic property of quartz was explored via the luminescence response to thermal activation to a maximum temperature of 700 deg. C. The thermal activation curves obtained with quartz from western and central deserts are similar, except one sample from Gurbantungut, which follows the pattern of eastern samples. The differences in quartz luminescence sensitivity exhibited by OSL/110 deg. C TL sensitivity and response to thermal activation are in accordance with the published results of geochemical studies.

Inhibition of DNA chain elongation in Chinese hamster cells by damage localized behind the replication fork

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben-Hur, E [Israel Atomic Energy Commission, Beersheba. Nuclear Research Center-Negev; Hagan, M P [Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Inst., Bethesda, MD (USA)

1984-05-01

Chinese hamster fibroblasts were pulse labelled with 5-bromodeoxyuridine and exposed at time intervals (Tsub(i)) to near-ultraviolet (U.V.A.) light in the presence of a bisbenzimidazole derivative (Hoechst 33342). The sensitivity of the cells in terms of colony forming ability fluctuated depending on Tsub(i). Inhibition of DNA synthesis also depended on Tsub(i) and was maximal when Tsub(i)=O. Using the alkaline elution technique it was shown that the effect of a large dose of light was to inhibit both initiation and elongation of DNA chains. These effects were most pronounced for Tsub(i)=O. It is concluded that DNA damage in an active replicon can inhibit initiation of new replicons and that damage localized behind the replication fork can retard elongation of nascent DNA chains. This effect on chain elongation decreases with increased distance of the damage from the replication fork.

Quartz: structural and thermodynamic analyses across the α ↔ β transition with origin of negative thermal expansion (NTE) in β quartz and calcite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antao, Sytle M.

2016-04-01

The temperature variation,T, of the crystal structure of quartz, SiO₂, from 298 to 1235 K was obtained with synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data and Rietveld structure refinements. The polymorphic transformation fromP3₂21 (low-T, α quartz) toP6₂22 (high-T, β quartz) occurs at a transition temperature,T_tr= 847 K. TheTvariations of spontaneous strains and several structural parameters are fitted to an order parameter,Q, using Landau theory. The change in Si atom coordinate, Si_x, givesT_tr-T_c= 0.49 K, which indicates an α ↔ β transition that is weakly first order and nearly tricritical in character (Q⁴∝T). Strains give higherT_tr-T_cvalues (≃ 7 K). Other fitted parameters are the oxygen O_zcoordinate, Si—Si distance, Si—O—Si and φ angles, and intensity of the (111) reflection,I₁₁₁. In α quartz, the Si—Si distance increases withTbecause of cation repulsion, so the Si—O—Si angle increases (and φ decreases) and causes the thermal expansion of the framework structure that consists of corner-sharing distorted rigid SiO₄tetrahedra. The Si—Si distances contract withTand cause negative thermal expansion (NTE) in β quartz because of increasing thermal librations of the O atom in the Si—O—Si linkage that occur nearly perpendicular to the Si—Si contraction. In calcite, CaCO₃, the short Ca—Ca distance expands withT, but the next-nearest Ca—Ca distance, which is of equal length to theaaxis, contracts withTand causes NTE along

Emerging technologies in microguidance and control

Science.gov (United States)

Weinberg, Marc S.

1993-01-01

Employing recent advances in microfabrication, the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory has developed inertial guidance instruments of very small size and low cost. Microfabrication employs the batch processing techniques of solid state electronics, such as photolithography, diffusion, and etching, to carve mechanical parts. Within a few years, microfabricated gyroscopes should perform in the 10 to 100 deg/h range. Microfabricated accelerometers have demonstrated performance in the 50 to 500 microgravity range. These instruments will result in not only the redesign of conventional military products, but also new applications that could not exist without small, inexpensive sensors and computing. Draper's microfabricated accelerometers and gyroscopes will be described and test results summarized. Associated electronics and control issues will also be addressed. Gimballed, vibrating gyroscopes and force rebalance accelerometers constructed from bulk silicon, polysilicon surface-machined tuning fork gyroscopes, and quartz resonant accelerometers and gyroscopes are examined. Draper is pursuing several types of devices for the following reasons: to address wide ranges of performance, to realize construction in a flat pack, and to lessen the risks associated with emerging technologies.

Direct Growth of III-Nitride Nanowire-Based Yellow Light-Emitting Diode on Amorphous Quartz Using Thin Ti Interlayer

KAUST Repository

Prabaswara, Aditya; Min, Jung-Wook; Zhao, Chao; Janjua, Bilal; Zhang, Daliang; Albadri, Abdulrahman M.; Alyamani, Ahmed Y.; Ng, Tien Khee; Ooi, Boon S.

2018-01-01

.6 V, on an amorphous quartz substrate. We achieved ~ 40% transparency across the visible wavelength while maintaining electrical conductivity by employing a TiN/Ti interlayer on quartz as a translucent conducting layer. The nanowire-on-quartz LED emits

Environmental Assessment - Construct a Ground-to-Air Transmitter and Receiver (GATR) Facility at Grand Forks Air Force Base

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2006-01-01

...) facility on Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB), North Dakota. The Communication Squadron is preparing to install new GATR communication antennas and systems, for tactical aircraft control and commercial air traffic control...

Kinetics of the coesite to quartz transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Mosenfelder, J.L.; Bohlen, S.R.

1997-01-01

The survival of coesite in ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) rocks has important implications for the exhumation of subducted crustal rocks. We have conducted experiments to study the mechanism and rate of the coesite ??? quartz transformation using polycrystalline coesite aggregates, fabricated by devitrifying silica glass cylinders containing 2850H/106 Si at 1000??C and 3.6 GPa for 24h. Conditions were adjusted following synthesis to transform the samples at 700-1000??C at pressures 190-410 MPa below the quartz-coesite equilibrium boundary. Reaction proceeds via grain-boundary nucleation and interface-controlled growth, with characteristic reaction textures remarkably similar to those seen in natural UHP rocks. We infer that the experimental reaction mechanism is identical to that in nature, a prerequisite for reliable extrapolation of the rate data. Growth rates obtained by direct measurement differ by up to two orders of magnitude from those estimated by fitting a rate equation to the transformation-time data. Fitting the rates to Turnbull's equation for growth therefore yields two distinct sets of parameters with similar activation energies (242 or 269 kJ/mol) but significantly different pre-exponential constants. Extrapolation based on either set of growth rates suggests that coesite should not be preserved on geologic time scales if it reaches the quartz stability field at temperatures above 375-400??C. The survival of coesite has previously been linked to its inclusion in strong phases, such as garnet, that can sustain a high internal pressure during decompression. Other factors that may play a crucial role in preservation are low fluid availability - possibly even less than that of our nominally "dry" experiments - and the development of transformation stress, which inhibits nucleation and growth. These issues are discussed in the context of our experiments as well as recent observations from natural rocks. ?? 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

A parametric comparative study of electrocoagulation and coagulation using ultrafine quartz suspensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiliç, Mehtap Gülsün; Hoşten, Cetin; Demirci, Sahinde

2009-11-15

This paper attempts to compare electrocoagulation using aluminum anodes and stainless steel cathodes with conventional coagulation by aluminum sulfate dosing on aqueous suspensions of ultrafine quartz. Several key parameters affecting the efficiency of electrocoagulation and coagulation were investigated with laboratory scale experiments in search of optimal parameter values. Optimal values of the parameters were determined on the basis of the efficiency of turbidity removal from ultrafine quartz suspensions. The parameters investigated in the study were suspension pH, electrical potential, current density, electrocoagulation time, and aluminum dosage. A comparison between electrocoagulation and coagulation was made on the basis of total dissolved aluminum, revealing that electrocoagulation and coagulation were equally effective at the same aluminum dosage for the removal of quartz particles from suspensions. Coagulation, however, was more effective in a wider pH range (pH 6-9) than electrocoagulation which yielded optimum effectiveness in a relatively narrower pH range around 9, where, in both methods, these pH values corresponded to near-zero zeta potentials of quartz particles. Furthermore, experimental results confirmed that electrocoagulation could display some pH buffering capacity. The kinetics of electrocoagulation was very fast (<10 min) in approaching a residual turbidity, which could be modeled with a second-order rate equation.

Timescales of Quartz Crystallization and the Longevity of the Bishop Giant Magma Body

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gualda, Guilherme A.R.; Pamukcu, Ayla S.; Ghiorso, Mark S.; Anderson, Jr. , Alfred T.; Sutton, Stephen R.; Rivers, Mark L. (OFM Res.); (Vanderbilt); (UC)

2013-04-08

Supereruptions violently transfer huge amounts (100 s-1000 s km{sup 3}) of magma to the surface in a matter of days and testify to the existence of giant pools of magma at depth. The longevity of these giant magma bodies is of significant scientific and societal interest. Radiometric data on whole rocks, glasses, feldspar and zircon crystals have been used to suggest that the Bishop Tuff giant magma body, which erupted {approx}760,000 years ago and created the Long Valley caldera (California), was long-lived (>100,000 years) and evolved rather slowly. In this work, we present four lines of evidence to constrain the timescales of crystallization of the Bishop magma body: (1) quartz residence times based on diffusional relaxation of Ti profiles, (2) quartz residence times based on the kinetics of faceting of melt inclusions, (3) quartz and feldspar crystallization times derived using quartz+feldspar crystal size distributions, and (4) timescales of cooling and crystallization based on thermodynamic and heat flow modeling. All of our estimates suggest quartz crystallization on timescales of <10,000 years, more typically within 500-3,000 years before eruption. We conclude that large-volume, crystal-poor magma bodies are ephemeral features that, once established, evolve on millennial timescales. We also suggest that zircon crystals, rather than recording the timescales of crystallization of a large pool of crystal-poor magma, record the extended periods of time necessary for maturation of the crust and establishment of these giant magma bodies.

