ALBERT

Description: When cumulonimbus clouds aggregate, developing into a single entity with precipitation covering a horizontal scale of hundreds of kilometers, they are called mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). They account for much of Earth’s precipitation, generate severe weather events and flooding, produce prodigious cirriform anvil clouds, and affect the evolution of the larger-scale circulation. Understanding the inner workings of MCSs has resulted from developments in observational technology and modeling. Time–space conversion of ordinary surface and upper-air observations provided early insight into MCSs, but deeper understanding has followed field campaigns using increasingly sophisticated radars, better aircraft instrumentation, and an ever-widening range of satellite instruments, especially satellite-borne radars. High-resolution modeling and theoretical insights have shown that aggregated cumulonimbus clouds induce a mesoscale circulation consisting of air overturning on a scale larger than the scale of individual convective up- and downdrafts. These layers can be kilometers deep and decoupled from the boundary layer in elevated MCSs. Cooling in the lower troposphere and heating aloft characterize the stratiform regions of MCSs. As a result, long-lived MCSs with large stratiform regions have a top-heavy heating profile that generates potential vorticity in midlevels, thus influencing the larger-scale circulation within which the MCSs occur. Global satellite data show MCSs varying in structure, depending on the prevailing large-scale circulation and topography. These patterns are likely to change with global warming. In addition, environmental pollution affects MCS structure and dynamics subtly. Feedbacks of MCSs therefore need to be included or parameterized in climate models.

Description: The central change in understanding of the ocean circulation during the past 100 years has been its emergence as an intensely time-dependent, effectively turbulent and wave-dominated, flow. Early technologies for making the difficult observations were adequate only to depict large-scale, quasi-steady flows. With the electronic revolution of the past 50+ years, the emergence of geophysical fluid dynamics, the strongly inhomogeneous time-dependent nature of oceanic circulation physics finally emerged. Mesoscale (balanced), submesoscale oceanic eddies at 100-km horizontal scales and shorter, and internal waves are now known to be central to much of the behavior of the system. Ocean circulation is now recognized to involve both eddies and larger-scale flows with dominant elements and their interactions varying among the classical gyres, the boundary current regions, the Southern Ocean, and the tropics.

Description: Although atmospheric observing systems were already an important part of meteorology before the American Meteorological Society was established in 1919, the past 100 years have seen a steady increase in their numbers and types. Examples of how observing systems were developed and how they have enabled major scientific discoveries are presented. These examples include observing systems associated with the boundary layer, the upper air, clouds and precipitation, and solar and terrestrial radiation. Widely used specialized observing systems such as radar, lidar, and research aircraft are discussed, and examples of applications to weather forecasting and climate are given. Examples drawn from specific types of chemical measurements, such as ozone and carbon dioxide, are included. Sources of information on observing systems, including other chapters of this monograph, are also discussed. The past 100 years has been characterized by synergism between societal needs for weather observations and the needs of fundamental meteorological research into atmospheric processes. In the latter half of the period, observing system improvements have been driven by the increasing demands for higher-resolution data for numerical models, the need for long-term measurements, and for more global coverage. This has resulted in a growing demand for data access and for integrating data from an increasingly wide variety of observing system types and networks. These trends will likely continue.

Description: The polar regions present several unique challenges to meteorology, including remoteness and a harsh environment. We summarize the evolution of polar meteorology in both hemispheres, beginning with measurements made during early expeditions and concluding with the recent decades in which polar meteorology has been central to global challenges such as the ozone hole, weather prediction, and climate change. Whereas the 1800s and early 1900s provided data from expeditions and only a few subarctic stations, the past 100 years have seen great advances in the observational network and corresponding understanding of the meteorology of the polar regions. For example, a persistent view in the early twentieth century was of an Arctic Ocean dominated by a permanent high pressure cell, a glacial anticyclone. With increased observations, by the 1950s it became apparent that, while anticyclones are a common feature of the Arctic circulation, cyclones are frequent and may be found anywhere in the Arctic. Technology has benefited polar meteorology through advances in instrumentation, especially autonomously operated instruments. Moreover, satellite remote sensing and computer models revolutionized polar meteorology. We highlight the four International Polar Years and several high-latitude field programs of recent decades. We also note outstanding challenges, which include understanding of the role of the Arctic in variations of midlatitude weather and climate, the ability to model surface energy exchanges over a changing Arctic Ocean, assessments of ongoing and future trends in extreme events in polar regions, and the role of internal variability in multiyear-to-decadal variations of polar climate.

Description: The field of atmospheric science has been enhanced by its long-standing collaboration with entities with specific needs. This chapter and the two subsequent ones describe how applications have worked to advance the science at the same time that the science has served the needs of society. This chapter briefly reviews the synergy between the applications and advancing the science. It specifically describes progress in weather modification, aviation weather, and applications for security. Each of these applications has resulted in enhanced understanding of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere, new and improved observing equipment, better models, and a push for greater computing power.

Description: Over the past century, the atmospheric and related sciences have seen incredible advances in our understanding of Earth’s environment and our ability to monitor and predict its behavior. These advances have had a profound impact on society and have been integrated into every aspect of daily life. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has been instrumental in supporting these advances throughout its first 100 years of existence as a scientific and professional society serving the community of professionals in the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences. AMS has provided opportunities for researchers and practitioners to share their scientific findings and build fruitful collaborations to further the science and its application. Through strategic initiatives at key points in its history, AMS has pushed the science forward—highlighting areas ripe for development, creating frameworks for interdisciplinary interactions, and providing innovative approaches to the dissemination of research results. As a society made up of the scientific community and led by many of the most prominent scientists of their time, AMS has been able to respond to, and often anticipate, the needs of its community.

Description: A century ago, meteorologists regarded tropical cyclones as shallow vortices, extending upward only a few kilometers into the troposphere, and nothing was known about their physics save that convection was somehow involved. As recently as 1938, a major hurricane struck the densely populated northeastern United States with no warning whatsoever, killing hundreds. In the time since the American Meteorological Society was founded, however, tropical cyclone research blossomed into an endeavor of great breadth and depth, encompassing fields ranging from atmospheric and oceanic dynamics to biogeochemistry, and the precision and scope of forecasts and warnings have achieved a level of success that would have been regarded as impossible only a few decades ago. This chapter attempts to document the extraordinary progress in tropical cyclone research over the last century and to suggest some avenues for productive research over the next one.

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Progress in Oceanography, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Alba María Martínez–Pérez, Teresa S. Catalá, Mar Nieto–Cid, Jaime Otero, Marta Álvarez, Mikhail Emelianov, Isabel Reche, Xosé Antón Álvarez–Salgado, Javier Arístegui〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in the Mediterranean Sea was analysed by excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy and parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis during the cruise HOTMIX 2014. A 4–component model, including 3 humic–like and 1 protein–like compounds, was obtained. To decipher the environmental factors that dictate the distributions of these components, we run generalized additive models (GAMs) in the epipelagic layer and an optimum multiparametric (OMP) water masses analysis in the meso– and bathypelagic layers. In the epipelagic layer, apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and temperature presented the most significant effects on the variability of the marine humic-like peak M fluorescence, suggesting that its distribution was controlled by the net community respiration of organic matter and photobleaching. On the contrary, the variability of the soil humic-like peak E and the protein–like peak T fluorescence was explained mainly by the prokaryotic heterotrophic abundance, which decreased eastwards. In the meso– and bathypelagic layers, water mass mixing and basin–scale mineralization processes explained 〉72% and 63% of the humic–like and protein–like fluorescence variability, respectively. When analysing the two basins separately, the OMP model offered a better explanation of the distribution of fluorescence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as expected from the reduced biological activity in this ultra–oligotrophic basin. Furthermore, while western Mediterranean deep waters display the usual trend in the global ocean (increase of humic–like fluorescence and decrease of protein–like fluorescence with higher AOU values), the eastern Mediterranean deep waters presented an opposite trend. Different initial fluorescence intensities of the water masses that mix in the eastern basin, with Adriatic and Aegean origins, seem to be behind this contrasting pattern. The analysis of the transect–scale mineralization processes corroborate this hypothesis, suggesting a production of humic–like and a consumption of protein–like fluorescence in parallel with water mass ageing. Remarkably, the transect–scale variability of the chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorbing at the excitation wavelength of the humic–like peak M indicates an unexpected loss with increasing AOU, which suggests that the consumption of the non–fluorescent fraction of CDOM absorbing at that wavelength exceeded the production of the fluorescent fraction observed here.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, Volume 1863, Issue 2〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mathilde Ménard, Florent Meyer, Ksenia Parkhomenko, Cédric Leuvrey, Grégory Francius, Sylvie Bégin-Colin, Damien Mertz〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles emerge as promising carriers for drug delivery. Among challenges, one important issue is the design of HSA nanoparticles with a low mean size of ca. 50 nm and having a high drug payload. The original strategy developed here is to use sacrificial mesoporous nanosilica templates having a diameter close to 30 nm to drive the protein nanocapsule formation. This new approach ensures first an efficient high drug loading (ca. 30%) of Doxorubicin (DOX) in the porous silica by functionalizing silica with an aminosiloxane layer and then allows the one-step adsorption and the physical cross-linking of HSA by modifying the silica surface with isobutyramide (IBAM) groups. After silica template removal, homogenous DOX-loaded HSA nanocapsules (30–60 nm size) with high drug loading capacity (ca. 88%) are thus formed. Such nanocapsules are shown efficient in multicellular tumor spheroid models (MCTS) of human hepatocarcinoma cells by their significant growth inhibition with respect to controls. Such a new synthesis approach paves the way toward new protein based nanocarriers for drug delivery.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0304416518303416-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Unlabelled Image" title="Unlabelled Image"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research, Volume 1866, Issue 1〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 169〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Alaina N. Perkins, Salmaan H. Inayat-Hussain, Nicole C. Deziel, Caroline H. Johnson, Stephen S. Ferguson, Rolando Garcia-Milian, David C. Thompson, Vasilis Vasiliou〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Currently, there are 〉11,000 synthetic turf athletic fields in the United States and 〉13,000 in Europe. Concerns have been raised about exposure to carcinogenic chemicals resulting from contact with synthetic turf fields, particularly the infill material (“crumb rubber”), which is commonly fabricated from recycled tires. However, exposure data are scant, and the limited existing exposure studies have focused on a small subset of crumb rubber components. Our objective was to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of a broad range of chemical components of crumb rubber infill using computational toxicology and regulatory agency classifications from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to inform future exposure studies and risk analyses. Through a literature review, we identified 306 chemical constituents of crumb rubber infill from 20 publications. Utilizing ADMET Predictor™, a computational program to predict carcinogenicity and genotoxicity, 197 of the identified 306 chemicals met our 〈em〉a priori〈/em〉 carcinogenicity criteria. Of these, 52 chemicals were also classified as known, presumed or suspected carcinogens by the US EPA and ECHA. Of the remaining 109 chemicals which were not predicted to be carcinogenic by our computational toxicology analysis, only 6 chemicals were classified as presumed or suspected human carcinogens by US EPA or ECHA. Importantly, the majority of crumb rubber constituents were not listed in the US EPA (n = 207) and ECHA (n = 262) databases, likely due to an absence of evaluation or insufficient information for a reliable carcinogenicity classification. By employing a cancer hazard scoring system to the chemicals which were predicted and classified by the computational analysis and government databases, several high priority carcinogens were identified, including benzene, benzidine, benzo(a)pyrene, trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride. Our findings demonstrate that computational toxicology assessment in conjunction with government classifications can be used to prioritize hazardous chemicals for future exposure monitoring studies for users of synthetic turf fields. This approach could be extended to other compounds or toxicity endpoints.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 169〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Tsun-Hsuan Chen, Xianglin L. Du, Wenyaw Chan, Kai Zhang〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Cold weather has been identified as a major cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Although the effects of cold weather on mortality has been investigated extensively, studies on how cold weather affects hospital admissions are limited particularly in the Southern United States. This study aimed to examine impacts of cold weather on emergency hospital admissions (EHA) in 12 major Texas metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for the 10-year period, 2004–2013. A two-stage approach was employed to examine the associations between cold weather and EHA. First, the cold effects on each MSA were estimated using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM). Then a random effects meta-analysis was applied to estimate pooled effects across all 12 MSAs. Percent increase in risk and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated as with a 1 °C (°C) decrease in temperature below a MSA-specific threshold for cold effects. Age-stratified and cause-specific EHA were modeled separately. The majority of the 12 Texas MSAs were associated with an increased risk in EHA ranging from 0.1% to 3.8% with a 1 ⁰C decrease below cold thresholds. The pooled effect estimate was 1.6% (95% CI: 0.9%, 2.2%) increase in all-cause EHA risk with 1 ⁰C decrease in temperature. Cold wave effects were also observed in most eastern and southern Texas MSAs. Effects of cold on all-cause EHA were highest in the very elderly (2.4%, 95% CI: 1.2%, 3.6%). Pooled estimates for cause-specific EHA association were strongest in pneumonia (3.3%, 95% CI: 2.8%, 3.9%), followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (3.3%, 95% CI: 2.1%, 4.5%) and respiratory diseases (2.8%, 95% CI: 1.9%, 3.7%). Cold weather generally increases EHA risk significantly in Texas, especially in respiratory diseases, and cold effects estimates increased by elderly population (aged over 75 years). Our findings provide insight into better intervention strategy to reduce adverse health effects of cold weather among targeted vulnerable populations.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 168〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ji-Young Son, Jong-Tae Lee, Kevin J. Lane, Michelle L. Bell〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Few studies have examined temperature's effect on adverse birth outcomes and relevant effect modifiers.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉We investigated associations between heat and adverse birth outcomes and how individual and community characteristics affect these associations for Seoul, Korea, 2004–2012.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We applied logistic regression to estimate associations between heat index during pregnancy, 4 weeks before delivery, and 1 week before delivery and risk of preterm birth and term low birth weight. We investigated effect modification by individual (infant's sex, mother's age, and mother's educational level) and community characteristics (socioeconomic status (SES) and percentage of green areas near residence at the gu level, which is similar to borough in Western countries). We also evaluated associations by combinations of individual- and community-level SES.