Minimum critical velocity of a Gaussian obstacle in a Bose-Einstein condensate

When a superfluid flows past an obstacle, quantized vortices can be created in the wake above a certain critical velocity. In the experiment by W. J. Kwon et al. [Phys. Rev. A 91, 053615 (2015)], the critical velocity $v_c$ was measured for atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) using a moving repulsive Gaussian potential and $v_c$ was minimized when the potential height $V_0$ of the obstacle was close to the condensate chemical potential $\mu$. Here we numerically investigate the evolution of the critical vortex shedding in a two-dimensional BEC with increasing $V_0$ and show that the minimum $v_c$ at the critical strength $V_{0c}\approx \mu$ results from the local density reduction and vortex pinning effect of the repulsive obstacle. The spatial distribution of the superflow around the moving obstacle just below $v_c$ is examined. The particle density at the tip of the obstacle decreases as $V_0$ increases to $V_{c0}$ and at the critical strength, a vortex dipole is suddenly formed and dragged by the moving obstacle, indicating the onset of vortex pinning. The minimum $v_c$ exhibits power-law scaling with the obstacle size $\sigma$ as $v_c\sim \sigma^{-\gamma}$ with $\gamma\approx 1/2$.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Origin of Higher CO Oxidation Activity of Pt/Rutile than That of Pt/ Anatase

Herein, we show that the weak interaction of CO with Pt/TiO2 under the CO oxidation condition is the origin of higher CO oxidation activity of Pt/rutile than that of Pt/anatase. The results of CO temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectros-copy (DRIFTS) indicate that the onset temperatures of CO desorption on freshly prepared Pt/rutile and Pt/anatase are the same. However, the CO-TPD curves of Pt/rutile after the reaction test show that the desorption temperature of CO shifts to a lower temperature, while that for Pt/anatase does not change. The in situ pulse reaction using DRIFTS reveals that CO on Pt/rutile reacted with oxygen faster than CO on Pt/anatase. IR spectra with peak deconvolution of adsorbed CO on Pt/rutile exhibit that CO adsorbed on the terrace sites of Pt clusters on rutile (2089 cm-1) reacts readily with O2. These results indicate that the higher low-temperature activity of Pt/rutile is related to its weaker interaction with CO compared with Pt/anatase under the reaction conditions. Our findings deepen the fundamental understanding of metal-support interaction and CO oxidation on Pt/TiO2 catalysts

Large-area Rb 87 Bose-Einstein condensate in a clipped-Gaussian optical dipole trap

© 2021 American Physical Society.We demonstrate a production of large-area Rb87 Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) using a non-Gaussian optical dipole trap (ODT). The ODT is formed by focusing a symmetrically truncated Gaussian laser beam, and it is shown that the beam clipping causes the trap geometry to be elongated and flattened along the beam axis direction. In the clipped-Gaussian ODT, an elongated, highly oblate BEC of Rb87 is generated with a length and width of approximately 470 and 130μm, respectively, where the condensate healing length is estimated to be ζ≈0.25μm at the trap center. The ODT is characterized to have a quartic trapping potential along the beam axis and the atom density of the condensate is uniform within 10% over 1000ζ in the central region. Finally, we discuss the prospect of conducting vortex shedding experiments using the elongated condensate.11Nsciescopu

Controlling the phase transformation of alumina for enhanced stability and catalytic properties

Current transition alumina catalysts require the presence of significant amounts of toxic, environmentally deleterious dopants for their stabilization. Herein, we report a simple and novel strategy to engineer transition aluminas to withstand aging temperatures up to 1200°C without inducing the transformation to low-surface-area α-alumina and without requiring dopants. By judiciously optimizing the abundance of dominant facets and the interparticle distance, we can control the temperature of the phase transformation from θ-alumina to α-alumina and the specific surface sites on the latter. These specific surface sites provide favorable interactions with supported metal catalysts, leading to improved metal dispersion and greatly enhanced catalytic activity for hydrocarbon oxidation. The results presented herein not only provide molecular-level insights into the critical factors causing deactivation and phase transformation of aluminas but also pave the way for the development of catalysts with excellent activity for catalytic hydrocarbon oxidation

