Simultaneous measurement of ethane diffusivity and skin resistance of ‘Jonica’ apples by efflux experiment

An experiment was carried out to simultaneously measure the diffusivity and skin resistance of ethane in ‘Jonica’ apples by equilibrating them in an ethane–air mixture, transferring them to an ethane-free jar and monitoring the concentration of the air in the jar as the ethane is released. The concentration curve is then curve fitted by a finite element model using a realistic axisymmetric geometry to determine the diffusivity and mass transfer coefficient (inverse of skin resistance). The solubility (Henry’s law constant) of ethane in apple tissue was determined at equilibrium and was the same as that of ethane in water. The diffusivity of ethane in apple tissue was 19.4 × 10⁻⁸ m² s⁻¹, the skin resistance 1.26 × 10⁶ s m⁻¹ and the mass transfer Biot number (ratio of internal to external resistance) 0.61. The values of these parameters for O₂, CO₂ and neon were calculated from those for ethane using a two phase co-diffusion model. They disagree with results from previous efflux experiments but are consistent with direct measurement on cut tissue samples using the diffusion cell method. This can be explained by the hypothesis that the diffusivity determined by curve fitting is that of the inner cortex, while the resistance of the outer cortex is treated as part of skin resistance. Taken in combination with previous tests, the present results give an indication of the diffusivity profile across the apples.     

Forty Years of Designing Catalytic and Adsorptive Sites in FAU Type Zeolites at K.U. Leuven

An overview of scientific achievements at K.U. Leuven on the design and characterization of active sites in X and Y zeolites and on the development of adsorptive and catalytic processes in which these active sites are operated is provided. The historical development of this research area and the scientific progress are presented. Zeolite Y and ultrastabilized specimen present Brønsted and Lewis sites that can be operated in vapor and liquid phase hydrocarbon conversion processes, bifunctional catalysis, epoxidation and ring opening of epoxides. Examples of molecular shape selective catalysis with Y zeolites are presented. The redox chemistry of transition metal exchanged faujasites is understood in great detail and has been exploited in Wacker chemistry and water splitting in a photochemical-thermal cycle. Selective adsorbents were designed based on knowledge of cation siting in X and Y zeolites. The occlusion of coordination compounds in the faujasite supercages is a means of creating unique active sites. Catalytic oxidative properties of the enzymes can be mimicked by embedding zeozyme in a hydrophobic membrane.     

Converter-connected distributed generation units with integrated harmonic voltage damping and harmonic current compensation function

The steadily growing share of converter-connected distributed generators, combined with a large amount of nonlinear and unbalanced loads connected to the electric power system, has led to a degraded power quality. Both harmonic voltage and harmonic current distortion may cause many unfavourable effects on the power system. However, the converter-connected distributed generators can be redesigned to have a positive effect on the distortion of the grid voltage. Two different approaches can be discerned. At the one hand, distributed generation units can be controlled to synthesize a resistive load for harmonic voltage components. This approach is called harmonic voltage damping. At the other hand, if the polluting current of an adjacent nonlinear load is measured and added to the control loop, the converter-connected distributed generator is able to compensate all harmonic current components of the nonlinear load. This approach is referred to as harmonic current compensation. In this paper, a control strategy for a converter-connected distributed generator is extended with a harmonic voltage damping function and a harmonic current compensation function. Experimental tests show that the voltage distortion of the grid voltage can be significantly improved.     

The potential role of hydrogen energy in India and Western Europe

We used the TIMER energy model to explore the potential role of hydrogen in the energy systems of India and Western Europe, looking at the impacts on its main incentives: climate policy, energy security and urban air pollution. We found that hydrogen will not play a major role in both regions without considerable cost reductions, mainly in fuel cell technology. Also, energy taxation policy is essential for hydrogen penetration and India's lower energy taxes limit India's capacity to favour hydrogen. Once available to the (European) energy system, hydrogen can decrease the cost of CO₂ emission reduction by increasing the potential for carbon capture technology. However, climate policy alone is insufficient to speed up the transition. Hydrogen diversifies energy imports; especially for Europe it decreases oil imports, while increasing imports of coal and natural gas. For India, it provides an opportunity to decrease oil imports and use indigenous coal resources in the transport sector. Hydrogen improves urban air quality by shifting emissions from urban transport to hydrogen production facilities. However, for total net emissions we found a sensitive trade-off between lower emissions at end-use (in transport) and higher emissions from hydrogen production, depending on local policy for hydrogen production facilities.     