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Heat exposure during whole pregnancy was significantly associated with risk of preterm birth. An interquartile (IQR) increase (5.5 °C) in heat index during whole pregnancy was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.033 (95% CI 1.005, 1.061) with NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 adjustment, and 1.028 (95% CI 0.998, 1.059) with PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 adjustment, for preterm birth. We also found significant associations with heat exposure during 4 weeks before delivery and 1 week before delivery on preterm birth. We did not observe significant associations with term low birth weight. Higher risk of heat on preterm birth was associated with some individual characteristics such as infants with younger or older mothers and lower community-level SES. For combinations of individual- and community-level SES, the highest and most significant estimated effect was found for infants with low educated mothers living in low SES communities, with suggestions of effects of both individual-and community-level SES.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our findings have implications for evaluating impacts of high temperatures on birth outcomes, estimating health impacts of climate change, and identifying which subpopulations and factors are most relevant for disparities in this association.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 169〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Amira M. Aker, Kelly K. Ferguson, Zaira Y. Rosario, Bhramar Mukherjee, Akram N. Alshawabkeh, José F. Cordero, John D. Meeker〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Prenatal exposure to certain xenobiotics has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. We examined the associations of triclocarban, phenols and parabens in a cohort of 922 pregnant women in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats Program (PROTECT). Methods: Urinary triclocarban, phenols and parabens were measured at three time points in pregnancy (visit 1: 16–20 weeks, visit 2: 20–24 weeks, visit 3: 24–28 weeks gestation). Multiple linear regression (MLR) models were conducted to regress gestational age and birthweight z-scores against each woman's log average concentrations of exposure biomarkers. Logistic regression models were conducted to calculate odds of preterm birth, small or large for gestational age (SGA and LGA) in association with each of the exposure biomarkers. An interaction term between the average urinary biomarker concentration and infant sex was included in models to identify effect modification. The results were additionally stratified by study visit to look for windows of vulnerability. Results were transformed into the change in the birth outcome for an inter-quartile-range difference in biomarker concentration (Δ). Results: Average benzophenone-3, methyl- and propyl-paraben concentrations were associated with an increase in gestational age [(Δ 1.90 days; 95% CI: 0.54, 3.26); (Δ 1.63; 95% CI: 0.37, 2.89); (Δ 2.06; 95% CI: 0.63, 3.48), respectively]. Triclocarban was associated with a suggestive 2-day decrease in gestational age (Δ − 1.96; 95% CI: −4.11, 0.19). Bisphenol A measured at visit 1 was associated with a suggestive increase in gestational age (Δ 1.37; 95% CI: −0.05, 2.79). Triclosan was positively associated with gestational age among males, and negatively associated with gestational age among females. Methyl-, butyl- and propyl-paraben were associated with significant 0.50–0.66 decreased odds of SGA. BPS was associated with an increase in the odds of SGA at visit 3, and a suggestive increase in the odds of LGA at visit 1. Conclusion: Benzophenone-3, methyl-paraben and propyl-paraben were associated with an increase in gestational age. Concentrations of triclocarban, which were much higher than reported in other populations, were associated with a suggestive decrease in gestational age. The direction of the association between triclosan and gestational age differed by infant sex. Parabens were associated with a decrease in SGA, and BPS was associated with both SGA and LGA depending on the study visit. Further studies are required to substantiate these findings.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Energy, Volume 166〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sebastian Iwaszenko, Natalia Howaniec, Adam Smoliński〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Gasification technologies represent the most viable options of thermochemical processing of solid fuels. They are also characterized by lower emissions and higher efficiency when compared to conventional combustion systems. Particular attention has been paid to underground coal gasification offering the possibility of utilization for energy purposes coal resources otherwise inaccessible for economic or safety reasons. The disadvantage of this process is, however, the difficult control both in terms of technological and environmental aspects. The underground coal gasification process requires investigation of numerous heterogeneous reactions and transport processes, influenced by various process parameters, such as the temperature, type and flow rate of a gasification agent and geological conditions of the georeactor. In the paper a new, alternative way of the determination of kinetics of coal gasification by the Random Pore Model application is proposed. The procedure for determination of model parameters is presented. The structural parameter was estimated on the basis of measurements of char porous structure parameters. The reactivity measurements made for selected Polish coals were applied in determination of kinetic constants. The results of gasification process simulations for determined parameters and Random Pore Model are also given.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Energy, Volume 166〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Joel Krupa, Rahmatallah Poudineh, L.D. Danny Harvey〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Although renewables in the resource-rich countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are inconsequential contributors to regional total primary energy supply, recent project developments and overt support from a range of influential regional actors suggest a general trend towards a more environmentally sustainable electricity supply. This trend is driven just as much by economics as other factors, as rapidly falling renewable energy capital costs are complementing favourable policy environments, technical suitability, and concerns around the impacts of anthropogenic climate change and local pollution. Finance is an especially important consideration in this transition, yet it receives insufficient coverage. This paper seeks to remedy this deficiency of academic inquiry by highlighting the case of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to draw out broader implications for the region. We outline the factors that affect the financeability of projects, review the latest developments in renewable energy finance in the region, and present policy recommendations going forward.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0360544218320966-egi10GRBN8M09N.jpg" width="289" alt="Image" title="Image"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Ecological Economics, Volume 156〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zia Wadud, Phani Kumar Chintakayala〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Personal carbon trading is a downstream version of the cap and trade approaches to mitigating carbon emissions from individual energy use. Although there are studies that investigate the theoretical and implementation issues, there is little evidence over the potential ways people could reduce their emissions when subject to a PCT policy. Especially little is understood about how people make tradeoff between or complement reducing emissions from transport and in-home energy use. This paper addresses this gap by reporting the findings of a questionnaire survey of stated intentions under the policy. Results show that, more people (53.6%) preferred to reduce their emissions from both transport and in-home energy use compared to from only one of these. This shows the flexibility offered by a cap including transport and in-home energy use is more efficient compared to a PCT covering either of these separately. Nearly three-fourths (76.2%) opted to reduce their emissions following a PCT policy. However, among those with above-budget initial emissions, a large share (79.6%) still could not reduce their emissions to below the budget and opted to purchase at least some permits to cover their emissions, indicating the difficulty in reducing emissions at the personal and household level.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Comptes Rendus Geoscience, Volume 350, Issue 7〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ilias Fountoulakis, Christos S. Zerefos, Alkiviadis F. Bais, John Kapsomenakis, Maria-Elissavet Koukouli, Nozomu Ohkawara, Vitali Fioletov, Hugo De Backer, Kaisa Lakkala, Tomi Karppinen, Ann R. Webb〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Spectral UV records of solar irradiance at stations over Europe, Canada, and Japan were used to study long-term trends at 307.5 nm for a 25-year period, from 1992 to 2016. Ground-based measurements of total ozone, as well as satellite measurements of the Aerosol Index, the Total Cloud Cover and the surface reflectivity were also used in order to attribute the estimated changes of the UV to the corresponding changes of these factors. The present study shows that over the Northern Hemisphere, the long-term changes in UV-B radiation reaching the Earth's surface vary significantly over different locations, and that the main drivers of these variations are changes in aerosols and total ozone. At high latitudes, part of the observed changes may also be attributed to changes in the surface reflectivity. Over Japan, the UV-B irradiance at 307.5 nm has increased significantly by ∼3%/decade during the past 25 years, possibly due to the corresponding significant decrease of its absorption by aerosols. It was found that the greatest part of this increase took place before the mid-2000s. The only European station, over which UV radiation increases significantly, is that of Thessaloniki, Greece. Analysis of the clear-sky irradiance for the particular station shows increasing irradiance at 307.5 nm by ∼3.5%/decade during the entire period of study, with an increasing rate of change during the last decade, possibly again due to the decreasing absorption by aerosols.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Solid State Ionics, Volume 327〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): W.G. Wang, X.Y. Li, T. Liu, G.L. Hao〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The electrical performances and relaxation behaviors of the Na〈sub〉0.525〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.475〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 and Bi-deficient Na〈sub〉0.51〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.48〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 sample were investigated. The grain conductivity of the Na〈sub〉0.525〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.475〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 sample is able to reach 1.51 × 10〈sup〉−3〈/sup〉 S/cm at 673 K. In the temperature range of measurement, the grain conductivity of the Bi-deficient Na〈sub〉0.51〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.48〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 sample is lower than that of the Na〈sub〉0.525〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.475〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 sample. By the internal friction and dielectric relaxation spectrum, the activation energy and relaxation time at infinite temperature were determined as (0.82 eV, 2.47 × 10〈sup〉−14〈/sup〉 s), (0.67 eV, 5.82 × 10〈sup〉−12〈/sup〉 s) and (0.85 eV, 5.8 × 10〈sup〉−13〈/sup〉 s), (0.52 eV, 2.55 × 10〈sup〉−10〈/sup〉 s) for the Na〈sub〉0.525〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.475〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 and Na〈sub〉0.51〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.48〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 samples at the different temperature regions. In the Na〈sub〉0.525〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.475〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 compound, there is larger specific free volume, higher mobile oxygen vacancy content and better oxygen vacancy mobility, which cause the higher grain conductivity in the Na〈sub〉0.525〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.475〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 compound. To some extent, by the Bi-deficient method, oxygen vacancies can be introduced into the Na〈sub〉0.51〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.48〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉2.975〈/sub〉 compound and the grain conductivity may be improved, but the other side of Bi-deficiency harms the oxygen vacancy diffusion capacities in the Na〈sub〉0.5〈/sub〉Bi〈sub〉0.5〈/sub〉TiO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 compound.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 1 November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Complexity〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Robert J. Kunsch, Erich Novak, Daniel Rudolf〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We compute the integral of a function or the expectation of a random variable with minimal cost and use, for our new algorithm and for upper bounds of the complexity, i.i.d. samples. Under certain assumptions it is possible to select a sample size based on a variance estimation, or – more generally – based on an estimation of a (central absolute) 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" overflow="scroll" altimg="si1.gif"〉〈mi〉p〈/mi〉〈/math〉-moment. That way one can guarantee a small absolute error with high probability, the problem is thus called solvable. The expected cost of the method depends on the 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" overflow="scroll" altimg="si1.gif"〉〈mi〉p〈/mi〉〈/math〉-moment of the random variable, which can be arbitrarily large. In order to prove the optimality of our algorithm we also provide lower bounds. These bounds apply not only to methods based on i.i.d. samples but also to general randomized algorithms. They show that – up to constants – the cost of the algorithm is optimal in terms of accuracy, confidence level, and norm of the particular input random variable. Since the considered classes of random variables or integrands are very large, the worst case cost would be infinite. Nevertheless one can define adaptive stopping rules such that for each input the expected cost is finite. We contrast these positive results with examples of integration problems that are not solvable.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Solid State Ionics, Volume 327〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yonrapach Areerob, Ju Yong Cho, Won Kweon Jang, Kwang Youn Cho, Won-Chun Oh〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A cost effective and efficient alternative counter electrode (CE) to replace commercially existing platinum (Pt)-based CEs for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is necessary to make DSSCs competitive. Herein, we report the model-controllable synthesis of Graphene-La〈sub〉6〈/sub〉W〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉15〈/sub〉 doped NiSe-CoSe quantum dot (GLW-NiCoSe) nanosheets with various NiCoSe content via simple hydrothermal method and used as CE for DSSC application. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results confirmed that the as-synthesized GLW-NiCoSe nanosheets quantum dot exhibited good electrocatalytic properties and a low charge transfer resistance at the electrolyte-electrode interface. In addition, Thermal images and Photocurrent also demonstrate stability effect of material with more exposed edge sites and appropriate NiCoSe ratio. GLW-NiCoSe nanosheets performed rough surfaces, well-defined interior voids, large specific surface areas and outstanding catalytic actives. Finally, the mechanism of this material has been reported. All of these results showed a high energy conversion efficiency of up to 8%, which was comparable to the Pt CE (7%). The simple fabricated and good electrocatalytic properties of GLW-NiCoSe nanosheets make them as an alternative CE for DSSCs.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0167273818304910-ga1.jpg" width="314" alt="Unlabelled Image" title="Unlabelled Image"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Solid Earth Sciences, Volume 3, Issue 4〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Solid State Ionics, Volume 327〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ho-Young Jung, Geon-O Moon, T. Sadhasivam, Chang-Soo Jin, Won-Shik Park, Hee-Tak Kim, Sung-Hee Roh〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉To confirm the viability of a porous polyethylene (PE) separator for using in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), we conduct a comparative electroanalytical and chemical stability studies of the PE separator and Nafion 212 membrane. We characterize the physicochemical properties of the separator, such as water uptake, dimensional change, and ion conductivity, and analyze its structural and compositional features using thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We also test the chemical stability of the separator against highly oxidative V〈sup〉5+〈/sup〉 ions and the cell performance of VRFB using PE separator to assess practical applicability. In chemical stability, the change of VO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ion to VO〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 ion is considerably lowered by the PE separator (0.01 mmol/L) than the Nafion 212 (0.27 mmol/L), which indicates that the PE separator possesses higher chemical stability. The energy efficiency of the VRFB with the PE separator is lower than that obtained with Nafion 212. However, the chemical stability of PE separator is 27 times higher than that of Nafion 212, indicating that its use will promote the long-term operation of the VRFB system. Hence, the PE separator can be considered a cost-effective option for VRFB operation, with appropriate modifications to its thickness, surface properties and pore structure.