In vitro studies on the use of clay, clay minerals and charcoal to adsorb bovine rotavirus and bovine coronavirus

Rotaviruses are the leading cause and coronaviruses are the major contributors of acute gastroenteritis in the young of various mammalian and avian species. Despite numerous trials and decades of research, vaccines have limited efficacy particularly for calves. As an alternative method of controlling infection, we have investigated broad spectrum antiviral agents that are not discriminatory among various viruses. This report involves testing a variety of adsorbent agents including charcoal, clay, and clay minerals to adsorb rotavirus and coronavirus in vitro. Results revealed that all the adsorbent agents had good to excellent capability of adsorbing rotavirus and excellent capability of adsorbing coronavirus. Percent adsorptions ranged from 78.74% to 99.89% for rotavirus and 99.99% for coronavirus; while sand (negative control) was < 0.01%. A high affinity binding was present as determined by a low percent desorption (0.06-3.09%). However, the adsorbent bound virus complex retained, and may have actually enhanced, infectivity.     

High-Q sapphire-rutile frequency-temperature compensated microwave dielectric resonators

A sapphiro-rutile composite resonator was constructed from a cylindrical sapphire monocrystal with two thin disks of monocrystal rutile held tightly against the ends. Because rutile exhibits low loss and an opposite temperature coefficient of permittivity to sapphire, it is an ideal material for compensating the frequency-temperature dependence of a sapphire resonator. Most of the electromagnetic modes in the composite structure exhibited turning points (or compensation points) in the frequency-temperature characteristic. The temperatures of compensation for the WG quasi TM modes were measured to be below 90 K with Q-factors of the order of a few million depending on the mode. For WG quasi TE modes, the temperatures of compensation were measured to be between 100 to 160 K with Q-factors of the order of a few hundreds of thousands, depending on the mode. The second derivatives of the compensation points were measured to be of the order 0.1 ppm/K(2 ), which agreed well with the predicted values.     

Structure of the dye 2,6-dichloro-4′-N,N-diethylaminoazobenzene

The structure of 2,6-dichloro-4′-N,N-diethylaminoazobenzene has been determined from X-ray diffractometer data: C₁₆H₁₇Cl₂N₃, MW = 322·2, monoclinic, P2₁/n, a = 11·160 (2), b = 12·066 (2), c = 13·633 (3) Å, β = 116·46 (2)°, V = 1643·5 ų, Z = 4, D_c = 1·30 g cm^?3, F(000) = 672, λ(MoKα) = 0·71069 Å, μ(MoKα) = 3·94 cm^?1. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to R = 0·073 for 1495 independent reflexions. The molecule is non-planar with a dihedral angle of 87·8° between the phenyl rings. The effects of substituents on the aromatic ring geometry are discussed. Significant molecular parameters are: NN, 1·164 (9) Å; mean ClC, 1·741 (6) Å; mean CN(azo), 1·487 (9) Å; NNC, 112·4 (2)° and 109·1 (2)°; NCC (cis relative to NN), 125·5 (3)° and 122·4 (2)°; NCC (trans relative to NN) 114·0 (3)° and 119·5 (3)°; mean CC(Cl)C, 122·3 (3)°.     

Transient changes in material conductivity due to impact ionisation in a Gunn-effect domain

An interesting phenomenon is reported which occurs when a long sample of GaAs containing a high-field domain is subjected to an increased level of drive during part of it first cycle. Under such conditions there is produced locally, at the position where the domain is situated when the overdrive is applied, an increase in the free-carrier concentration, which then decays relatively slowly (approximately 1 ?s). The effect is very similar to that first observed by Owens and Kino and ascribed by them to the generation of a second stable domain while the first is in transit through the device.     