Effect of Water Glass Modification on Its Viscosity and Wettability of Quartz Grains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Kmita

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to develop a modifier for water glass. The method of thermal generation of metal oxide nanoparticleswas adapted and used in the research. Nanoparticles of ZnO from the thermal decomposition of basic zinc carbonate were used. A methodfor the modifier introduction was developed, and the effect of modifier content and organic solvent type on the physico-chemicalproperties of binder (viscosity and quartz wettability was determined. Binder viscosity was examined from the flow curves plotted with the help of a RHEOTEST 2 rotational rheometer equipped with proper software. Quartz wettability was determined examining timerelated changes in the value of the contact angle in a quartz-binder system, until full stabilisation of the angle value has been achieved.Binder modification was carried out on sodium water glass designated as R"145". The water glass modifiers were suspensions of ZnOnanoparticles in propanol and methanol at a fixed concentration of c = 0.3 M and with the size of nanoparticles comprised in a range of. Water glass modification with the suspensions of ZnO nanoparticles in methanol and propanol showed the effect ofmodifier on the water glass viscosity and quartz wettability. This effect depends on the type of alcohol used. The ZnO suspension inpropanol (alcohol with a longer hydrocarbon chain affects more strongly the viscosity of binder and quartz wettability than the methanol suspension.

Effect of Water Glass Modification on Its Viscosity and Wettability of Quartz Grains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kmita A.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to develop a modifier for water glass. The method of thermal generation of metal oxide nanoparticles was adapted and used in the research. Nanoparticles of ZnO from the thermal decomposition of basic zinc carbonate were used. A method for the modifier introduction was developed, and the effect of modifier content and organic solvent type on the physico-chemical properties of binder (viscosity and quartz wettability was determined. Binder viscosity was examined from the flow curves plotted with the help of a RHEOTEST 2 rotational rheometer equipped with proper software. Quartz wettability was determined examining timerelated changes in the value of the contact angle in a quartz-binder system, until full stabilisation of the angle value has been achieved. Binder modification was carried out on sodium water glass designated as R"145". The water glass modifiers were suspensions of ZnO nanoparticles in propanol and methanol at a fixed concentration of c = 0.3 M and with the size of nanoparticles comprised in a range of . Water glass modification with the suspensions of ZnO nanoparticles in methanol and propanol showed the effect of modifier on the water glass viscosity and quartz wettability. This effect depends on the type of alcohol used. The ZnO suspension in propanol (alcohol with a longer hydrocarbon chain affects more strongly the viscosity of binder and quartz wettability than the methanol suspension

Storm water control plan for the Lower East Fork Poplar Creek Operable Unit, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-04-01

This document provides the Environmental Restoration Program with information about the erosion and sediment control, storm water management, maintenance, and reporting and record keeping practices to be employed during Phase II of the remediation project for the Lower East Fork Poplar Creek (LEFPC) Operable Unit

Amplifier Module for 260-GHz Band Using Quartz Waveguide Transitions

Science.gov (United States)

Padmanabhan, Sharmila; Fung, King Man; Kangaslahti, Pekka P.; Peralta, Alejandro; Soria, Mary M.; Pukala, David M.; Sin, Seth; Samoska, Lorene A.; Sarkozy, Stephen; Lai, Richard

2012-01-01

Packaging of MMIC LNA (monolithic microwave integrated circuit low-noise amplifier) chips at frequencies over 200 GHz has always been problematic due to the high loss in the transition between the MMIC chip and the waveguide medium in which the chip will typically be used. In addition, above 200 GHz, wire-bond inductance between the LNA and the waveguide can severely limit the RF matching and bandwidth of the final waveguide amplifier module. This work resulted in the development of a low-loss quartz waveguide transition that includes a capacitive transmission line between the MMIC and the waveguide probe element. This capacitive transmission line tunes out the wirebond inductance (where the wire-bond is required to bond between the MMIC and the probe element). This inductance can severely limit the RF matching and bandwidth of the final waveguide amplifier module. The amplifier module consists of a quartz E-plane waveguide probe transition, a short capacitive tuning element, a short wire-bond to the MMIC, and the MMIC LNA. The output structure is similar, with a short wire-bond at the output of the MMIC, a quartz E-plane waveguide probe transition, and the output waveguide. The quartz probe element is made of 3-mil quartz, which is the thinnest commercially available material. The waveguide band used is WR4, from 170 to 260 GHz. This new transition and block design is an improvement over prior art because it provides for better RF matching, and will likely yield lower loss and better noise figure. The development of high-performance, low-noise amplifiers in the 180-to- 700-GHz range has applications for future earth science and planetary instruments with low power and volume, and astrophysics array instruments for molecular spectroscopy. This frequency band, while suitable for homeland security and commercial applications (such as millimeter-wave imaging, hidden weapons detection, crowd scanning, airport security, and communications), also has applications to

FTIR measurements of OH in deformed quartz and feldspars of the South Tibetan Detachment, Greater Himalaya

Science.gov (United States)

Jezek, L.; Law, R. D.; Jessup, M. J.; Searle, M. P.; Kronenberg, A. K.

2017-12-01

OH absorption bands due to water in deformed quartz and feldspar grains of mylonites from the low-angle Lhotse Detachment (of the South Tibetan Detachment System, Rongbuk Valley north of Mount Everest) have been measured by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Previous microstructural studies have shown that these rocks deformed by dislocation creep at high temperature conditions in the middle crust (lower - middle amphibolite facies), and oxygen isotope studies suggest significant influx of meteoric water. OH absorption bands at 3400 cm-1 of quartz mylonites from the footwall of the Lhotse Detachment Fault are large, with the character of the molecular water band due to fluid inclusions in milky quartz. Mean water contents depend on structural position relative to the core of the Lhotse Detachment, from 1000 ppm (OH/106 Si) at 420 m below the fault to 11,350 (+/-1095) ppm near its center. The gradient in OH content shown by quartz grains implies influx of meteoric water along the Lhotse Detachment from the Tibetan Plateau ground surface to middle crustal depths, and significant fluid penetration into the extruding Himalayan slab by intergranular, permeable fluid flow processes. Feldspars of individual samples have comparable water contents to those of quartz and some are wetter. Large water contents of quartz and feldspar may have contributed to continued deformation and strain localization on the South Tibetan Detachment System. Dislocation creep in quartz is facilitated by water in laboratory experiments, and the water contents of the Lhotse fault rocks are similar to (and even larger than) water contents of quartz experimentally deformed during water weakening. Water contents of feldspars are comparable to those of plagioclase aggregates deformed experimentally by dislocation and diffusion creep under wet conditions.

A STUDY OF THE PRESSURE SOLUTION AND DEFORMATION OF QUARTZ CRYSTALS AT HIGH pH AND UNDER HIGH STRESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JUNG-HAE CHOI

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Bentonite is generally used as a buffer material in high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and consists of 50% quartz by weight. Quartz strongly affects the behavior of bentonite over very long periods. For this reason, quartz dissolution experiment was performed under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions based on the conditions found in a high-level radioactive waste disposal facility located deep underground. In this study, two quartz dissolution experiments were conducted on 1 quartz beads under low-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions and 2 a single quartz crystal under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions. Following the experiments, a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM was used to observe the surfaces of experimental samples. Numerical analyses using the finite element method (FEM were also performed to quantify the deformation of contact area. Quartz dissolution was observed in both experiments. This deformation was due to a concentrated compressive stress field, as indicated by the quartz deformation of the contact area through the FEM analysis. According to the numerical results, a high compressive stress field acted upon the neighboring contact area, which showed a rapid dissolution rate compared to other areas of the sample.

Anti-vibration gloves?

Science.gov (United States)

Hewitt, Sue; Dong, Ren G; Welcome, Daniel E; McDowell, Thomas W

2015-03-01

For exposure to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV), personal protective equipment is sold in the form of anti-vibration (AV) gloves, but it remains unclear how much these gloves actually reduce vibration exposure or prevent the development of hand-arm vibration syndrome in the workplace. This commentary describes some of the issues that surround the classification of AV gloves, the assessment of their effectiveness and their applicability in the workplace. The available information shows that AV gloves are unreliable as devices for controlling HTV exposures. Other means of vibration control, such as using alternative production techniques, low-vibration machinery, routine preventative maintenance regimes, and controlling exposure durations are far more likely to deliver effective vibration reductions and should be implemented. Furthermore, AV gloves may introduce some adverse effects such as increasing grip force and reducing manual dexterity. Therefore, one should balance the benefits of AV gloves and their potential adverse effects if their use is considered. © Crown copyright 2014.

Hydrologic modeling of flood conveyance and impacts of historic overbank sedimentation on West Fork Black's Fork, Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Eric C.

2006-05-01

This study assesses historic overbank alluvial sedimentation along a low-gradient reach of West Fork Black's Fork in the northern Uinta Mountains, Utah. In this previously glaciated setting, an alluvial floodplain that is approximately 400 m wide by 1500 m long has been modified by the combined effects of valley morphometry and the recent history of clear-cut logging during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. To quantify the effects on sedimentation and flow conveyance, three natural streambank exposures were sampled and analyzed for nuclear bomb fallout 137Cs. The distribution of 137Cs within the three profiles suggests that a remnant outwash terrace exerts a first-order control over the deposition of overbank alluvium. Upstream from a constriction in the floodplain caused by the terrace remnant, as much as 40 cm of overbank alluvium has been deposited since the beginning of clear-cut logging. Immediately downstream of that constriction, no evidence exists for any overbank sedimentation during that same period. Vibracore samples and Oakfield soil probe sampling throughout the study reach quantified the geographic extent and thicknesses of the historic alluvial package. Flood conveyance through the study area was modeled using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers HEC-RAS modeling program. Model simulations were run for modern conditions (using surveyed topography) and for prehistoric conditions (using the modern topography less the historic alluvial package determined by 137Cs analyses). Model results indicate that the floodplain constriction caused a significant impediment to flood conveyance at even modest discharges during prehistoric conditions. This promoted ponding of floodwaters upstream of the constriction and deposition of alluvium. This has increased bank heights upstream of the constriction, to the point that under modern conditions 1- to 5-year recurrence interval floods are largely confined within the channel. These results confirm the validity of this

Nature sunlight bleaching of Ti center ESR signal in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Gongming; Liu Chunru; Li Jianping; Fang Jiahu; Gao Lu; Lin Min

2009-01-01

Quartz grains were extracted from granite. Bleaching was carried out in four different area chosen for their different altitudes (Beijing, Yinchuan, Germu, Lhasa), in order to observe their behavior under different intensities of the UV (Ultra violet) component of sunlight. The result of our experiments indicate that the Ti center signal is totally bleachable by the natural sunlight and show that the Ti center signal was reduced to zero after about 128 h in Beijing and after 56 h for Lhasa. We can speculate that different intensity of the UV component of sunlight lead to different minimal time necessary to obtain the total bleaching of the quartz sample. (authors)

Uraniferous quartz-pebble conglomerates in South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

von Backstroem, J.W.