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Surface Science, Volume 681〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Qingjun Chen, Ingeborg-Helene Svenum, Ljubisa Gavrilovic, De Chen, Edd A. Blekkan〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Trace amounts of potassium (K) have a significant influence on the activity and selectivity of cobalt-based catalysts in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS), in which hydrogen adsorption and dissociation is one of the initial and most important steps. In this work, hydrogen adsorption and dissociation behavior on typical facets ((0001), (10–11), (10–12), (10–15) and (11–20)) of hcp Co with and without adsorbed K were systematically studied. H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 molecular adsorption results showed that H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 mainly adsorbed in the perpendicular mode and close to the state of free H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. Different facets and pre-adsorbed K did not show obvious effects on the H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 adsorption energy. Atomic hydrogen adsorption was site and facet dependent, but the maximum hydrogen adsorption energy on the different facets of hcp Co were similar (-2.64 to -2.67 eV) with the exception on the (11–20) facet where the adsorption energy was significantly lower (-2.44 eV). K had a slight destabilizing effect on the H atom adsorption on the former Co surfaces due to a very weak repulsive interaction between K and H atoms. The initial H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation had negligible energy barriers (0–0.07 eV) on the clean surface of hcp Co, suggesting the direct dissociative adsorption of H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. The energy barriers for H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation are mainly caused by the approach of molecular H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 towards the Co surface and the rotation of the H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 molecule from the perpendicular mode to the parallel mode. The H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation energy barriers increase by 0.02–0.17 eV after the pre-adsorption of K, indicating a slight inhibition of H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation by K. However, the energy barriers for H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation in the presence of K were also small (0.05–0.21 eV). This indicates that H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociates readily at typical Co-based FTS reaction temperatures (210–240 °C), both in the absence and presence of K. Different K species (K and KOH) exhibit similar effects on H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation on hcp Co. The B〈sub〉5〈/sub〉 sites on the stepped facets, the preferred sites for K adsorption are not the most favorable site for H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation, and K slightly hinders H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dissociation at the B〈sub〉5〈/sub〉 site of hcp Co.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0039602818305144-fx1.jpg" width="301" alt="Image, graphical abstract" title="Image, graphical abstract"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 169〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): M. Van Ginneken, R. Blust, L. Bervoets〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Chemical and natural factors have been demonstrated to interact and potentially change the toxicity of the individual stressors. Yet, while there exists a multitude of papers studying the temperature-dependent toxicity of single chemicals, little research exists on the impact of temperature on chemical mixtures. This paper investigates the effect of temperature on environmentally-relevant mixtures of Cd, Cu and Pb. We linked the effects on respiration, growth, feeding rate and activity of 〈em〉Asellus aquaticus〈/em〉 to the free ion activities, as a measure for the bioavailability of the metals, and the body concentrations. We observed interactions of temperature and metal body concentrations on all sublethal endpoints, except activity. Mixture effects on accumulation and feeding rate were observed as well and even an interaction between metal body burden, mixture and temperature treatment was revealed for the feeding rate of Pb exposed isopods. This research adds to a growing body of evidence that the current chemical-based monitoring is insufficient to estimate chemical toxicity in aquatic ecosystems and must, therefore, be complemented with effect-based tools.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 168〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Janneke G.F. Hogervorst, Narjes Madhloum, Nelly D. Saenen, Bram G. Janssen, Joris Penders, Charlotte Vanpoucke, Immaculata De Vivo, Karen Vrijens, Tim S. Nawrot〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Introduction〈/h6〉 〈p〉Particulate air pollution is probably causally related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Plasma homocysteine is an established cardiovascular disease risk factor. Recent studies show that exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with plasma homocysteine levels in adults but no studies on the association between prenatal air pollution and neonatal homocysteine levels exist.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉In 609 newborns of the ENVIR〈em〉ON〈/em〉AGE (ENVIRonmental influence 〈em〉ON〈/em〉 early AGEing) birth cohort, we investigated the association between prenatal particulate matter exposure with a diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉) and cord plasma homocysteine levels, and in a subset (n = 490) we studied the interaction with 11 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in oxidative stress-related genes (〈em〉CAT, COMT, GSTP1, SOD2, NQO1〈/em〉 and 〈em〉HFE〈/em〉), through multiple linear regression. PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 levels were obtained using a high resolution spatial temporal interpolation method. Homocysteine levels were measured by the homocysteine enzymatic assay on a Roche/Hitachi cobas c system. SNPs were assessed on the Biotrove OpenArray SNP genotyping platform.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉In multivariable-adjusted models, cord plasma homocysteine levels were 8.1% higher (95% CI: 1.9 to 14.3%; p = 0.01) for each 5 µg/m³ increment in average PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 exposure during the entire pregnancy. With regard to pregnancy trimesters, there was only an association in the 2〈sup〉nd〈/sup〉 trimester: 3.6% (95% CI: 0.9% to 6.4%; p = 0.01). The positive association between PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 in and homocysteine was (borderline) statistically significantly modified by genetic variants in 〈em〉MnSOD〈/em〉 (p interaction = 0.02), 〈em〉GSTP1〈/em〉 (p interaction = 0.07) and the sum score of the 3 studied SNPs in the 〈em〉CAT〈/em〉 gene (p interaction=0.09), suggesting oxidative stress as an underlying mechanism of action.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Exposure to particulate air pollution 〈em〉in utero〈/em〉 is associated with higher cord blood homocysteine levels, possibly through generating oxidative stress. Increased air pollution-induced homocysteine levels in early life might predispose for cardiovascular and other diseases later in life.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 169〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yu Zang, Brecht Devleesschauwer, P. Michael Bolger, Emily Goodman, Herman J. Gibb〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Chronic exposures to cadmium (Cd) are associated with reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR), increasing the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In support of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s initiative to estimate the global burden of foodborne diseases, a risk assessment was performed to estimate the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) due to late-stage CKD associated with dietary exposures to cadmium. Using the distribution of population GFRs, the prevalence of CKD was calculated as the proportion of humans whose GFR fall in the ranges corresponding to Stage 4 or Stage 5 CKD. The increase in the CKD prevalence due to cadmium exposure was simulated based on a previously reported pharmacokinetic model describing the relationship between dietary cadmium intake and urinary cadmium (UCd), as well as a previously published dose-response relationship between UCd and GFR. Cadmium-related incidence rate, calculated as the change in the prevalence during a one-year period, were used to compute the mortality and DALY in all WHO regions. It is estimated that dietary cadmium would result in a median of 12,224 stage 4 and stage 5 new CKD cases per year worldwide, resulting in 2064 global deaths and 70,513 DALYs. These data translate into a median global burden of 1.0 DALY per 100,000 population, which account for 0.2% of the global DALYs of CKD. While these results suggest that the overall impact of dietary cadmium exposure on global CKD is low, they do indicate that reasonable efforts to reduce dietary exposure will result a positive public health impact. This would be particularly the case in areas with elevated levels of dietary cadmium.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yixiang Zhang, Jianming He, Xiao Li, Chong Lin〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Hydraulic fracturing using freshwater as fracturing fluid is regularly employed in commercial shale gas or oil production. Many problems are brought by the fracturing fluid of water, such as water shortages, swelling of clay mineral, and the pollution of flow-back water. Replacement of water by supercritical CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (SC〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) in the hydraulic fracturing treatment of shale reservoir has meaningful potential for the improvement of gas production. Hydraulic fracturing experiments, under different injection rate and stress state, were carried out for studying the SC-CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 fracturing of shale considering anisotropy effects. Anisotropy of shale has a significant impact on the mechanical behavior and fracture propagation of shale in the experiment. There shows a downward tendency for breakdown pressure with the increase of bedding plane angle in general. Higher injection rate can lead to the higher breakdown pressure, while higher deviator stress can lead to the lower breakdown pressure instead. In addition, three patterns of fracture propagation can be observed in the experiment, relative to the bedding structures of shale specimen, including propagating along, propagating across and arresting. The maximum values of fracture width during experiment in shale with different bedding plane angle ranges from 0.29 mm to 1.05 mm, while the final fracture width after the fracturing experiment is kept within the range of 0.01 mm–0.04 mm under the injection rate of 0.3 ml/s.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xueying Wang, Hongjian Ni, Ruihe Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Toolface control is an important issue when drilling directional wells with steerable motors. In this paper, a new experimental apparatus has been built to study the toolface behavior while slide drilling. In experiments, weight on bit and toolface orientation during the simulated slide drilling are recorded and analyzed. Experimental results indicate that axial stick-slip motion of the drillstring that occurs in the presence of large friction causes toolface disorientation. In addition, the phenomenon of toolface hysteresis in horizontal wells is identified. The asymmetric loading and unloading rates of weight on bit result in toolface hysteresis, and toolface hysteresis worsens toolface disorientation. A new method of correcting toolface by quickly eliminating toolface hysteresis is proposed. Four torque-related parameters are used in the method, and each has a specific implication. The proposed method has been examined using the experimental apparatus and has been proven to work. The experimental results and related analysis in this paper can help to further improve the efficiency of toolface control during slide drilling.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 5 March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 365〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Per Morten Hansen, André Vagner Gaathaug, Dag Bjerketvedt, Knut Vaagsaether〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study discusses the rapid expansion and phase transition of liquefied carbon dioxide (CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) in vertical ducts. Results from small-scale experiments in three test setups (A, B, and C) were compared with a Rankine-Hugoniot model that treats the phase transition as an adiabatic evaporation wave of constant thickness. The model calculates the fluid properties behind the evaporation wave. The motivation was to identify hazards and quantify the energy-release in tank explosions such as a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. The experimental results corresponded with a Chapman Jouguet (CJ) solution. The contributions include a mapping of CJ solutions calculated from a range of pre-rupture conditions. The puncture of a diaphragm (setup A, and B), or complete test section rupture (setup C) initiated the tests. The three test setups provided a range of pressures for the model. Evaporation waves were observed, propagating with velocities of 35–42 ms〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 (setup A, and B), and ∼ 10 ms〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 (setup C) into the superheated liquid. The calculated vapor mass fraction behind of the evaporation wave was in the range 0.21-0.23. The study presents a strategy, which incorporates the calculated vapor mass fraction, to predict the energy released in a tank explosion.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 5 March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 365〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Esther Gomez-Herrero, Montserrat Tobajas, Alicia Polo, Juan J. Rodriguez, Angel F. Mohedano〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this work, we assessed the potential of combining Fenton´s reagent and biological oxidation for removing the imidazolium-based ionic liquid 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EmimCl). Fenton-like oxidation was conducted at variable H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 doses from 20 to 100% the stoichiometric value as calculated from the theoretical chemical oxygen demand (COD). The stoichiometric H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dose afforded Total Organic Carbon (TOC) conversion and COD removal of 50 and 62%, respectively. Identifying the reaction by-products formed at low hydrogen peroxide doses allowed a plausible pathway for EmimCl oxidation to be proposed. The effluents from Fenton-like oxidation at substoichiometric H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 doses were less ecotoxic and more biodegradable than was the parent ionic liquid. The effluent from Fenton-like oxidation with the 60% H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dose (TOC conversion ≅ 41%, COD removal ≅ 31%) was subsequently subjected to an effective biological treatment that allowed complete removal of the starting compound, increased its ecotoxicity to a low–moderate level and rendered it acceptably biodegradable. Biological oxidation was performed in 8-h and 12-h cycles in a sequencing batch reactor. Combining Fenton and biological oxidation of EmimCl afforded TOC conversion and COD removal of around 90%.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S030438941831015X-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 364〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zhiyong Liu, Shu Zhang, Dan Hu, Yunsheng Zhang, Henglin Lv, Cheng Liu, Yidong Chen, Juan Sun〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this study, paraffin/red mud phase change energy storage composites were fabricated at 4 mix proportions with paraffin to red mud ratios of 0.4:0.6, 0.45:0.55, 0.5:0.5, and 0.55:0.45 by a mixed mill-heating method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) results reveal that paraffin flows well into red mud pores and has good compatibility. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results reveal that the melting temperatures of the paraffin/red mud phase change energy storage composite vary from 75℃ to 85℃, and the latent heat value is approximately 25–40J/g. High thermal stability is observed by the thermogravimetric analysis (TG) method. The Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) isotherms, laser particle sizer, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and laser Raman spectrograph (LRS) show that the phase change energy storage composite does not produce a new material from the raw materials and that the material has a stable performance. Furthermore, the paraffin/red mud phase change energy storage composite was incorporated into the cement-based and gypsum-based materials at 10%, 20%, and 30% weight. The heat storage performance can be improved remarkably with an increase in the addition of phase change energy storage composite replacement. The compressive strength change is minimal with the addition of 10% and 20%, and the compressive strength decreases by nearly 40% with the addition of 30%. The paraffin/red mud phase change energy storage composite has a large influence on the flexural strength.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Fish & Shellfish Immunology, Volume 84〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xing-Wei Xiang, Jin-Xing Xiao, Yu-Fang Zhou, Bin Zheng, Zheng-Shun Wen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The black seabream (〈em〉Sparus macrocephlus〈/em〉) is an economically pivotal aquaculture species cultured in China and Southeast Asian countries. To understand the molecular immune mechanisms underlying the response to 〈em〉Vibrio parahaemolyticus〈/em〉, a comparative gene transcription analysis were performed with utilized fresh livers of 〈em〉V. parahaemolyticus〈/em〉-immunized 〈em〉Sparus macrocephlus〈/em〉 with a control group through RNA-Seq technology. A total of 256663 contigs were obtained after excluded the low-quality sequences and assembly. The average length of contigs collected from this research is 1066.93 bp. Furthermore, blast analysis indicates 30747 contigs were annotated based on homology with matches in the NT, NR, gene, and string databases. A gene ontology analysis was employed to classify 21598 genes according to three major functional categories: molecular function, cellular component, and biological process. A total of 14470 genes were discovered in 303 KEGG pathways. RSEM and EdgeR were introduced to estimate 3841 genes significantly different expressed (False Discovery Rate〈0.001) which includes 4072 up-regulated genes and 3771 down-regulated genes. A significant enrichment analysis of these differentially expressed genes and isogenes were conducted to reveal the major immune-related pathways which refer to the toll-like receptor, complement, coagulation cascades, and chemokine signaling pathways. In addition, 92175 potential simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 121912 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected and identified sequencely in the 〈em〉Sparus macrocephlus〈/em〉 liver transcriptome. This research characterized a gene expression pattern for normal and the 〈em〉V. parahaemolyticus〈/em〉 -immunized 〈em〉Sparus macrocephlus〈/em〉 for the first time and not only sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the host-〈em〉V. parahaemolyticus〈/em〉 interaction but contribute to facilitate future studies on 〈em〉Sparus macrocephlus〈/em〉 gene expression and functional genomics.