Existence, uniqueness and stability of the equilibrium points of a SHARON bioreactor model

This paper addresses the dynamics of a SHARON reactor, a promising technology for ammonium removal from concentrated wastewater streams. The contraction mapping theorem is used to determine which operating conditions of a SHARON reactor with pH-control result in a unique equilibrium state. However, this approach only identifies the case of very large dilution rates, in practice corresponding with complete biomass wash-out, i.e. with complete loss of biological activity. Practical operation of a SHARON reactor aims at reaching ammonium conversion to nitrite. To identify such interesting operating points, the equilibrium points are subsequently calculated directly in terms of input variables for a simplified SHARON reactor model. The stability of the obtained equilibrium points is assessed and the corresponding phase portraits are analyzed. The influence of slightly varying parameter and input values is investigated as well.     

ON THE ROBUST GLOBAL STABILIZATION OF nth-ORDER REACTIONS

In this paper, we employ a nonlinear adaptive mechanism to globally stabilize n^th-order reactions.     

A new voltage control equipment using fuzzy inference

Power system control equipment needs higher sensitivity and operational reliability. Advanced voltage control equipment is needed for reducing the frequency of tap changes and improving the characteristics (the relationship between the actual voltage and reference voltage) of the voltage to meet today's power system requirements. However, these objectives are in a trade-off relationship. Studies of voltage control derived from a knowledge base suitable for electric power systems can satisfy these objectives using fuzzy inference. Compared with corresponding conventional equipment, the new equipment improved the deviation of 30 min average voltage of 30 percent. This paper describes the design concept of new voltage control equipment using fuzzy inference. In addition, field test results are described along with rules of fuzzy inference, membership functions, and the deviation of 30 min average voltage through detailed simulation.     

A Micellar Route to Ordered Arrays of Magnetic Nanoparticles: From Size‐Selected Pure Cobalt Dots to Cobalt–Cobalt Oxide Core–Shell Systems

Starting with Co‐salt‐loaded inverse micelles, which form if the diblock copolymer polystyrene‐block‐poly(2‐vinylpyridine) is dissolved in a selective solvent like toluene and CoCl₂ is added to the solution, monomicellar arrays of such micelles exhibiting a significant hexagonal order can be prepared on top of various substrates with tailored intermicellar distances and structure heights. In order to remove the polymer matrix and to finally obtain arrays of pure Co nanoparticles, the micelles are first exposed to an oxygen plasma, followed by a treatment in a hydrogen plasma. Applying in‐situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it is demonstrated that: 1) The oxygen plasma completely removes the polymer, though conserving the original order of the micellar array. Furthermore, the resulting nanoparticles are entirely oxidized with a chemical shift of the Co 2p_3/2 line pointing to the formation of Co₃O₄. 2) By the subsequent hydrogen plasma treatment the nanoparticles are fully reduced to metallic Co. 3) By exposing the pure Co nanoparticles for 100 s to various oxygen partial pressures pequation/tex2gif-inf-5.gif, a stepwise oxidation is observed with a still metallic Co core surrounded by an oxide shell. The data allow the extraction of the thickness of the oxide shell as a function of the total exposure to oxygen (pequation/tex2gif-inf-7.gif × time), thus giving the opportunity to control the ferromagnetic–antiferromagnetic composition of an exchange‐biased magnetic system.     

Dynamics of Balancing Space and Time in Memory: Tau and Kappa Effects Revisited.

In 3 experiments, the authors studied the organization of spatiotemporal information in memory. Stimuli consisted of configurations of dots, presented sequentially. The stimuli were either proportional, with interdot distances corresponding to interdot durations, or not proportional, with interdol distances not corresponding to interdot durations. After a learning phase, participants reproduced the spatial (Experiment 1), temporal (Experiment 2), or spatial and temporal (Experiment 3) characteristics of the target 60 times in succession. In the nonproportional conditions, effects of variable interdot durations or distances on the reproduction of, respectively, constant distances (tau effect) or durations (kappa effect) were observed, whereas no such effects were observed when variable distances or durations were to be produced. Tau and kappa effects influenced the accuracy but not the variability of responses. The results are discussed in light of the distinction between properties of the stabilized mental image and the process of stabilization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Photodegradation mechanism and stabilization of polyphenylene oxide and rigid‐rod polymers

