FLR technique: Exchange kinetics of ethanol/fluorescent dye with water in water-saturated cement paste examined by H- and H-NMR

A water-saturated cement paste (water-to-cement, w/c=1.0) confined in a solution of ethanol saturated with a fluorescent dye showed complete exchange of water after 2 days. The exchange rates of water and ethanol were independent of the presence of dye and determined to be 42×10⁻⁸ and 60×10⁻⁸ cm²/s, respectively. The exchange rate of dye was significantly smaller, by a factor of two to three. The exchange process resulted in a partitioning of the concentration of dye in ethanol within cement and bulk of (0.46+0.20). ¹H-NMR spectral analysis of the dye before and after exchange suggests the dye to be inert, i.e., it does not react with the cement paste. Furthermore, no indication of a reaction between ethanol and cement paste is observed.     

Proving termination of (conditional) rewrite systems

In this paper an important problem in the domain of term rewriting, the termination of (conditional) rewrite systems, is dealt with. We show that in many applications, well-founded orderings on terms which only make use of syntactic information of a rewrite systemR, do not suffice for proving termination ofR. Indeed sometimes semantic information is needed to orient a rewrite rule. Therefore we integrate a semantic interpretation of rewrite systems and terms into a well-founded ordering on terms: the notion ofsemantic ordering is the first main contribution of this paper. The use and usefulness of the semantic ordering in proving termination is illustrated by means of some realistic examples.Furthermore the concept of semantic information induces a novel approach for proving termination inconditional rewrite systems. The idea is to employ not only semantic information contained in the terms that are to be compared, but also extra (semantic) information contained in the premiss of the conditional equation in which the terms appear. This leads to our second contribution in the termination problem area: the notion ofcontextual ordering andcontextual semantic ordering. Thecontextual approach allows to prove termination of conditional rewrite systems where all classical partial orderings would fail.     

Microwave performance-property relationships of YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films grown on LaAlO3 (001) substrate

We report correlations between growth parameters, structure and microwave performance for YBa₂Cu₃O7-δ (YBCO) thin films. Two series of YBCO thin films were grown byin-situ laser ablation. The first series were deposited at 100 mTorr oxygen pressure with a laser fluence of 2.9 Joule/cm², the second series were deposited at 600 mTorr of oxygen and a higher laser fluence of 5 Joule/cm². Microwave performance of these films was evaluated using a 5.6 GHz resonator. In both series, we found that films with higherT _c , narrower x-ray rocking curve width, and sharper electron channeling pattern tend to have higher microwave resonator Qs. Optimal film growth conditions were infered from this systematic study. Films grown at higher oxygen pressure have smoother surfaces and fewer second phases.     

Fertilization defects in sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta

Fertilin, a member of the ADAM family, is found on the plasma membrane of mammalian sperm. Sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta were shown to be deficient in sperm-egg membrane adhesion, sperm-egg fusion, migration from the uterus into the oviduct, and binding to the egg zona pellucida. Egg activation was unaffected. The results are consistent with a direct role of fertilin in sperm-egg plasma membrane interaction. Fertilin could also have a direct role in sperm-zona binding or oviduct migration; alternatively, the effects on these functions could result from the absence of fertilin activity during spermatogenesis.     

Chromosomal localization of a human mucin gene (MUC8) and cloning of the cDNA corresponding to the carboxy terminus

The objective of this study was to determine the predictability of endosseous implants placed in a maxillary sinus grafted with a mixture of bovine porous bone mineral and demineralized freeze-dried bone. Sixty implants were placed in 20 patients representing 28 sinuses using either a one- or two-stage technique. After an implant loading period of more than 2 years, the survival rate (eg, a clinically functioning implant without signs of mobility or infection) varied from 90% to 96%. No infections or other complications were encountered. The data suggest that this treatment regimen can result in a high rate of survival.     

Nanometer fabrication in mercury cadmium telluride by electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma reactive ion etching

It has been recently reported (J.R. Meyer, F.J. Bartoli, C.A. Hoffman, and L.R. Ram-Mohan,Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 1963 [1990]) that novel electronic and optical effects are anticipated in nanometer scale features of narrow band gap semiconductors such as mercury cadmium telluride (MCT). These efforts could lead to the creation of non-linear optical switches, high efficiency infrared lasers, and unique nanoelectronic devices. This work reports on the first realization of MCT nanostructures through the application of e-beam lithography and reactive ion etching with an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave plasma source. It is shown that the low energy ions produced by an ECR system can etch MCT with good selectivity over an e-beam resist mask and with high resolution. Using these fabrication methods, 40–70 nm features with aspect ratios of 3–5∶1 and sidewall angles greater than 88° have been demonstrated. Qualitative investigations of some of the etch mechanisms of this technique are made, and results suggest a desorption limited process. ^*Code 6675,^†Code 5613,^‡Code 6864     