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Fish & Shellfish Immunology, Volume 84〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yi-Hong Chen, Jian-Guo He〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The shrimp aquaculture industry is plagued by disease. Due to the lack of deep understanding of the relationship between innate immune mechanism and environmental adaptation mechanism, it is difficult to prevent and control the diseases of shrimp. The shrimp innate immune system has received much recent attention, and the functions of the humoral immune response and the cellular immune response have been preliminarily characterized. The role of environmental stress in shrimp disease has also been investigated recently, attempting to clarify the interactions among the innate immune response, the environmental stress response, and disease. Both the innate immune response and the environmental stress response have a complex relationship with shrimp diseases. Although these systems are important safeguards, allowing shrimp to adapt to adverse environments and resist infection, some pathogens, such as white spot syndrome virus, hijack these host systems. As shrimp lack an adaptive immune system, immunization therapy cannot be used to prevent and control shrimp disease. However, shrimp diseases can be controlled using ecological techniques. These techniques, which are based on the innate immune response and the environmental stress response, significantly reduce the impact of shrimp diseases. The object of this review is to summarize the recent research on shrimp environmental adaptation mechanisms, innate immune response mechanisms, and the relationship between these systems. We also suggest some directions for future research.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 3 November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 International Journal of Sediment Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Pil Jae Kim, Jong Hyeon Lee, In Ae Huh, DongSoo Kong〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Sediment quality has been evaluated in a variety of ways since the early 1990s in studies from Europe. In South Korea, most studies have used an indicator value for benthic macroinvertebrates based on water quality, not sediment quality. To date, few studies have examined the biological integrity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in South Korea. In the current study, the tolerance valency and value in samples and the indicator weight values were measured for 43 benthic macroinvertebrate taxa from 73 sampling units in South Korea from 2014 to 2016. Total organic carbon, the amount of heavy metals, and total ammonia nitrogen were analyzed. The average grade for each pollutant was used as the sediment quality index. A benthic macroinvertebrates sediment index was developed for bioassessment of freshwater sediment. The benthic macroinvertebrates sediment index, which is based on the relative frequency of occurrence of macroinvertebrates, was highly correlated with pollution levels in the sediment. This index can be used in the field to assess the contamination of freshwater sediment. As the sample size was small in the current study and there were taxonomic limitations of Chironomidae larvae, further research is needed to improve the reliability of the benthic macroinvertebrates sediment index.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 364〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Muhammad Humayun, Zhewen Hu, Abbas Khan, Wei Cheng, Yang Yuan, Zhiping Zheng, Qiuyun Fu, Wei Luo〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Herein, we report for the first time the highly efficient degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) over CeO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 composites (xCeO/CN) prepared via wet-chemical solution method. It is shown that the resultant nanocomposites with a proper mass ratio percentage (15%) of CeO coupled exhibit greatly enhanced visible-light activity for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation compared to the bare g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. From photoluminescence (PL) and Fluorescence (FL) results, it is suggested that enhanced photo-degradation is attributed to the significantly improved charge separation and transfer as a result of the proper band alignments between g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and CeO components. Further, from radical trapping experiments, it is confirmed that hydroxyl radicals (〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉OH) are the predominant oxidants involved in the degradation of 2,4-DCP over CeO/CN composites. Furthermore, a possible reaction pathway and detailed photocatalytic mechanism for 2,4-DCP degradation is proposed mainly based on the detected liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS) intermediate products, that readily transform into CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O. This work would help researchers to deeply understand the reaction mechanism of 2,4-DCP and would provide feasible routes to fabricate g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉-based highly efficient photocatalysts for environmental remediation.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0304389418310069-ga1.jpg" width="264" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 5 March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 365〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lei Yang, Lu Xu, Xue Bai, Pengkang Jin〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this study, a novel TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉/rGO-PS-Vis process was developed, which utilizes the TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉/rGO (Ti〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 and oxygen vacancies self-doped TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 coupled with reduced graphene oxide) nanocomposite as a promising and efficient activator of persulfate (PS) for the enhanced oxidation of micropollutants under visible -light irradiation. TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉/rGO exhibited a significantly high activity for PS activation to produce more sulfate radicals (SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉) and hydroxyl radicals (〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉OH). Therefore, almost 100% BPA (10 mg/L) and 80% TOC can be removed just within 12 min with 1.0 g/L TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉/rGO and 2 mM PS under visible light. Moreover, it was found that many other typical micropollutants, such as phenol, acetaminophen and sulfamethoxazole can also be effectively degraded by this process. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and radical quenching experiments indicated that both SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 and 〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉OH contribute to the degradation of organics, and the radical process was the main degradation pathway. In addition, the effects of PS concentration, catalyst dosage, initial solution pH and inorganic anions were investigated systematically. Experiments carried out in the real background of water matrix with low-concentration of BPA indicated that the proposed TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉/rGO-PS-Vis process has strong non-selective photo-oxidative ability for the removal of micropollutants in water.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0304389418310082-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Pollution, Volume 244〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sarah M. Elliott, William T. Route, Laura A. DeCicco, David D. VanderMeulen, Steven R. Corsi, Brett R. Blackwell〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Several organic contaminants (OCs) have been detected in bald eagle (〈em〉Haliaeetus leucocephalus)〈/em〉 nestling (eaglet) plasma in the upper Midwestern United States. Despite frequent and relatively high concentrations of OCs in eaglets, little is understood about potential biological effects associated with exposure. We screened an existing database of OC concentrations in eaglet plasma collected from the Midwestern United States against bioactivity information from the ToxCast database. ToxCast bioactivity information consists of concentrations expected to elicit responses across a range of biological space (e.g. cellular, developmental, etc.) obtained from a series of high throughput assays. We calculated exposure—activity ratios (EAR) by calculating the ratio of plasma concentrations to concentrations available in ToxCast. Bioactivity data were not available for all detected OCs. Therefore, our analysis provides estimates of potential bioactivity for 19 of the detected OCs in eaglet plasma. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) EAR values were consistently the highest among all study areas. Maximum EAR values were ≥1 for PFOS, perfluorononanoic acid, and bisphenol A in 99.7, 0.53 and 0.26% of samples, indicating that some plasma concentrations were greater than what may be expected to elicit biological responses. About 125 gene targets, indicative of specific biological pathways, were identified as potentially being affected. Inhibition of several CYP genes, involved in xenobiotic metabolism, were most consistently identified. Other identified biological responses have potential implications for motor coordination, cardiac functions, behavior, and blood circulation. However, it is unclear what these results mean for bald eagles, given that ToxCast data are generated using mammalian-based endpoints. Despite uncertainties and limitations, this method of screening environmental data can be useful for informing future monitoring or research focused on understanding the occurrence and effects of OCs in bald eagles and other similarly-positioned trophic species.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0269749118329166-fx1.jpg" width="246" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Fish & Shellfish Immunology, Volume 84〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yinnan Mu, Shimin Zhou, Ning Ding, Jingqun Ao, Xinhua Chen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Chemokines are a superfamily of structurally related chemotactic cytokines exerting significant roles in regulating cell migration and activation. Currently, five subgroups of fish specific CXC chemokines, named CXCL_F1-CXCL_F5, have been identified in teleost fish. However, understanding of the functions of these fish specific CXC chemokines is still limited. Here, a new member of fish specific CXC chemokines, 〈em〉Lc〈/em〉CXCL_F6, was cloned from large yellow croaker 〈em〉Larimichthys crocea〈/em〉. Its open reading frame (ORF) is 369 nucleotides long, encoding a peptide of 122 amino acids (aa). The deduced 〈em〉Lc〈/em〉CXCL_F6 protein contains a 19-aa signal peptide and a 103-aa mature polypeptide, which has four conserved cysteine residues (C〈sup〉28〈/sup〉, C〈sup〉30〈/sup〉, C〈sup〉56〈/sup〉, and C〈sup〉72〈/sup〉), as found in other known CXC chemokines. Phylogenetic analysis showed 〈em〉Lc〈/em〉CXCL_F6 formed a separate clade with sequences from other fish species, tentatively named CXCL_F6, distinct from the clades formed by fish CXCL_F1-5 and mammalian CXC chemokines. The 〈em〉Lc〈/em〉CXCL_F6 transcripts were constitutively expressed in all examined tissues and significantly up-regulated in the spleen and head kidney tissues by poly (I:C) and 〈em〉Vibrio alginolyticus〈/em〉. Its transcripts were also detected in primary head kidney leukocytes (HKLs), peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs), and large yellow croaker head kidney (LYCK) cell line, and significantly up-regulated by poly(I:C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and peptidoglycan (PGN) in HKLs. Recombinant 〈em〉Lc〈/em〉CXCL_F6 protein (r〈em〉Lc〈/em〉CXCL_F6) could not only chemotactically attract monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes from PBLs, but also enhance NO release and expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and CXCL8) in monocytes/macrophages. These results indicate that 〈em〉Lc〈/em〉CXCL_F6 plays a role in mediating the inflammatory response.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Computers in Industry, Volume 104〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jacques Bahi, Wiem Elghazel, Christophe Guyeux, Mourad Hakem, Kamal Medjaher, Noureddine Zerhouni〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Monitoring activities in industry may require the use of wireless sensor networks, for instance due to difficult access or hostile environment. But it is well known that this type of networks has various limitations like the amount of disposable energy. Indeed, once a sensor node exhausts its resources, it will be dropped from the network, stopping so to forward information about maybe relevant features towards the sink. This will result in broken links and data loss which impacts the diagnostic accuracy at the sink level. It is therefore important to keep the network's monitoring service as long as possible by preserving the energy held by the nodes. As packet transfer consumes the highest amount of energy comparing to other activities in the network, various topologies are usually implemented in wireless sensor networks to increase the network lifetime. In this paper, we emphasize that it is more difficult to perform a good diagnostic when data are gathered by a wireless sensor network instead of a wired one, due to broken links and data loss on the one hand, and deployed network topologies on the other hand. Three strategies are considered to reduce packet transfers: (1) sensor nodes send directly their data to the sink, (2) nodes are divided by clusters, and the cluster heads send the average of their clusters directly to the sink, and (3) averaged data are sent from cluster heads to cluster heads in a hop-by-hop mode, leading to an avalanche of averages. Their impact on the diagnostic accuracy is then evaluated. We show that the use of random forests is relevant for diagnostics when data are aggregated through the network and when sensors stop to transmit their values when their batteries are emptied. This relevance is discussed qualitatively and evaluated numerically by comparing the random forests performance to state-of-the-art PHM approaches, namely: basic bagging of decision trees, support vector machine, multinomial naive Bayes, AdaBoost, and Gradient Boosting. Finally, a way to couple the two best methods, namely the random forests and the gradient boosting, is proposed by finding the best hyperparameters of the former by using the latter.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Pollution, Volume 244〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jessica Purswani, Isabel M. Guisado, Julio Coello-Cabezas, Jesús González-López, Clementina Pozo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Methyl 〈em〉tert〈/em〉-butyl ether (MTBE) degradation technologies based on two-phase partitioning systems such as extractive membrane biofilm reactors (EMBFR) permit separation of biological and contaminant compartments, thus allowing optimization of the biological section. In this study, we set-up an EMBFR with three MTBE-degrading and cooperating strains (termed social biofilm: 〈em〉Agrobacterium〈/em〉 sp. MS2, 〈em〉Paenibacillus etheri〈/em〉 SH7〈sup〉T〈/sup〉 and 〈em〉Rhodococcus ruber〈/em〉 EE6). The removal efficiency of the social-biofilm EMBFR was 80%, and functional stability was observed in the reactor, i.e. more efficient than previous studies (single-strain inoculated EMBFR, 〈50% removal efficiency and unstable function). Metabolite 〈em〉tert〈/em〉-butyl alcohol was not observed, and the EC〈sub〉50〈/sub〉 values were higher than those observed in single-strain EMBFRs. Comparative analysis of the MTBE enzymatic pathway and the social-biofilm was performed, where the mechanism of cooperation observed within the social-biofilm is likely due to enzymatic redundancy. Functional outcomes were equal to previous batch tests, hence 100% scalability was obtained. Overall, higher functional and stability outcomes are obtained with the use of the social-biofilm in an MTBE-EMBFR.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0269749118334353-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 10 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Electrochimica Acta, Volume 296〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Saheed Bukola, Stephen E. Creager〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Transmission rates for protons and deuterons across single-layer graphene embedded in Nafion | graphene | Nafion sandwich structures are measured as a function of temperature in electrochemical hydrogen pump cells. Rates of ion transmission through graphene are obtained in the form of area-normalized ion-transfer resistances, and are interpreted in terms of ion-exchange current densities and standard heterogeneous ion-transfer rate constants. An encounter pre-equilibrium model for the ion-transfer step is then used to provide rate constants for the fundamental microscopic step of ion (proton or deuteron) transmission across graphene. Application of this rate model to interpret variable-temperature data on proton and deuteron transmission rates provides values for the activation energy and pre-exponential factor for the fundamental ion transmission step across graphene. Activation energies obtained from the Arrhenius plots for proton and deuteron transmission are as follows; for proton, E〈sub〉act〈/sub〉 = 48 ± 2 kJ/mole (0.50 ± 0.02 eV) and for deuteron, E〈sub〉act〈/sub〉 = 53 ± 5 kJ/mole (0.55 ± 0.05 eV). The difference between these two values of approximately 5 kJ/mole is in good agreement with the expected difference in vibrational zero-point energies for O〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉H and O-D bonds, albeit with some uncertainty given the uncertainties in the activation energy values. Pre-exponential frequency factor values of 8.3 ± 0.4 × 10〈sup〉13〈/sup〉 s〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and is 4.7 ± 0.5 × 10〈sup〉13〈/sup〉 s〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 were obtained for proton and deuteron transmission respectively across graphene. These pre-factor values are both quite large, on the order of the values predicted from the Eyring – Polanyi equation with a transmission coefficient near one. The ratio of 1.8 for the rate pre-factors (H/D) is in reasonable agreement with the value of 1.3 for the ratio of bond vibrational frequencies for O〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉H and O-D stretching, respectively. Taken together, these data support a model in which proton and deuteron transmission across graphene are largely adiabatic processes for which the differences in transmission rate at room temperature are due largely to differences in activation energies.