1981-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to give a short background statement summarizing data on the Dominion Reef Group, the Witwatersrand Supergroup, and the Ventersdorp Contact Reef, with particular reference to the close relationship of gold and uranium with sedimentary features as well as the mineralization, conditions of deposition, and the nature of the quartz-pebble conglomerates

The quartz crystal microbalance in soft matter research fundamentals and modeling

CERN Document Server

Johannsmann, Diethelm

2014-01-01

This book describes the physics of the second-generation quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), a fundamental method of analysis for soft matter at interfaces.From a device for measuring film thickness in vacuum, the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) has in the past two decades evolved into a versatile instrument for analyzing soft matter at solid/liquid and solid/gas interfaces that found applications in diverse fields including the life sciences, material science, polymer research and electrochemistry. As a consequence of this success, the QCM is now being used by scientists with a wide variety

The Cherenkov correlated timing detector: beam test results from quartz and acrylic bars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kichimi, H.; Sugaya, Y.; Yamaguchi, H.; Yoshimura, Y.; Kanda, S.; Olsen, S.; Ueno, K.; Varner, G.; Bergfeld, T.; Bialek, J.; Lorenc, J.; Palmer, M.; Rudnick, G.; Selen, M.; Auran, T.; Boyer, V.; Honscheid, K.; Tamura, N.; Yoshimura, K.; Lu, C.; Marlow, D.; Mindas, C.; Prebys, E.; Asai, M.; Kimura, A.; Hayashi, S.

1996-01-01

Several prototypes of a Cherenkov correlated timing (CCT) detector have been tested at the KEK-PS test beam line. We describe the results for Cherenkov light yields and timing characteristics from quartz and acrylic bar prototypes. A Cherenkov angle resolution is found to be 15 mrad at a propagation distance of 100 cm with a 2 cm thick quartz bar prototype. (orig.)

Pressure solution of minerals in quartz-type buffer materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erlstroem, M.

1986-12-01

Two samples, pure quartz sand and a sand-bentonite (10%) mixture, were tested under conditions of high pressure (200 bar) and temperature (115 0 C). The experiment was carried out over a period of 70 days. A series of thin slides were prepared on a resin embedded sample at the end of the test period. A microscopical study was performed as to obtain data concerning the effects of pressure and temperature. It showed that no pressure solution had taken place in the pure quartz sand. However, the individual grains had been severely fractured, thus causing significant internal sedimentation. The mixed sample showed that the clay component coated the quartz grains and significantly decreased the effect of stress in the grains by having a cushioning effect. Relative grain movement was facilitated by the clay, by which the grains rotated and slipped into stable positions with large contact areas and low contact stresses. This probably minimized pressure solution. However, a few contact regions indicated the presence of precipitated silica. The investigation shows no definite evidence of pressure solution after an experiment duration of 70 days. Since the effect of solution may be time dependent at the applied temperature, it is recommended that further experiments be conducted at higher effective and porewater pressures but still at 115 0 C. (orig.)

Ultra-low-vibration pulse-tube cryocooler system - cooling capacity and vibration

Science.gov (United States)

Ikushima, Yuki; Li, Rui; Tomaru, Takayuki; Sato, Nobuaki; Suzuki, Toshikazu; Haruyama, Tomiyoshi; Shintomi, Takakazu; Yamamoto, Akira

2008-09-01

This report describes the development of low-vibration cooling systems with pulse-tube (PT) cryocoolers. Generally, PT cryocoolers have the advantage of lower vibrations in comparison to those of GM cryocoolers. However, cooling systems for the cryogenic laser interferometer observatory (CLIO), which is a gravitational wave detector, require an operational vibration that is sufficiently lower than that of a commercial PT cryocooler. The required specification for the vibration amplitude in cold stages is less than ±1 μm. Therefore, during the development of low-vibration cooling systems for the CLIO, we introduced advanced countermeasures for commercial PT cryocoolers. The cooling performance and the vibration amplitude were evaluated. The results revealed that 4 K and 80 K PT cooling systems with a vibration amplitude of less than ±1 μm and cooling performance of 4.5 K and 70 K at heat loads of 0.5 W and 50 W, respectively, were developed successfully.

Analytical expressions for time-resolved optically stimulated luminescence experiments in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pagonis, V.; Lawless, J.; Chen, R.; Chithambo, M.L.

2011-01-01

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signals can be obtained using a time-resolved optical stimulation (TR-OSL) method, also known as pulsed OSL. During TR-OSL measurements, the stimulation and emission of luminescence are experimentally separated in time using short light pulses. This paper presents analytical expressions for the TR-OSL intensity observed during and after such a pulse in quartz experiments. The analytical expressions are derived using a recently published kinetic model which describes thermal quenching phenomena in quartz samples. In addition, analytical expressions are derived for the concentration of electrons in the conduction band during and after the TR-OSL pulse, and for the maximum signals attained during optical stimulation of the samples. The relevance of the model for dosimetric applications is examined, by studying the dependence of the maximum TR-OSL signals on the degree of initial trap filling, and also on the probability of electron retrapping into the dosimetric trap. Analytical expressions are derived for two characteristic times of the TR-OSL mechanism; these times are the relaxation time for electrons in the conduction band, and the corresponding relaxation time for the radiative transition within the luminescence center. The former relaxation time is found to depend on several experimental parameters, while the latter relaxation time depends only on internal parameters characteristic of the recombination center. These differences between the two relaxation times can be explained by the presence of localized and delocalized transitions in the quartz sample. The analytical expressions in this paper are shown to be equivalent to previous analytical expressions derived using a different mathematical approach. A description of thermal quenching processes in quartz based on AlO 4 - /AlO 4 defects is presented, which illustrates the connection between the different descriptions of the luminescence process found in the literature

Analytical investigations of thermoluminescence glow curve on quartz for luminescence dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K.B.; Hong, D.G.

2015-01-01

Investigations of bleaching and thermoluminescence (TL) response to radiation dose of quartz are importance in luminescence dating. Although such research has been extensively carried out for various types of quartz, most work was performed on the basis of TL intensity integrated for a particular temperature range on the glow curve, without any peak separation. In this study we investigated bleaching by a blue light stimulation and radiation dose behaviour for separated TL glow peaks of quartz, which are thermally stable, by using the computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) method combined with the T_m–T_s_t_o_p method. The T_m–T_s_t_o_p method indicates that the glow curve of quartz is the superposition of at least seven components (P1–P7) in the temperature range between room temperature and 450 °C. A bleaching experiment for four thermally stable glow peaks (P4–P7) using a blue light stimulation revealed that the bleaching rate of peak P4 exhibits three different exponential decays, whereas the peaks P5, P6 and P7 are bleached with two different exponential decays. After bleaching of 12 h, the TL intensity of peaks P4, P5, P6 and P7 were reduced to approximately 6%, 16%, 26% and 68% of the initial value, respectively. Additionally, in a study of the radiation dose response of the four thermally stable glow peaks, all peaks have a similar pattern, which are well fitted by a single saturating exponential function. - Highlights: • We studied the physical characteristics of the separated TL glow peaks on quartz. • The kinetic parameters of each separated glow peak are evaluated by a CGCD method. • The separated peaks were bleached with two or three exponential decays. • The dose responses for the separated peaks showed a similar growth curve.

Retrospective dosimetry: dose evaluation using unheated and heated quartz from a radioactive waste storage building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, M.; Boetter-Jensen, L.; Murray, A.S.; Jungner, H.

2002-01-01

In the assessment of dose received from a nuclear accident, considerable attention has been paid to retrospective dosimetry using heated materials such as household ceramics and bricks. However, unheated materials such as mortar and concrete are more commonly found in industrial sites and particularly in nuclear installations. These materials contain natural dosemeters such as quartz, which usually is less sensitive than its heated counterpart. The potential of quartz extracted from mortar is a wall of a low-level radioactive-waste storage facility containing distributed sources of 60 Co and 13C s has been investigated. Dose-depth profiles based on small aliquots and single grains from the quartz extracted from the mortar samples are reported here. These are compared with results from heated quartz and polymineral fine grains extracted from an adjacent brick, and the integrated dose recorded by environmental TLDs. (author)

Retrospective dosimetry: Dose evaluation using unheated and heated quartz from a radioactive waste storage building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jain, M.; Bøtter-Jensen, L.; Murray, A.S.

2002-01-01

In the assessment of dose received from a nuclear accident, considerable attention has been paid to retrospective dosimetry using heated materials such as household ceramics and bricks. However, unheated materials such as mortar and concrete are more commonly found in industrial sites......-137 has been investigated. Dose-depth profiles based on small aliquots and single grains from the quartz extracted from the mortar samples are reported here. These are compared with results from heated quartz and polymineral fine grains extracted from an adjacent brick, and the integrated dose...... and particularly in nuclear installations. These materials contain natural dosemeters Such as quartz. which usually is less sensitive than its heated counterpart. The potential of quartz extracted from mortar in a wall of a low-level radioactive-waste storage facility containing distributed sources of Co-60 and Cs...

DNA polymerase η modulates replication fork progression and DNA damage responses in platinum-treated human cells

Science.gov (United States)

Sokol, Anna M.; Cruet-Hennequart, Séverine; Pasero, Philippe; Carty, Michael P.

2013-11-01

Human cells lacking DNA polymerase η (polη) are sensitive to platinum-based cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Using DNA combing to directly investigate the role of polη in bypass of platinum-induced DNA lesions in vivo, we demonstrate that nascent DNA strands are up to 39% shorter in human cells lacking polη than in cells expressing polη. This provides the first direct evidence that polη modulates replication fork progression in vivo following cisplatin and carboplatin treatment. Severe replication inhibition in individual platinum-treated polη-deficient cells correlates with enhanced phosphorylation of the RPA2 subunit of replication protein A on serines 4 and 8, as determined using EdU labelling and immunofluorescence, consistent with formation of DNA strand breaks at arrested forks in the absence of polη. Polη-mediated bypass of platinum-induced DNA lesions may therefore represent one mechanism by which cancer cells can tolerate platinum-based chemotherapy.

