THE CHEMICAL MASS BALANCE METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ATMOSPHERIC PARTICLE SOURCES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

The greater Los Angeles metropolitan area (the South Coast Air Basin) historically has had a severe air pollution problem whose visible symptom is a dense smoke-like haze mixed with fog (smog). More than 25 years ago, Friedlander and his associates began attempts to characterize the detailed chemistry of smog particles, and to interpret these results in terms of source emissions. Source apportionment was formalized using a “model”, called the chemical mass balance (CMB). The method has been applied periodically since 1968, with major attempts reported in 1975 and 1994, based on large field studies. Despite improvements in particulate sampling and chemical characterization, data availability and major emissions changes, the CMB results qualitatively remain similar. Only broad source categories are identifiable, but they generally make up more than 75% of the total mass concentration. These include primary motor vehicle emissions, suspended (earth) crustal material, and secondary species of ammonium nitrate and sulfate salts. The decoupling of source components in the ambient aerosols suggests that extreme PM events are significantly influenced by factors other than simple mixing and dispersion. Carbonaceous material from combustion emissions and secondary atmospheric production also represent a significant fraction of southern California airborne particles. The carbon fraction includes a complex mixture of soot or black carbon, oxygenated compounds, as well as traces of polycyclic aroma tics. The last group has been of particular interest because of its apparent common origins and its carcinogenic activity. The major contributor to primary carbonaceous material is motor vehicles, The observations also indicate that a significant fraction of carbon derives from contemporary sources such as vegetation or cooking of meat. The CMB has been used to guide regulatory strategies for particulate emissions management. The method could be improved substantially with more extensive source profile development, as well as improved knowledge about the origins of the organic fraction.     

An approximate method for the determination of polymer–polymer interaction parameters of incompatible polymers in solution

A method is developed, based on Scott's equations for ternary systems of two polymers and a mutual solvent, for the calculation of values of the polymer–polymer interaction parameter, χ₂₃, for systems in which both polymer–solvent interaction parameters χ₁₂ and χ₁₃ are not known a priori. Equilibrium phase studies were carried out on ternary systems of polystyrene, polybutadiene, and tetrahydrofuran or toluene at 23°C and 1 atm. Typical interaction parameter values (χ₂₃) calculated by this new method were compared with the values of χ₂₃ determined earlier using standard equations and known χ₁₂ values for these systems, and were found to agree very well. It is concluded that the technique presented in this article can be used for mixed polymer systems in good mutual solvents where neither polymer–solvent interaction parameter is known, for determining an approximate value of the χ₂₃ parameter alone.     

Predicting the Grain-Size Distributions in High-Density, High-Purity Alumina Ceramics

This paper discusses the image-analyzer-based grain-size distributions (GSDs) of fully densified ceramics obtained from pressure casting a high-purity alumina powder, develops an algorithm for predicting the GSDs as a function of sintering time and temperature, and compares of the GSDs thus predicted with those experimentally observed. The GSD data for all sintered specimens, when nondimensionalized in terms of the median grain size, reduced to a single self-preserving GSD curve. The median grain was predicted as a function of sintering time and temperature using the classical kinetics equation. The GSDs predicted using the algorithm developed tallied well with those that were experimentally obtained.     

Quantifying eventual consistency with PBS

Data store replication results in a fundamental trade-off between operation latency and data consistency. At the weak end of the consistency spectrum is eventual consistency providing no limit to the staleness of data returned. However, anecdotally, eventual consistency is often “good enough” for practitioners given its latency and availability benefits. In this work, we explain why eventually consistent systems are regularly acceptable in practice, analyzing both the staleness of data they return and the latency benefits they offer. We introduce Probabilistically Bounded Staleness (PBS), a consistency model which provides expected bounds on data staleness with respect to both versions and wall clock time. We derive a closed-form solution for versioned staleness as well as model real-time staleness under Internet-scale production workloads for a large class of quorum-replicated, Dynamo-style stores. Using PBS, we measure the latency–consistency trade-off for partial, non-overlapping quorum systems, including limited multi-object operations. We quantitatively demonstrate how and why eventually consistent systems frequently return consistent data within tens of milliseconds while offering significant latency benefits.     

Market Potential for ITSM Graduates: A Survey

Abstract

IT Service management is an emerging discipline likely to enhance existing academic IT program offerings. One barrier to adoption of ITSM in IT academic programs is the uncertainty that students can get jobs as a result of such education and knowledge. To overcome this barrier, a survey of the membership of the U.S. IT Service Management Forum, a practitioner organization, was conducted. The results of this survey show that there is a market of at least 15,000 hires per year in the U.S. for undergraduate and graduate students who have ITSM skills, and that companies are willing to hire ITSM-trained graduates.     

Measuring cell surface elasticity on enteroaggregative Escherichia coli wild type and dispersin mutant by AFM

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is pathogenic and produces severe diarrhea in humans. A mutant of EAEC that does not produce dispersin, a cell surface protein, is not pathogenic. It has been proposed that dispersin imparts a positive charge to the bacterial cell surface allowing the bacteria to colonize on the negatively charged intestinal mucosa. However, physical properties of the bacterial cell surface, such as rigidity, may be influenced by the presence of dispersin and may contribute to pathogenicity. Using the system developed in our laboratory for mounting and imaging bacterial cells by atomic force microscopy (AFM), in liquid, on gelatin coated mica surfaces, studies were initiated to measure cell surface elasticity. This was carried out in both wild type EAEC, that produces dispersin, and the mutant that does not produce dispersin. This was accomplished using AFM force-distance (FD) spectroscopy on the wild type and mutant grown in liquid or on solid medium. Images in liquid and in air of both the wild-type and mutant grown in liquid and on solid media are presented. This work represents an initial step in efforts to understand the pathogenic role of the dispersin protein in the wild-type bacteria.     

A Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) for Soft Nanoparticle Collection

Many nanoparticle collection devices have limitations related to retention of particle integrity from bounce, shattering, or aggregation. Suspensions of soft nanoparticles (e.g., proteins, lipids) are required for drug delivery and therapy. To enable direct collection of soft nanoparticles into liquid media, a wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) was designed and evaluated in this work. Different sections were used for ion generation and particle charging, for minimal contact between the corona wire and particles, which were charged using positive nitrogen ions. WESP dimensions and operating parameters were optimized using charge distribution modeling. The prototype WESP was designed for operation with a continuous flow of liquid over the collection plate, to allow continuous particle collection from the exit stream of an aerosol reactor. The collection efficiency of the WESP, in dry and wet modes, was measured using aerosols of monodisperse polystyrene latex (PSL), polydisperse sucrose, and stearic acid (soft lipid) particles, through SMPS measurements, corrected for diffusional losses, at the entry and exit of the device. Measured collection efficiency was 70%–90% for particles of sizes 80–600 nm diameter in reasonable agreement with theoretical estimates. However, for small particles (20–80 nm diameter) measured collection efficiency ranged 40%–70%, significantly lower than theoretical estimates, possibly from incomplete neutralization of negative charges attained during air-jet atomization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements confirm that wet collection produces a suspension of free, unaggregated nanoparticles with sizes similar to their measured mean mobility diameter.

Copyright 2012 American Association for Aerosol Research     

PANI/TiO2 nanocomposite‐based chemiresistive gas sensor for the detection of E. Coli bacteria

In the modern pace of the world, food safety is a major concern. In this work, a simple chemiresistive type gas sensor was fabricated to detect Escherichia Coli (E. coli) bacteria. Polyaniline (PANI) films were deposited on the indium tin oxide substrate by an electrochemical deposition method. TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesised by facile hydrothermal method. PANI films were modified using hydrothermally prepared TiO₂ nanoparticles by a spin coating method. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet– visible spectrophotometer techniques were used to characterise the PANI/TiO₂ nanocomposites. The peaks obtained in the XRD pattern confirmed the anatase phase of TiO₂ nanoparticles. FESEM analysis showed the nanofibrous structure of the nanocomposite. The FTIR characteristic peaks confirmed the formation of the nanocomposite. The electrical resistance of the sensors was evaluated as a function of the bacterial concentration. The PT2 (TiO₂ coated 5 times on PANI) in comparison with PT1 (TiO₂ coated 3 times on PANI) exhibited good sensitivity to the gas molecules at room temperature. The p‐n junction at PANI/TiO₂ interface improved the physical adsorption of gas molecules. Since no specific antibodies or receptors are used, the sensor has the potential for adaptation to real‐life applications. Thus low cost, real‐time, portable, reusable and sensitive bacteria sensors were fabricated and tested.Inspec keywords: conducting polymers, nanoparticles, nanocomposites, visible spectra, ultraviolet spectra, microorganisms, nanosensors, adsorption, gas sensors, nanofabrication, nanofibres, X‐ray diffraction, titanium compounds, spin coating, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra, polymer films, electrodeposition, electrical resistivity, wide band gap semiconductors, biological techniques, nanobiotechnologyOther keywords: simple chemiresistive type gas sensor, polyaniline films, indium tin oxide substrate, electrochemical deposition method, TiO₂ nanoparticles, facile hydrothermal method, PANI films, spin coating method, gas molecules, portable bacteria sensors, reusable bacteria sensors, sensitive bacteria sensors, PANI‐TiO₂ nanocomposite‐based chemiresistive gas sensor, Escherichia Coli bacteria detection, X‐ray diffraction, XRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy, FESEM, Fourier transform infrared spectra, FTIR spectra, ultraviolet‐visible spectra, anatase phase, nanofibrous structure, electrical resistance, bacterial concentration, p‐n junction, physical adsorption, temperature 293.0 K to 298.0 K, TiO₂ , ITO     

Microwave-assisted route for synthesis of nanosized metal oxides

Microwave-assisted route for the synthesis of nanomaterials has gained importance in the field of synthetic technology because of its faster, cleaner and cost effectiveness than the other conventional and wet chemical methods for the preparation of metal oxide nanoparticles. In the present work, synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles viz., γ-Fe₂O₃, NiO, ZnO, CuO and Co-γ-Fe₂O₃ were carried out by microwave-assisted route through the thermal decomposition of their respective metal oxalate precursors employing polyvinyl alcohol as a fuel. The metal oxide nanoparticles are then characterized for their size and γ to α (in γ-Fe₂O₃) transition and structure by employing powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) pattern and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectral studies. The morphology of the samples ranged from nanorods to irregular-shaped particles for different metal oxide samples on the basis of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images. Frequency-dependent dielectric study of the ferrite samples (γ-Fe₂O₃ and Co-Fe₂O₃) showed a similar behaviour, where the dielectric constant decreased rapidly with increase in frequency. Possible explanation for this behaviour is given.     

Digital Camera Imaging System Simulation

A digital camera is a complex system including a lens, a sensor (physics and circuits), and a digital image processor, where each component is a sophisticated system on its own. Since prototyping a digital camera is very expensive, it is highly desirable to have the capability to explore the system design tradeoffs and preview the system output ahead of time. An empirical digital imaging system simulation that aims to achieve such a goal is presented. It traces the photons reflected by the objects in a scene through the optics and color filter array, converts photons into electrons with consideration of noise introduced by the system, quantizes the accumulated voltage to digital counts by an analog-to-digital converter, and generates a Bayer raw image just as a real camera does. The simulated images are validated against real system outputs and show a close resemblance to the images captured under similar condition at all illumination levels.