Modeling the effect of algal dynamics on arsenic speciation in Lake Biwa

Algae reduce and methylate arsenate and the end product of the reaction is correlated to their growth rate. At slow growth rates, dimethylarsinate (DMA) is produced, and at fast growth rates arsenite (As(III)) is produced. Previous work has linked this phenomenon to the phosphorus luxury uptake mechanism of algae, and a model was developed for the process (Hellweger et al. Limnol. Oceanogr. 2003, 48, 2275). This paper presents the integration of that process model for arsenic transformation by algae into a full ecological model and application to Lake Biwa, Japan. The model application allows for a quantitative analysis of the field data, consistent with the process model and the ecological dynamics of the lake. The newly developed ecological model includes a variable phytoplankton composition, which is needed to simulate luxury uptake. This is in contrast to most existing ecological models, which typically assume a fixed "Redfield" composition. The model adequately reproduces the observed ecology of Lake Biwa, including the rapid uptake of phosphate by phytoplankton without immediate growth (luxury uptake) following lake overturn. The model also reproduces the observed arsenic speciation, including the gradual appearance of DMA during the summer and peaks in As(III) concentration at the onset of spring and fall algal blooms.     

Multichromic conducting copolymer of 1-benzyl-2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrole with EDOT

Despite the significant progress made in the field of electrochromic polymers, the multichromic facility of current knowledge is restricted. Therefore, as previously proven, electrochemical copolymerization of 1-benzyl-2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrole (SNBS) and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) was used as a strategy to achieve desired multichromic properties, where the resultant copolymer displayed distinct color changes between claret red, yellow, green, and blue colors with short switching times and high optical contrast. As an application, absorption/transmission type electrochromic device with indium tin oxide (ITO)/copolymer/gel electrolyte PEDOT/ITO configuration was constructed, where copolymer and PEDOT functioned as the anodically and the cathodically coloring layers, respectively. Results implied the successive use of this copolymer in electrochromic device applications, since the device exhibited short switching times with a wide color variation upon applied potential.     

Effect of nano aluminum nitride filler on mechanical,thermal, and dielectric properties of the glass/mullite composites for low-temperature co-fired ceramic applications

Mullite/glass/nano aluminum nitride (AlN) filler (1–10 wt% AlN) composites were successfully fabricated for the low-temperature co-fired ceramics applications that require densification temperatures lower than 950°C, high thermal conductivity to dissipate heat and thermal expansion coefficient matched to Si for reliability, and low dielectric constant for high signal transmission speed. Densification temperatures were ≤825°C for all composites due to the viscous sintering of the glass matrix. X-ray diffraction proved that AlN neither chemically reacted with other phases nor decomposed with temperature. The number of closed pores increased with the AlN content, which limited the property improvement expected. A dense mullite/glass/AlN (10 wt%) composite had a thermal expansion coefficient of 4.44 ppm/°C between 25 and 300°C, thermal conductivity of 1.76 W/m.K at 25°C, dielectric constant (loss) of 6.42 (0.0017) at 5 MHz, flexural strength of 88 MPa and elastic modulus of 82 GPa, that are comparable to the commercial low temperature co-fired ceramics products.     

Crosslinked TS-1 as stable catalyst for the Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime

Crosslinked TS-1 zeolite materials have been studied in the gas phase Beckmann rearrangement reaction of cyclohexanone oxime to ε-caprolactam. Crosslinking of the zeolite particles resulted in the formation of an additional mesoporosity leading to increased activity in the Beckmann rearrangement reaction. The increased activity can be correlated with the newly created mesopore surface. Possibly more important, together with increased catalytic activity of the materials, the deactivation behavior of the catalysts is very significantly improved.     

Detailed study on the use of electrospray mass spectrometry to investigate speciation in concentrated silicate solutions

Silicate speciation in aqueous solutions containing tetraalkylammonium hydroxide as template is examined by electrospray mass spectrometry. A thorough study has been carried out to define and optimize the conditions of analysis for a highly concentrated reaction solution of inorganic species--in this case, silicate oligomers--by using different ion source designs. The results reveal specific advantages with respect to the detected species. Condensation of monomers leads to oligomeric units that condense further in different reaction steps to larger species. Potential gas-phase reactions that can disturb characterization of the formed silicate species were intensively investigated and characterized. One reaction that plays a key role is the alkoxylation of Si-OH groups that is caused by two different reactions: first, a reaction of methanolate from the solvent and, second, by the involvement of the template salt, tetramethylammonium hydroxide.     

