High-temperature langasite SAW oxygen sensor

High-temperature langasite SAW oxygen sensors using sputtered ZnO as a resistive gas-sensing layer were fabricated and tested. Sensitivity to oxygen gas was observed between 500°C to 700°C, with a sensitivity peak at about 625°C, consistent with the theoretical predictions of the acoustoelectric effect.     

In-situ burning of oil in coastal marshes. 2. Oil spill cleanup efficiency as a function of oil type, marsh type, and water depth

In-situ burning of spilled oil, which receives considerable attention in marine conditions, could be an effective way to cleanup wetland oil spills. An experimental in-situ burn was conducted to study the effects of oil type, marsh type, and water depth on oil chemistry and oil removal efficiency from the water surface and sediment. In-situ burning decreased the totaltargeted alkanes and total targeted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the burn residues as compared to the pre-burn diesel and crude oils. Removal was even more effective for short-chain alkanes and low ring-number PAHs. Removal efficiencies for alkanes and PAHs were >98% in terms of mass balance although concentrations of some long-chain alkanes and high ring-number PAHs increased in the burn residue as compared to the pre-burn oils. Thus, in-situ burning potentially prevents floating oil from drifting into and contaminating adjacent habitats and penetrating the sediment. In addition, in-situ burning significantly removed diesel oil that had penetrated the sediment for all water depths. Furthermore, in-situ burning at a water depth 2 cm below the soil surface significantly removed crude oil that had penetrated the sediment. As a result, in-situ burning may reduce the long-term impacts of oil on benthic organisms.     

Analyzing spatial variations in farm income distributions—a multivariate approach

Many studies have explored the size distribution of income, but empirical analysis has usually involved the examination of statistics which, in effect, summarize characteristics of the distribution, or the relation of a statistic (usually average income) to a set of explanatory variables.The present study differs from previous empirical work by relating observations in specified income intervals to a set of explanatory variables. This multiple equation model appears to be an innovation in income distribution studies.Census data on family unit income distributions by county were taken as observations on a set of dependent variables. Each income class interval is associated with a corresponding dependent variable. The dependent variable consists of the proportionate number or frequency of income units measured in percentage terms. For each dependent variable, then, there will be as many observations as counties reported.Each of the dependent variables is related to a given set of independent variables using multivariate analysis. Observations on these variables are the same for all cases; that is, each dependent variable is related to the same set of independent variables.The multivariate approach employed here allows an investigation of the behavior of a coefficient in each income class in turn. A good deal of additional information (relative to work with income class averages and economic development) is thereby generated. The model was estimated for two time points on California data. The paper includes an interpretation of the results for several independent variables including education and location, and also some comparisons of the results over time.     

High throughput screening of CO2 solubility in aqueous monoamine solutions

Post-combustion Carbon Capture and Storage technology (CCS) is viewed as an efficient solution to reduce CO(2) emissions of coal-fired power stations. In CCS, an aqueous amine solution is commonly used as a solvent to selectively capture CO(2) from the flue gas. However, this process generates additional costs, mostly from the reboiler heat duty required to release the carbon dioxide from the loaded solvent solution. In this work, we present thermodynamic results of CO(2) solubility in aqueous amine solutions from a 6-reactor High Throughput Screening (HTS) experimental device. This device is fully automated and designed to perform sequential injections of CO(2) within stirred-cell reactors containing the solvent solutions. The gas pressure within each reactor is monitored as a function of time, and the resulting transient pressure curves are transformed into CO(2) absorption isotherms. Solubility measurements are first performed on monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and methyldiethanolamine aqueous solutions at T = 313.15 K. Experimental results are compared with existing data in the literature to validate the HTS device. In addition, a comprehensive thermodynamic model is used to represent CO(2) solubility variations in different classes of amine structures upon a wide range of thermodynamic conditions. This model is used to fit the experimental data and to calculate the cyclic capacity, which is a key parameter for CO(2) process design. Solubility measurements are then performed on a set of 50 monoamines and cyclic capacities are extracted using the thermodynamic model, to asses the potential of these molecules for CO(2) capture.     