Twelve Years of Monitoring Phosphorus and Suspended-Solids Concentrations and Yields in the North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir, South-Central Kansas 1997-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Mandy L.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Ziegler, Andrew C.

2009-01-01

Cheney Reservoir, located on the North Fork Ninnescah River in south-central Kansas, is the primary water supply for the city of Wichita and an important recreational resource. Concerns about taste-and-odor occurrences in Cheney Reservoir have drawn attention to potential pollutants, including total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS). July 2009 was the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Cheney Reservoir Watershed pollution management plan. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the city of Wichita, has collected water-quality data in the basin since 1996, and has monitored water quality continuously on the North Fork Ninnescah River since 1998. This fact sheet describes 12 years (1997-2008) of computed TP and TSS data and compares these data with water-quality goals for the North Fork Ninnescah River, the main tributary to Cheney Reservoir.

Characterisation of blue-light stimulated luminescence components in different quartz samples: Implications for dose measurement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jain, M.; Murray, A.S.; Bøtter-Jensen, L.

2003-01-01

-aliquot dose-evaluation protocols seem to be relatively free of complications when applied to quartz dominated by the fast OSL component coming from 325degreesC TL region, but this may not be true for quartz in which other components are more significant. An adequate understanding of how different OSL...... results from measurement of (a) sensitisation, (b) thermal stability, (c) recuperation, and (d) infrared response as a function of stimulation temperature from 3 different samples of sedimentary quartz selected on the basis of relative OSL contribution from different blue light stimulated linearly...

Developing Effective Separation of Feldspar and Quartz While Recycling Tailwater by HF Pretreatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiqing Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The effect of hydrofluoric acid (HF pretreatment on flotation of feldspar and quartz using dodecylamine (DDA as collector was investigated by micro-flotation, zeta potential, pyrene fluorescence spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection flourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR, scanning electron microscope (SEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and bench scale flotation. The micro-flotation tests revealed that there was little difference in the flotation of feldspar and quartz at pH 2, using H2SO4 as pH regulator. After HF pretreatment, the floatability of feldspar significantly increased while the floatability of quartz showed no change. HF pretreatment resulted in leaching of SiO2 and enrichment of Na, K and Al on the feldspar surface. Consequently, the negative surface charge of feldspar increased at pH 2, which allowed for the flotation separation of the feasible minerals. This took place via an increased electrostatic adsorption between DDA and Na, K, Al on the feldspar surface, which effectively increased its hydrophobicity and as a result, improved the floatability of feldspar. An alternative process which exhibited effective separation of quartz and feldspar while recycling the tailwater from the flotation was proposed.

Optically continuous silcrete quartz cements of the St. Peter Sandstone: High precision oxygen isotope analysis by ion microprobe

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Jacque L.; Fu, Bin; Kita, Noriko T.; Valley, John W.

2007-08-01

A detailed oxygen isotope study of detrital quartz and authigenic quartz overgrowths from shallowly buried (ratio by laser fluorination, resulting in an average δ 18O of 10.0 ± 0.2‰ (1SD, n = 109). Twelve thin sections were analyzed by CAMECA-1280 ion microprobe (6-10 μm spot size, analytical precision better than ±0.2‰, 1SD). Detrital quartz grains have an average δ 18O of 10.0 ± 1.4‰ (1SD, n = 91) identical to the data obtained by laser fluorination. The ion microprobe data reveal true variability that is otherwise lost by homogenization of powdered samples necessary for laser fluorination. Laser fluorination uses samples that are one million times larger than the ion microprobe. Whole rock (WR) samples from the 53 rocks were analyzed by laser fluorination, giving δ 18O between 9.8‰ and 16.7‰ ( n = 110). Quartz overgrowths in thin sections from 10 rocks were analyzed by ion microprobe and average δ 18O = 29.3 ± 1.0‰ (1SD, n = 161). Given the similarity, on average, of δ 18O for all detrital quartz grains and for all quartz overgrowths, samples with higher δ 18O(WR) values can be shown to have more cement. The quartz cement in the 53 rocks, calculated by mass balance, varies from outlier at 33 vol.% cement. Eolian samples have an average of 11% cement compared to marine samples, which average 4% cement. Two models for quartz cementation have been investigated: high temperature (50-110 °C) formation from ore-forming brines related to Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) mineralization and formation as silcretes at low temperature (10-30 °C). The homogeneity of δ 18O for quartz overgrowths determined by ion microprobe rules out a systematic regional variation of temperature as predicted for MVT brines and there are no other known heating events in these sediments that were never buried to depths >1 km. The data in this study suggest that quartz overgrowths formed as silcretes in the St. Peter Sandstone from meteoric water with δ 18O values of -10

Effects of timber harvest on aquatic vertebrates and habitat in the North Fork Caspar Creek

Science.gov (United States)

Rodney J. Nakamoto

1998-01-01

I examined the relationships between timber harvest, creek habitat, and vertebrate populations in the North and South forks of Caspar Creek. Habitat inventories suggested pool availability increased after the onset of timber harvest activities. Increased large woody debris in the channel was associated with an increase in the frequency of blowdown in the riparian...

Guiding effect of bent macroscopic quartz tube for high current electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Mingwu; Chen Jing; Wu Yehong; Yang Bian; Wang Wei; Xue Yingli; Yu Deyang; Cai Xiaohong

2012-01-01

By using an incident electron beam with the high current and high energy, the guiding effect of the bent macroscopic quartz tube for the electron beam has been investigated. The angular distributions of outgoing electrons depending on the current and energy of incident electrons were measured. The dependences of electron transmitted fraction on energy and current of incident electrons are also shown. As the incident electron energy increasing, the electron transmitted fraction increases, but it decreases while the incident electron current increasing. The results have been compared with the present data. This work presents, the process of guiding electrons is essentially different from that of guiding highly charged ions, the guiding electron beam was caused by both elastic and inelastic collisions between electrons and inner walls of quartz tube, rather than self-organized charging effect on the surface of inner wall of quartz tube. (authors)

DISPERSION AND SORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF URANIUM IN THE ZEOLITE-QUARTZ MIXTURE AS BACKFILL MATERIAL IN THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herry Poernomo

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The experiment of sorption and dispersion characteristics of uranium in the zeolite-quartz mixture as candidate of raw material of backfill material in the radioactive waste repository has been performed. The objective is to know the effect of zeolite and quartz grain size on the zeolite-to-quartz weight ratio that gives porosity (ε, permeability (K, and dispersivity (α of uranium in the zeolite-quartz mixture as backfill material. The experiment was carried out by fixed bed method in the column filled by the zeolite-quartz mixture with zeolite-to-quartz weight percent ratio of 100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80, 0/100 wt. % in the water saturated condition flowed by uranyl nitrate solution of 500 ppm concentration (Co as uranium simulation which was leached from immobilized radioactive waste in the repository. The concentration of uranium in the effluents represented as Ct were analyzed by spectrophotometer Corning Colorimeter 253 every 15 minutes, then using Co and Ct uranium dispersivity (α in the backfill material was determined. The experiment data shown that 0.196 mm particle size of zeolite and 0.116 mm particle size of quartz on the zeolite-to-quartz weight ratio of 60/40 wt. % with ε = 0.678, K = 3.345x10-4 cm/second, and α = 0.759 cm can be proposed as candidate of raw material of backfill material in the radioactive waste repository.   Keywords: backfill material, quartz, radioactive waste, zeolite

Luminescence lifetimes in natural quartz annealed beyond its second phase inversion temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chithambo, M.L.

2015-01-01

The influence of annealing, irradiation dose, preheating and measurement temperature on luminescence lifetimes has been studied in quartz annealed at 1000 °C. The measurements were supplemented by studies on quartz annealed at 900 and 800 °C. Lifetimes increase with dose as well as with temperature and duration of annealing between 800 and 1000 °C. Preheating produces the same effect. The changes are accounted for in terms of hole-transfer from the non-radiative luminescence centre to and between radiative centres. The influence of measurement temperature on lifetimes depends on whether the stimulation is carried out from ambient to 200 °C or otherwise. This result is unlike that in quartz annealed at or below 500 °C where lifetimes are independent of the direction of heating. In particular, lifetimes decrease monotonically when measurements are made from 20 to 200 °C but not when recorded from 200 to 20 °C. The latter produces a pattern resembling that in quartz annealed up to 500 °C. The results are concluded as evidence of thermal effects on separate luminescence centres. In support of this, different values of the activation energy for thermal quenching were found for each supposed luminescence centre. The change of the corresponding luminescence intensity with temperature is also qualitatively consistent with this notion. - Highlights: • Luminescence lifetimes in natural quartz annealed beyond its second phase inversion temperature is reported. • Lifetimes increase with dose, annealing between 800 and 1000 °C, and preheating. • Lifetimes under stimulation temperature are affected by direction of heating. • Changes are accounted for in terms of hole-transfer luminescence centres.

U-Th-Mo mineralisation in quartz syenite from Maturigiri-Dhurakantagiri, West Garo Hills District, Meghalaya, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, A.N.; Sharma, G.S.; Varma, H.M.; Dhana Raju, R.; Dougall, N.K.; Raju, B.N.V.

1987-01-01

At Maturigiri and Dhurkantagiri, mineralised coarse-grained quartz syenite bodies (up to 10x2m) occur as intrusives along the NNW-SSE trending joints in the gneissic country rock. Mineralogically, the quartz syenite is characterised by over 50 per cent K-feldspar, lesser plagioclase, quartz, mica, garnet and chlorite, together with accessory uraninite, monazite, molybdenite and pyrite. Uraninite occurs as euhedral to subhedral inclusions and mineralisation is syngenetic. Two types of monazite, Th-poor and Th-rich, are present. Molybdenite occurs as veins along fractures and appears to be of late hydrothermal origin. The mineralogical and textural features suggest that quartz syenite was formed from a residual melt of granitic magma of crustal origin. (author). 7 refs., 9 figs

Saturation spectroscopy of calcium atomic vapor in hot quartz cells with cold windows

Science.gov (United States)

Vilshanskaya, E. V.; Saakyan, S. A.; Sautenkov, V. A.; Murashkin, D. A.; Zelener, B. B.; Zelener, B. V.