Microwave interferometry: application to precision measurements and noise reduction techniques

A concept of interferometric measurements has been applied to the development of ultra-sensitive microwave noise measurement systems. These systems are capable of reaching a noise performance limited only by the thermal fluctuations in their lossy components. The noise floor of a real time microwave measurement system has been measured to be equal to -193 dBc/Hz at Fourier frequencies above 1 kHz. This performance is 40 dB better than that of conventional systems and has allowed the first experimental evidence of the intrinsic phase fluctuations in microwave isolators and circulators. Microwave frequency discriminators with interferometric signal processing have proved to be extremely effective for measuring and cancelling the phase noise in oscillators. This technique has allowed the design of X-band microwave oscillators with a phase noise spectral density of order -150 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz Fourier frequency, without the use of cryogenics. Another possible application of the interferometric noise measurements systems include “flicker noise-free” microwave amplifiers and advanced two oscillator noise measurement systems     

Development of the ERS-1 active radar calibration unit

The development of a microwave active radar calibration unit (ARC) to be used as a ground calibration reference standard for the European Remote Sensing Satellite ERS-1 imaging synthetic aperture radar is described. Three such units are placed across the radar swath, giving point target returns with a known signal strength, and are used to calibrate the radar image. The units have been designed for maximum stability with temperature (<0.1 dB over the temperature range of -15°C to +35°C). For absolute calibration the ARC is referenced to a flat plate using a novel technique of multiple transmission in its self-calibration mode, achieving an absolute calibration error of <0.14 dB     

X-ray crystal structure of the dye 2-bromo-4-cyano-4′-N,N-diethylaminoazobenzene

The crystal structure of 2-bromo-4-cyano-4′-N,N-diethylaminoazobenzene has been determined from X-ray diffraction data: C₁₇H₁₇N₄Br, mol. wt = 357·1. Triclinic, Pī (No. 2), α = 13·162(5) Å, b = 7·516(3) Å, c = 8·496(4) Å, α = 101·63(4)°, β = 95·79(4)°, γ = 91·49(4)°, V = 818·10 ų, Z = 2, D_c = 1·45 g cm^?3, F(000) = 378, λ(Mo_Kz) = 0·7107 Å, μ(Mo_Kα) = 26·70 cm^?1. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least-squares to R = 0·053 for 2081 independent reflexions. The molecule possesses an essentially planar azobenzene skeleton. The effects of substituents on the geometry of the azo group are discussed. Significant molecular parameters are: NN, 1·264(6) Å; ₁BrC, 1·904(5) Å; mean NC, 1·410(7) Å; NNC, 115·7(2)° and 113·0(2)°; NCC (cis relative to NN), 125·4(3)° and 123·1(2)°; CC(Br)C, 123·0(2)°.     

An ultralow noise microwave oscillator based on a high-Q liquidnitrogen cooled sapphire resonator

Two liquid nitrogen-cooled sapphire loaded cavities (SLC's) operating at about 80 K have been successfully constructed, Both cavities were designed to operate on the whispering gallery (WG) E_{12, 1, δ} mode at a resonant frequency of 8.95 GHz. The first SLC was used as the frequency-determining element in a loop oscillator, while the second was used as a frequency discriminator to measure oscillator phase noise. The single sideband phase noise of a free running loop oscillator incorporating the first SLC was measured as -133 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 1 kHz, and was limited by the SLC Q-factor and the amplifier flicker phase noise. By using specially designed feedback electronics the oscillator phase noise was reduced to -156 dBc/Hz and -162 dBc/Hz at 1 and 10 kHz offset, respectively. This measurement was shown to be limited by the electronic flicker noise imposed by the phase detector in the feedback electronics, To our knowledge the phase noise and resonator Q-factor of 6×10⁷ represent the best results ever measured at liquid nitrogen temperatures or above     

A study of noise phenomena in microwave components using an advanced noise measurement system

A novel 9 GHz measurement system with thermal noise limited sensitivity has been developed for studying the fluctuations in passive microwave components. The noise floor of the measurement system is flat at offset frequencies above 1 kHz and equal to -193 dBc/Hz. The developed system is capable of measuring the noise in the quietest microwave components in real time. We discuss the results of phase and amplitude noise measurements in precision voltage controlled phase shifters and attenuators. The first reliable experimental evidences regarding the intrinsic flicker phase noise in microwave isolators are also presented.