ATLASGAL-selected massive clumps in the inner Galaxy: I. CO depletion and isotopic ratios

In the low-mass regime, it is found that the gas-phase abundances of C-bearing molecules in cold starless cores rapidly decrease with increasing density, as the molecules form mantles on dust grains. We study CO depletion in 102 massive clumps selected from the ATLASGAL 870 micron survey, and investigate its correlation with evolutionary stage and with the physical parameters of the sources. Moreover, we study the gradients in [12C]/[13C] and [18O]/[17O] isotopic ratios across the inner Galaxy, and the virial stability of the clumps. We use low-J emission lines of CO isotopologues and the dust continuum emission to infer the depletion factor fD. RATRAN one-dimensional models were also used to determine fD and to investigate the presence of depletion above a density threshold. The isotopic ratios and optical depth were derived with a Bayesian approach. We find a significant number of clumps with a large fD, up to ~20. Larger values are found for colder clumps, thus for earlier evolutionary phases. For massive clumps in the earliest stages of evolution we estimate the radius of the region where CO depletion is important to be a few tenths of a pc. Clumps are found with total masses derived from dust continuum emission up to ~20 times higher than the virial mass, especially among the less evolved sources. These large values may in part be explained by the presence of depletion: if the CO emission comes mainly from the low-density outer layers, the molecules may be subthermally excited, leading to an overestimate of the dust masses. CO depletion in high-mass clumps seems to behave as in the low-mass regime, with less evolved clumps showing larger values for the depletion than their more evolved counterparts, and increasing for denser sources. The C and O isotopic ratios are consistent with previous determinations, and show a large intrinsic scatter.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figures, 38 pages of online material (tables and figures

An Efficient Solution Method for Multibody Systems with Loops Using Multiple Processors

This paper describes a multibody dynamics algorithm formulated for parallel implementation on multiprocessor computing platforms using the divide-and-conquer approach. The system of interest is a general topology of rigid and elastic articulated bodies with or without loops. The algorithm divides the multibody system into a number of smaller sets of bodies in chain or tree structures, called "branches" at convenient joints called "connection points", and uses an Order-N (O (N)) approach to formulate the dynamics of each branch in terms of the unknown spatial connection forces. The equations of motion for the branches, leaving the connection forces as unknowns, are implemented in separate processors in parallel for computational efficiency, and the equations for all the unknown connection forces are synthesized and solved in one or several processors. The performances of two implementations of this divide-and-conquer algorithm in multiple processors are compared with an existing method implemented on a single processor

Anammox treatment performances using polyethylene sponge as a biomass carrier

Nitrogen removal using a polyethylene (PE) sponge biomass carrier was evaluated in a fixed-bed reactor for nitrogen removal by the anammox process. The fixed-bed reactor was operated continuously for 240 days. Average T-N removal efficiencies of each period increased from 38 % to 67 %, 72 %, 74 % to 75 % with stepwise increases in volumetric T-N loading rates. A T-N removal rate of 2.8 kg N/m3/day was obtained after 240 days of operation. After 3 months, anammox biomass fully covered the surface of the PE sponge carrier and the color of the material changed from white to red. Following 5 months of operation, biomass proliferated on the surface of the material and a dark-red color was observed. These results shown that anammox process using PE sponge materials as biomass carriers in the fixed-bed reactor will be suitable for NH4-N removal from wastewater containing high NH4-N. However, it is necessary to investigate whether PE sponge material can operate under high organic carbon concentrations in anammox process, because these wastewaters always contain high concentration of organic matter

Thermal conductivity enhancement of laser induced graphene foam upon P3HT infiltration

Significant research has been dedicated to the exploration of high thermal conductivity polymer composite materials with conductive filler particles for use in heat transfer applications. However, poor particle dispersibility and interfacial phonon scattering have limited the effective composite thermal conductivity. Three-dimensional foams with high ligament thermal conductivity offer a potential solution to the two aforementioned problems but are traditionally fabricated through expensive and/or complex manufacturing methods. Here, laser induced graphene foams, fabricated through a simple and cost effective laser ablation method, are infiltrated with poly(3-hexylthiophene) in a step-wise fashion to demonstrate the impact of polymer on the thermal conductivity of the composite system. Surprisingly, the addition of polymer results in a drastic (250%) improvement in material thermal conductivity, enhancing the graphene foam's thermal conductivity from 0.68 W/m-K to 1.72 W/m-K for the fully infiltrated composite material. Graphene foam density measurements and theoretical models are utilized to estimate the effective ribbon thermal conductivity as a function of polymer filling. Here, it is proposed that the polymer solution acts as a binding material, which draws graphene ligaments together through elastocapillary coalescence and bonds these ligaments upon drying, resulting in greatly reduced contact resistance within the foam and an effective thermal conductivity improvement greater than what would be expected from the addition of polymer alone

