A pilot survey of 39 Victorian WWTP effluents using a high speed luminescent umu test in conjunction with a novel GC-MS-database technique for automatic identification of micropollutants

In 2007, samples of treated effluent were collected at point of discharge to the environment from 39 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located across Victoria, Australia grouped by treatment type. Sample genotoxicity was assessed with a high-throughput luminescent umu test method using Salmonella typhimurium TL210 strain, with and without addition of a commercially available metabolic activation system. Samples were also screened using a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric mass-structure database recognition method. A genotoxic response was observed in half of the samples tested without metabolic activation system (相似文献   

First measurement of electron temperature from signal ratios in a double-pass Thomson scattering system

This paper presents an experimental demonstration to determine electron temperature (T(e)) with unknown spectral sensitivity (transmissivity) in a Thomson scattering system. In this method, a double-pass scattering configuration is used and the scattered lights from each pass (with different scattering angles) are measured separately. T(e) can be determined from the ratio of the signal intensities without knowing a real chromatic dependence in the sensitivity. Note that the wavelength range for each spectral channel must be known. This method was applied to the TST-2 Thomson scattering system. As a result, T(e) measured from the ratio (T(e,r)) and T(e) measured from a standard method (T(e,s)) showed a good agreement with <∣T(e,r) - T(e,s)∣∕T(e,s)> = 7.3%.     

Formation of Zirconia Solid Solutions Containing Alumina Prepared by New Preparation Method

In the system ZrO₂–Al₂O₃, a new method for preparing ZrO₂ solid solutions from ZrCl₄ and AlCl₃ using hydrazine monohydrate is investigated. c -ZrO₂ solid solutions containing up to ∼40 mol% Al₂O₃ crystallize at low temperatures from amorphous materials. The formation mechanism is discussed from IR spectral data. The values of the lattice parameter α increase linearly from 0.5072 to 0.5105 nm with increasing Al₂O₃ content. At higher temperatures, transformation of the solid solutions proceeds as follows: c ( SS ) → t ( ss ) → t ( ss ) +α-Al₂O₃→ m +α-Al₂O₃. m -ZrO₂–α-Al₂O₃ composite ceramics are fabricated by hot isostatic pressing for 2 h at 1250°C and 196 MPa. Microstructures and mechanical properties are examined, in connection with increasing Al₂O₃ content.     

Plasma glucagon after total resection of the pancreas in man

Serial measurements of plasma "true glucagon" (PG) and of glucagon-like immunoreactive materials (GLI) were carried out during and after total resection of the pancreas in a 62-year-old man with calcified pancreatitis. The postoperative course of this patient was uneventful and diabetes was well controlled. PG disappeared from the blood within 30 min after resection of the pancreas. In spite of the evidence that no pancreatic tissue was present in the abdomen, PG was detected again in the blood from 18 hr after total pancreatectomy until the ninth postoperative day. However, plasma PG did not rise following infusion of arginine during the fourteenth postoperative week. After an initial decrease, plasma GLI rose abruptly on the second postoperative day and remained elevated thereafter. The fluctuations of plasma PG and GLI were not parallel.     

Texture evolution during hot-rolling and recrystallization in B2-type FeAl, NiAl and CoTi intermetallic compounds

The texture evolution during the hot-rolling and the recrystallization of B2-type Fe–48Al, Ni–50Al and Co–50Ti (expressed by at.%) intermetallic compounds were investigated. By hot-rolling at 973 K, Fe–48Al showed a microstructure with coarse grains elongated along rolling direction, while Ni–50Al and Co–50Ti showed a deformed microstructure featured by the heavily distorted (elongated) grains and/or the deformation bands. The hot-rolling texture of Fe–48Al was composed of {111}<uvw>, while those of Ni–50Al and Co–50Ti were composed of {111}<110> and {111}<112>, respectively. After annealing, the recrystallized grains were preferentially nucleated at the grain boundaries for Fe–48Al, and in the heavily distorted regions or the deformation bands for Ni–50Al and Co–50Ti. The orientations of the recrystallized grains were similar with those of the deformed matrix, especially for Ni–50Al and Co–50Ti. The recrystallization textures were generally more dispersive than the hot-rolling texture. Based on these results, the texture evolution during the hot rolling and the recrystallization of the B2-type intermetallic compounds were discussed.     

Substrate effect on the temperature coefficient of resistance of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 thin films prepared by metal organic deposition

Epitaxial La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO) thin films were successfully prepared by the metal-organic deposition process on various (001) single-crystal substrates: MgO, LaAlO₃ (LAO), SrTiO₃ (STO), and (LaAlO₃)_0.3-(SrAlTaO₆)_0.7 (LSAT). The crystallinity and the epitaxial growth of the LCMO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (θ − 2θ scans and pole-figure analysis). The temperature dependence of the resistance of the LCMO/LSAT, LCMO/STO and LCMO/LAO films exhibit typical characteristics with a transition from the paramagnetic-insulator state to the ferromagnetic-metallic state at a temperature peak (T _p ) ranging from 258 to 270 K. However, the LCMO/MgO films exhibited a semiconducting behavior without any transition. Based on the R(T) measurement, we calculated the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) for a bolometric application and we obtained 22%/K, 10.2%/K and 27.5%/K for the film grown on the LSAT, STO and LAO substrates, respectively. This difference in the TCR properties is related to the strain induced by the lattice mismatch between LCMO and the different substrates.     

Demonstration of 13.56-MHz class-E amplifier using a high-Voltage GaN power-HEMT

A 13.56-MHz class-E amplifier with a high-voltage GaN HEMT as the main switching device is demonstrated to show the possibility of using GaN HEMTs in high-frequency switching power applications such as RF power-supply applications. The 380-V/1.9-A GaN power HEMT was designed and fabricated for high-voltage power-electronics applications. The demonstrated circuit achieved the output power of 13.4 W and the power efficiency of 91% under a drain-peak voltage as high as 330 V. This result shows that high-voltage GaN devices are suitable for high-frequency switching applications under high dc input voltages of over 100 V.     

Study of Superconducting Fault Current Limiter Using Vacuum Interrupter Driven by Electromagnetic Repulsion Force for Commutating Switch

Using a high-temperature superconductor, we constructed and tested a model superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL). The superconductor and the vacuum interrupter as the commutation switch were connected in parallel using a bypass coil. When the fault current flows in this equipment, the superconductor is quenched and the current is transferred to the parallel coil because of the voltage drop in the superconductor. This large current in the parallel coil actuates the magnetic repulsion mechanism of the vacuum interrupter. Due to the opening of the vacuum interrupter, the current in the superconductor is broken. By using this equipment, the current flow time in the superconductor can be easily minimized. On the other hand, the fault current is also easily limited by large reactance of the parallel coil     

Multi-modal Information Integration for Interactive Multi-agent Systems

This paper proposes a multi-agent system that carries out cooperative work. To achieve this, we use Fuzzy Associative Memory Organizing Unit Systems (FAMOUS) and Conceptual Fuzzy Sets (CFS). By using these proposed methods, each agent robot can decide its own behaviour to suit the situation in its environment. We apply this system to an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and do simulations.