Development of a solid-phase microextraction-based method for sampling of persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons in an urbanized coastal environment

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has been used as an in situ sampling technique for a wide range of volatile organic chemicals, but SPME field sampling of nonvolatile organic pollutants has not been reported. This paper describes the development of an SPME-based sampling method employing a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-coated (100-microm thickness) fiber as the sorbent phase. The laboratory-calibrated PDMS-coated fibers were used to construct SPME samplers, and field tests were conducted at three coastal locations off southern California to determine the equilibrium sampling time and compare the efficacy of the SPME samplers with that of an Infiltrex 100 water pumping system (Axys Environmental Systems Ltd., Sidney, British Columbia, Canada). p,p'-DDE and o,p'-DDE were the components consistently detected in the SPME samples among 42 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and 17 chlorinated pesticidestargeted. SPME samplers deployed attwo locations with moderate and high levels of contamination for 18 and 30 d, respectively, attained statistically identical concentrations of p,p'-DDE and o,p'-DDE. In addition, SPME samplers deployed for 23 and 43 d, respectively, at a location of low contamination also contained statistically identical concentrations of p,p'-DDE. These results indicate that equilibrium could be reached within 18 to 23 d. The concentrations of p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDE, or p,p'-DDD obtained with the SPME samplers and the Infiltrex 100 system were virtually identical. In particular, two water column concentration profiles of p,p'-DDE and o,p'-DDE acquired by the SPME samplers at a highly contaminated site on the Palos Verdes Shelf overlapped with the profiles obtained by the Infiltrex 100 system in 1997. The field tests not only reveal the advantages of the SPME samplers compared to the Infiltrex 100 system and other integrative passive devices but also indicate the need to improve the sensitivity of the SPME-based sampling technique.     

Eggshell penetration of various types of hens' eggs by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis

Egg weight, shell thickness, number of pores, cuticle deposition, eggshell strength (dynamic stiffness and damping ratio), and the ability of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) to penetrate the eggshell were determined. Penetration was assessed by filling the eggs with a selective medium that allowed viewing of Salmonella growth on the inside of the shell and membrane complex. After inoculation of each shell with on average 2.71 log CFU, the eggs were stored for up to 14 days at 20 degrees C and 60% relative humidity. Commercially available eggs were used. At 14 days of storage, only 6.0% of the eggs from free-range hens and 16.0% of the generic (i.e., eggs from hens in conventional battery cages that were given standard feed) white eggs were penetrated. The generic brown, organic, and omega-3-enriched eggs were penetrated at a frequency of 30 to 34%. In a second experiment it was shown that the layer strains of the hen (ISA-Brown Warren versus Bovans Goldline), which were kept in furnished cages, did not affect eggshell penetration by SE. For Bovans Goldline hens, the housing system (furnished cage versus aviary) did not affect penetration, while a trend was visible toward a higher fraction of penetrated eggshells when hens were fed corncob mix rather than standard feed. Eggshell penetration was observed more frequently in the absence of cuticle spots and for eggs having lower dynamic stiffness values. Shell contamination at the end of storage was highly correlated with SE penetration.     

Reconnaissance of selected PPCP compounds in Costa Rican surface waters

Eighty-six water samples were collected in early 2009 from Costa Rican surface water and coastal locations for the analysis of 34 pharmaceutical and personal care product compounds (PPCPs). Sampling sites included areas receiving treated and untreated wastewaters, and urban and rural runoff. PPCPs were analyzed using a combination of solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The five most frequently detected compounds were doxycycline (77%), sulfadimethoxine (43%), salicylic acid (41%), triclosan (34%) and caffeine (29%). Caffeine had the maximum concentration of 1.1 mg L⁻¹, possibly due to coffee bean production facilities upstream. Other compounds found in high concentrations include: doxycycline (74 μg L⁻¹), ibuprofen (37 μg L⁻¹), gemfibrozil (17 μg L⁻¹), acetominophen (13 μg L⁻¹) and ketoprofen (10 μg L⁻¹). The wastewater effluent collected from an oxidation pond had similar detection and concentrations of compounds compared to other studies reported in the literature. Waters receiving runoff from a nearby hospital showed higher concentrations than other areas for many PPCPs. Both caffeine and carbamazepine were found in low frequency compared to other studies, likely due to enhanced degradation and low usage, respectively. Overall concentrations of PPCPs in surface waters of Costa Rica are inline with currently reported occurrence data from around the world, with the exception of doxycycline.