New records for the liverwort and hornwort flora of Vietnam, 1

After the examination of the Cryptogam collection in the Herbarium of the University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (PHH), 25 species proved to be new to Vietnam, including one hornwort and 24 liverworts. Among them, four genera: Denotarisia Grolle, Gongylanthus Nees, Leiomitra Lindb. and Lepicolea Dumort. are new records for the country. Diagnostic characters and illustrations are given for some taxa, as well as locality notes and habitat descriptions are provided for each collecting area

Reduced quasifission competition in fusion reactions forming neutron-rich heavy elements

Measurements of mass-angle distributions (MADs) for Cr + W reactions, providing a wide range in the neutron-to-proton ratio of the compound system, (N/Z)CN, have allowed for the dependence of quasifission on the (N/Z)CN to be determined in a model-independent way. Previous experimental and theoretical studies had produced conflicting conclusions. The experimental MADs reveal an increase in contact time and mass evolution of the quasifission fragments with increasing (N/Z)CN, which is indicative of an increase in the fusion probability. The experimental results are in agreement with microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations of the quasifission process. The experimental and theoretical results favor the use of the most neutron-rich projectiles and targets for the production of heavy and superheavy nuclei.Comment: Accepted to PRC as a Rapid Communicatio

Intranasal Resveratrol Nanoparticles Enhance Neuroprotection in a Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol which has a very low bioavailability but whose antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Previously, we reported the oral administration of resveratrol nanoparticles (RNs) elicited a neuroprotective effect in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS, at significantly lower doses than unconjugated resveratrol (RSV) due to enhanced bioavailability. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the intranasal administration of a cell-derived secretome-based therapy at low concentrations leads to the selective neuroprotection of the optic nerve in EAE mice. The current study sought to assess the potential selective efficacy of lower concentrations of intranasal RNs for attenuating optic nerve damage in EAE mice. EAE mice received either a daily intranasal vehicle, RNs or unconjugated resveratrol (RSV) for a period of thirty days beginning on the day of EAE induction. Mice were assessed daily for limb paralysis and weekly for visual function using the optokinetic response (OKR) by observers masked to treatment regimes. After sacrifice at day 30, spinal cords and optic nerves were stained to assess inflammation and demyelination, and retinas were immunostained to quantify retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival. Intranasal RNs significantly increased RGC survival at half the dose previously shown to be required when given orally, reducing the risk of systemic side effects associated with prolonged use. Both intranasal RSV and RN therapies enhanced RGC survival trends, however, only the effects of intranasal RNs were significant. RGC loss was prevented even in the presence of inflammatory and demyelinating changes induced by EAE in optic nerves. The intranasal administration of RNs is able to reduce RGC loss independent of the inflammatory and demyelinating effects on the optic nerve and the spinal cord. The concentration of RNs needed to achieve neuroprotection is lower than previously demonstrated with oral administration, suggesting intranasal drug delivery combined with nanoparticle conjugation warrants further exploration as a potential neuroprotective strategy for the treatment of optic neuritis, alone as well as in combination with glucocorticoids

Importance of lifetime effects in breakup and suppression of complete fusion in reactions of weakly bound nuclei

Complete fusion cross sections in collisions of light, weakly bound nuclei and high Z targets show above-barrier suppression of complete fusion. This has been interpreted as resulting from breakup of the weakly bound nucleus prior to reaching the fusion barrier, reducing the probability of complete fusion. This paper investigates how these conclusions are affected by lifetimes of the resonant states that are populated prior to breakup. If the mean life of a populated resonance is much longer than the fusion timescale, then its breakup cannot suppress complete fusion. For short-lived resonances, the situation is more complex. This work includes the mean life of the short-lived 2+ resonance in 8Be in classical dynamical model calculations to determine its effect on energy and angular correlations of the breakup fragments and on predictions of fusion suppression. Coincidence measurements of breakup fragments produced in reactions of 9Be with 144Sm, 168Er, 186W, 196Pt, 208Pb and 209Bi at energies below the barrier are re-analysed. Predictions of breakup observables and of complete and incomplete fusion at energies above the fusion barrier are made using the classical dynamical simulation code PLATYPUS, modified to include the lifetimes of short-lived resonant states. The agreement of the breakup observables is improved when lifetime effects are included. The predicted suppression of complete fusion due to breakup is nearly independent of Z, with an average value of 9%, below the experimentally determined fusion suppression of 30% in these systems. This more realistic treatment of breakup leads to the conclusion that the suppression of complete fusion cannot be fully explained by breakup prior to reaching the fusion barrier. Other mechanisms that can suppress complete fusion must be investigated. A candidate is cluster transfer that produces the same nuclei as incomplete fusion.This work was supported by ARC Grants No. FL110100098, No. DP130101569, and No. DP140101337