Combined Superbase Ionic Liquid Approach to Separate CO2 from Flue Gas

[Image: see text] Superbase ionic liquids (ILs) with a trihexyltetradecylphosphonium cation and a benzimidazolide ([P(66614)][Benzim]) or tetrazolide ([P(66614)][Tetz]) anion were investigated in a dual-IL system allowing the selective capture and separation of CO(2) and SO(2), respectively, under realistic gas concentrations. The results show that [P(66614)][Tetz] is capable of efficiently capturing SO(2) in preference to CO(2) and thus, in a stepwise separation process, protects [P(66614)][Benzim] from the negative effects of the highly acidic contaminant. This results in [P(66614)][Benzim] maintaining >53% of its original CO(2) uptake capacity after 30 absorption/desorption cycles in comparison to the 89% decrease observed after 11 cycles when [P(66614)][Tetz] was not present. Characterization of the ILs post exposure revealed that small amounts of SO(2) were irreversibly absorbed to the [Benzim](−) anion responsible for the decrease in CO(2) capacity. While optimization of this dual-IL system is required, this feasibility study demonstrates that [P(66614)][Tetz] is a suitable sorbent for reversibly capturing SO(2) and significantly extending the lifetime of [P(66614)][Benzim] for CO(2) uptake

CARMA Measurements of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in RXJ1347.5-1145

We demonstrate the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect imaging capabilities of the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) by presenting an SZ map of the galaxy cluster RXJ1347.5-1145. By combining data from multiple CARMA bands and configurations, we are able to capture the structure of this cluster over a wide range of angular scales, from its bulk properties to its core morphology. We find that roughly 9% of this cluster's thermal energy is associated with sub-arcminute-scale structure imparted by a merger, illustrating the value of high-resolution SZ measurements for pursuing cluster astrophysics and for understanding the scatter in SZ scaling relations. We also find that the cluster's SZ signal is lower in amplitude than suggested by a spherically-symmetric model derived from X-ray data, consistent with compression along the line of sight relative to the plane of the sky. Finally, we discuss the impact of upgrades currently in progress that will further enhance CARMA's power as an SZ imaging instrument.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Constraints on the Thermal Contents of the X-ray Cavities of Cluster MS 0735.6+7421 with Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Observations

Outbursts from active galactic nuclei (AGN) can inflate cavities in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters and are believed to play the primary role in offsetting radiative cooling in the ICM. However, the details of how the energy from AGN feedback thermalizes to heat the ICM is not well understood, partly due to the unknown composition and energetics of the cavities. The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect, a measure of the integrated pressure along the line of sight, provides a means of measuring the thermal contents of the cavities, to discriminate between thermal, nonthermal, and other sources of pressure support. Here we report measurements of the SZ effect at 30 GHz toward the galaxy cluster MS 0735.6+7421 (MS0735), using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA). MS0735 hosts the most energetic AGN outburst known and lobes of radio synchrotron emission coincident with a pair of giant X-ray cavities $\sim 200$ across. Our CARMA maps show a clear deficit in the SZ signal coincident with the X-ray identified cavities, when compared to a smooth X-ray derived pressure model. We find that the cavities have very little SZ-contributing material, suggesting that they are either supported by very diffuse thermal plasma with temperature in excess of hundreds of keV, or are not supported thermally. Our results represent the first detection (with $4.4 \sigma$ significance) of this phenomenon with the SZ effect.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, submitted to ApJ Jun 2018, Accepted Dec 2018, Published Jan 2019. This is the version of the article before editing, as submitted by an author to ApJ. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aaf88

String-like Clusters and Cooperative Motion in a Model Glass-Forming Liquid

A large-scale molecular dynamics simulation is performed on a glass-forming Lennard-Jones mixture to determine the nature of dynamical heterogeneities which arise in this model fragile liquid. We observe that the most mobile particles exhibit a cooperative motion in the form of string-like paths (``strings'') whose mean length and radius of gyration increase as the liquid is cooled. The length distribution of the strings is found to be similar to that expected for the equilibrium polymerization of linear polymer chains.Comment: 6 pages of RevTex, 6 postscript figures, uses epsf.st

