Photoreactivation of Escherichia coli following medium-pressure ultraviolet disinfection and its control using chloramination.

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative disinfection technology to chlorination in recent years. In this study, we investigated the photoreactivation of Escherichia coli following medium-pressure (MP) UV disinfection of synthetic water by a bench-scale collimated beam apparatus. The UV doses ranged from 1.6 -19.7 mWs/cm2 and photoreactivation was investigated for 6 hours under fluorescent light. In addition, chloramination was applied after UV disinfection to investigate its ability to control photoreactivation. It was found that photoreactivation occurred for all UV doses tested and the increase in bacteria numbers ranged from 0.04 to 1.35 log10. However, the degree of photoreactivation decreased with increased UV doses. Chloramination experiments revealed that the addition of 0.5 mg/l of monochloramine resulted in suppression of photoreactivation for 1 hour only. An increased monochloramine dose of 1 mg/l was found to prevent photoreactivation for the entire duration of the experiment. The results of this study have shown that photoreactivation occurs even after MP UV disinfection, although it is of a lesser extent at higher UV doses. This study has also established that secondary chloramination can effectively suppress and eliminate photoreactivation with a chloramine dose of 1 mg/l.     

Mathematical modeling of high-frequency electromagnetic heating of the bottom-hole area of horizontal oil wells

The results of theoretical investigations of the possibility of using intense high-frequency electromagnetic radiation in fields of high-viscosity oils with the aim of intensifying their production have been given. Expressions of the distribution of the electromagnetic field strength and the field of heat sources occurring in an oil bed under the action of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation transferred to the bed through a horizontal well have been obtained. A two-dimensional mathematical model of the process of production of oil through horizontal wells with simultaneous high-frequency electromagnetic action has been developed. The efficiency and profitableness of the method from the viewpoint of the energy balance have been evaluated.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 77, No. 6, pp. 105–111, November–December, 2004.     

Pin&Play: the surface as network medium

Integrating appliances in the home through a wired network often proves to be impractical: routing cables is usually difficult, changing the network structure afterward even more so, and portable devices can only be connected at fixed connection points. Wireless networks are not the answer either: batteries have to be regularly replaced or changed, and what they add to the device's size and weight might be disproportionate for smaller appliances. In Pin&Play, we explore a design space in between typical wired and wireless networks, investigating the use of surfaces to network objects that are attached to it. This article gives an overview of the network model, and describes functioning prototypes that were built as a proof of concept.     

Successful Aging

This issue's Works in Progress department presents six abstracts for projects that are developing interesting solutions to the elderly's quality of life challenges. The first two abstracts discuss projects that will help provide the elderly with freedom and independence by instrumenting their environments with supportive technology. The next two abstracts discuss projects building specialized user interfaces for addressing some of the challenges associated with aging, such as vision impairment. The final two abstracts present projects that will aid independence for the elderly by providing remote monitoring and assistance.     

Noise modeling for RF CMOS circuit simulation

The RF noise in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology has been measured and modeled. In contrast to some other groups, we find only a moderate enhancement of the drain current noise for short-channel MOSFETs. The gate current noise on the other hand is more significantly enhanced, which is explained by the effects of the gate resistance. The experimental results are modeled with a nonquasi-static RF model, based on channel segmentation, which is capable of predicting both drain and gate current noise accurately. Experimental evidence is shown for two additional noise mechanisms: 1) avalanche noise associated with the avalanche current from drain to bulk and 2) shot noise in the direct-tunneling gate leakage current. Additionally, we show low-frequency noise measurements, which strongly point toward an explanation of the 1/f noise based on carrier trapping, not only in n-channel MOSFETs, but also in p-channel MOSFETs.     

A low phase noise silicon 18-GHz push-push VCO

The design and measurement of a push-push voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) at 18.66-18.3 GHz are presented in this paper. The circuit includes two packaged silicon transistors (Siemens BFP 540F) and a microstrip resonator tuned by two GaAs varactor diodes (M/A-COM ML46580). A 360-MHz tuning range is obtained with an output power of 0-3.1 dBm. The fundamental rejection is around 17 dB for a wide range of collector bias current. The phase noise is below -103 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset and below -122 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz for the entire tuning bandwidth.     

Deep‐UV Photochemistry and Patterning of (Aminoethylaminomethyl)phenethylsiloxane Self‐Assembled Monolayers

The 193 nm photochemistry of (aminoethylaminomethyl)phenethylsiloxane (PEDA) self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) under ambient conditions is described. The primary photodegradation pathways at low exposure doses (< 100 mJ cm^–2) are benzylic C–N bond cleavage (ca. 68 %), with oxidation of the benzyl C to the aldehyde, and Si–C bond cleavage (ca. 32 %). Amine‐containing photoproducts released from the SAM during exposure remain physisorbed on the surface, where they undergo secondary photolysis leading to their complete degradation and removal after ca. 1200 mJ cm^–2. NaCl(aq) post‐exposure rinsing removes the physisorbed materials, showing that degradation of the original PEDA species (leaving Si–OH) is substantially complete after ca. 450 mJ cm^–2. Consequently, patterned, rinsed PEDA SAMs function as efficient templates for fabrication of high‐resolution, negative‐tone, electroless metal and DNA features with good selectivity at low dose (i.e., ca. 400 mJ cm^–2) via materials grafting to the intact amines remaining in the unirradiated PEDA SAM regions.     

High optical power electroabsorption waveguide modulator

A sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector-laser integrated with a waveguide Franz-Keldysh modulator is investigated for high optical power applications. The EAM modulation efficiency is demonstrated to asymptotically approach a limit determined by the internal differential photodetector efficiency. Linear photocurrent and 1 dB small signal AC compression point both exceed 70 mA, indicating high saturation power.     

A model material approach to the study of fracture process zone of quasi-brittle materials

A new approach to study the fracture of quasi-brittle materials is introduced: the design and testing of model materials. By model material is understood a material with enlarged microstructure and which material parameters, such as stacking and mechanical properties of particles and cohesion force, can be fully controlled. In this paper a first example to the model materials approach is presented, consisting in 5 mm steel particles bonded in a precise stacking with an epoxy-based glue. It is shown how it is possible to correlate the different fracture mechanisms and ultimate peak load of the model material to the particle pair force and to the fracture process zone size. It is also seen how a quasi-brittle behaviour is produced in the presence of mechanisms that induced the crack to shift fracture planes, that is, in presence of energy dissipative mechanisms.