Key Role of a-Top CO on Terrace Sites of Metallic Pd Clusters for CO Oxidation

Pd-based catalysts are the most widely used for CO oxidation because of their outstanding catalytic activity and thermal stability. However, fundamental understanding of the detailed catalytic processes occurring on Pd-based catalysts under realistic conditions is still lacking. In this study, we investigated CO oxidation on metallic Pd clusters supported on Al2O3 and SiO2. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of similar-sized Pd clusters on Al2O3 and SiO2. In contrast, CO chemisorption analysis indicated a gradual change in the dispersion of Pd (from 0.79 to 0.2) on Pd/Al2O3 and a marginal change in the dispersion (from 0.4 to 0.24) on Pd/SiO2 as the Pd loading increased from 0.27 to 5.5 wt %; these changes were attributed to differences in the metal-support interactions. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy revealed that fewer a-top CO species were present in Pd supported on Al2O3 than those in Pd supported on SiO2, which is related to the morphological differences in the metallic Pd clusters on these two supports. Despite the different dispersion profiles and surface characteristics of Pd, O-2 titration demonstrated that linearly bound CO (with an infrared signal at 2090 cm(-1)) reacted first with oxygen in the case of CO-saturated Pd on Al2O3 and SiO2, which suggests that a-top CO on the terrace site plays an important role in CO oxidation. The experimental observations were corroborated by periodic density functional calculations, which confirmed that CO oxidation on the (111) terrace sites is most plausible, both kinetically and thermodynamically, compared to that on the edge or corner sites. This study will deepen the fundamental understanding of the effect of Pd clusters on CO oxidation under reaction conditions

Understanding of Active Sites and Interconversion of Pd and PdO during CH₄ Oxidation

Pd-based catalysts are widely used in the oxidation of CH4 and have a significant impact on global warming. However, understanding their active sites remains controversial, because interconversion between Pd and PdO occurs consecutively during the reaction. Understanding the intrinsic active sites under reaction conditions is critical for developing highly active and selective catalysts. In this study, we demonstrated that partially oxidized palladium (PdOx) on the surface plays an important role for CH4 oxidation. Regardless of whether the initial state of Pd corresponds to oxides or metallic clusters, the topmost surface is PdOx, which is formed during CH4 oxidation. A quantitative analysis using CO titration, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that a surface PdO layer was formed on top of the metallic Pd clusters during the CH4 oxidation reaction. Furthermore, the time-on-stream test of CH4 oxidation revealed that the presence of the PdO layer on top of the metallic Pd clusters improves the catalytic activity. Our periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations with a PdOx slab and nanoparticle models aided the elucidation of the structure of the experimental PdO particles, as well as the experimental C-O bands. The DFT results also revealed the formation of a PdO layer on the metallic Pd clusters. This study helps achieve a fundamental understanding of the active sites of Pd and PdO for CH4 oxidation and provides insights into the development of active and durable Pd-based catalysts through molecular-level design

α-Pinene Enhances the Anticancer Activity of Natural Killer Cells via ERK/AKT Pathway

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that can directly destroy cancer cells. When NK cells are activated, CD56 and CD107a markers are able to recognize cancer cells and release perforin and granzyme B proteins that induce apoptosis in the targeted cells. In this study, we focused on the role of phytoncides in activating NK cells and promoting anticancer effects. We tested the effects of several phytoncide compounds on NK-92mi cells and demonstrated that α-pinene treatment exhibited higher anticancer effects, as observed by the increased levels of perforin, granzyme B, CD56 and CD107a. Furthermore, α-pinene treatment in NK-92mi cells increased NK cell cytotoxicity in two different cell lines, and immunoblot assays revealed that the ERK/AKT pathway is involved in NK cell cytotoxicity in response to phytoncides. Furthermore, CT-26 colon cancer cells were allografted subcutaneously into BALB/c mice, and α-pinene treatment then inhibited allografted tumor growth. Our findings demonstrate that α-pinene activates NK cells and increases NK cell cytotoxicity, suggesting it is a potential compound for cancer immunotherapy

A systematic exploration of ginsenoside Rg5 reveals anti-inflammatory functions in airway mucosa cells

Background: Hyperactivated airway mucosa cells overproduce mucin and cause severe breathing complications. Here, we aimed to identify the effects of saponins derived from Panax ginseng on inflammation and mucin overproduction. Methods: NCI–H292 cells were pre-incubated with 16 saponins derived from P. ginseng, and mucin overproduction was induced by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Mucin protein MUC5AC was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and mRNA levels were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Moreover, we performed a transcriptome analysis of PMA-treated NCI–H292 cells in the absence or presence of Rg5, and differential gene expression was confirmed using qPCR. Phosphorylation levels of signaling molecules, and the abundance of lipid droplets, were measured by western blotting, flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy. Results: Ginsenoside Rg5 effectively reduced MUC5AC secretion and decreased MUC5AC mRNA levels. A systematic functional network analysis revealed that Rg5 upregulated cholesterol and glycerolipid metabolism, resulting in the production of lipid droplets to clear reactive oxygen species (ROS), and modulated the mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways to regulate inflammatory responses. Rg5 induced the accumulation of lipid droplets and decreased cellular ROS levels, and N-acetyl-l-cysteine, a ROS inhibitor, reduced MUC5AC secretion via Rg5. Furthermore, Rg5 hampered the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 proteins, affecting the NF-κB signaling pathway and pro-inflammatory responses. Conclusion: Rg5 alleviated inflammatory responses by reducing mucin secretion and promoting lipid droplet-mediated ROS clearance. Therefore, Rg5 may have potential as a therapeutic agent to alleviate respiratory disorders caused by hyperactivation of mucosa cells