Superoleophilic Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Effective Hydrocarbon Removal from Water

Various hydrocarbons are efficiently extracted from water by using a new sorbent material based on covalently functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. The functionalization of the magnetite nanoparticles with a self‐assembled monolayer of hexadecylphosphonic acid renders the nanoparticles oleophilic and the magnetic nature of magnetite allows for simple extraction of the hydrocarbon‐soaked sorbent. The sorbent material is capable of extracting single contaminants such as alkanes and aromatics and complex hydrocarbon mixtures such as crude oils in high extraction rates of up to 14 times the sorbent volume. Experimental results are explained by molecular dynamics simulations on the adsorption of single components from a hydrocarbon‐water mixture to the alkylphosphonic acid layer on the nanoparticles. The core–shell sorbent material is highly stable and therefore, reusable over several successive extraction cycles without degradation. The extraction performance is determined at different water temperatures, different water sources, and different magnetic core materials and evaluated compared to heptadecanoic acid functionalized magnetite. The new sorbent material provides the opportunity for an efficient, reliable, inexpensive, and environmental friendly removal of hydrocarbons from water.     

Detecting Fluvial Wood in Forested Watersheds using LiDAR Data: A Methodological Assessment

It has long been known that large wood in rivers increases channel complexity and is a primary driver of geomorphic change in forested mountain streams in the Pacific Northwest. Studies analyzing the presence and distribution of fluvial wood are often limited in their spatial extents to the site or reach scales because of the intensive fieldwork required for comprehensive wood surveys. Remote sensing techniques are beginning to allow researchers to assess fluvial wood dynamics and distributions on a basin or regional scale. We used 2009 high‐resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) point cloud data to detect and quantify wood within five forested watersheds in the Oregon Coast Range. We filtered the LiDAR data to remove the forest canopy over the stream channel and visually inventoried fluvial wood based on its distinct shape within the channels. We derived several wood and stream morphometric variables to test theories relating to wood abundance and positioning in the lower reaches of streams. We were able to detect fluvial wood with confidence; however, validation of results with ground‐truth data was difficult in the study due to the dynamic and mobile nature of wood through time. We mapped a total of 163 single logs and 55 logjams within the five study watersheds. We did not find statistically significant differences between individual pieces and jam positioning in relation to slope; however, the surveyed wood was often found in areas of lower stream power. This research shows that it is possible to use height‐filtered LiDAR to detect in‐stream wood in densely forested watersheds and has the potential to be employed in future wood studies across broad spatial scales. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stereological determination of curvature distributions of spatial fibre systems

Under the assumption of homogeneity and isotropy, this paper solves the problem of determining spatial curvature distributions of fibre processes from curvatures of projection curves from thin sections. As an example, a sample of dislocation lines in a hot-rolled Fe-Ni alloy is discussed.     

Abscheidung und Werkstoffaufbau galvanischer Dispersionsschichten

Deposition and structure of electroplated composite layers The electrodeposition of nickel layers with incorporated ceramic nanoparticles, TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ was carried out with the aid of ultrasound during electroplating. The ultrasound guarantees a permanent desagglomeration of nanoparticles in the electrolyte. Therefore, nanoparticles were incorporated homogeneously and fine‐dispersedly. The incorporation of nanoscaled particles, the changes of the layer structure and the crystallites were investigated in comparison to conventionally electrodeposited nickel layers by means of SEM, EDX, EBSD and XRD.     

Sensory aspects of drinking water in contact with epoxy lined copper pipe.

Pipe relining via in situ epoxy lining is used to remediate corroded plumbing or distribution systems. This investigation examined the effects on odour, TOC, THM formation and disinfectant demand in water exposed to epoxy-lined copper pipes used for home plumbing. The study was conducted in accordance with the Utility Quick Test, a migration/leaching method for utilities to conduct sensory analysis of materials in contact with drinking water. The test was performed using water with no disinfectant and levels of chlorine and monochloramines representative of those found in the distribution system. Panelists repeatedly and consistently described a "plastic/adhesive/putty" odour in the water from the pipes. The odour intensity remained relatively constant for each of two subsequent flushes. Water samples stored in the epoxy-lined pipes showed a significant increase in the leaching of organic compounds (as TOC), and this TOC was demonstrated to react with free chlorine to form trichloromethane. Water stored in the pipes also showed a marked increase in disinfectant demand relative to the water stored in glass control flasks. A study conducted at a full scale installation at an apartment demonstrated that after installation and regular use, the epoxy lining did not yield detectable differences in water quality.     