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 143〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yi Ren, Fang Cheng, Xiaoying Zhou, Kai Chang, Guanghui Zhou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Two-dimensional (2D) polyaniline with C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N stoichiometry, is a newly fabricated layered material that has been expected to possess fascinating electronic, thermal, mechanical and chemical properties. The nature of its counterpart nanoribbons offering even more tunability in properties because of the unique quantum confinement and edge effect, however, has not been revealed yet. Here we systemically study the mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties for various nanoribbons cutting from a monolayer C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N sheet along the typical crystallographic orientations. By the first-principles calculations we find that C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N nanoribbons exhibit sensitive responses to the externally applied electric field and strain. Specifically, the spin-selective half-metallicity depends on the external electric field or strain, as well as the ribbon width. For the asymmetric zigzag-edged ribbon, the spin-polarization rate approaches −100% at electric field strength −0.2 V/Å. Interestingly, an applied strain can transform a symmetric zigzag-carbon-edge ribbon from a magnetic semiconductor to a half-metal. And the half-metal property remains unchanged when the strain increases from 8 to 15%, while the spin-up subband gap further increases to 0.46 eV. These numerical results may be useful to engineer and design magnetic-field-free spintronic devices based on the 2D C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318309333-fx1.jpg" width="256" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 142〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sivabrata Sahu, Mihir Ranjan Sahoo, Anoop Kumar Kushwaha, G.C. Rout, S.K. Nayak〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We have investigated here, the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene–nickel system by tight-binding mean-field approach. Strong hybridization between the 2p〈sub〉z〈/sub〉 orbital of graphene and 3d〈sub〉z2〈/sub〉 orbital of nickel occurs when monolayer graphene is placed over a single layer of ferromagnetically ordered Ni (111) metal due to the excellent lattice matching between the two layers. This hybridization greatly affects the electronic and magnetic properties of the bilayer system, resulting in a significantly reduced local magnetic moment of the nickel layer and an enhanced induced spin polarization on the graphene layer. The calculated Hamiltonian revealed critical information regarding the first-, second-and third-nearest-neighbour hopping integrals of 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si1.gif" overflow="scroll"〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉π〈/mi〉〈mo〉−〈/mo〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 electrons of graphene besides the Coulomb correlation of electrons in nickel (111). The Hubbard type Coulomb interactions present in nickel lattices were treated within the mean-field approximation. Zubarev's technique was employed to calculate electronic Green's functions and subsequent investigation of the temperature dependent ferromagnetic magnetization of nickel (111)was carried out through self-consistent calculation. Further calculations regarding the induced magnetization in the graphene, total magnetization in bilayer layer system, electronic band dispersion, spin resolved density of states (DOS) and spin polarization efficiency have been carried out. The results were corroborated by experimental observations.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318309977-egi10LZ69G4T53.jpg" width="283" alt="Image" title="Image"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 143〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lihua Lin, Hongzhe Pan, Yanhuan Chen, Xiaoying Song, Jun Xu, Huibiao Liu, Shaolong Tang, Youwei Du, Nujiang Tang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Pristine graphdiyne (pGDY) with high quality was prepared by annealing as-prepared GDY in hydrogen, and its stacking style, bandgap and magnetism were studied. The results show that pGDY is ABC-stacked, has a direct bandgap of ca. 0.64 eV, and shows spin-half paramagnetism at 2 K which may result from the residual hydroxyl groups on the chains of GDY sheet. The hybrid functional calculations show that ABC-stacked GDY is a semiconductor with a direct bandgap of 0.73 eV and is intrinsically nonmagnetic.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318309126-fx1.jpg" width="350" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 143〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): A. Yadav, M. Yadav, S. Gupta, Y. Popat, A. Gangan, B. Chakraborty, L.M. Ramaniah, R. Fernandes, A. Miotello, M.R. Press, N. Patel〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 composites are prepared using photo-reduction method by varying GO to TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 weight ratio from low (rGOT-0.001, 0.01, & 0.1) to high (rGOT-1, 3 & 10) range and its effect on morphological, optical and mechanism of fast charge dynamics at the interface are investigated. Experimental analysis confirm that reduction process improves as TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 amount increases in rGO-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 but leads to aggregation of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles. rGOT-3 composite displayed the highest photocatalytic activity for degradation of phenols compared to TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, GO and other composites. This was achieved due to uniform dispersion of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles over rGO surface, which enables distinct formation of Ti〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉O〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉C bond between each TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticle and rGO surface, and results in slight red shift in the band edge. This Ti〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉O〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉C bond facilitates fast electron transfer from TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 to rGO and reduces recombination rate as revealed by photoluminescence and time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The experimental findings were further investigated using density functional theory simulations. Band structure calculation confirms high mobility states induced within the band gap due to formation of Ti〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉O〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉C bond in rGO-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 model which assists in fast electron transfer from TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 to rGO during the photocatalytic process and hence reduces recombination rate.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318310091-fx1.jpg" width="477" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 143〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Rebecca F. Albers, Rafael A. Bini, João B. Souza, Derik T. Machado, Laudemir C. Varanda〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉There is great interest in new materials that synergistically combine properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with nanoparticles (NP) generating rGO-nanoparticles hybrid materials (NPHM). Based on the modified polyol process (MPP), we developed a new and versatile method to synthesize rGO and rGO-NPHM in one-pot route. rGO sheets with small defects number were reduced from graphene oxide by the MPP, and experimental parameters were varied to evaluate the method robustness, and adjusted to prepare rGO-NPHM, for instance, rGO/Au, rGO/Ag, rGO/CdSe, rGO/FePt and rGO/Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 inferring the versatility of our methodology. NPHM were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and Raman, UV–Vis, and FTIR spectroscopies. All synthesized NPHM shown size-controlled monodisperse-like NP homogeneously distributed onto the rGO sheets, except for the Ag-NP where a bimodal size distribution was observed. Plasmon (rGO/Au and rGO/Ag) and typical absorption and emission (rGO/CdSe) by UV–Vis, whereas paramagnetic-like (rGO/FePt) and superparamagnetic (rGO/Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉) behavior was observed by the magnetic NPHM. The MPP is already efficient for NP preparation and here, we showed that its might successful for rGO and rGO-NPHM synthesis in a simple and versatile one-pot route, which can be scaled up to allow mass production and easily tuned for other NP kinds.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318310066-fx1.jpg" width="404" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 142〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yaochen Song, Jiaxuan Liao, Cheng Chen, Jian Yang, Jinchen Chen, Feng Gong, Sizhe Wang, Ziqiang Xu, Mengqiang Wu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Self-assembled nano-honeycomb WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 modified by graphene doping were prepared by improved one step hydrothermal method. In this hybrid structure, graphene plays a key role of transferring the morphology from the nanowire microporous spheres to graphene-supported nano-honeycomb plane structure, which has the larger the specific surface area and higher conductivity. This anode delivers the superb electrochemical performances of lithium/sodium ion batteries with high specific charge capacity (953.1/522.3 mAh·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at 0.1 A·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), long cycling life (more than 350/200 cycles at 1 A·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), and high charge/discharge rates (up to 10/5 A·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). This nano-honeycomb structure WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 composite anode with facile hydrothermal process, as well as superb electrochemical performances, makes it attractive for the potential applications in lithium/sodium ion batteries.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318307103-fx1.jpg" width="299" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 143〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ll.M. Evans, L. Margetts, P.D. Lee, C.A.M. Butler, E. Surrey〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Functional materials' properties are influenced by microstructures which can be changed during manufacturing. A technique is presented which digitises graphite foam via X-ray tomography and converts it into image-based models to determine properties in silico. By simulating a laser flash analysis its effective thermal conductivity is predicted. Results show ∼1% error in the direction the foam was ‘grown’ during manufacturing but is significantly less accurate in plane due to effective thermal conductivity resulting from both the foam's microstructure and graphite's crystalline structure. An empirical relationship is found linking these by using a law of mixtures. A case study is presented demonstrating the technique's use to simulate a heat exchanger component containing graphite foam with micro-scale accuracy using literature material properties for solid graphite. Compared against conventional finite element modelling there is no requirement to firstly experimentally measure the foam's effective bulk properties. Additionally, improved local accuracy is achieved due to exact location of contact between the foam and other parts of the component. This capability will be of interest in design and manufacture of components using graphite materials. The software used was developed by the authors and is open source for others to undertake similar studies.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318309461-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 143〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ke Chu, Jing Wang, Ya-ping Liu, Yuan-bo Li, Cheng-chang Jia, Hu Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In-situ formation of appropriate interfacial carbides by matrix-alloying with carbide-forming elements offers an efficient approach to improve the interfacial bonding of graphene/CuX composites. However, the carbide formation commonly occurs at graphene edge/matrix interface, which is not enough to achieve the sufficient interfacial bonding because the vast majority of graphene/matrix interface is basal-plane/matrix interface rather than edge/matrix interface. To alleviate this limitation, we reported a new design of 〈em〉creating defects on graphene basal-plane〈/em〉 (CDGB) to optimize the interface and mechanical properties of graphene/CuCr composites. Plasma treatment was employed to create the structural defects (∼7 nm nanopores) on graphene basal-plane. When incorporating the plasma-treated graphene into the CuCr matrix, the Cr〈sub〉7〈/sub〉C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 carbides were found to be in-situ formed at both basal-plane/matrix and edge/matrix interfaces. Ex-situ and in-situ tensile tests both demonstrated that the plasma-treated graphene led to the composite that showed a larger strength enhancement and a higher load transfer capability than untreated counterpart, which was ascribed to the largely improved interfacial bonding contributed by the Cr〈sub〉7〈/sub〉C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 formed at basal-plane/matrix interface. This study suggests that the CDBG via plasma treatment affords a feasible solution for the interface optimization of graphene/CuX composites with enhanced mechanical properties.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318310145-fx1.jpg" width="477" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 142〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Dalsu Choi, Hyun-Sig Kil, Sungho Lee〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Recently restricted greenhouse gas emission regulations for commercial vehicles have initiated a significant interest of an automotive industry in carbon fibers (CFs), which are excellent lightweight structural materials. However, the high production cost of CFs has limited their use in a selected number of applications including military, aircraft, and aerospace industries. Therefore, to satisfy a huge demand from the automotive industry and to translate an exotic technology into commercial applications, tremendous research efforts have focused on developing low-cost CFs. As the precursor cost takes more than 50% of an entire cost for CFs production, adopting low-cost precursors for CFs have been utilized as one of the main strategies. In this article, we review series of previous achievements which incorporated low-cost precursors into CFs fabrication including novel acrylic polymers, polyethylene (PE), lignin, and pitch. Furthermore, looking toward the future, prospective processing technologies which might be beneficial for reducing manufacturing cost of CFs are also reviewed.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318309436-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 17 October 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Paolo Restuccia, M.C. Righi〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, Volume 169〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Liming Wen, José Badal, Jiafu Hu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉P receiver functions (PRFs) and the 〈em〉H-k〈/em〉 stacking technique are tools often used to constrain the thickness of the crust and the ratio between the velocities of P and S waves. Both the crustal depth and the Poisson's ratio are very important parameters to study the tectonic evolution of the lithosphere, but they can be significantly affected by the presence of crustal anisotropy. In order to address this problem, we have extended the isotropic stacking approach to include six converted P-to-S phases that are generated in the anisotropic case, instead of only three phases considered in the isotropic case, and we have examined the feasibility of the stacking technique using synthetic and real data. Based on PRFs acquired by 108 permanent broadband seismic stations deployed in the southeastern margin of Tibet including the Sichuan and Yunnan areas, we have applied the anisotropic 〈em〉H-k〈/em〉 stacking scheme to investigate the crustal thickness and Poisson’s ratio. The results reveal that the crustal thickness varies from ∼60 km in the Songpan-Ganzi fold system and the northern part of the Sichuan-Yunnan diamond-shaped block, near the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, to ∼33 km in southern Yunnan, and that the Poisson’s ratio varies mostly from 0.24 to 0.32. The highest values of 0.28–0.30 are found along the axis formed by the Longmenshan fault, the Lijiang-Jinhe fault and the Xiaojiang fault, and are attributed to the accumulation of lower crustal flow in front of the Sichuan Basin. The highest value of ∼0.32 is observed at the Tengchong volcano area to the north of the Indochina block, and is attributed to the upwelling of hot mantle associated to the eastward subduction of the Indian plate, rather than to the expansion of east Tibet. Comparing with the results provided by the isotropic stacking scheme, it is appreciated that the crustal depth determined by the anisotropic stacking method well adjusts the observed pattern of gravity anomaly. We conclude that the results obtained by anisotropic stacking yield a much better constraint on the estimation of the crustal depth and Poisson's ratio when compared to those achieved by isotropic stacking.