A superconducting X-ray spectrometer with a tantalum absorber andlateral trapping

We report the development of Nb-Ta-Al-Al₂O₃-Al superconducting tunnel junction structures for high energy resolution and high efficiency X-ray detection. These devices utilize a Ta X-ray absorber with superconductor “bandgap engineered” quasiparticle trapping to improve charge collection. Experimental results at 0.3 K are presented, showing energy resolution of 102 eV full-width-half-maximum for 6 keV X-rays. Collected charge is in excess of 5×10⁶ electrons. The absorption efficiency is better than 35%. Devices thermally cycle with no change in characteristics     

Differentiation of apple juice samples on the basis of heat treatment and variety using chemometric analysis of MIR and NIR data

The potential of mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for their ability to differentiate between apple juice samples on the basis of apple variety and applied heat-treatment was evaluated. The heat-treatment involved exposure of juice samples (15 ml) for 30 s in a 900 W microwave oven and the apple varieties used to produce the juice samples were Bramley, Elstar, Golden Delicious and Jonagold. The chemometric procedures applied to the MIR and NIR data were partial least squares regression (PLS1 for differentiation on the basis of heat-treatment, PLS2 for varietal differentiation) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) applied to principal component (PC) scores. PLS1 and PLS2 gave the highest level of correct classification of the apple juice samples according to heat-treatment (77.2% for both MIR and NIR data) and variety (78.3–100% for MIR data; 82.4–100% for NIR data), respectively.     

Evaluating Ozone as a Remedial Treatment for Removing RDX from Unsaturated Soils

Years of wastewater discharge at the Department of Energy’s Pantex Plant have contaminated the vadose zone and underlying perched aquifer with hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX). Because the vadose zone is acting as a continual source of groundwater contamination, removing RDX from the unsaturated zone is paramount to prevent further contamination. We determined the efficacy of ozone to degrade and mineralize RDX. Solution experiments showed that ozone (27?mg?L?1; 150?mL?min?1) was effective in mineralizing 80% of the RDX (30?mg?RDX?L?1) provided that some Pantex soil was present to buffer the solution pH. Soil columns treated with ozone produced 50% RDX mineralization within 1 day and >80% within 7 day. Experiments designed to evaluate aerobic biodegradation following partial ozonation of a RDX solution showed that ozone-generated RDX products were much more biodegradable than untreated controls in aerobic microcosms (35 versus <0.3% cumulative mineralization). These results support the use of ozone as a remedial treatment for the contaminated vadose zone at the Pantex facility.     

Remote sensing of species mixtures in conifer plantations using LiDAR height and intensity data

In even-aged, single species conifer plantations LiDAR height data can be modelled to provide accurate estimates of tree height and volume. However, it is apparent that growth models developed for single species stands are not directly transferable to a more general situation of mixed species plantations. This paper evaluates the ability of small footprint, dual-return, pulsed airborne LiDAR data to estimate the proportion of the productive species when mixed with a nurse crop in closed canopy plantations. A study area located in Galloway Forest District in Scotland is used as an example of Lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce mixed plantation; this area contains good examples of a wide range of pure and mixed species plantation types. Three species groups are studied: areas of pure Sitka spruce, areas of pure Lodgepole pine and areas where the two species have been planted together. Two approaches are assessed for detection of plantation mixtures: the first uses LiDAR intensity data to separate spruce and pine species and the second uses LiDAR-derived canopy density measures, coefficient of variation, skewness, percent of ground returns (which provides a measure of canopy openness) and the mean canopy height, which enables areas with height variations to be identified. From analysis of LiDAR data extracted from 54 study plots using logistic regression, the coefficient of variation and LiDAR intensity data provide the most useful predictors of the proportion of spruce in a pine/spruce mixture with coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.914 and 0.930 respectively. The method could be developed as a mapping tool, which in combination with existing inventory data should help to improve timber volume forecasting for mixed species even-aged plantations.     

Energy indicators for tracking sustainability in developing countries

Due to the fact that human activities and most sustainability issues are closely related to energy use, the energy system is a sound framework for providing lead indicators for sustainable development. Common energy-economic models enable the estimation of future states of the energy system. An energy system-based lead indicator set can be used to develop consistent and coherent future indicator estimates and to track sustainability, a clear advantage over existing sets.     

Putting it all together – Formal verification of the VAMP

In the verified architecture microprocessor (VAMP) project we have designed, functionally verified, and synthesized a processor with full DLX instruction set, delayed branch, Tomasulo scheduler, maskable nested precise interrupts, pipelined fully IEEE compatible dual precision floating point unit with variable latency, and separate instruction and data caches. The verification has been carried out in the theorem proving system PVS. The processor has been implemented on a Xilinx FPGA. A shorter version of this article with the title “Instantiating uninterpreted functional units and memory system: functional verification of the VAMP” appeared in [8]. The work reported here was done while all the authors were with Saarland University.     

Comparative studies on the enzymatic absorption of protein hydrolysates in the small intestine of the rat. 3. The absorption trypsins thermatatic and trypsin-thermatatic hydrolysates of a fava bean protein isolate compared to an equimolar mixture of free amino acids

Tryptic, thermitatic, and tryptic-thermitatic Faba bean protein hydrolyzates as well as their equimolar mixture of amino acids were perfused through proximal and distal parts of the intestine (10 cm length) of non-narcotized rats. The total amino-acid concentration of the perfused solution was 50 mM. The absorption of nitrogen and total amino acids from the tryptic and tryptic-thermitatic hydrolyzates was lower than that from the amino-acid mixture, the absorption from the thermitatic hydrolyzate was in accordance with that from the amino-acid mixture. The absorption pattern of the amino acids which preferably undergo a peptidic absorption is similar with the three hydrolyzates: in the proximal intestinal part this concerns glutamic acid and serine, in the distal intestinal part--methionine, alanine, glycin, and serine. The absorption pattern of the amino acids is different between the three hydrolyzates and the amino-acid mixture. Between the absorption pattern of the amino acids from the three hydrolyzates little differences were evident only in the proximal intestinal part. The coefficients of variation of the tryptic-thermitatic hydrolyzates are in accordance with those of the amino-acid mixture, whereas that of the thermitatic hydrolyzates is significantly lower. In the distal intestinal part all supplied forms are more rapidly absorbed than in the proximal part of the intestine.     

Fast location of high-order modes for boxed microstrip with finite strip thickness

Many analyses of boxed microstrip discontinuities require the location of large numbers of high-order modes. Using Sturm-Liouville theory, this letter derives a relationship between microstrip modes and slab-loaded guide modes, leading to an efficient mode location algorithm for microstrip, including microstrip with finite strip thickness.<>     

ESR Refining Potential for Titanium Alloys using a CaF2‐based Active Slag

Since the end of the Cold War and due to the needs to produce titanium more cost‐efficient and thus more attractive for its civilian use, the electroslag remelting (ESR) process has become an increasingly important topic of international research programmes, because titanium and titanium aluminides can be chemically refined by ESR in some degree. Using ESR, titanium turnings from machining steps and scrap from foundries can be remelted, refined and provided as secondary titanium for the market at relatively favourable prices. This article investigates the removability of the main impurities out of titanium and titanium‐aluminium alloys by electroslag remelting using the active slag system CaF₂‐Ca‐(CaO). Thermochemical and kinetic aspects of the ESR process are considered.