Influence of surface diffusion on the formation of hollow nanostructures induced by the Kirkendall effect: the basic concept

The Kirkendall effect has been widely applied for fabrication of nanoscale hollow structures, which involves an unbalanced counterdiffusion through a reaction interface. Conventional treatment of this process only considers the bulk diffusion of growth species and vacancies. In this letter, a conceptual extension is proposed: the development of the hollow interior undergoes two main stages. The initial stage is the generation of small Kirkendall voids intersecting the compound interface via a bulk diffusion process; the second stage is dominated by surface diffusion of the core material (viz., the fast-diffusing species) along the pore surface. This concept applies to spherical as well as cylindrical nanometer and microscale structures, and even to macroscopic bilayers. As supporting evidence, we show the results of a spinel-forming solid-state reaction of core-shell nanowires, as well as of a planar bilayer of ZnO-Al2O3 to illustrate the influence of surface diffusion on the morphology evolution.     

Low-frequency electrophoretic actuation of nanoscale optoentropic transduction mechanisms

Inherent bistabilities within DNA-assembled fluorescent resonant energy transfer systems demonstrated time-varying optical signals in response to an electrophoretic driving force. Frequency responses of electrophoretically driven FRET systems were shown to be sequence specific. Integration of these signals over time gave near single-molecule sensitivity within a high background of autofluorescence. This research suggests that externally driven nanoscale mechanical systems may help improve information flow within morphologically intact specimens.     

IL-33 Enhances IFNγ and TNFα Production by Human MAIT Cells: A New Pro-Th1 Effect of IL-33

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells represent a distinct T cell population restricted by the MHC-class-I-related molecule, MR1, which recognizes microbial-derived vitamin B2 (riboflavin) metabolites. Their abundance in humans, together with their ability to promptly produce distinct cytokines including interferon γ (IFNγ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), are consistent with regulatory functions in innate as well as adaptive immunity. Here, we tested whether the alarmin interleukin 33 (IL-33), which is secreted following inflammation or cell damage, could activate human MAIT cells. We found that MAIT cells stimulated with IL-33 produced high levels of IFNγ, TNFα and Granzyme B (GrzB). The action of IL-33 required IL-12 but was independent of T cell receptor (TCR) cross-linking. MAIT cells expressed the IL-33 receptor ST2 (suppression of tumorigenicity 2) and upregulated Tbet (T-box expressed in T cells) in response to IL-12 or IL-33. Electronically sorted MAIT cells also upregulated the expression of CCL3 (Chemokine C-C motif ligand 3), CD40L (CD40 Ligand), CSF-1 (Colony Stimulating Factor 1), LTA (Lymphotoxin-alpha) and IL-2RA (IL-2 receptor alpha chain) mRNAs in response to IL-33 plus IL-12. In conclusion, IL-33 combined with IL-12 can directly target MAIT cells to induce their activation and cytokine production. This novel mechanism of IL-33 activation provides insight into the mode of action by which human MAIT cells can promote inflammatory responses in a TCR-independent manner.     

Zur Genauigkeit von Heizwärme‐Bilanzverfahren. Einführung eines Heizperiodenbilanzverfahrens mit analytischen Klimafunktionen

Precision of heating energy balance methods. Introduction of annual heating energy balance with analytical climate function. By smoothing the outdoor temperature and global radiation intensities to cosine functions it is possible to obtain the length of the heating period, the mean outdoor temperature and the radiation during the heating period as functions of the base temperatures. Neglecting the time difference between radiation intensities and outdoor temperature it is also possible to represent the mean base temperature as a simple function of building parameters and outdoor climate values. With these functions the accuracy of the monthly heating energy balance method and of the annual heating energy balance method according to the European Standard EN 832 can be tested for very low heat gains. Comparisons show, that the monthly heating energy balance method and even more the annual heating energy balance method according to EN 832 tend to underestimate the annual heating energy demand. With short heating periods, this tendency is stronger. At heating periods shorter than 4 months the qualification of the monthly heating energy balance method as reference method seems to be questionable. The analytic heating energy balance method, a simple completely analytical method using energy balance over the heating period for different energetic standards is introduced. The accuracy in the calculation of annual heating energy demand is checked in comparisons with the monthly heating energy balance method. For heating periods longer than 5 months the annual heating energy demand calculated with this method differs less than 2 percent from the equivalent value of the monthly heating energy balance method in most cases. The annual method of energy balance over the heating period introduced by Loga for buildings with different energetic standards is analysed and compared with the analytic balance method.