CO hydrogenation over potassium-promoted Fe/carbon catalysts

The effects of potassium on the catalytic behavior in CO hydrogenation over K-promoted Fe/carbon catalysts having low K/Fe ratios were investigated. Even though the doses of potassium were low the promotional effects were pronounced, especially on the olefin-to-paraffin ratio, and theC ₃ toC ₄ olefin selectivities of the K-promoted catalysts were as high as 51 to 66 mol%. Over the catalysts having no or low potassium content the olefin-to-paraffin ratio and the ratio of the CO₂ formation rate to the rate of CO conversion to hydrocarbons remained roughly the same regardless of temperature, while over the K-promoted catalysts having higher potassium content they increased with temperature. Formation of significant amounts of filamentous carbon was observed in the K-promoted catalysts; however, the carbon deposition did not appear to affect the inherent activity and selectivity of the K-promoted catalysts.     

Oxidative coupling of methane over Na+-ZrO2-C1-/Al2O3 catalysts

Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) was carried out over Na⁺-ZrO₂-Cl /A1[₂O₃ catalysts in a temperature range from 1023 to 1123 K. The catalysts were prepared by impregnating the α- or γ-Al₂O₃ supports with sodium carbonate and/or zirconyl chloride. The OCM activity was examined using the catalysts prepared by three different preparation procedures. The best catalyst was the one prepared by subsequent impregnation of sodium carbonate-preimpregnated γ-Al₂O₃ with a mixed solution of sodium carbonate and zirconyl chloride. It was found that preimpregnated sodium played an important role in reducing the combustion activity of the γ-Al₂O₃. The catalyst with an optimal composition showed the highest C₂ selectivity and yield of 40.8% and 15.1%, respectively. From the X-ray diffraction analysis it was found that tetragonal ZrO₂ was formed and that NaCl existed in the catalysts with relatively high sodium contents.     

Performance enhancement of TCP in high-speed networks

GridFTP is a secure and reliable high-performance parallel data transfer protocol used for transferring massive amounts of widely distributed data. Currently it allows users to configure the number of parallel streams and socket buffer size. However, its tuning procedure for optimal combination is a time consuming task. The socket handlers and buffers are important system resources and must therefore be carefully managed. In this paper, we propose a scheme to achieve high throughput even with a smaller buffer size, and also derive a regression equation to predict the optimal combination of resources for a connection. To improve the performance, the TCP based on our scheme obtains higher throughput and spends less memory for the same throughput than the original TCP scheme. In addition, the regression equation is verified by comparing measured and predicted values, and we apply the equation to an actual experiment on the KOrea advanced REsearch Network (KOREN). The result demonstrates that the equation provides excellent predictions with only an 8% error boundary.     

Determinants of accepting wireless mobile data services in China

Data services via wireless networks and mobile devices have experienced rapid growth worldwide. We investigated the factors influencing adoption of wireless mobile data services (WMDS) in China and tested our model for explaining adoption intentions there. We argued that individuals form their intention to adopt WMDS under the influence of wireless mobile technology, the social environment, personal innovativeness of IT, trust awareness, and the facilitating conditions. We examined the simultaneous effects of these five influences on beliefs in the context of wireless Internet data services via mobile phones. Survey data were collected from 1432 participants in several metro cities across China. The findings suggest that WMDS adoption intention in China is determined by consumers’ perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of WMDS. Theoretical and practical implications are included in our paper.     

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and its application to molecular and cellular analysis

In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based optical detection techniques with an application focus on cancer diagnostics. As we describe herein, SERS has several analytical, biological and engineering advantages over other methods including extremely high sensitivity, inherent molecular specificity of unlabeled targets, and narrow spectral bands. We review advances in both in vitro and in vivo applications of SERS and examine how technical issues with the technology are being addressed. A special technology focus is given to emerging optofluidic devices which aim to merge microfluidic and optical detection technologies into simple packages. We conclude with a brief discussion of some of the emerging challenges in the field and some of the approaches that are likely to enhance their application. Y. S. Huh and A. J. Chung contributed equally.     

Photonic Reactions Leading to Fluorescence in a Polymeric System Induced by the Photothermal Effect of Magnetite Nanoparticles Using a 780 nm Multiphoton Laser

Recently, polymer‐coated magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles (NPs) are extensively studied for applications in therapeutics or diagnostics using photothermal effect. Therefore, it is essential to understand the interactions between Fe₃O₄ NPs and polymers when optical stimuli are applied. Herein, the photonic reactions of Fe₃O₄ NPs and polymer composites upon application of a 780 nm multiphoton laser are analyzed. The photonic reactions produce unique results including fluorescence from conformationally changed polymer and low‐temperature phase transformation of Fe₃O₄ NPs. Typically, π‐conjugated chains are formed, inducing fluorescence through a series of main and side‐chain cleavage reactions of polymers with the aliphatic chain. In addition, fluorescence is detected in the cellular system by photonic reactions between Fe₃O₄ NPs and biomolecules. After multiphoton laser irradiation, light emission is detected near the intracellular Fe₃O₄ NPs, and a stronger intensity is observed in large‐sized NPs.     

Team THOR's Entry in the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals 2015

This paper describes Team THOR's approach to human‐in‐the‐loop disaster response robotics for the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Finals. Under the duress of unpredictable networking and terrain, fluid operator interactions and dynamic disturbance rejection become major concerns for effective teleoperation. We present a humanoid robot designed to effectively traverse a disaster environment while allowing for a wide range of manipulation abilities. To complement the robot hardware, a hierarchical software foundation implements network strategies that provide real‐time feedback to an operator under restricted bandwidth using layered user interfaces. Our strategy for humanoid locomotion includes a backward‐facing knee configuration paired with specialized toe and heel lifting strategies that allow the robot to traverse difficult surfaces while rejecting external perturbations. With an upper body planner that encodes operator preferences, predictable motion plans are executed in unforeseen circumstances. These plans are critical for manipulation in unknown environments. Our approach was validated during the DRC Finals competition, where Team THOR scored three points in 18 min of operation time, and the results are presented along with an analysis of each task.