Dielectric and electromechanical properties of Mn-doped 0.2875 Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.2875 Pb(Yb1/2Nb1/2)O3–0.425 PbTiO3 ceramics

In this study, 0.2875 Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–0.2875 Pb(Yb_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃–0.425 PbTiO₃ (0.2875PMN–0.2875PYbN–0.425PT) ternary ceramic composition was doped with 1 mol% MnCO₃ in order to induce hard character for potential high-power applications. Dense 0.2875PMN–0.2875PYbN–0.425PT ceramics with 1 mol% MnCO₃ addition were fabricated after sintering at 1100 °C. ε _r = 1728, tanδ = 0.35 %, d ₃₃ = 320 pC/N, d ₃₁ = ?103 pC/N, Q _m = 467, k _p = 0.40, k ₃₁ = 0.24, k ₃₃ = 0.49, and T _c = 280 °C were measured for Mn-doped ceramics. However, undoped ceramics had ε _r = 2380, tanδ = 1.95 %, d ₃₃ = 433 pC/N, d ₃₁ = ?145 pC/N, Q _m = 60, k _p = 0.43, k ₃₁ = 0.27, k ₃₃ = 0.48, and T _c = 285 °C. Acceptor Mn²⁺/Mn³⁺ ions presumably substituted B-site ions in the perovskite structure and formed defect dipole pairs. The electrically “hard” character was induced as a result of the domain wall pinning due to the existing defect pairs. Particularly, increasing Q _m from 60 to 467 and decreasing tanδ from 1.95 to 0.35 % after Mn doping showed that Mn-doped 0.2875PMN–0.2875PYbN–0.425PT ceramics with “hard” character are potential candidates for high-power projector and transducer applications.     

Cemented paste backfill of sulphide-rich tailings: Importance of binder type and dosage

In this study, the influence of binder type and dosage on the mechanical properties and microstructure of cemented paste backfill (CPB) was investigated using ordinary Portland cement (OPC), Portland composite cement (PCC) and sulphate resistant cement (SRC). The CPB samples of OPC and PCC were observed to lose their unconfined compressive strengths (UCSs) after 56 days. This could be associated with the sulphide moiety of the tailings, i.e. the attack on hydration products by sulphate and acid internally generated via the oxidation of pyrite present. In this respect, those CPB samples of sulphate resistant-based cements (SRC and a mix of OPC and SRC) maintained good long-term strengths and stability (i.e. no loss of strength). Increasing binder dosage (5–7 wt.%) improved the UCSs of CPB samples up to 1.9-fold with no loss of strength at >5 wt.%. Decreasing water-to-cement ratio appeared to produce a beneficial effect on the UCSs of CPB samples. SEM studies have provided further insight into the microstucture of CPB and confirmed the deleterious formation of gypsum as the expansive phase. These findings have demonstrated the practical importance of binder type/dosage and water-to-cement ratio for the short- and long-term mechanical performance of CPB.     

Heterogeneity of intracellular polymer storage states in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR)--observation and modeling

A number of agent-based models (ABMs) for biological wastewater treatment processes have been developed, but their skill in predicting heterogeneity of intracellular storage states has not been tested against observations due to the lack of analytical methods for measuring single-cell intracellular properties. Further, several mechanisms can produce and maintain heterogeneity (e.g., different histories, uneven division) and their relative importance has not been explored. This article presents an ABM for the enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) treatment process that resolves heterogeneity in three intracellular polymer storage compounds (i.e., polyphosphate, polyhydroxybutyrate, and glycogen) in three functional microbial populations (i.e., polyphosphate-accumulating, glycogen-accumulating, and ordinary heterotrophic organisms). Model predicted distributions were compared to those based on single-cell estimates obtained using a Raman microscopy method for a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system. The model can reproduce many features of the observed heterogeneity. Two methods for introducing heterogeneity were evaluated. First, biological variability in individual cell behavior was simulated by randomizing model parameters (e.g., maximum acetate uptake rate) at division. This method produced the best fit to the data. An optimization algorithm was used to determine the best variability (i.e., coefficient of variance) for each parameter, which suggests large variability in acetate uptake. Second, biological variability in individual cell states was simulated by randomizing state variables (e.g., internal nutrient) at division, which was not able to maintain heterogeneity because the memory in the internal states is too short. These results demonstrate the ability of ABM to predict heterogeneity and provide insights into the factors that contribute to it. Comparison of the ABM with an equivalent population-level model illustrates the effect of accounting for the heterogeneity in models.     

Development of a high density pixel multichip module at Fermilab

At Fermilab, both pixel detector multichip module and sensor hybridization are being developed for the BTeV experiment. The module is composed of three layers. The lowest layer is formed by the readout integrated circuits (ICs). The backs of the ICs are in thermal contact with the supporting structure, while the tops are flip-chip bump bonded to a pixel sensor. A low mass flex-circuit interconnect is glued on the top of this assembly, and the readout IC pads are wire-bonded to the circuit. The BTeV pixel detector is based on a design relying on this hybrid approach. This method offers maximum flexibility in the development process, choice of fabrication technologies, and the choice of sensor material. This paper presents strategies to handle the required data rate and performance characteristics of the pixel module prototypes