Adjustable multilayer HTS filters

An adjustable multilayer high-temperature superconductor (HTS) bandpass filter has been fabricated. Taped comb-line filters with multilayer structures were designed, YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films deposited on LaAlO₃ were used to construct the packaged multilayer HTS filter. The electrical length of the resonators in the filter was smaller than a quarter-wave length. The frequency responses of the filter were measured at liquid nitrogen temperature 77 K. The insertion loss of the packaged filter was determined to be less than 0.5 dB. By mechanically adjusting the multilayer structure, the center frequencies of the filter changed from 1.78 to 1.92 GHz, and the variations of the bandwidth from 60 to 150 MHz were also obtained     

Estimation of outdoor NO(x), NO(2), and BTEX exposure in a cohort of pregnant women using land use regression modeling

Land use regression (LUR) has been successfully used to assess the intraurban variability of air pollution. In the INMA (Environment and Childhood) Study, ambient nitrogen oxides (NO(x) and NO(2)) and aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) were measured at 57 sampling sites in Sabadell (northeast Spain). Multiple regression models were developed to predict residential outdoor concentrations in a cohortof pregnantwomen (n = 657), using geographic data as predictor variables. The models accounted for 68 and 69% of the variance in NO(x) and NO(2) levels, respectively, with four predictor variables (altitude, land coverage, and two road length indicators). These percentages of explained variability could be further improved by replacing the two road length indicators with an ordinal indicator (road type). To our knowledge, this is the first study using LUR to assess the intraurban variability of BTEX in Europe, with a model including altitude and source-proximity variables that explained 74% of the variance in BTEX levels. These models will be used to study the association between prenatal exposure to air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes and early childhhod effects in the cohort.     

Auto‐Tandem Catalysis: Synthesis of Substituted 11H‐Indolo[3,2‐c]quinolines via Palladium‐Catalyzed Intermolecular C?N and Intramolecular C?C Bond Formation

D ‐Ring substituted 11H‐indolo[3,2‐c]quinolines ( 4 ) have been prepared via auto‐tandem consecutive intermolecular Buchwald‐Hartwig reaction and intramolecular palladium‐catalyzed arylation on 4‐chloroquinoline ( 1 ) with N‐unsubstituted 2‐chloroanilines ( 2 ). The reported 11H‐indolo[3,2‐c]quinolines ( 4 ) represent the first examples in which tandem catalysis has been used to construct N‐unsubstituted carbolines.     

Congener-specific accumulation and patterns of chlorinated and brominated contaminants in adult male walruses from Svalbard, Norway: indications for individual-specific prey selection

Blubber samples from 17 adult, male walruses were sampled in eastern Svalbard and analyzed for chlorinated and brominated contaminants. A wide range of contaminants were detected, including PCBs (mean 2000; 95% range 1165-4005 ng/g lipid), DDE (mean 100: 95% range 50-310) ng/g lipid), chlordanes (mean 2500; 95% range 1347-5009) ng/g lipid, toxaphenes (mean 80; 95% range 51-132 ng/g lipid) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (mean 15 ng/g; 95% range 9-27 ng/g lipid). PCB and DDE levels were substantially lower than those of animals sampled 10 year earlier in this area, confirming a decreasing trend for these compounds in the Arctic. However, compared to other recently sampled marine mammals from Svalbard, walruses showed relatively high PCB and chlordane levels although they had lower levels of DDE, toxaphenes, and PBDEs, possibly due to species- and location-specific differences in exposure and metabolism. The range in contaminant levels found within the sample group was vast, despite the fact that the animals investigated were all adult males from the same location. The PCB pattern in highly contaminated animals was different from that in animals with low levels of contamination, with relatively more persistent PCBs in the highly contaminated group. This suggests that the more contaminated animals were feeding at higher trophic levels; possibly targeting seals in addition to mollusks as their prey. This suggestion was reinforced by the fatty acid profiles of the inner blubber layer of walruses with low versus high contaminant levels, which suggested different diets for the two groups.     

Conflict and collaboration in middle-aged and older couples: II. Cardiovascular reactivity during marital interaction.

Marital strain confers risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), perhaps though cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to stressful marital interactions. CVR to marital stressors may differ between middle-age and older adults, and types of marital interactions that evoke CVR may also differ across these age groups, as relationship contexts and stressors differ with age. The authors examined cardiovascular responses to a marital conflict discussion and collaborative problem solving in 300 middle-aged and older married couples. Marital conflict evoked greater increases in blood pressure, cardiac output, and cardiac sympathetic activation than did collaboration. Older couples displayed smaller heart rate responses to conflict than did middle-aged couples but larger blood pressure responses to collaboration—especially in older men. These effects were maintained during a posttask recovery period. Women did not display greater CVR than men on any measure or in either interaction context, though they did display greater parasympathetic withdrawal. CVR to marital conflict could contribute to the association of marital strain with CVD for middle-aged and older men and women, but other age-related marital contexts (e.g., collaboration among older couples) may also contribute to this mechanism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)