The fate and transport of RDX, HMX, TNT and DNT in the volcanic soils of Hawaii: a laboratory and modeling study

The adsorption and degradation behavior of RDX, HMX, TNT and DNT and the impact of pH, ionic strength and dissolved organic matter on sorption were examined for two volcanic soils of a former military training area on Hawaii Island, Hawaii, USA. The transport of these chemicals in the soil was also studied in small packed columns and simulated using a water-flow and solute-transport model, HYDRUS_1D. The results show that HMX and RDX are both significantly more mobile than TNT and DNT. The adsorbability of the four chemicals was ranked as: RDXRDX>DNT>TNT. No significant trend was observed for the effect of ionic strength, pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the adsorption of explosive compounds within the concentrations and pH ranges evaluated. The simulation results show that TNT and DNT would not leach beyond a depth of 30cm soil profile whereas a significant amount of HMX and RDX would pass the 30cm depth. It seems that the risk for contamination of groundwater is much higher for both HMX and RDX than for DNT and TNT as the substratum in this area consists of highly permeable lavas.     

Experimental features affecting the transparency of YAG ceramics

This article focuses on the importance of the ceramic production process for the final transparency and overall optical quality of materials to be used as laser hosts. YAG-based ceramics are prepared starting from commercial powders. The materials are prepared by reactive sintering in a clean atmosphere and under high vacuum. Nd or Yb are selected as active elements as the more appropriate for high energy and high peak power lasers. The powder type and treatment and the solvent removal technique are described in detail as well as the experimental conditions adopted during shaping. The influence of the pre-sintering and sintering cycles on the reaction among the involved oxides and on the microstructure after sintering is shown. The optical characterization is also reported.     

Polymeric proanthocyanidins in skins and seeds of 37 Vitis vinifera L. cultivars: a methodological comparative study

Abstract: The polymeric proanthocyanidins (PAs) composition of skins and seeds from different Vitis vinifera L. cv. was evaluated, sampling 37 cultivar, preserved in the grapevine collection of Grinzane Cavour (Piedmont, Italy). PAs were quantified using both spectrophotometric (n‐butanol and vanillin assay) and chromatographic (high‐performance liquid chromatography [HPLC]) methods, and the evaluation of their antioxidant activity was performed using the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. Results of PAs quantification with the different methods were significantly correlated. A strong correlation pointed out between anthocyans and PAs content (particularly regarding HPLC method; r = 0.9359, P = 0), and the antioxidant activity was not dependent on the polymeric PAs content, but negatively correlated with the degree of polymerization (r =–0.6102, P = 1 × 10^?4). The hierarchical clustering on principal components analysis allowed grouping the samples in 3 different clusters, observing a direct association between the cluster classification and the anthocyans/PAs content.     

Dye sensitized photovoltaic cells: Attaching conjugated polymers to zwitterionic ruthenium dyes

The synthesis of a zwitterionic ruthenium dye that binds to anatase surfaces and has a built-in functionality that allows for the attachment of a conjugated polymer chain is presented. The system was found to adsorb on the surface of anatase anchored by the ruthenium dye. Two types of devices were prepared: standard photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cells and polymer solar cells. The PEC solar cells employed a sandwich geometry between TiO₂ nanoporous photoanodes and Pt counter electrodes using LiI/I₂ in CH₃CN as an electrolyte. The polymer solar cells employed planar anatase electrodes and the complex was adsorbed onto the surface before evaporation of gold electrodes. Alternative devices were obtained by spincoating of the polymer solution onto PEDOT:PSS covered indium-doped tin oxide substrates. PEC solar cells gave the best results and the main finding was that the polymer chain served as a light harvesting antenna for the ruthenium dye.     

Characterisation and application of new carboxylic acid-functionalised ruthenium complexes as dye-sensitisers for solar cells

A series of ruthenium complexes with and without TiO₂ anchoring carboxylic acid groups have been synthesised and characterised using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), UV–vis and luminescence. These complexes were adsorbed on thin films of the wide band-gap semiconductor anatase and were tested as photosensitisers under standard conditions. I/V characteristics of such devices revealed superior performance of the non-symmetric complexes [4′-(4-bromophenyl)-[2,2′; 6′,2″] terpyridine]Ru(II) [4′-(4-bromophenyl)-[2,2′; 6′,2″] terpyridine-4,4″-dicarboxylic acid] and [2,2′; 6′,2″] terpyridine Ru(II) [2,2′; 6′,2″] terpyridine-4′-carboxylic acid with a maximum output power 0.016 mW cm⁻² under illumination at 100 mW cm⁻² AM1.5 and efficiencies 3 times higher than the symmetric complexes.     