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1367912018302979-fx1.jpg" width="333" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Energy, Volume 166〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hongxia Zhao, Tianpeng Yuan, Jia Gao, Xinli Wang, Jia Yan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Both conventional and advanced exergy analysis methods were adopted to compare parallel and series compression-ejection hybrid refrigeration system for a two-temperature R290 refrigerator. The calculation was performed through Matlab and CoolProp. The results over typical design conditions showed that the exergy efficiency of the series system is 5.17% higher than the parallel system, and the exergy destructions of the compressor (30.59% for parallel and 31.22% for series) and the ejector (19.36% for parallel and 22.65% for series) are the biggest of the total system. Results from advanced exergy analysis showed that the compressor possesses highest improvement priority as its avoidable exergy destruction rate is the biggest, 42.76% of the total for parallel system and 41.28% for series system. The endogenous avoidable exergy destruction rates of the compressor and the ejector are larger than their exogenous parts in both systems, indicating it is most important to improve their own efficiency. However, the condenser’s endogenous avoidable exergy destruction rates are smaller than their exogenous part, so it is more effective by improving other system components rather than itself. The influence of the interactions among the components on the system performance was also evaluated based on their mexogenous exergy destruction.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Energy, Volume 166〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yikai Jia, Sha Yin, Binghe Liu, Hui Zhao, Huili Yu, Jie Li, Jun Xu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Dynamic mechanical loading, e.g. impact, is one of the major catastrophic factors that trigger short-circuit, thermal runaway, or even fire/explosion consequences of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, the mechanical integrity and electrical coupling behaviors of lithium-ion pouch cells under dynamical loading were investigated. Two types of experiments, namely compression and drop-weight tests, are designed and conducted. The state-of-charge (SOC) and loading rate dependencies of batteries, as well as their coupling effect, are examined. Furthermore, the interaction between force response and electrical behavior of battery is investigated through real-time monitoring of voltage change during loading. Experiments on LiCoO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 lithium-ion pouch cells show that the higher SOC and loading rates increases battery structure stiffness. In addition, loading rate intensifies battery structure stiffening with the SOC effect. Results indicate that the deformation and material failure of battery component together determine the electrical behavior of battery. Higher loading rate leads to faster voltage drop and more severe internal short-circuit. This short-circuit discharging process in turn affects the force response in dynamic loading. Results may provide useful insights into the fundamental understanding of electrical and mechanical coupled integrity of LIBs and lay a solid basis for their crash safety design.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Lithos, Volumes 324–325〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): R. Johannes Giebel, Michael A.W. Marks, Christoph D.K. Gauert, Gregor Markl〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉A detailed electron microprobe study has been carried out on the compositional variations of mica and apatite from carbonatites, phoscorites and associated pyroxenites (and fenites) of the Loolekop deposit, Palabora Carbonatite Complex (South Africa). Mica in pyroxenites and fenites is Mg-rich biotite, whilst micas in carbonatites and phoscorites are compositionally diverse including phlogopite, Ba-rich phlogopite (up to 30% kinoshitalite component), 〈sup〉IV〈/sup〉Al-rich phlogopite (up to 30% eastonite component) and tetraferriphlogopite. The various types of phlogopites are interpreted as orthomagmatic phases, whereas tetraferriphlogopite precipitation was a late-magmatic to hydrothermal process that additionally introduced REE into the system. Orthomagmatic apatite is generally REE- and Sr-poor fluorapatite and does not show large compositional differences between rock types. Apatite associated with the late-stage tetraferriphlogopite mineralization reaches higher levels of REE (up to 4.9 wt%), Si (up to 1.5 wt% SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉), Sr (up to 2.6 wt% SrO) and Na (up to 1.0 wt% Na〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O).〈/p〉 〈p〉The compositional variation of micas and apatites, which is affiliated with distinct rock types, reflects the multi-stage evolution of the Loolekop deposit and provides detailed insight into the relationships of the carbonatite-phoscorite assemblage. The obtained data support the separation of phoscorite and carbonatite by immiscibility from a common parental magma, which may happen due to a decrease of temperature and/or pressure during the ascent of the magma. This results in a density contrast between the carbonatitic and phoscoritic components that will lead to descending phoscorite accumulations at the outer zones of the magma channel and a jet-like ascent (further promoted by its extremely low viscosity) of the carbonatite magma. The genetic model deduced here explains the peculiar association of carbonatites, phoscorites and silicate rocks in many alkaline complexes worldwide.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Energy, Volume 166〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Tao Yu, Guoqing Guan, Abuliti Abudula, Akihiro Yoshida, Dayong Wang, Yongchen Song〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The 2013/2017 Nankai Trough (Japan) and 2017 Shenhu Area (China) offshore methane hydrate production tests showed the world the possibility and feasibility of the oceanic methane hydrate production by depressurization. However, the relatively low gas production rate still remained as one of the critical bottlenecks for the economical utilization. This study chose the Nankai Trough as a target area, and aimed at the gas recovery enhancement from the methane hydrate reservoir using vertical wells. A traditional single-vertical-well system and a new dual-vertical-well system were proposed, and special production strategies of the aggressive depressurization and permeability improvement were applied to these two systems for the effectiveness verification. Based on the 15-year simulation results, it was found that the middle low-permeability silt-dominated layers in the reservoir held the key to the gas recovery enhancement, and for the single-vertical-well system, the permeability improvement in this sublayer seemed more reliable and feasible than the aggressive depressurization. On the other hand, the dual-vertical-well system significantly exceeded the single-vertical-well system due to the synergistic effect of the two wellbores, and could raise the average gas production rate (9.5 × 10〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉/day) by one order of magnitude (to 7.9 × 10〈sup〉4〈/sup〉 m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉/day). Moreover, if this new system was combined with the aggressive depressurization, the average gas production rate could be further raised by one order of magnitude (to 3.4 × 10〈sup〉5〈/sup〉 m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉/day).〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Applied Energy, Volumes 233–234〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zia Wadud, Sarah Royston, Jan Selby〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Among the various sustainability goals of higher education institutions (HEIs), reducing energy use and carbon emissions are particularly important. However, not much is known about energy demand from the higher education sector – especially since there is a lack of robust models of energy demand in this sector. This paper, the first to utilize a panel dataset and advanced panel econometric techniques in order to model energy use in higher education, investigates variations in energy use between HEIs (cross-sectional analysis), and also changes in energy use over time (temporal analysis), using the UK as a case study. We argue that panel dataset and methods are more useful for understanding growth (and reduction) in energy use within the HE sector than the methods used within previous cross-sectional studies. Results show that, over time and also across the sector, energy consumption in the HEIs increases with increases in income and floor space, but at a slower rate. As HEIs grow overall (in terms of income, floor space, student and staff number) over time, they become more 'energy efficient' (using less energy per unit of area, population or income), indicating economies of scale in the temporal dimension. Results also show that after controlling for income and size, research intensive HEIs consume more energy. We also find a small but statistically significant effect of energy prices on energy consumption, as might be expected. Simulation using the model parameters for an example scenario suggests that energy consumption will continue to increase unless there is a significant change in the policies driving income growth and spatial expansion in the HE sector in the UK.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 31 October 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 European Polymer Journal〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ali Behnood, Mahsa Modiri Gharehveran〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉Asphalt binders play an integral role in the performance and properties of asphalt mixtures. Increased traffic-related factors on the roadways such as heavier loads, higher traffic volume, and higher tire pressure combined with substantial variation in daily and seasonal temperatures of the pavement have been responsible for the asphalt pavements failure. To prevent or mitigate these failures, many attempts have been made by polymer scientists and civil engineers to improve the performance of asphalt pavements by modifying the properties of asphalt binders. A good modifier changes the failure properties such that binder yields more stresses and strains before failure. Modification of asphalt binders through the addition of a polymer to improve their rheological and physical properties has a long history in asphalt industry. Once the polymer is properly mixed with the asphalt binder, a swallowed polymer network is formed, which contributes to the changes in viscoelastic behavior. However, polymer-modified asphalt binders may have some drawbacks related to the poor solubility of polymers. Understanding the internal structure of polymer-modified asphalt binders has been the subject of numerous research studies.〈/p〉 〈p〉Available studies regarding the affecting parameters on the properties of the polymer-modified asphalt binders are reviewed here. Various types of polymers used in asphalt industry and their effects on the rheological, morphological, physical and mechanical properties of polymer-modified asphalt binders are also discussed in this paper. In addition, this paper provides a review on the techniques used to overcome/mitigate the shortcomings of conventional polymer-modified asphalt binders.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0014305718318019-ga1.jpg" width="341" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Volume 122〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Marine Policy, Volume 99〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Pablo Quero García, Javier García Sanabria, Juan Adolfo Chica Ruiz〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In recent years the European Union has firmly committed itself to energy from oceans as a means of decarbonising the European energy system. Despite a favourable political landscape, the development of offshore renewables still faces economic and technological barriers, which are coupled with the inherent difficulties of an increasingly industrialised marine environment, such as complex evolving regulation, lack of knowledge regarding the possible environmental impact of such an activity, as well as spatial conflicts with other traditional and emerging uses. Most of the coastal Member States have adopted Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) as a fundamental tool for integrated and sustainable management of human activities in the marine environment. MSP is capable of definitively driving the use of offshore renewable facilities. Its proper application supports decision making, simplifies and accelerates the process of obtaining permits, improves compatibility of uses, integrates stakeholders in planning, prevents environmental deterioration of sensitive areas, enhances the availability of information and promotes cross-border co-operation. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of maritime spatial planning processes on the advance of blue energy within the framework of the European Union. The results show positive relationships between MSP and the development of offshore renewable energy in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0308597X1830304X-fx1.jpg" width="477" alt="fx1" title="fx1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Ocean & Coastal Management, Volume 167〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Uxío Labarta, M〈sup〉a〈/sup〉 José Fernández-Reiriz〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉The mussels industry with a production that accounts for more than twenty five percent of the fresh product landings from the sea, and the full-time employment of more than 8000 people, is by far the largest productive activity of the Galician sea.〈/p〉 〈p〉In the 1980s was noticed an increase in productivity related to processes of innovation in the industry of mussel. Together with it, the first organizational forms of the Galician-based production sector was constituted, with a spatial and administrative reordering for mussel rafts and crops. A new reality of the sector was maintained in both the marketing guidelines and the fact of initiating a vertical integration between the mussel industry and the commercialization. Everything was accompanied by changes in markets and strong tensions: derived from red tides that limit the operating cycle and even its profitability and also from the conflicts between the producing and transforming organizations, added to the competition in the markets of other countries, mainly Chile.〈/p〉 〈p〉The reality of mussel culture and markets leads to a reformulation in the industry, with strategies for territorial diversification of suppliers, new technological improvements in production and even organizational, economic, and bioecological innovations.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Electrochimica Acta, Volume 295〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Kaili Jin, Man Zhou, Hong Zhao, Shixiong Zhai, Fengyan Ge, Yaping Zhao, Zaisheng Cai〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉With the large theoretical capacity and environmental benignity, copper sulfide (CuS) becomes a prospective candidate electrode material for supercapacitors. In this work, electroconductive mesoporous carbonized clothes (Cc) was obtained by carbonizing the waste cotton fabrics. Then the CuS was galvanostatic electrodeposited on 〈em〉Cc〈/em〉 to prepare the binder-free 〈em〉g〈/em〉-CuS/Cc electrode. In the galvanostatic electrodeposition process, CuS grew along the crystal surface to form regular nanosheets, and a part of Cu〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 were reduced to Cu〈sup〉1.1+〈/sup〉. In addition, on account of the synergistic effect of electrochemical double layer capacitance with pseudocapacitance and the high specific surface area (450.76 m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), the 〈em〉g〈/em〉-CuS/Cc composite displayed not only outstanding areal specific capacitance (4676 mF cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 at 2 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉) but also excellent cycling performance (89.8% retention after 10000 cycles). Meanwhile, the symmetrical flexible supercapacitor (SC) based on 〈em〉g〈/em〉-CuS/Cc electrodes with PVA-KOH gel electrolyte (〈em〉g〈/em〉-CuS/Cc-SC) accomplished a high specific capacitance of 1333 mF cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 at 2 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 as well as ultrahigh energy density of 0.96 Wh cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 at the power density of 4.36 W cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉. Therefore, 〈em〉g〈/em〉-CuS/Cc shows a great potential for applications in the next generation of flexible energy storage devices.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013468618324447-fx1.jpg" width="384" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Electrochimica Acta, Volume 295〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Kang Li, Zhanwei Xu, Xuetao Shen, Kai Yao, Jianshe Zhao, Ronglan Zhang, Jun Zhang, Li Wang, Jianfeng Zhu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Commercial lithium/thionyl chloride (Li/SOCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) batteries cannot meet the 3.15 V platform required for most instruments. A 〈em〉hovenia acerba〈/em〉-like assembly constructed with cobalt tetrapyridinoporphyrazine of thickness of 5–15 nm is anchored on acid-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CoTAP/MWCNTs), which were prepared using an 〈em〉in situ〈/em〉 solid synthesis process. The discharge time of Li/SOCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 batteries with a voltage greater than 3.15 V catalyzed by CoTAP/MWCNTs is found to be 11 min longer than batteries without catalysts and 4 min longer than those catalyzed by CoTAP alone. The energy of Li/SOCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 batteries with a voltage greater than 3.15 V catalyzed by CoTAP/MWCNTs is discovered to be 11.44-times higher than batteries with AF-MWCNTs and 6.17-times higher than those catalyzed by bulk CoTAP. This is due to the fact that more CoTAP ultrafine nanoparticulates are anchored on the AF-MWCNTs. These nanoparticulates provide more active sites for the catalytic reaction of SOCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. The assemblies are shown to have an adsorption-coordination effect on Li ions and to delay the deposition of lithium chloride passive films enhancing battery voltage platforms.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A 〈em〉hovenia acerba〈/em〉-like assembly constructed with cobalt tetrapyridinoporphyrazine of thickness of 5–15 nm is anchored on acid-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CoTAP/MWCNTs), which were prepared using an 〈em〉in situ〈/em〉 solid synthesis process. The discharge time of Li/SOCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 batteries with a voltage greater than 3.15 V catalyzed by CoTAP/MWCNTs is found to be 11 min longer than batteries without catalysts and 4 min longer than those catalyzed by CoTAP alone.〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013468618324319-fx1.jpg" width="270" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Applied Energy, Volumes 233–234〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Rong Gu, Jing Ding, Yarong Wang, Qinquan Yuan, Weilong Wang, Jianfeng Lu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Steam methane reforming is suitable for thermochemical energy storage because of its large reaction enthalpy and high hydrogen content in reaction products. In this paper, heat transfer and storage performance of steam methane reforming in a tubular reactor heated by focused solar simulator is experimental demonstrated and numerically analyzed. According to experimental results, methane conversion remarkably decreases with inlet flow rate rising, while thermochemical energy storage efficiency first increases for more reactants and then decreases with methane conversion dropping. As incident energy flux rises, methane conversion increases with bed temperature rising, and the thermochemical energy storage efficiency reaches its maximum of 11.3% with central heat flux of 285.6 kW/m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉. Three-dimensional transport and volumetric reaction model with concentrated energy flux boundary condition is established and validated, and local and integral energy transport and storage performance are further analyzed. Along flow direction, the maximum reaction rate appears before the focal point with maximum energy flux. The tendencies of methane conversion and thermochemical energy storage efficiency are very similar under different inlet conditions, and higher inlet temperature and appropriate steam to methane ratio benefit thermochemical energy storage. The structures of catalyst bed and reactor are critical important for thermochemical energy storage process. As bed length increases, the methane conversion and thermochemical energy storage efficiency first increase with the increase of positive reaction and then decrease with the increase of reverse reaction, and the optimal length is a little larger than focal spot diameter. When bed porosity is increased, the methane conversion and thermochemical energy storage efficiency first increases with the flow resistance decreasing and then decreases with catalyst amount decreasing, and optimal porosity is 0.45. Heat loss in heating side of bed region play major role in heat storage, and the thermochemical energy storage efficiency can be improved to 34.8% by using insulation and coating.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Marine Policy, Volume 99〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Bong-Tae Kim, Christopher L. Brown, Do-Hoon Kim〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We assess the vulnerability to climate change of Korean aquaculture based on predicted changes in seawater temperature and salinity in adjacent sea areas of the Korean Peninsula according to representative concentration pathways (RCP) scenarios. Unlike previous studies that have been conducted mostly on a national scale, we classify 14 farming species in major production regions of the Republic of Korea, and assess their vulnerability for each region, using the indicator-based method and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's definition of vulnerability in order to overcome limitations in developing specific adaptation strategies within a country. First, for each exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, specific and proper indicators are selected. Subsequently, these indicators are estimated and weighted to analyze vulnerability to climate change. The results show that the absolute level of vulnerability is high in a long-term period of RCP8.5 in which exposure becomes severe, whereas the relative vulnerability is similar among farming species and regions. Specifically, vulnerability is at the highest level in seaweed, such as laver and sea mustard, while fish, shrimp, and abalone are relatively less vulnerable to climate change.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Energy Strategy Reviews, Volume 22〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mohammed Kharbach, Tarik Chfadi〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉This paper investigates the impact of oil prices on a single public utility's electricity production by using a cointegration approach. We estimate the elasticity of the electricity produced, by different fuel sources (coal, oil, and water) in the Moroccan power system, to oil prices.〈/p〉 〈p〉We find that, in the long run, the elasticities of the electricity produced by coal and oil to oil prices are similar. On the contrary, significant differences exist in the short-term elasticity of the electricity produced by coal and oil to oil prices. We also find that hydropower could substitute the electricity produced by coal in the short run but not in the long run.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Energy Strategy Reviews, Volume 22〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mehmet Melikoglu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Coal is the primary energy source for electricity generation around the globe and it is projected that this dominance will continue for at least a few more decades. However, coal combustion for power generation generates significant greenhouse gas emissions as well as NO〈sub〉x〈/sub〉/SO〈sub〉x〈/sub〉 and particulates emissions. Therefore, future consumption of coal for electricity generation must be cleaner and efficient. This can be achieved by utilizing different processes and technologies also known as clean coal technologies. In this study, global development in clean coal technologies is scrutinized and an up to date review about the subject is prepared. In addition, potential utilization of clean coal technologies in Turkey is assessed based on the government's recent energy policy decision of increasing lignite based installed capacity from nearly 10,000 MW to 30,000 MW. As a result, an up to date review about the past, present and future of clean coal technologies in Turkey is prepared. Detailed analysis showed that research & development studies on clean coal technologies are at early stages in Turkey. This means that there won't be enough time to locally develop clean coal technologies while fulfilling the Vision 2023 lignite based installed capacity target in the next 5–6 years. As a result, it is suggested that Turkey should first purchase clean coal technologies from developed countries with know-how and technology transfer clauses in order to increase lignite-fired coal power plant capacity without skyrocketing Turkey's greenhouse gas emissions. In the meantime, local research & development studies must be fostered in order to develop indigenous clean coal technologies. Finally, it is believed that the discussion in this study could help the researchers around the globe broaden their knowledge about clean coal technologies and help the authorities in Turkey to design the country's coal based energy future in a more sustainable manner.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Carbon, Volume 142〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Baoyin Jin, Ding-Bang Xiong, Zhanqiu Tan, Genlian Fan, Qiang Guo, Yishi Su, Zhiqiang Li, Di Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Corrosion protection of metals is of great importance due to their widespread use. Graphene (Gr) has shown promising corrosion resistance as a coating for metals, however, its excellent strengthening effect that has been widely shown is suppressed in such coating applications. Here, inspired by positive anti-corrosion role of graphene coating for metal macro-foils, graphene encapsulated Cu (Cu@Gr) micro-/nano-flakes are designed and fabricated, and then used as building blocks for assembling bulk Gr/Cu composites. Thanks to its protective role and strengthening effect of uniformly dispersed graphene in Cu matrix, as compared to bare copper, corrosion rate of the as-fabricated bulk Gr/Cu composites is reduced by 50% in NaCl solution and its yield strength is increased by ∼180% (2.5 vol% Gr) simultaneously, without deterioration on electrical conductivity. The anti-corrosion mechanisms are understood by studying etching behavior of the Cu@Gr flakes in FeCl〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 solution, and surface morphology evolution in the samples subjected to salt spray corrosion, and electrochemical corrosion tests. Graphene's anti-corrosion effect is also reflected by an anisotropic corrosion behavior of the Gr/Cu composite because of a “brick-and-mortar” microstructure. The results presented here shed light on expanding metal matrix composite's applications to a wider range and more complex situation by incorporating graphene.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0008622318310078-fx1.jpg" width="239" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): X.Y. Wang, S.L. Zhang, S.D. Feng, L. Qi, R.P. Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The structures of the Ti〈sub〉75〈/sub〉Al〈sub〉25〈/sub〉 alloy during rapid-quenching with and without external pressure are investigated by using molecular dynamic techniques. The amorphous phase can be obtained at the cooling rate 10.0 K/ps without pressure. The alloy is composed of crystal and amorphous phase at the cooling rate 0.1 and 1.0 K/ps without pressure, but the pure amorphous phase can be formed when the pressure exceeds the critical value. The critical pressure is about 20 and 30 GPa when the cooling rate is 0.1 and 1.0 K/ps, respectively. H-A indices analysis indicates that high pressure favors the formation of the ideal icosahedral structures in the amorphous Ti〈sub〉75〈/sub〉Al〈sub〉25〈/sub〉 alloy, and the content of 1551 bond-type can reach near to 50% when the pressure is 30 GPa. The amorphous state can be maintained if the external pressure is removed from the alloy step-by-step. The content of 1551 bond-type decreases with the deceasing of the pressure, but the 1541 and 1431 bond-types increase in this process.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, Volume 124〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Applied Surface Science, Volumes 467–468〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): S.P. Sun, J.L. Zhu, S. Gu, X.P. Li, W.N. Lei, Y. Jiang, D.Q. Yi, G.H. Chen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The surface stability and equilibrium morphology of MoO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 were investigated by the first principles calculations. The thermodynamic energies of the stoichiometric surfaces of MoO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 are in the order (0 1 0) 〈 (1 0 1) 〈 (0 0 1) 〈 (1 0 0). It is found that the (0 1 0) surface has a lowest surface energy, which agrees well with the previous calculations. The energies of the non-stoichiometric surfaces were evaluated as functions of temperature and oxygen partial pressure. The results show that the energies of Mo-terminated surfaces decrease with temperatures, and increase with oxygen partial pressures, while the energies of O-terminated surfaces show the opposite rule. The equilibrium morphology of MoO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 was predicted by using the Gibbs-Wulff model, and then was compared with the other’s experiments and theoretical results.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Applied Surface Science, Volumes 467–468〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sanju Gupta, Nicholas Dimakis〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The interfacial interactions between transition metal oxides (vanadium oxide VO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, vanadium pentoxide V〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉5〈/sub〉, cobalt oxide CoO and Co〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉, manganese oxide MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) and water adsorbates on graphene supports as solvated interfaces and influence of defects in graphene are studied using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations in view of their significance for applied electrochemistry. DFT complemented and synergized our experimental work. The optimized metal oxide adatom-graphene geometries identified the preferred adatom sites, whereas metal oxide-graphene strengths are correlated with the adatom distance from the graphene plane, the Metal-C overlap populations, and the adsorption energies. The presence of finite electronic density of states (DOS) near Fermi level and charge transfers between the adatom top layer and graphene supports reflect primarily covalent bonding nature. The presence of small orbital overlap integral of bonds between the s and p (and d) orbitals of the nearest carbon (graphene), carbon oxide (graphene oxide) and metal oxide atoms reveal localized orbital re-hybridization resulting in changes in DOS yielding high electrochemical activity. Moreover, for increased adatom coverage the extent of charge transfer reverses resulting in limited electroactivity. In fact, DFT calculations are corroborated with experimental findings, where graphene-based supports decorated with optimal mass loaded nanostructured Co〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (as well as V〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉5〈/sub〉) were capable of delivering maximum specific energy storage capacity (C〈sub〉s〈/sub〉) 〉 550 F·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 (Gupta et al. J. Mater. Res. 32, 301 (2017)) in contrast to higher or lower loading. The presence of defects in graphene materials results in new electronic states to endow unique functionalities that is not otherwise possible in the bulk and with adsorbed water molecules besides optimum C/O ratio in graphene oxide nanosheets that show redshift thus a decreasing bandgap and finite charge transfer from graphene to water molecules. The case examples studied in this work represent a first glimpse of what may become routine and integral step in materials design and discovery for alternative energy and sustainable environmental technologies.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Anne-Isabelle Bidegaray, Andrea Ceglia, Maria Rita Cicconi, Van-Thai Pham, Amandine Crabbé, El Amine Mernissi Cherigui, Karin Nys, Herman Terryn, Daniel R. Neuville, Stéphane Godet〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The analysis of iron, manganese and antimony in silicate glass is of great interest in chemistry, materials science, earth sciences and archaeological sciences. Yet, conclusions from different fields appear to be contradictory and many questions about redox reactions in glass remain. The purpose of this study is thus to discuss whether and how these multivalent elements interact in glass. Soda-lime silicate melts containing iron along with manganese and/or antimony have been analysed at different high temperatures under argon atmosphere. Using 〈em〉in-situ〈/em〉 XANES at the Fe K-edge, redox thermodynamics, kinetics and diffusivities have been assessed for the different compositions. The data obtained show that antimony is more efficient at oxidising iron compared to manganese at all temperatures. The oxidising power trend would thus be Sb 〉 Sb + Mn 〉 Mn. Furthermore, hypotheses on the formation of Fe-Mn complexes are also reported in glasses with stoichiometric proportions of iron and manganese. Based on the determination of redox diffusivities, it appears that presence of other multivalent elements does not significantly affect the iron redox mechanisms and that diffusivity is essentially controlled by the mobility of calcium.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Wentao Zhang, Feng He, Junlin Xie, Xiaoqing Liu, De Fang, Hu Yang, Zhihong Luo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Glass ceramics from modified molten blast furnace (BF) slag were prepared. The crystallization behavior of the modified BF slag was characterized using differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The crystallization kinetics results indicated that the crystallization activation energy initially decreased and subsequently increased with increasing CaO/SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. The crystallization temperature and the crystallization index (n) decreased from 916 to 867 °C, and 5.66–1.13, respectively. The crystallization mechanism transformed from bulk crystallization to surface crystallization. By XRD analyzing, Melilite was developed as the main crystal phase, and the transformation of crystal from akermanite to gehlenite was observed. The rapid surface crystallization was beneficial for maintaining the shape of glass ceramics. The complex replacement in melilite crystals resulted in the micro cracks in glass ceramics, therefore led to the decrease of flexural strength of glass ceramics〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): B.C. Jamalaiah〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Different amounts of GeO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 activated tellurite tungstate glasses were prepared by melt quenching technique. Thermal stability and glass forming ability were studied using differential scanning calorimetry. The chemical composition, homogeneity and amorphous nature of studied glasses were investigated. The phonon energy was estimated to be 721.34 cm〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Experimentally determined refractive indices were compared with those determined from optical band gap (E〈sub〉g〈/sub〉) and optical electronegativity (Δ〈em〉χ〈/em〉〈sup〉∗〈/sup〉). The dielectric constant (K) and electronic polarizability (α) were determined using refractive index value. The presence of disorder was estimated in terms of Urbach energy (E〈sub〉U〈/sub〉). The average electronegativity (〈em〉χ〈/em〉〈sub〉〈em〉ave〈/em〉〈/sub〉), oxide ion polarizability (〈em〉α〈/em〉〈sub〉〈em〉O〈/em〉〈/sub〉〈sup〉2−〈/sup〉) and covalent character (C〈sub〉cov〈/sub〉) were determined. The content of GeO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 was optimized to be 10.0 mol% to design a novel host material for solid state lasers and fiber devices.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chunhe Jiang, Kejiang Li, Jianliang Zhang, Qinghua Qin, Zhengjian Liu, Minmin Sun, Ziming Wang, Wang Liang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-CaO-MgO is the most significant slag system in the blast furnace ironmaking process and it is very important to investigate the microstructure and viscosity of the system. In this paper, molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to explore the effects of MgO/Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 ratio on structure and properties of the system. Based on the self-diffusion coefficients, the viscosities were calculated by Einstein-Stokes equation and compared with the experimental value and the Factsage value. The results showed that with the increase of MgO/Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 ratio, the stability of [SiO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉]〈sup〉4−〈/sup〉 and [AlO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉]〈sup〉5−〈/sup〉 tetrahedron became weaken and the relative proportions of bridge and non-bridge oxygen showed a decrease. And due to the increase of MgO, more Mg〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 ions are used as network modifiers to reduce the degree of polymerization of the system, resulting in a decrease in the viscosity, which is consistent with experimental results. Finally, based on the present study, in the case of increasing Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 content of blast furnace slag, the fluidity of slag could be adjusted by controlling MgO/Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 ratio, thereby providing a basis for stable operation of blast furnace ironmaking.