Raman microprobe analysis of elastic strain and fracture in electrophoretically deposited CdSe nanocrystal films

The mechanical stability of nanocrystal films is critical for applications, yet largely unexplored. Raman microprobe analysis used here to probe the nanocrystal cores of thick, fractured electrophoretically deposited films of 3.2 nm diameter CdSe nanocrystals measures approximately 2.5% in-plane tensile strain in cores of unfractured films. The crack dimensions determine the overall in-plane film strain, approximately 11.7%, and the film biaxial modulus, approximately 13.8 GPa, from which the biaxial modulus of the trioctylphosphine oxide ligand matrix is inferred, approximately 5.1 GPa.     

Challenges and alternatives for unmanned underwater vehicular research in the Amazon basin: Towards a more sustainable management of water resources and the environment

The Amazon basin is one of the largest hydrographic systems in the world, possessing a great diversity of natural resources in need of more sustainable water and environmental management. However, as much of what lies beneath the surface of Amazonian waters is still unexplored, underwater exploration technologies are seen as a means of research and monitoring. The present work therefore aims to answer two research questions: What are the current technologies that could be implemented for unmanned underwater research in the Amazon waters? What are the main limitations and existing alternatives for using unmanned underwater vehicles in the rivers of this region to provide more sustainable water and environment management? Our results demonstrate that remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are possible options in the short and long terms, respectively. The main challenges in implementing these technologies are related to the variations in hydraulic geometry, current velocities and turbidity of the rivers, as well as the preservation of the region's biodiversity. This research can be taken as a starting point for planners and decision makers seeking more sustainable underwater and environmental exploration of the Amazon river system.     

Sterically Enhanced Control of Enzyme-Assisted DNA Assembly**

Traditional methods for the assembly of functionalised DNA structures, involving enzyme restriction and modification, present difficulties when working with small DNA fragments (<100 bp), in part due to a lack of control over enzymatic action during the DNA modification process. This limits the design flexibility and range of accessible DNA structures. Here, we show that these limitations can be overcome by introducing chemical modifications into the DNA that spatially restrict enzymatic activity. This approach, sterically controlled nuclease enhanced (SCoNE) DNA assembly, thereby circumvents the size limitations of conventional Gibson assembly (GA) and allows the preparation of well-defined, functionalised DNA structures with multiple probes for specific analytes, such as IL-6, procalcitonin (PCT), and a biotin reporter group. Notably, when using the same starting materials, conventional GA under typical conditions fails. We demonstrate successful analyte capture based on standard and modified sandwich ELISA and also show how the inclusion of biotin probes provides additional functionality for product isolation.     

Health versus environmental benefits: Does additional information influence consumer acceptance of pulse-based spreads?

Despite the known health benefits and the potential for substituting less environmentally sustainable consumed foods such as meat, the current intake of pulses in developed countries remains less than recommended. Barriers are related to sensory characteristics and lack of knowledge about preparation, while drivers of environmental benefits are intangible. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of additional information about health or environmental benefits of pulses on the acceptance of novel pulse-based products from chickpeas, black beans, and faba beans. Perceptions of these pulse-based spreads in a blind and informed stage were assessed with 202 consumers in urban and suburban areas of Denmark. In general, the familiar chickpea spread followed by the relatively most unfamiliar black bean spread was liked the most. Only for these two products, additional information increased hedonic perception, regardless of the context (health or environmental benefits). If consumers did not like the spread, as found for the faba bean spread, providing additional information did not significantly alter this perception. Participants’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in a discrete choice experiment corresponded to hedonic scores, whereas providing additional information increased the WTP. These findings suggest that extrinsic cues such as health or environmental benefits may only be useful in products with an acceptable baseline taste profile. Moreover, black beans might be investigated as a promising source for further product development due to their acceptance by consumers besides being the comparably most unfamiliar pulse type.