An Investigation of the Electrical Degradation of GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistors by Numerical Simulations of DC Characteristics and Scattering Parameters

The effects of direct-current (DC) stress on GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are investigated by means of numerical simulations, by which the creation of an acceptor trap in the AlGaN barrier layer was correlated to the observed experimental degradation. An increase in the trap concentration induces a worsening of the saturated current I _DSS, transconductance g _m, and output conductance g _O. An increase in the length of the trapping region induces a degradation of I _DSS and g _m, but can reduce g _O. Analysis of scattering parameters in the saturation region shows that the cutoff frequency f _T matches the trend of g _m.     

Effect of biological and chemical oxidation on the removal of estrogenic compounds (NP and BPA) from wastewater: an integrated assessment procedure

A major source of the wide presence of EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Compounds) in water bodies is represented by direct/indirect discharge of sewage. Recent scientific literature reports data about their trace concentration in water, sediments and aquatic organisms, as well as removal efficiencies of different wastewater treatment schemes. Despite the availability of a huge amount of data, some doubts still persist due to the difficulty in evaluating synergistic effects of trace pollutants in complex matrices. In this paper, an integrated assessment procedure was used, based on chemical and biological analyses, in order to compare the performance of two full scale biological wastewater treatment plants (either equipped with conventional settling tanks or with an ultrafiltration membrane unit) and tertiary ozonation (pilot scale).Nonylphenol and bisphenol A were chosen as model EDCs, together with the parent compounds mono- and di-ethoxylated nonylphenol (quantified by means of GC-MS). Water estrogenic activity was evaluated by applying the human breast cancer MCF-7 based reporter gene assay. Process parameters (e.g., sludge age, temperature) and conventional pollutants (e.g., COD, suspended solids) were also measured during monitoring campaigns.Conventional activated sludge achieved satisfactory removal of both analytes and estrogenicity. A further reduction of biological activity was exerted by MBR (Membrane Biological Reactor) as well as ozonation; the latter contributed also to decrease EDC concentrations.     

Optimised design of energy efficient building façades via Evolutionary Neural Networks

Buildings are required to be more and more energy efficient, in order to comply with restrictive requirements of building regulations and energy certifications. Optimisation algorithms have shown to be effective in identifying good solutions for the design of efficient building services. In this article Evolutionary Neural Network Design (ENN-Design) has been adopted to drive the design of a typical façade module for an office building. This application is significant, since façades play a major role in the definition of the energy performance of buildings. Both single-objective and multi-objective optimisations have been carried out. The aim of the article is to introduce an innovative approach for improving the performance of building envelopes by means of a reasonable amount of calculation time.     

Hierarchically Structured Magnetic Nanoconstructs with Enhanced Relaxivity and Cooperative Tumor Accumulation

Iron oxide nanoparticles are formidable multifunctional systems capable of contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging, guidance under remote fields, heat generation, and biodegradation. Yet, this potential is underutilized in that each function manifests at different nanoparticle sizes. Here, sub‐micrometer discoidal magnetic nanoconstructs are realized by confining 5 nm ultra‐small super‐paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIOs) within two different mesoporous structures, made out of silicon and polymers. These nanoconstructs exhibit transversal relaxivities up to ≈10 times (r ₂ ≈ 835 mm ^?1 s^?1) higher than conventional USPIOs and, under external magnetic fields, collectively cooperate to amplify tumor accumulation. The boost in r ₂ relaxivity arises from the formation of mesoscopic USPIO clusters within the porous matrix, inducing a local reduction in water molecule mobility as demonstrated via molecular dynamics simulations. The cooperative accumulation under static magnetic field derives from the large amount of iron that can be loaded per nanoconstuct (up to ≈65 fg) and the consequential generation of significant inter‐particle magnetic dipole interactions. In tumor bearing mice, the silicon‐based nanoconstructs provide MRI contrast enhancement at much smaller doses of iron (≈0.5 mg of Fe kg^?1 animal) as compared to current practice.