Basic Oxygen Furnace: Assessment of Recent Physicochemical Models

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - Modeling of the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) process, both for online monitoring and fundamental research, has gained importance in steelmaking industry...     

Recent Developments and Practical Feasibility of Polymer‐Based Antifouling Coatings

While nature has optimized its antifouling strategies over millions of years, synthetic antifouling coatings have not yet reached technological maturity. For an antifouling coating to become technically feasible, it should fulfill many requirements: high effectiveness, long‐term stability, durability, ecofriendliness, large‐scale applicability, and more. It is therefore not surprising that the search for the perfect antifouling coating has been going on for decades. With the discovery of metal‐based antifouling paints in the 1970s, fouling was thought to be a problem of the past, yet its untargeted toxicity led to serious ecological concern, and its use became prohibited. As a response, research shifted focus toward a biocompatible alternative: polymer‐based antifouling coatings. This has resulted in numerous advanced and innovative antifouling strategies, including fouling‐resistant, fouling‐release, and fouling‐degrading coatings. Here, these novel and exciting discoveries are highlighted while simultaneously assessing their antifouling performance and practical feasibility.     

Chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, mercury and lead in Dutch fishery products 1977-1984

Within the framework of a monitoring programme, carried out by order of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, fishery products from Dutch coastal waters, estuaries and inland waters were investigated for the presence of trace elements. In this report the results for the period 1977-1984 are presented. The investigated fishery products included sole, cod, plaice, herring, eel, pike-perch, shrimp and mussel, in which the elements chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, mercury and lead were determined. The results are compared with data from the literature and with the trace element levels usually found in other animal products. The daily intake of trace elements in The Netherlands through the consumption of Dutch fishery products is calculated.     

Cadmium and zinc uptake by volunteer willow species and elder rooting in polluted dredged sediment disposal sites

Salix species and Sambucus nigra L. (elder) naturally invade dredged sediment landfills and are commonly encountered on substrates contaminated with heavy metals. Foliar concentrations of Cd and Zn in four Salix species and elder were explored in the field. Metal contents in dredged sediment derived soils were elevated compared to baseline concentration levels reported for Flanders. To evaluate foliar concentrations, reference data were compiled from observations in nurseries, young plantations and unpolluted sites with volunteer willow vegetation. Willows grown on polluted dredged sediment landfills showed elevated foliar Cd and Zn concentrations (>6.6 mg Cd/kg DW and >700 mg Zn/kg DW). This was not the case for elder. For willow, a significant relation was found between soil total Zn or Cd and foliar Zn or Cd, regardless of age, species, or clone. Willows proved to be useful bioindicators. Results indicated a possible threat in long-term habitat development of willow brushwood from transfer of Cd and Zn to the food web.     

双享空间的幽默合辑

Extract荷兰Den Bosh的一怕老建筑,最近迎来自己的新生。那是座建于20世纪的双层Loft,在设计师Roderick Vos的改造下,它的空间一半被用于零售展示,一半用于办公思考。它模糊了设计师与顾客、艺术与生活的界限,令每一位到访者都能在幽默而单纯的氛围中,领略双享空间的专业设计精神。     

Evolutionary functional black-box testing in an industrial setting

During the past years, evolutionary testing research has reported encouraging results for automated functional (i.e. black-box) testing. However, despite promising results, these techniques have hardly been applied to complex, real-world systems and as such, little is known about their scalability, applicability, and acceptability in industry. In this paper, we describe the empirical setup used to study the use of evolutionary functional testing in industry through two case studies, drawn from serial production development environments at Daimler and Berner & Mattner Systemtechnik, respectively. Results of the case studies are presented, and research questions are assessed based on them. In summary, the results indicate that evolutionary functional testing in an industrial setting is both scalable and applicable. However, the creation of fitness functions is time-consuming. Although in some cases, this is compensated by the results, it is still a significant factor preventing functional evolutionary testing from more widespread use in industry.     

Terrorism Communication: Characteristics and Emerging Perspectives in the Scientific Literature 2002–2011

This paper aims to clarify current knowledge on the contribution of communication to crisis management in the case of terrorism incidents. This is done by means of a systematic review of the scientific literature on terrorism communication over the last 10 years to identify the many challenges facing communication in such crises, and represents the first attempt of its kind. To date, within the literature on terrorism communication, much attention has been paid to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear hazards. Terrorism crises are complex and challenging. Preparedness for such diverse low‐probability high‐impact crises can best be included in a wider educative approach. Terrorism crises call for fast information updates that, using a multi‐channel approach, can be tailored to fit different needs and (social) media habits.     

Interplay of plasma etch, strip and wet clean in patterning La2O3/HfO2-containing high-κ/metal gate stacks

The removal process of the La₂O₃/HfO₂ dielectric and of the residues after metal gate etch are discussed. The challenges are presented and related to the specific physico-chemical properties of La-containing compounds. Solutions based on optimization of plasma etch, strip and wet clean are demonstrated for both an integrated and delayed etch-clean process. Both processes meet the stringent requirements of complete removal of the high-κ layers and metal-containing sidewall residues without inducing silicon recess or undercut.     

ToF-SIMS and XPS study of ion implanted 248 nm deep ultraviolet (DUV) photoresist

Arsenic implanted 248 nm DUV photoresist films were characterized by ToF-SIMS and XPS analysis methods. The effect of the implant dose and energy on the formation of the crust layer on top of the bulk photoresist was studied. The crust layer thickness was found to be dependent on the implant energy and dose. The elemental and chemical changes induced by various implant doses and implant energies were investigated. Emphasis was put on the effect of the aging time on the composition of the ion implanted photoresist.