Photosensitizer Drug Delivery via an Optical Fiber

: An optical fiber has been developed with a maneuverable miniprobe tip that sparges O2 gas and photodetaches pheophorbide (sensitizer) molecules. Singlet oxygen is produced at the probe tip surface which reacts with an alkene spacer group releasing sensitizer upon fragmentation of a dioxetane intermediate. Optimal sensitizer photorelease occurred when the probe tip was loaded with 60 nmol sensitizer, where crowding of the pheophorbide molecules and self-quenching were kept to a minimum. The fiber optic tip delivered pheophorbide molecules and singlet oxygen to discrete locations. The 60 nmol sensitizer was delivered into petrolatum; however, sensitizer release was less efficient in toluene-d8 (3.6 nmol) where most had remained adsorbed on the probe tip, even after the covalent alkene spacer bond had been broken. The results open the door to a new area of fiber optic-guided sensitizer delivery for the potential photodynamic therapy of hypoxic structures requiring cytotoxic control

Transcriptomic Profile Reveals Deregulation of Hearing-Loss Related Genes in Vestibular Schwannoma Cells Following Electromagnetic Field Exposure

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-07-18, pub-electronic 2021-07-20Publication status: PublishedFunder: Capita Foundation; Grant(s): grant 2019 to V.M.Funder: Università degli Studi di Milano; Grant(s): grant PSR_VMAGN_2019 to V.MFunder: MIUR Italian Ministry of Research; Grant(s): Progetto di EccellenzaHearing loss (HL) is the most common sensory disorder in the world population. One common cause of HL is the presence of vestibular schwannoma (VS), a benign tumor of the VIII cranial nerve, arising from Schwann cell (SC) transformation. In the last decade, the increasing incidence of VS has been correlated to electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, which might be considered a pathogenic cause of VS development and HL. Here, we explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the biologic changes of human SCs and/or their oncogenic transformation following EMF exposure. Through NGS technology and RNA-Seq transcriptomic analysis, we investigated the genomic profile and the differential display of HL-related genes after chronic EMF. We found that chronic EMF exposure modified the cell proliferation, in parallel with intracellular signaling and metabolic pathways changes, mostly related to translation and mitochondrial activities. Importantly, the expression of HL-related genes such as NEFL, TPRN, OTOGL, GJB2, and REST appeared to be deregulated in chronic EMF exposure. In conclusion, we suggest that, at a preclinical stage, EMF exposure might promote the transformation of VS cells and contribute to HL

Has Devolution Changed the 'British Policy Style'?

The term ‘policy style' simply means the way that governments make and implement policy. Yet, the term ‘British policy style' may be confusing since it has the potential to relate to British exceptionalism or European convergence. Lijphart's important contribution identifies the former. It sets up a simple distinction between policy styles in majoritarian and consensual democracies and portrays British policy-making as top down and different from a consensual European approach. In contrast, Richardson identifies a common ‘European policy style'. This suggests that although the political structures of each country vary, they share a ‘standard operating procedure' based on two factors - an incremental approach to policy and an attempt to reach a consensus with interest groups rather than impose decisions. This article extends these arguments to British politics since devolution. It questions the assumption that policy styles are diverging within Britain. Although consultation in the devolved territories may appear to be more consensual, they are often contrasted with a caricature of the UK process based on atypical examples of top-down policy-making. While there may be a different ‘feel' to participation in Scotland and Wales, a similar logic of consultation and bureaucratic accommodation exists in the UK. This suggests that, although devolution has made a difference, a British (or European) policy style can still be identified

THE MASSIVE AND DISTANT CLUSTERS OF WISE SURVEY. III. SUNYAEV-ZEL'DOVICH MASSES OF GALAXY CLUSTERS AT z ~ 1

We present CARMA 30 GHz Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) observations of five high-redshift (z [> over ~] 1), infrared-selected galaxy clusters discovered as part of the all-sky Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS). The SZ decrements measured toward these clusters demonstrate that the MaDCoWS selection is discovering evolved, massive galaxy clusters with hot intracluster gas. Using the SZ scaling relation calibrated with South Pole Telescope clusters at similar masses and redshifts, we find these MaDCoWS clusters have masses in the range M[subscript 200] ≈ 2-6 X 10[superscript 14] M[subscript ʘ. Three of these are among the most massive clusters found to date at z [> over ~] 1, demonstrating that MaDCoWS is sensitive to the most massive clusters to at least z = 1.3. The added depth of the AllWISE data release will allow all-sky infrared cluster detection to z ≈ 1.5 and beyond