2018-01-01

Saturation spectroscopy of calcium atomic vapor was performed in hot quartz cells with cold windows. The Doppler-free absorption resonances with spectral width near 50 MHz were observed. For these experiments and future applications long-lived quartz cells with buffer gas were designed and made. A cooling laser for calcium magneto-optical trap will be frequency locked to the saturation resonances in the long-lived cells.

Fingers' vibration transmission and grip strength preservation performance of vibration reducing gloves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamouda, K; Rakheja, S; Dewangan, K N; Marcotte, P

2018-01-01

The vibration isolation performances of vibration reducing (VR) gloves are invariably assessed in terms of power tools' handle vibration transmission to the palm of the hand using the method described in ISO 10819 (2013), while the nature of vibration transmitted to the fingers is ignored. Moreover, the VR gloves with relatively low stiffness viscoelastic materials affect the grip strength in an adverse manner. This study is aimed at performance assessments of 12 different VR gloves on the basis of handle vibration transmission to the palm and the fingers of the gloved hand, together with reduction in the grip strength. The gloves included 3 different air bladder, 3 gel, 3 hybrid, and 2 gel-foam gloves in addition to a leather glove. Two Velcro finger adapters, each instrumented with a three-axis accelerometer, were used to measure vibration responses of the index and middle fingers near the mid-phalanges. Vibration transmitted to the palm was measured using the standardized palm adapter. The vibration transmissibility responses of the VR gloves were measured in the laboratory using the instrumented cylindrical handle, also described in the standard, mounted on a vibration exciter. A total of 12 healthy male subjects participated in the study. The instrumented handle was also used to measure grip strength of the subjects with and without the VR gloves. The results of the study showed that the VR gloves, with only a few exceptions, attenuate handle vibration transmitted to the fingers only in the 10-200 Hz and amplify middle finger vibration at frequencies exceeding 200 Hz. Many of the gloves, however, provided considerable reduction in vibration transmitted to the palm, especially at higher frequencies. These suggest that the characteristics of vibration transmitted to fingers differ considerably from those at the palm. Four of the test gloves satisfied the screening criteria of the ISO 10819 (2013) based on the palm vibration alone, even though these caused

Testing the application of quartz and feldspar luminescence dating to MIS 5 Japanese marine deposits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thiel, Christine; Tsukamoto, Sumiko; Tokuyasu, Kayoko

2015-01-01

The applicability of both quartz and feldspar luminescence dating was tested on twenty-five samples from a marine succession now forming a coastal cliff at Oga Peninsula, Honshu Island, Japan. The quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal shows thermal instability and linear modulated...

Geomorphic Change Induced by 100 years of Flow Alteration on the Diamond Fork River, Central Utah

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, J.; Belmont, P.; Wilcock, P. R.

2017-12-01

Changes in hydrology and sediment supply affect the form of rivers. The rate of change of fluvial form is controlled by a variety of factors, including valley confinement, sediment size, and antecedent condition. The Diamond Fork River in central Utah has been altered by trans-basin flows delivered from the Colorado River system for over a century. Beginning in 1915, water used for irrigation was delivered through a tributary, Sixth Water Creek, with daily summer flows regularly exceeding the 50 - 100 year flood. Elevated flows caused drastic geomorphic change - resulting in incision and widening of the channel, and the destruction of riparian vegetation. Beginning in 1997, the outlet for the trans-basin diversion was moved downstream on Sixth Water, bypassing a large landslide, and flows were drastically reduced in 2004 through management actions. We delineated eight distinct process domains for the Sixth Water-Diamond Fork system and examined the response of each process domain to the altered flow and sediment regimes through the analysis of aerial photographs and repeat cross-sections. We measured a variety of channel metrics, including channel width, areal extent of bars and islands, and sinuosity in ArcGIS. Results indicate that unconfined reaches that were wide and braided during the period of elevated flows have narrowed to become single threaded and meandering in response to the reduced flows. Confined reaches have experienced minor changes since the reduction in flows, suggesting that confinement is a primary control on the degree of channel response. These findings and complimentary studies will provide managers of Sixth Water and Diamond Fork with a greater understanding of the physical response of the streams, and the resulting effects on ecological communities.

Development and Validation of a Simple Analytical Model of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (Pemfc) in a Fork-Lift Truck Power System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hosseinzadeh, Elham; Rokni, Masoud

2013-01-01

In this study, a general proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model has been developed in order to investigate the balance of plant of a fork-lift truck thermodynamically. The model takes into account the effects of pressure losses, water crossovers, humidity aspects, and voltage overpotent......In this study, a general proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model has been developed in order to investigate the balance of plant of a fork-lift truck thermodynamically. The model takes into account the effects of pressure losses, water crossovers, humidity aspects, and voltage...

A quartz crystal microbalance dew point sensor without frequency measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guohua; Zhang, Weishuo; Wang, Shuo; Sun, Jinglin

2014-11-01

This work deals with the design of a dew point sensor based on Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) without measuring the frequency. This idea is inspired by the fact that the Colpitts oscillation circuit will stop oscillating when the QCM works in the liquid media. The quartz crystal and the electrode are designed through the finite element simulation and the stop oscillating experiment is conducted to verify the sensibility. Moreover, the measurement result is calibrated to approach the true value. At last a series of dew points at the same temperature is measured with the designed sensor. Results show that the designed dew point sensor is able to detect the dew point with the proper accuracy.

Plant composition in oak savanna and woodland restoration at Prairie Fork Conservation Area in Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

Nadia E. Navarrete-Tindall; J.W. Van Sambeek; Jamie Coe; Warren Taylor

2007-01-01

The wooded areas of the Prairie Fork Conservation Area in central Missouri are typical of the oak/hickory forest/prairie transition zone that will require active management to restore pre-settlement, grass dominated savannas and open woodlands to improve habitat for wildlife. We initiated a management program to restore savannas and woodlands by reducing the midstory (...

PREFACE: Vibrations at surfaces Vibrations at surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Talat S.

2011-12-01

This special issue is dedicated to the phenomenon of vibrations at surfaces—a topic that was indispensible a couple of decades ago, since it was one of the few phenomena capable of revealing the nature of binding at solid surfaces. For clean surfaces, the frequencies of modes with characteristic displacement patterns revealed how surface geometry, as well as the nature of binding between atoms in the surface layers, could be different from that in the bulk solid. Dispersion of the surface phonons provided further measures of interatomic interactions. For chemisorbed molecules on surfaces, frequencies and dispersion of the vibrational modes were also critical for determining adsorption sites. In other words, vibrations at surfaces served as a reliable means of extracting information about surface structure, chemisorption and overlayer formation. Experimental techniques, such as electron energy loss spectroscopy and helium-atom-surface scattering, coupled with infra-red spectroscopy, were continually refined and their resolutions enhanced to capture subtleties in the dynamics of atoms and molecules at surfaces. Theoretical methods, whether based on empirical and semi-empirical interatomic potential or on ab initio electronic structure calculations, helped decipher experimental observations and provide deeper insights into the nature of the bond between atoms and molecules in regions of reduced symmetry, as encountered on solid surfaces. Vibrations at surfaces were thus an integral part of the set of phenomena that characterized surface science. Dedicated workshops and conferences were held to explore the variety of interesting and puzzling features revealed in experimental and theoretical investigations of surface vibrational modes and their dispersion. One such conference, Vibrations at Surfaces, first organized by Harald Ibach in Juelich in 1980, continues to this day. The 13th International Conference on Vibrations at Surfaces was held at the University of

Fission track dating of authigenic quartz in red weathering crusts of carbonate rocks in Guizhou province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiuming; Wang Shijie; Zhang Feng

2004-01-01

The Cenozoic evolution history of Guizhou Province, which is located on the southeastern flank of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is unclear because of the lack of sedimentation records. The red weathering crusts widespread on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau may bear critical information about their evolution history. This work firstly determined the ages of four red weathering crusts in eastern, central and northern Guizhou. The material used in fission track dating is well-crystallized quartz occurring in many in-situ weathering crusts of carbonate rocks. The results showed that the fission track ages of quartz vary over a wide range from 1 Ma to 25 Ma in the four profiles, significantly younger than the ages of Triassic and Cambrian parent rocks. In combination with the regionally geological evolution history during the period from 25 Ma to 1 Ma, the ages of quartz can exclude the possibility that the origin of quartz has nothing to do with primary clastic minerals in parent rocks, authigenesis during diagenesis and hydrothermal precipitation or replacement by volcanic activities. It is deduced that the well-crystallized quartz was precipitated from Si-rich weathering fluids during weathering processes of carbonate rocks. The recorded ages of quartz from the four profiles are consistent with the episodes of planation surfaces on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the stages of red soil in the tropics of South China, the tectonically stable periods in Guizhou, and the ages of weathering in other parts of the world during the Cenozoic era. That is to say, the ages of authigenic quartz dated by the fission track method are well feasible and credible. (authors)

INFLUENCE OF QUARTZ CERAMICS SINGLE-STAGE PROCESSING BY GEL-FORMING WATER SOLUTIONS ON ITS STRENGTH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Evstropiev

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The main research results of the influence of quartz ceramics processing by silicon- and aluminum-containing gel- forming water solutions on its durability and porosity are given. Aqueous-alcoholic solutions based on tetraethoxysilane (TEOS, Si(C2H5O4 with additives of aluminum nitrate are proposed for impregnation of porous quartz ceramics samples. Ceramic samples are being impregnated with solutions at the room temperature for 12 minutes. After impregnation they are being exposed to drying at the room temperature for 24 hours and heat treatment in the electric muffle furnace. The made experiments show that impregnation of quartz ceramics porous samples by gel-forming solutions leads to durability growth of not burned samples by 6-7 times even without additional heat treatment. High-temperature heat treatment of previously impregnated ceramic samples leads to decomposition of aluminum nitrate and removal of fossils, and also to hardening of the formed additional bonds between material particles. It considerably improves strength characteristics of quartz ceramics as well. Thus, the possibility of considerable hardening of porous quartz ceramics and stability growth of its strength properties by preliminary impregnation of silicon- and aluminum-bearing gel-forming solutions even without additional heat treatment is experimentally shown. It is revealed that impregnation of porous quartz ceramic samples by these solutions leads only to insignificant reduction of porosity of samples. Subsequent heat treatment of the impregnated porous ceramic samples at the temperatures, equal to 900-1200oC, results in additional significant increase in their mechanical durability.