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): A.I. Popov〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The definition of glassy state presented by the authors of the article “The glassy state of matter: Its definition and ultimate fate” E. Zanotto and J. Mauro is considered. The importance of the contribution to the glassy state problem made in the article is emphasized. At the same time consideration of the glassy state as unstable state of matter causes definite objections. It is more correctly to consider the glassy state as metastable state of matter.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): M.G. Syamala Rao, M.A. Pacheco-Zuñiga, L.A. Garcia-Cerda, G. Gutiérrez-Heredia, J.A. Torres Ochoa, M.A. Quevedo López, R. Ramírez-Bon〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this work, we developed a novel inorganic-organic hybrid gate dielectric by combining zirconium and hafnium components to form zirconium hafnium oxide strongly linked with polymethyl methacrylate (ZrHfO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-PMMA) and deposited at low temperature (200 °C) by sol-gel method. The obtained 108 nm thick, high-quality hybrid gate dielectric showed an exceptionally low surface roughness (0.9-nm), a low leakage current density (7.7 × 10〈sup〉−6〈/sup〉 A/cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉) and reasonable dielectric properties such as gate capacitance along with dielectric constant (77 nF/cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 & 9.4 @1 kHz) respectively. To examine the ZrHfO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-PMMA hybrid dielectric electrical properties we constructed thin-film transistors (TFTs) with room temperature r.f sputtered n-type metal oxide semiconductors, a-IGZO and ZnO, as active channels. The bottom gate fabricated a-IGZO TFTs driving at as low as below 6 V, with extracted field effect mobility of 2.45 cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/V. s, a low threshold voltage of 1.2 V with large ON/OFF current ratio 10〈sup〉7〈/sup〉 respectively. On the other hand, for comparison we employed ZnO TFTs by applying same hybrid dielectric system, the obtained parameters of bottom gate ZnO TFTs were good field effect saturation mobility of 12.8 cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/V. s, threshold voltage of 1.8 V and ON/OFF current ratio of 10〈sup〉3〈/sup〉.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Weidi Zhu, Mark Lockhart, Bruce Aitken, Sabyasachi Sen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The viscoelastic properties of supercooled As〈sub〉x〈/sub〉Se〈sub〉100-x〈/sub〉 (0 ≤ x ≤ 30) and As〈sub〉x〈/sub〉Se〈sub〉100-x-y〈/sub〉I〈sub〉y〈/sub〉 (x = 20, 30 and y = 10, 20) liquids are studied using oscillatory parallel plate rheometry. In addition to the α-relaxation process, the shear relaxation of liquids with selenium chains longer than ~ 3 atoms is also characterized by a low-frequency polymeric mode. The temporal decoupling of this low-frequency soft/floppy relaxation mode from that of the α-relaxation mode is a unique function of the average selenium chain length. The floppy mode abruptly vanishes for liquids with average chain lengths shorter than ~ 3 Se atoms, thus implying a dynamical rigidity transition. When taken together, these results indicate that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, the pertinent structural variable associated with such transition in the viscoelastic behavior is not the average coordination number but instead the intermediate-range structural elements such as the average selenium chain length.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 December 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 502〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): M.S.A. Mohd Saidi, S.K. Ghoshal, K. Hamzah, R. Arifin, M.F. Omar, M.K. Roslan, E.S. Sazali〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We report the influence of silver (Ag) and titania (TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) nanoparticles (ATNPs) co-embedment on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of dysprosium ions (Dy〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉) doped zinc-magnesium tellurite glass system prepared using conventional melt quenching method. Both up- and down- converted PL spectra of glasses revealed three emission bands located at 482 (blue: 〈sup〉4〈/sup〉F〈sub〉9/2〈/sub〉 → 〈sup〉6〈/sup〉H〈sub〉15/2〈/sub〉), 574 (yellow: 〈sup〉4〈/sup〉F〈sub〉9/2〈/sub〉 → 〈sup〉6〈/sup〉H〈sub〉13/2〈/sub〉) and 664 nm (weak red: 〈sup〉4〈/sup〉F〈sub〉9/2〈/sub〉 → 〈sup〉6〈/sup〉H〈sub〉11/2〈/sub〉), where the band intensities were enhanced with the inclusion of ATNPs. Glasses with 0.2 mol% of ANPs and up to 0.3 mol% of TNPs disclosed highest PL intensity enhancement, which was majorly attributed to the ATNPs mediated localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and large field enhancement (called hot spot) effects in the proximity of Dy〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 ions. Absorption spectra of glasses displayed two plasmon bands characteristics of each type of nanoparticle. It was inferred that the superposition of localized SP modes from ATNPs could generate new hybridized modes (strong local field in the vicinity of Dy〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 ions) shifted with respect to the single type of NPs resonance. HRTEM images showed the existence of both Ag and titania NPs inside the glass matrix. Glasses containing ATNPs exhibited anatase phase with (103) and (112) nanocrystalline lattice plane orientation. Proposed glass system may be useful for the development of solid state laser and photonic devices.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, Volume 474〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Muhammad Arshad, M. Asghar, Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Farooq Warsi, M. Naveed Rasheed, M. Hashim, M.A. Al-Maghrabi, Muhammad Azhar Khan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this study Co-Ni co-doped nanocrystalline manganese ferrites were fabricated via co-precipitation method. The annealing of as prepared nanoferrites was done at 950 °C for 7 h. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that all samples possessed cubic spinel structure. The crystallite size was determined by Scherrer’s equation that lies in the range of 27–35 nm. The spectral analysis confirmed bending and stretching of bonds at octahedral (B) and tetrahedral (A) sites. The spectral bands were shifted towards the longer wavelength side and these indicate the incorporation of dopants cations (Co-Ni). The magnetic parameters were measured from the M-H loops of nanoferrites. With the increase of Co-Ni contents, the saturation magnetization (Ms) increased up to x = 0.15 and then it decreased. The dielectric properties of all compositions were studied in 1 MHz–3 GHz range and were discussed in the light of Debye-type reduction phenomenon by following the Koop’s theory. The dielectric and magnetic behavior evaluation suggested that synthesized ferrites are suitable for microwave devices fabrication.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0304885318319127-ga1.jpg" width="282" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Infrared Physics & Technology, Volume 96〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chunyan Guo, Yaoyao Sun, Qingxuan Jia, Zhi Jiang, Dongwei Jiang, Guowei Wang, Yingqiang Xu, Tao Wang, Jinshou Tian, Zhaoxin Wu, Zhichuan Niu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A kind of wide spectrum infrared detectors based on InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices (T2SLs) operating from 0.5 μm to 5 μm wavelength range is reported. The materials were grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) on GaSb substrates. Diverse types and sizes microstructure are fabricated on the surface of the detector to form the photon traps (PTs) array. PTs decrease the reflectivity and increase the light absorption of epitaxial material. Compared with the planar mesa detectors without antireflection (AR) film, detectors with PTs array exhibits a high responsivity of 0.86 A/W at 1160 nm and maximum D* reaches to 10〈sup〉9〈/sup〉 cm Hz〈sup〉1/2〈/sup〉/W in visible wavelength. Also, the PTs processed on detector augment spectral response and QE in infrared wavelength. The peak responsivity of the detector with PTs is to 1.35 A/W and QE can exceed to 0.76 in the infrared wavelength. The infrared detector with PTs is attractive for numerous applications.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Water Research, Volume 149〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): M. Aybar, P. Perez-Calleja, M. Li, J.P. Pavissich, R. Nerenberg〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) is a novel wastewater treatment technology based on oxygen-supplying membranes. The counter diffusion of oxygen and electron donors in MABRs leads to unique behavior, and we hypothesized it also could impact predation. We used optical coherence tomography (OCT), microsensor analyses, and mathematical modeling to investigate predation in membrane-aerated biofilms (MABs). When protozoa were excluded from the inoculum, the MAB's OCT-observable void fraction was around 5%. When protozoa were included, the void fraction grew to nearly 50%, with large, continuous voids at the base of the biofilm. Real-time OCT imaging showed highly motile protozoa in the voids. MABs with protozoa and a high bulk COD (270 mg/L) only had 4% void fraction. DNA sequencing revealed a high relative abundance of amoeba in both high and low-COD MABs. Flagellates were only abundant in the low-COD MAB. Modeling also suggested a relationship between substrate concentrations, diffusion mode (co- or counter-diffusion), and biofilm void fraction. Results suggest that amoeba proliferate in the biofilm interior, especially in the aerobic zones. Voids form once COD limitation at the base of MABs allows predation rates to exceed microbial growth rates. Once formed, the voids provide a niche for motile protozoa, which expand the voids into a large, continuous gap. This increases the potential for biofilm sloughing, and may have detrimental effects on slow-growing, aerobic microorganisms such as nitrifying bacteria.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0043135418309011-fx1.jpg" width="453" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Water Research, Volume 149〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): C. Caicedo, K.-H. Rosenwinkel, M. Exner, W. Verstraete, R. Suchenwirth, P. Hartemann, R. Nogueira〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as confirmed but until today underestimated sources of 〈em〉Legionella,〈/em〉 playing an important role in local and community cases and outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. In general, aerobic biological systems provide an optimum environment for the growth of 〈em〉Legionella〈/em〉 due to high organic nitrogen and oxygen concentrations, ideal temperatures and the presence of protozoa. However, few studies have investigated the occurrence of 〈em〉Legionella〈/em〉 in WWTPs, and many questions in regards to the interacting factors that promote the proliferation and persistence of 〈em〉Legionella〈/em〉 in these treatment systems are still unanswered. This critical review summarizes the current knowledge about 〈em〉Legionella〈/em〉 in municipal and industrial WWTPs, the conditions that might support their growth, as well as control strategies that have been applied. Furthermore, an overview of current quantification methods, guidelines and health risks associated with 〈em〉Legionella〈/em〉 in reclaimed wastewater is also discussed in depth. A better understanding of the conditions promoting the occurrence of 〈em〉Legionella〈/em〉 in WWTPs will contribute to the development of improved wastewater treatment technologies and/or innovative mitigation approaches to minimize future 〈em〉Legionella〈/em〉 outbreaks.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0043135418308972-fx1.jpg" width="284" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Solid State Sciences, Volume 85〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Solid State Sciences, Volume 85〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2018〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Solid State Sciences, Volume 85〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): 〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Volume 128〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): J.M. Kranabetter〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Forest floor carbon (C) sequestration has been negatively correlated with manganese (Mn) availability, possibly due to reduced efficacy of Mn-peridoxase enzymes produced by Agaricomycete fungi. I examined a soil C and Mn dataset from a podzolization gradient, along with fungal sporocarp Mn concentrations, to potentially corroborate this finding. An inverse power relationship between soil C and soil Mn content across temperate rainforests was confirmed, which provides further evidence of a Mn bottleneck in C turnover. Average Mn concentrations of saprotrophic sporocarps were greater than those of ectomycorrhizal fungi, and displayed a similar inverse correlation with increasing soil C. The absence or limited effectiveness of select saprotrophic fungi across Mn-depleted forest soils may be one mechanism behind impeded turnover of recalcitrant organic matter.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Volume 128〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Charles R. Warren〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Phospholipids are isolated from crude lipid extracts by silica solid phase extraction (SPE), but for soils we don't know if phospholipids are the only fatty acid-based lipids present in the polar lipid fraction. Lipids extracted from three soils were fractionated with a silica SPE protocol commonly used for soils, with “neutrals” eluted by chloroform, “glycolipids” eluted by acetone, and “phospholipids” eluted by methanol. Fatty acid-based lipids were identified and quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Phospholipids were recovered in the methanol fraction, but this fraction also included betaine lipids. In two soils the methanol fraction was 3–6% betaine lipid while in one soil betaine lipids accounted for 48% of lipids in the methanol fraction. Clearly the fraction obtained by eluting lipids from silica with methanol is not purely phospholipid but can contain significant amounts of other polar lipids.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Applied Surface Science, Volumes 467–468〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xu Wu, Yalin Feng, Yali Du, Xuezhen Liu, Chunlei Zou, Zhe Li〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉LDHs templates (marked as CoAl-MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-LDH and CoMnAl-CO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-LDH) were fabricated via ion-exchange/redox reaction and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) hydrolysis methods respectively. CoMnAl mixed metal oxides (marked as MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CoAl-LDO and CoMnAl-LDO) from the as-prepared LDHs templates were novelly prepared and tested as low-temperature NH〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-SCR catalysts. Catalytic evaluation pronouncedly affirmed that the catalytic performances of the as-acquired catalysts were vulnerable to the preparation method of precursor template, where MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CoAl-LDO presented preferable DeNOx activity (over 90% NOx conversion), N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 selectivity and SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 resistance in much broader working temperature window (90–300 °C) than CoMnAl-LDO. Multiple characterizations revealed that the excellent catalytic performance of the MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CoAl-LDO could be attributed to its higher specific surface area which could promote dispersion of abundant Mn〈sup〉4+〈/sup〉 and Co〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 species, and resultantly afforded stronger redox ability and more acid sites. Moreover, dynamic calculation confirmed that the relatively lower activation energy on MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CoAl-LDO for low-temperature NH〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-SCR reaction should be closely related to the occurrence of a more rapid redox cycle and in agreement with the excellent DeNOx performance.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0169433218329702-ga1.jpg" width="413" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 February 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Applied Surface Science, Volumes 467–468〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sandra Jendrzej, Leonard Gondecki, Jörg Debus, Henning Moldenhauer, Peter Tenberge, Stephan Barcikowski, Bilal Gökce〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The lubricant is a central element in the transmission design. It primarily separates the two contact partners through a pressure-induced solidification in the lubrication gap, thus enabling the operation of heavily loaded sliding-rolling contacts. On the one hand, the quality and properties of a lubricant depend on the base oils, which differ by their viscosity and process-technological parameters. The addition of particulate additives gives the lubricants further functional properties that are not contained in the base oil. In this study, the influence of laser-synthesized yttria-stabilized zirconia nano- or submicrometer spheres as dispersed functional elements in the lubricant is studied, and their impact on wear and fatigue on the tooth flank is investigated. The work includes systematic investigations on the influence of the particle’s shape and size by running tests on a FZG gear test rig. Finally, the potential of the laser-generated particles as a lubricant additive is evaluated in a first conclusion.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