Phonons and spin excitations in the extended t-J model

We consider the effects of spin-phonon coupling within the slave-boson mean-field treatment of the extended t-J model. With no additional assumptions the theory is found to give a semi-quantitative account of the frequency and linewidth anomalies observed for certain phonon modes in Y Ba₂Cu₃O₇ at the superconducting transition. We report also investigations of the role of this coupling in affecting thermodynamic properties and spin dynamics.     

An efficient purification method for detonation nanodiamonds

This article reports the purification process of detonation soot to obtain pure nanodiamond powder. Nanodiamonds are synthesized by detonation using a high explosive mixture composed of trinitrotoluene and hexogen. The detonation of the charge leads to a powder containing nanodiamonds as well as metallic impurities and sp² carbon species. Further, to remove metallic particles, an unusual acidic treatment (hydrofluoric/nitric acids; i.e. fluorinated aqua regia) was set up. To eliminate sp² carbon species such as graphite and amorphous carbon, a thermal oxidation treatment was performed at 420 °C under air in a furnace during several hours. Transmission Electronic Microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis showed that this purification process is very efficient. From TGA measurements, a model of the carbon grain combustion was developed by considering graphitic shells surrounding the nanodiamond particles, and was used to demonstrate that the selective oxidation of graphite was experimentally realistic. Moreover, another model was set up from specific area measurements to evaluate the thickness of the functional groups surrounding the nanodiamonds after the oxidation of sp² carbonaceous species. The treatment described herein was achieved on several tens of grams of product and could be easily adapted to the industrial scale.     

Expressing the equivalence of non‐isothermal and isothermal heat sterilization processes

Currently, the sterility of heat‐processed food and pharmaceuticals is assessed in terms of an F₀ value, based on the equivalence of the heat treatment to an isothermal process at a reference temperature. This F₀ value, however, has a meaning if, and only if, the inactivation kinetics of the targeted spores (or cells) follow a first‐order relationship and the temperature dependence of the D value, the reciprocal of the rate constant, is log‐linear. There is growing evidence that these conditions are not satisfied by many spores, including those of Clostridium botulinum and vegetative cells. Consequently, a replacement for the F₀ value is proposed in the form of a momentary equivalent time at the reference temperature based on the actual survival pattern of the spores, which need not be log‐linear. This equivalent time can be calculated together with the theoretical survival ratio in real time, thus enabling an operator to monitor the lethality of ongoing industrial heat processes. The concept is demonstrated with published survival data of C. botulinum, for which the Weibullian and log‐logistic models served as primary and secondary models, respectively. The safety factor according to the proposed method is in the number of added minutes of processing, beyond the theoretical time needed to reduce the survival ratio of the targeted spores or cells to a level that would produce practical (or commercial) sterility. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sintering of Pt/Al2O3 reforming catalysts: EXAFS study of the behavior of metal particles under oxidizing atmosphere

The effect of an oxidative atmosphere (300 °C) is studied on fresh and sintered unchlorinated naphtha reforming catalysts containing 0.6–1% Pt. The TPR profiles show that only one species is formed using our experimental conditions, regardless of the mean crystallite size of the metal particles. The structural information supplied by EXAFS compared with cuboctahedral particle modeling, implies that such species is a surface platinum oxide, the structure of which is close to that of PtO₂, but largely distorted. This is true whether the catalyst is sintered or not.     

Camera Control in Computer Graphics

Recent progress in modelling, animation and rendering means that rich, high fidelity virtual worlds are found in many interactive graphics applications. However, the viewer's experience of a 3D world is dependent on the nature of the virtual cinematography, in particular, the camera position, orientation and motion in relation to the elements of the scene and the action. Camera control encompasses viewpoint computation, motion planning and editing. We present a range of computer graphics applications and draw on insights from cinematographic practice in identifying their different requirements with regard to camera control. The nature of the camera control problem varies depending on these requirements, which range from augmented manual control (semi‐automatic) in interactive applications, to fully automated approaches. We review the full range of solution techniques from constraint‐based to optimization‐based approaches, and conclude with an examination of occlusion management and expressiveness in the context of declarative approaches to camera control.     