Three-Dimensional Vibration Isolator for Suppressing High-Frequency Responses for Sage III Contamination Monitoring Package (CMP)

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y.; Cutright, S.; Dyke, R.; Templeton, J.; Gasbarre, J.; Novak, F.

2015-01-01

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III - International Space Station (ISS) instrument will be used to study ozone, providing global, long-term measurements of key components of the Earth's atmosphere for the continued health of Earth and its inhabitants. SAGE III is launched into orbit in an inverted configuration on SpaceX;s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. As one of its four supporting elements, a Contamination Monitoring Package (CMP) mounted to the top panel of the Interface Adapter Module (IAM) box experiences high-frequency response due to structural coupling between the two structures during the SpaceX launch. These vibrations, which were initially observed in the IAM Engineering Development Unit (EDU) test and later verified through finite element analysis (FEA) for the SpaceX launch loads, may damage the internal electronic cards and the Thermoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbalance (TQCM) sensors mounted on the CMP. Three-dimensional (3D) vibration isolators were required to be inserted between the CMP and IAM interface in order to attenuate the high frequency vibrations without resulting in any major changes to the existing system. Wire rope isolators were proposed as the isolation system between the CMP and IAM due to the low impact to design. Most 3D isolation systems are designed for compression and roll, therefore little dynamic data was available for using wire rope isolators in an inverted or tension configuration. From the isolator FEA and test results, it is shown that by using the 3D wire rope isolators, the CMP high-frequency responses have been suppressed by several orders of magnitude over a wide excitation frequency range. Consequently, the TQCM sensor responses are well below their qualification environments. It is indicated that these high-frequency responses due to the typical instrument structural coupling can be significantly suppressed by a vibration passive control using the 3D vibration isolator. Thermal and contamination

Neutron peak velocity measurements at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) using novel quartz detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Grim, Gary; Eckart, Mark; Hartouni, Edward; Hatarik, Robert; Moore, Alastair; Root, Jaben; Sayre, Daniel; Schlossberg, David; Waltz, Cory

2017-10-01

In mid-2017 the NIF implemented quartz based neutron time-of-flight (nToF) detectors which have a faster and narrower impulse response function (IRF) relative to traditional scintillator detectors. In this presentation we report on comparisons between fusion neutron first moments as measured by quartz and scintillator based detectors using DT layered implosions at the NIF. We report on the change in precision presaged by the quartz converter and quantify the change in both in shot, line-of-site velocity variability. as well as, shot-to-shot variation. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-734511-DRAFT.

DNA damage tolerance pathway involving DNA polymerase ι and the tumor suppressor p53 regulates DNA replication fork progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampp, Stephanie; Kiessling, Tina; Buechle, Kerstin; Mansilla, Sabrina F; Thomale, Jürgen; Rall, Melanie; Ahn, Jinwoo; Pospiech, Helmut; Gottifredi, Vanesa; Wiesmüller, Lisa

2016-07-26

DNA damage tolerance facilitates the progression of replication forks that have encountered obstacles on the template strands. It involves either translesion DNA synthesis initiated by proliferating cell nuclear antigen monoubiquitination or less well-characterized fork reversal and template switch mechanisms. Herein, we characterize a novel tolerance pathway requiring the tumor suppressor p53, the translesion polymerase ι (POLι), the ubiquitin ligase Rad5-related helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF), and the SWI/SNF catalytic subunit (SNF2) translocase zinc finger ran-binding domain containing 3 (ZRANB3). This novel p53 activity is lost in the exonuclease-deficient but transcriptionally active p53(H115N) mutant. Wild-type p53, but not p53(H115N), associates with POLι in vivo. Strikingly, the concerted action of p53 and POLι decelerates nascent DNA elongation and promotes HLTF/ZRANB3-dependent recombination during unperturbed DNA replication. Particularly after cross-linker-induced replication stress, p53 and POLι also act together to promote meiotic recombination enzyme 11 (MRE11)-dependent accumulation of (phospho-)replication protein A (RPA)-coated ssDNA. These results implicate a direct role of p53 in the processing of replication forks encountering obstacles on the template strand. Our findings define an unprecedented function of p53 and POLι in the DNA damage response to endogenous or exogenous replication stress.

Cathodoluminescence investigations on quartz cement in the sandstones of Khabour Formation from Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq

Science.gov (United States)

Omer, Muhamed F.; Friis, Henrik

2014-03-01

The Ordovician deltaic to shallow marine Khabour Formation in Northern Iraq consists mainly of sandstone with minor siltstone and interbedded shale. The sandstones are pervasively cemented by quartz that resulted in very little preserved primary porosity. Cathodoluminescence and petrographic studies showed that the silica cementation occurred in five successive phases which can be distinguished by their luminescence pattern. The precipitations of two phases have predated the major compaction process while the other phases are younger. The successive phases represent a sequence of changes in silica supply which were classified as very early and early, derived from dissolved biogenic silica that precipitated as opal/microquartz, possibly pre-compactional and of non-luminescent quartz overgrowth type. This was followed by phases whose silica supply derived from pressure solution of quartz, dissolution of feldspar, and hydrothermal fluids related to major thrust fault event. These successive quartz cement phases showed an increase in luminescence and the development of complicated zonation pattern in late-stage quartz cementation.

77 FR 47058 - Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project Placer County Water Agency; Notice of Draft...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-07

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [P-2079-069--CA] Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project Placer County Water Agency; Notice of Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Public Meetings a. Date and Time of Meetings: Tuesday, August 28, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and...

R and D on Radiation Hard Active Media Based on Quartz Plates

CERN Document Server

Onel, Yasar

2014-01-01

The need for radiation-hard active media in particle detectors is prominently dictated by the future colliders and the future operations of the Large Hadron Collider. The areas of implementation range from calorimetry to beamline instrumentation to specialized forward detectors e.g. luminosity monitors. In this context, we developed the idea of utilizing quartz plates with various surface coating properties as the active medium for such detectors. Plain quartz is a pure Cerenkov radiator which has quite limited photostatistics. In order to improve the efficiency of the photodetection, various methods were investigated including radiation hard wavelength shifters, p-terphenyl or 4pct gallium doped zinc oxide. The readout options include direct coupling of the photodetector to the quartz plate, or fibers. We have studied various geometries and readout options and constructed calorimeter prototypes. Here we report on the results of the previous tests, and the recent developments, which enable several factors of ...

Characterization of hydrothermal green quartz produced by gamma radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enokihara, Cyro T.; Rela, Paulo R., E-mail: cteiti@ipen.br, E-mail: prela06@yahoo.com.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Schultz-Güttler, Rainer A., E-mail: rainersgut@gmail.com [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Instituto de Geociencias

2015-07-01

A specific variety of quartz showing a green color in nature or induced artificially by radiation gamma ({sup 60}Co) is quite rare. Only two occurrences are known today, where this type of quartz can be found: Canada, at the Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine, Ontario and Brazil, at widely scattered geode occurrences along a 600 km stretch from Quarai at Brazils southern most tip to Uberlandia in Minas Gerais. These two occurrences have been formed by strong hydrothermal activities.That way much quartz crystals showed a very fast growth history facilitating the formation of growth defects (twinning, small angle tilting, mosaic growth, striations) and the uptake of water in form of micro inclusions, molecular water, silanol (Si-OH) and OH. In the present work the material analyzed is from hydrothermal regimes found in intrusions of basaltic rocks located in the Rio Grande do Sul state. To characterize these materials, colored green by gamma rays, analyses by ICP, electron microscopy, water loss techniques and UV-VIS or NIR-FTIR spectroscopic measurements have been made. Silanol complexes are formed, which by radiation due to gamma rays form the color center NBOHC (Non-bonding Oxygen Hole Center), showing absorption between 590 to 620 nm, responsible for the green color. The water content with up to 3200 ppm by weight exceeds the amount of charge balancing cations (Fe, Al, Li). There is no correlation between water content and cations as in other color varieties. (author)

Quartz exposure, retention, and early silicosis in sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Bégin, R; Dufresne, A; Cantin, A; Possmayer, F; Sébastien, P; Fabi, D; Bilodeau, G; Martel, M; Bisson, D; Pietrowski, B

1989-05-01

The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the chronology of events in cellular and biochemical changes thought to be important in the development of silicosis, (2) to relate these to changes in lung function and radiograph, and (3) to evaluate the relation of quartz exposure and retention to individual response leading to early silicosis. Thirty-six sheep were exposed by repeated intratracheal infusion at 10-day intervals to 100 mg Minusil-5 in 100 ml saline (Si group), and 10 sheep were exposed at the same intervals to 100 ml saline (control). All sheep were investigated at 3-month intervals by chest radiograph, lung function, and lung lavage. At month 9, chest radiograph score of parenchymal opacities was significantly increased at 2.8 +/- 0.6 versus 0.4 +/- 0.4 in the Si group (p less than .05), establishing early radiologic silicosis. Lung function was significantly altered with reduction in lung compliance, vital capacity, and diffusion capacity (p less than .05). Lung lavage cellularity revealed significant increase in total cells (X 2.5), macrophages (X3), and neutrophils (X3). Albumin in BAL remained at the control level. Fibronectin production was significantly increased, as was the fibroblast growth activity, without significant change in procollagen 3 at this early stage of disease. Total phospholipids were significantly elevated in the Si-exposed sheep, and the profile demonstrated an increase in all the phospholipid components. Spontaneous release of hydrogen peroxide by alveolar cells was not increased, but in the presence of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) higher levels of peroxide were found in the quartz-exposed sheep (p less than .05). The cellular and biochemical alterations of lung lavage preceded other changes. At month 12, there were good correlations (r greater than .49, p less than .001) between parameters evaluating related phenomena but poor correlations between measurements evaluating different aspects of the disorder. To

A study on the flow induced vibration in two phase flow under heating and non-heating conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dae Hun