Poly(2,4‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) (PPO), poly(benzo[1,2‐d:5,4‐d′]bisoxazole‐2,6‐diyl‐1,4‐phenylene) (PBO) and poly(benzo[1,2‐d:4,5‐d′]bisthiazole‐2,6‐diyl‐1,4‐phenylene) (PBZT), which are polymers with extended conjugated structures, undergo a self‐sensitized photo‐induced electron‐transfer reaction. A second component is not required. This article presents many similar observations on these polymers when they are exposed to light and evidence to support the proposed photo‐induced electron‐transfer mechanism. Methods to stabilize these polymers against photo‐oxidation are also described. Workers investigating other conjugated polymeric systems may find the experimental methods, observations and polymer stabilization approaches discussed in this review useful. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

浅谈集成电路的废气处理

集成电路的工业废气有含氟化物、硫酸雾的酸性废气,含氨的碱性废气,含异丙醇、光刻胶的有机废气,含SiO_2的含尘废气,以及含硅烷、磷烷的工艺尾气等,这些工业废气中大部分成分是有毒有害的,必须进行有效的处理才能排入大气中。主要讨论上述工业废气的分类、处理方式、应用范围及应用实例等。     

Comparative study of the elimination of toluene vapours in twin biotrickling filters using two microorganisms Bacillus cereus S1 and S2

BACKGROUND: To investigate the microbial degradation performance of organic pollutants in the atmosphere using a biotrickling filter, two microorganism strains, Bacillus cereus S1 and Bacillus cereus S2, were selected, identified and inoculated into a twin biotrickling filter for comparison. RESULTS: Both strains showed good performance towards the degradation of model organic pollutants when gas flow rates ranged from 100 to 600 L h⁻¹. For S1, the total maximum removal efficiency (RE) of toluene was maintained nearly 100% not only at gas flow rates of 100 L h⁻¹ corresponding to empty bed residence time (EBRT) 199.44 s, but also at gas flow rates of 200 L h⁻¹ (EBRT = 99.72 s) and 300 L h⁻¹ (EBRT = 66.48 s). However, S2 had a much lower degradation capability; near 100% removal efficiency was obtained only at the gas flow rate of 100 L h⁻¹ although both bacteria belong to the same Bacillus cereus. With further increase in gas flow rate, the total REs for both S1 and S2 decreased slightly at first and then dropped sharply to 46% and 35%, respectively, at an EBRT of 33.24 s, corresponding to a gas flow rate of 600 L h⁻¹. Starvation for between 2 and 10 days resulted in the re‐acclimation times of both strains ranging between 1.0 and 15.5 h. CONCLUSION: Strain S1 would be a better choice for inoculation into a biotrickling filter than strain S2, because of its much higher toluene removal capacity and rapid recovery to full performance. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Assumptions and Consequences of Treating Providers in Therapy Studies as Fixed Versus Random Effects: Reply to Crits-Christoph, Tu, and Gallop (2003) and Serlin, Wampold, and Levin (2003).

In their comments on the authors' article (see record 2003-10163-009), R. C. Serlin, B. E. Wampold, and J. R. Levin (see record 2003-10163-011) and P. Crits-Christoph, X. Tu, and R. Gallop (see record 2003-10163-010) took issue with the authors' suggestion to evaluate therapy studies with nested providers with a fixed model approach. In this rejoinder, the authors' comment on Serlin et al's critique by showing that their arguments do not apply, are based on misconceptions about the purpose and nature of statistical inference, or are based on flawed reasoning. The authors also comment on Crits-Christoph et al's critique by showing that the proposed approach is very similar to, but less inclusive than, their own suggestion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of electroosmotic treatment on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of clayey silts: preliminary experimental results

Preliminary results of an investigation focused on the influence of electrokinetic treatment on the mechanical and hydraulic behaviour of clayey soils are presented. The experimental programme aims at providing a contribution to the sustainability of contaminant extraction or containment via electroosmosis. Changes in the hydraulic and mechanical properties of two illitic clayey soils, subjected to a DC electric field, were investigated. Samples of the two soils were subjected to electrokinetic filtration, for different periods of time, and under different constant loads. Afterwards, they were tested under one-dimensional compression to detect changes in stiffness and hydraulic conductivity due to the electrical treatment. After the application of a DC field for a few hours, a small reversible increment in the average soil stiffness was observed, with respect to the untreated soil, while the hydraulic conductivity was not affected substantially. Dramatic changes of the mechanical and hydraulic soil properties, correlated to changes of the soil pH, were observed following non-conditioned electrokinetic treatment with duration of the order of days.