Grounding and ground fault protection of multiple generator installations on medium-voltage industrial and commercial power systems - Part 4: Conclusion and Bibliography Working Group Report

This paper discusses typical grounding practices and ground fault protection methods for medium-voltage generator stators, highlighting their merits and drawbacks. Particular attention is given to applications of multiple generators connected to a single bus. The paper also provides an overview of the generator damage mechanism during stator ground faults. Problem areas associated with each type of grounding are identified and solutions are discussed. The paper also provides a list of references on the topic. The paper is intended as a guide to aid engineers in selecting adequate grounding and ground fault protection schemes for medium-voltage industrial and commercial generators for new installations, for evaluating existing systems, and for future expansion of facilities, to minimize generator damage from stator ground faults. These topics are presented in four separate parts, Parts 1-4. Part 1 covers scope, introduction, user examples of stator ground failure, and theoretical basis for the problem. Part 2 discusses various grounding methods used in industrial applications. Part 3 describes protection methods for the various types of grounding and Part 4 provides a conclusion and bibliography of additional resource material.     

Improvement in wear resistance of plasma sprayed yttria stabilized zirconia coating using nanostructured powder

Plasma sprayed yttria stabilized zirconia coatings were prepared using nanostructured and conventional powders with optimized process parameters for the highest deposition efficiency, the smallest porosity and the highest microhardness. The tribological properties of these coatings against 100C6 steel were then tested with a ball-on-disc arrangement. Results showed that although the friction coefficients of the coatings sprayed using the nanostructured powder were slightly different from those of the coatings sprayed using the conventional powder, the former coatings were more wear resistant than the latter coatings. The wear mechanisms of all the coatings were explained in terms of adhesion-induced spallation and micro-fracturing of lamellae. The improvement in wear resistance of the coatings sprayed using the nanostructured powder could be mainly ascribed to the decrease of micrometer-sized defects such as pores and interlamellar and intralamellar cracks in the coatings.     

Molecular Interactions of Tannic Acid with Proteins Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity

The overall impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on our society is unprecedented. The identification of small natural ligands that could prevent the entry and/or replication of the coronavirus remains a pertinent approach to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Previously, we showed that the phenolic compounds corilagin and 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (TGG) inhibit the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 target receptor on the cell membrane of the host organism. Building on these promising results, we now assess the effects of these phenolic ligands on two other crucial targets involved in SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and replication, respectively: transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors. Since corilagin, TGG, and tannic acid (TA) share many physicochemical and structural properties, we investigate the binding of TA to these targets. In this work, a combination of experimental methods (biochemical inhibition assays, surface plasmon resonance, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring) confirms the potential role of TA in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity through the inhibition of extracellular RBD/ACE2 interactions and TMPRSS2 and 3CLpro activity. Moreover, molecular docking prediction followed by dynamic simulation and molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) free energy calculation also shows that TA binds to RBD, TMPRSS2, and 3CLpro with higher affinities than TGG and corilagin. Overall, these results suggest that naturally occurring TA is a promising candidate to prevent and inhibit the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2.     

Addition of trace metals increases denitrification rate in closed marine systems

We investigated the effect of trace metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Mo) on the denitrification unit at the Montreal Biodome. Two dosages of the five trace metals were tested on a denitrifying bacterial population which was extracted from the denitrification unit and cultured in 250 mL chemostats with artificial seawater. The low dosage showed a 20% increase in the denitrification rate whereas the high dosage had a more pronounced effect with a 250% increase. No increase in bacterial growth was observed, suggesting that the trace metals had an effect on the denitrification activity. When the trace metals were tested separately, only iron had a significant effect similar to the increase in the denitrification rate observed when the five trace metals were added. The combination of Fe and Mn caused a small but significant increase compared to the five trace metals. We then tested the effect of adding Fe, Mn and Cu to the denitrification unit at the Montreal Biodome. A high dosage of these trace metals showed a 250% increase in the denitrification rate, which went from 200 to 700 g NO(x)-N/d. Our results showed that the addition of trace metals is crucial for denitrification activities.     

Derivation of a control oriented low order model of the dynamics of an infrared oven for the continuous drying of a thin sheet of material

A model consisting of three partial non-linear differential equations for describing the humidity and temperature of a thin sheet of material and of the temperature of the air flow as a function of time and position in an infrared dryer was reduced to a model more adaptable to direct digital control. To begin with the original model was discretized along the length of the dryer and then linearized. Models of orders ranging from 12 to 72 were analyzed for controllability and observability. Using Moore's method, the models thus obtained were further reduced to a controllable state space model of order 5 that produced satisfactory results and for which stability was preserved. Simulated open loop responses of the reduced model to discrete perturbations in emitter electrical power, inlet humidity and velocity of the web, produced satisfactory dynamic and steady-state responses when compared to responses of the original model subjected to similar perturbations. The steady-state responses showed absolute errors for humidity and temperature of the web less than 1.3% [g water/100 g] and 2.2°C, respectively.