2007-02-01

Critical heat flux (CHF) enhancement devices, like a spacer grid with mixing vane, cause flow-induced vibration (FIV) due to turbulence made by structural resistance. CHF enhancement and FIV reduction are usually studied separately. The main purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between CHF and FIV. Information of flow-induced vibration due to wire coil design, is experimentally presented in this study by detecting flow-induced vibration under the two-phase flow condition with wire coil inserts. CHF experiments were performed in an upward vertical annulus tube under controlled vibration conditions to determine the effect of vibration on CHF. FIV was measured in an upward vertical tube with various wire coil inserts using air-water as flow material. CHF experiments were performed at one atmosphere with mechanically controlled vibration. A quartz tube (inner diameter of 17 mm, thickness of 2mm and length of 0.72 m) was used for outer tube and a SUS-304 tube (outer diameter of 6.35 mm, thickness of 0.89 mm and length of 0.7 m) was used for the inner heater. Vibration of the heater tube with an amplitude range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm and a frequency range of 10 Hz to 50 Hz was carried out at a mass flux of 115 kg/m 2 s and 215 kg/m 2 s. CHF was enhanced by vibration with a maximum ratio of 16.4 %. CHF was increased with increased amplitude and quality. The CHF correlation was developed with R (coefficient of correlation) of 0.903. FIV measuring experiments were performed at one atmosphere by changing the inserted wire coil type. An acrylic tube was used for the test section with inner diameter of 25 mm, thickness of 10 mm and length of 0.5 m. Four types of wire coil, which have a thickness of between 2 mm and 3 mm and pitch length of between 25 mm and 50 mm, were used. FIV and dynamic pressure were detected in water mass flux range of 100 ∼ 3060 kg/m 2 s and air mass flux range of 5.02 ∼ 60.3 kg/m 2 s. Vibration increased along with mass flux and

Study of radiation-induced paramagnetic centers in quartz and its possible use in radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansour, A.M.E.

2008-01-01

A new EPR dosimetry system has been developed based on the radiation-formed stable paramagnetic centers in quartz. The first part of the thesis includes the preparation of quartz rods (diameter = 3 mm, length = 10 mm) where quartz powder was mixed with molten mixture of paraffin wax and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). The binding-mixture EVA / paraffin do not present interference or noise in the EPR signal before or after irradiation to high doses. The quartz rods were prepared by different concentrations (5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 %). The rods (30 %) show good mechanical properties for safe and multi-use handling. The second part is concerned with studying the dosimetric characteristics of gamma irradiation sensitive rods where the radiation-formed stable free radicals (E-center, peroxy radical and non-bridging oxygen hole center) which analyzed by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer. Unirradiated rods have no EPR signals. The useful dose range of these rods was found to range from 0.1 to 80 kGy depending on concentration of quartz powder, indicating their suitability for low and high dose gamma radiation applications. Also it was found that quartz rod exhibits a linear dose response in the dose regions 0.1-2.34 and 2.34-26 kGy at optimum EPR parameters. The dosimeter response was assessed using the peak-to-peak amplitude of the first-derivatives EPR spectrum. Its EPR signal was found unchanged in shape with different doses and different concentrations. A signal line spectrum attributed to the E-center was observed after irradiation, and this radical is insensitive to temperature, light independence as well as it have a very low decay (4.768 % per year). The overall uncertainty for quartz rod dosimeters at 2σ (σ is standard deviation) was found to be 3.8436 %. The dosimetric parameters, e. g. dose response, effect of temperature during irradiation on response as well as pre- and post-irradiation stability at different storage conditions

Understanding optically stimulated charge movement in quartz and feldspar using time-resolved measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ankjærgaard, Christina

. Although, results are only presented for some quartz and feldspar samples, they were found to be very similar within the each group during the course of this work.Thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from quartz and feldspar are widely used in accident dosimetry...... stimulation energy. The thesis first delves into three main methodological developments, namely (i) research and development of the equipment for TR-OSL measurements, (ii) finding the best method for multiple-exponential analysis of a TR-OSL curve, and (iii) optimisation of the pulsing configuration...... of the equipment for TR-OSL measurements, (ii) finding the best method for multiple-exponential analysis of a TR-OSL curve, and (iii) optimisation of the pulsing configuration for the best separation of quartz OSL from a mixed quarts-feldspar sample. It then proceeds to study the different charge transport...

76 FR 20463 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Endangered Status for the Three Forks...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-12

... precariously, at Three Forks Springs. Lack of vegetation and forest litter following intense crown fires can... Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations...

Adsorption of bis(2-hydroxy-3-chloropropyl) dodecylamine on quartz surface and its implication on flotation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wengang; Liu, Wenbao; Dai, Shujuan; Wang, Benying

2018-06-01

In order to clarify the effect of polar group modification on flotation performance of amine collector, flotation properties of quartz and hematite using bis(2-hydroxy-3-chloropropyl) dodecylamine (N23) as a collector were investigated. And the adsorption mechanism of N23 on quartz surface was established by zeta potential measurements, SEM/EDS measurements, and molecular structure analysis. Single mineral flotation results indicated that N23 showed stronger collecting ability on quartz and hematite than DDA-CH3COOH. However, starch could depress the flotation of hematite. Flotation recovery of 98.10% for quartz could be achieved, when N23 concentration was 43.33 mg/L and starch concentration was 16.67 mg/L at natural slurry pH. Separation of artificially mixed minerals of hematite and quartz was achieved effectively using N23 as the collector. The optimized separation result with 66.29% iron grade and 90.06% iron recovery in concentrate was obtained when slurry pH was 7.34 with 43.33 mg/L N23 and 23.33 mg/L starch. The interaction energies of N23 with mineral surface also showed well consistency with flotation results. SEM/EDS analyses and zeta potential measurements revealed that N23 could absorb on quartz surface in the forms of strong electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interaction. Compared with DDA, N23 had a higher HLB value and better water-solubility, which resulted in better dispersion in water and stronger adsorption on mineral surface.

Status of the dirty darter, Etheostoma olivaceum, and bluemask darter, Etheostoma (Doration)sp., with notes on fishes of the Caney Fork River system, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Layman, S.R.; Simons, A.M.; Wood, R.M.

1993-01-01

Seventy-six localities were sampled in the Caney Fork River system and adjacent Cumberland River tributaries. Etheostoma olivaceum was found in small creeks from nine tributaries of lower Caney Fork River and three tributaries of the Cumberland River in the Nashville Basin physiographic province. The species was most abundant around slab rocks and rubble over bedrock in slow to moderate current. Etheostoma olivaceum was common throughout its small range; however, given widespread habitat degradation from agriculture, the species should retain its open-quotes deemed in need of managementclose quotes status in Tennessee. The bluemask darter, Etheostoma (Doration) sp., was collected in slow to moderate current over sand and gravel in Collins River, Rocky River, Cane Creek, and Caney Fork River. All four populations were isolated upstream of Great Falls Reservoir in the Highland Rim physiographic province. The species was found in a 37-km reach of Collins River but was restricted to reaches of 0.2 to 4.3 km in the other three streams. Threats to the species include pesticides from plant nurseries, siltation, gravel dredging, and acid mine drainage. The authors recommend that the bluemask darter be listed as state and federally protected. Two new records were established for the rare Barrens darter, Etheostoma forbesi, in lower Collins River and Barren Fork River, and eight previously unknown records of the species were identified from older museum collections. 21 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

ESR signals in quartz for the studies of earth surface processes

Science.gov (United States)

Toyoda, S.; Shimada, A., , Dr; Takada, M.

2017-12-01

Various ESR (electron spin resonance) signals are observed in quartz. As they are formed by natural radiation, the signals are useful in dating of geological events, such as volcanic eruption, faulting and sedimentation. It was also found that those paramagnetic defects can be fingerprints of sediments, to be used for studies in sediment provenance. The signal of the E1' center, unpaired electron at an oxygen vacancy, was first used for such studies. A method was proposed to estimate the number of the precursors (oxygen vacancies) from the E1' center intensity. The number of oxygen vacancies in quartz was found to have positive correlation with the crystallization age. Using this feature, studies were quite successful in aeolian dust. It was shown that the sources of aeolian dust deposited in northern part of Japanese Islands were different between in MIS1 and MIS 2. In combination with crystallinity index, the contributions of the dust components from three origins were quantitatively obtained. After these, the provenance studies on river sediments have started where the impurity centers in quartz were employed, which are the Al center, the Ti centers, and the Ge centers. Sediments of Kizu River, Mie to Nara prefectures in Central Japan are most extensively studied. Firstly, it was shown that each of possible sources of granitic quartz around the reaches has respective characteristics in the number of oxygen vacancies and the signal intensities of impurity centers. Secondary, by the artificial mixing experiments, the impurity signal intensities have the values consistent with the mixing ratio of the two samples of quartz with different intensities. At river junctions, the mixing ratios were calculated from the ESR signals. At some locations, the mixing ratio values obtained from one signal were consistent with the ones from another signal while at some locations they were not. The latter inconsistent results would indicate that the river sediments are

INTEGRATED OUTCROP AND SUBSURFACE STUDIES OF THE INTERWELL ENVIRONMENT OF CARBONATE RESERVOIRS: CLEAR FORK (LEONARDIAN-AGE) RESERVOIRS, WEST TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

F. Jerry Lucia

2002-01-31

This is the final report of the project ''Integrated Outcrop and Subsurface Studies of the Interwell Environment of Carbonate Reservoirs: Clear Fork (Leonardian-Age) Reservoirs, West Texas and New Mexico'', Department of Energy contract no. DE-AC26-98BC15105 and is the third in a series of similar projects funded jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, Reservoir Characterization Research Laboratory for Carbonates. All three projects focus on the integration of outcrop and subsurface data for the purpose of developing improved methods for modeling petrophysical properties in the interwell environment. The first project, funded by contract no. DE-AC22-89BC14470, was a study of San Andres outcrops in the Algerita Escarpment, Guadalupe Mountains, Texas and New Mexico, and the Seminole San Andres reservoir, Permian Basin. This study established the basic concepts for constructing a reservoir model using sequence-stratigraphic principles and rock-fabric, petrophysical relationships. The second project, funded by contract no. DE-AC22-93BC14895, was a study of Grayburg outcrops in the Brokeoff Mountains, New Mexico, and the South Cowden Grayburg reservoir, Permian Basin. This study developed a sequence-stratigraphic succession for the Grayburg and improved methods for locating remaining hydrocarbons in carbonate ramp reservoirs. The current study is of the Clear Fork Group in Apache Canyon, Sierra Diablo Mountains, West Texas, and the South Wasson Clear Fork reservoir, Permian Basin. The focus was on scales of heterogeneity, imaging high- and low-permeability layers, and the impact of fractures on reservoir performance. In this study (1) the Clear Fork cycle stratigraphy is defined, (2) important scales of petrophysical variability are confirmed, (3) a unique rock-fabric, petrophysical relationship is defined, (4) a porosity method for correlating high-frequency cycles and defining rock

Helicase and Polymerase Move Together Close to the Fork Junction and Copy DNA in One-Nucleotide Steps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manjula Pandey

2014-03-01

Full Text Available By simultaneously measuring DNA synthesis and dNTP hydrolysis, we show that T7 DNA polymerase and T7 gp4 helicase move in sync during leading-strand synthesis, taking one-nucleotide steps and hydrolyzing one dNTP per base-pair unwound/copied. The cooperative catalysis enables the helicase and polymerase to move at a uniformly fast rate without guanine:cytosine (GC dependency or idling with futile NTP hydrolysis. We show that the helicase and polymerase are located close to the replication fork junction. This architecture enables the polymerase to use its strand-displacement synthesis to increase the unwinding rate, whereas the helicase aids this process by translocating along single-stranded DNA and trapping the unwound bases. Thus, in contrast to the helicase-only unwinding model, our results suggest a model in which the helicase and polymerase are moving in one-nucleotide steps, DNA synthesis drives fork unwinding, and a role of the helicase is to trap the unwound bases and prevent DNA reannealing.

Optically stimulated luminescence from quartz measured using the linear modulation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulur, E.; Boetter-Jensen, L.; Murray, A.S.

2000-01-01

The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from heated natural quartz has been investigated using the linear modulation technique (LMT), in which the excitation light intensity is increased linearly during stimulation. In contrast to conventional stimulation, which usually produces a monotonically decreasing signal, linearly increasing the stimulation power gives peaks in the signal as a function of time. In cases where the OSL signal contains more than one component, the linear increase in power of the stimulation light may result in a curve containing overlapping peaks, where the most easily stimulated component occurs at a shorter time. This allows the separation of the overlapping OSL components, which are assumed to originate from different traps. The LM-OSL curve from quartz shows an initial peak followed by a broad one. Deconvolution using curve fitting has shown that the composite OSL curve from quartz can be approximated well by using a linear combination of first-order peaks. In addition to the three known components, i.e. fast, medium and slow components from continuous-wave-OSL studies, an additional slow component is also identified for the first time. The dose responses and thermal stabilities of the various components are also studied

Surface complexation modelling: Experiments on the sorption of nickel on quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puukko, E.; Hakanen, M.

1995-10-01

Assessing the safety of a final repository for nuclear wastes requires knowledge concerning the way in which the radionuclides released are retarded in the geosphere. The aim of the work is to aquire knowledge of empirical methods repeating the experiments on the sorption of nickel on quartz described in the reports published by the British Geological Survey (BGS). The experimental results were modelled with computer models at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT Chemical Technology). The results showed that the experimental knowledge of the sorption of Ni on quartz have been acheved by repeating the experiments of BGS. Experiments made with the two quartz types, Min-U-Sil 5 (MUS) and Nilsiae, showed the difference in sorption of Ni in the low ionic strength solution (0.001 M NaNO 3 ). The sorption of Ni on MUS was higher than predicted by the Surface Complexation Model (SCM). The phenomenon was also observed by the BGS, and may be due to the different amounts of inpurities in the MUS and in the NLS. In other respects, the results of the sorption experiments fitted quite well with those predicted by the SCM model. (8 refs., 8 figs., 11 tabs.)

Surface Textural Analysis of Quartz Grains from Modern Point Bar Deposits in Lower Reaches of the Yellow River

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yong; Liu, Cong; Lu, Ping; Zhang, Yu; Nie, Qi; Wen, Yiming

2018-01-01

The surfaces of quartz grains contain characteristic textures formed during the process of transport, due to their stable physical and chemical properties. The surface textures include the information about source area, transporting force, sedimentary environment and evolution history of sediment. Surface textures of quartz grains from modern point bar deposits in the lower reaches of the Yellow River are observed and studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicate that there are 22 kinds of surface textures. The overall surface morphology of quartz grains shows short transporting time and distance and weak abrasive action of the river water. The combined surface textures caused by mechanical action indicate that quartz grains are transporting in a high-energy hydrodynamic condition and suffer a strong mechanical impact and abrasion. The common solution pits prove that the chemical property of transportation medium is very active and quartz grains receive an obvious chemical action. The combination of these surface textures can be an identification mark of fluvial environment, and that is: quartz grains are main subangular outline, whose roundness is higher with the farther motion distance; Surface fluctuation degree of quartz grains is relatively high, and gives priority to high and medium relief; V-shaped percussion marks are very abundant caused by mechanical action; The conchoidal of different sizes and steps are common-developed with paragenesis relationship; Solution pits are common-developed as well. The study makes up for the blank of surface textures analysis of quartz grains from modern fluvial deposits in China. It provides new ideas and evidence for studies of the sedimentary process and environmental significance, although the deep meanings of these micro textures remain to be further researched.

Molecular dynamics simulation of siderite-hematite-quartz flotation with sodium oleate

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lixia; Hao, Haiqing; Yuan, Zhitao; Liu, Jiongtian

2017-10-01

Models of sodium oleate adsorption on siderite, hematite and quartz were investigated by molecular dynamic simulation, respectively. Surface energy was calculated to confirm the cleavage plan of hematite and quartz. Both natural cleavage plane of siderite and calculated plane were used to investigate the flotation of the three minerals. Based on the molecular simulation in solution with water as medium, adsorption quantity and interaction capability of oleate ions on the three minerals indicated that siderite could be collected efficiently by sodium oleate at neutral pH. Results of flotation experiments were further demonstrated by analysis of relative concentration of carbon atoms and oxygen atoms.

Vibration analysis and vibration damage assessment in nuclear and process equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettigrew, M.J.; Taylor, C.E.; Fisher, N.J.; Yetisir, M.; Smith, B.A.W.

1997-01-01

Component failures due to excessive flow-induced vibration are still affecting the performance and reliability of process and nuclear components. The purpose of this paper is to discuss flow-induced vibration analysis and vibration damage prediction. Vibration excitation mechanisms are described with particular emphasis on fluid elastic instability. The dynamic characteristics of process and power equipment are explained. The statistical nature of some parameters, in particular support conditions, is discussed. The prediction of fretting-wear damage is approached from several points-of-view. An energy approach to formulate fretting-wear damage is proposed. (author)

Vibration of hydraulic machinery

CERN Document Server

Wu, Yulin; Liu, Shuhong; Dou, Hua-Shu; Qian, Zhongdong

2013-01-01

Vibration of Hydraulic Machinery deals with the vibration problem which has significant influence on the safety and reliable operation of hydraulic machinery. It provides new achievements and the latest developments in these areas, even in the basic areas of this subject. The present book covers the fundamentals of mechanical vibration and rotordynamics as well as their main numerical models and analysis methods for the vibration prediction. The mechanical and hydraulic excitations to the vibration are analyzed, and the pressure fluctuations induced by the unsteady turbulent flow is predicted in order to obtain the unsteady loads. This book also discusses the loads, constraint conditions and the elastic and damping characters of the mechanical system, the structure dynamic analysis, the rotor dynamic analysis and the system instability of hydraulic machines, including the illustration of monitoring system for the instability and the vibration in hydraulic units. All the problems are necessary for vibration pr...

Electron spin resonance of Fe4+ in amethyst quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, R.T.

1975-01-01

The ESR spectrum of Fe 4+ was looked for in amethyst quartz. Besides saturated Fe 3+ lines, ESR lines of a new paramagnetic center whose spin-lattice relaxation time is relatively short were observed. They could be attributed to Fe 4+ [fr

Vibrations and Eigenvalues

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We make music by causing strings, membranes, or air columns to vibrate. Engineers design safe structures by control- ling vibrations. I will describe to you a very simple vibrating system and the mathematics needed to analyse it. The ideas were born in the work of Joseph-Louis Lagrange (1736–1813), and I begin by quot-.

Shock pressure estimation in basement rocks of the Chicxulub impact crater using cathodoluminescence spectroscopy of quartz

Science.gov (United States)

Tomioka, N.; Tani, R.; Kayama, M.; Chang, Y.; Nishido, H.; Kaushik, D.; Rae, A.; Ferrière, L.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Morgan, J. V.

2017-12-01

The Chicxulub impact structure, located in the northern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, was drilled by the joint IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 in April-May 2016. This expedition is the first attempt to obtain materials from the topographic peak ring within the crater previously identified by seismic imaging. A continuous core was successfully recovered from the peak ring at depths between 505.7 and 1334.7 mbsf. Uplifted, fractured, and shocked granitic basement rocks forming the peak ring were found below, in the impact breccia and impact melt rock unit (747.0-1334.7 mbsf; Morgan et al. 2016). In order to constrain impact crater formation, we investigated shock pressure distribution in the peak-ring basement rocks. Thin sections of the granitic rocks were prepared at intervals of 60 m. All the samples contains shocked minerals, with quartz grains frequently showing planar deformation features (PDFs). We determined shock pressures based on the cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy of quartz. The strong advantage of the CL method is its applicability to shock pressure estimation for individual grains for both quartz and diaplectic SiO2 glass with high-spatial resolution ( 1 μm) (Chang et al. 2016). CL spectra of quartz shows a blue emission band caused by shock-induced defect centers, where its intensity increases with shock pressure. A total of 108 quartz grains in ten thin sections were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope with a CL spectrometer attached (an acceleration voltage of 15 kV and a beam current of 2 nA were used). Natural quartz single crystals, which were experimentally shocked at 0-30 GPa, were used for pressure calibration. CL spectra of all the quartz grains in the basement rocks showed broad blue emission band at the wavelength range of 300-500 nm and estimated shock pressures were in the range of 15-20 GPa. The result is consistent with values obtained from PDFs analysis in quartz using the universal stage (Ferrière et al. 2017; Rae et al. 2017