Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage Program

The Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (STES) Program designed to demonstrate the storage and retrieval of energy on a seasonal basis using heat or cold available from waste or other sources during a surplus period is described. Factors considered include reduction of peak period demand and electric utility load problems and establishment of favorable economics for district heating and cooling systems for commercialization of the technology. The initial thrust of the STES Program toward utilization of ground water systems (aquifers) for thermal energy storage is emphasized

Selective Lanthanide Sensing with Gold Nanoparticles and Hydroxypyridinone Chelators.

The octadentate hydroxypyridinone chelator 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) is a promising therapeutic agent because of its high affinity for f-block elements and noncytotoxicity at medical dosages. The interaction between 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) and other biomedically relevant metals such as gold, however, has not been explored. Gold nanoparticles functionalized with chelators have demonstrated great potential in theranostics, yet thus far, no protocol that combines 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) and colloidal gold has been developed. Here, we characterize the solution thermodynamic properties of the complexes formed between 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) and Au3+ ions and demonstrate how under specific pH conditions the chelator promotes the growth of gold nanoparticles, acting as both reducing and stabilizing agent. 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) ligands on the nanoparticle surface remain active and selective toward f-block elements, as evidenced by gold nanoparticle selective aggregation. Finally, a new colorimetric assay capable of reaching the detection levels necessary for the quantification of lanthanides in waste from industrial processes is developed based on the inhibition of particle growth by lanthanides

Effects of Salinity Changes on the Photodegradation and Ultraviolet-Visible Absorbance of Terrestrial Dissolved Organic Matter

We performed laboratory studies to determine the effects of salinity on the photodegradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia, an important source of terrestrial DOM to the lower Chesapeake Bay. Samples were created by mixing Great Dismal Swamp water (ionic strength approximate to 0 mol L-1) with modified artificial seawater solutions of differing salinities while keeping the final dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration constant. These samples were then irradiated for 24 h in a light box providing ultraviolet (UV) light similar to that of natural sunlight. Light absorbance and DOC concentrations decreased after photoexposure, whereas dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations increased. Variations in salinity affected both DIC production and UV absorption, with the higher salinity samples showing lower DIC production and less photobleaching. Addition of an iron chelator eliminated the relationship between photochemistry and salinity by reducing both photobleaching and DIC production at low salinities. As terrigenous DOM transits through an estuary, its photochemical reactivity and optical properties may change significantly as a function of salinity, probably as a result of changes in DOM conformation or changes in iron-DOM photochemistry, or both

Solid seeded soybeans in missouri

William J. Murphy and Harry C. Minor (Department of Agronomy), Edward J. Constien (Department of Agricultural Engineering), Donald E. Null (Area Agronomy Extension Specialist, College of Agriculture)New 1/80/15

Comparison of the Hindin Proteins of Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, S. purpuratus, and Lytechinus variegatus: Sequences involved in the Species Specificity of Fertilization

Bindin is the sea urchin sperm acrosomal protein that is responsible for the species-specific adhesion of the sperm to the egg. Two new bindin cDNA sequences that contain the entire open reading frame for the binding precursor are reported: one for Strongylocentrotus franciscanus and one for Lytechinus variegatus. Both contain inverted repetitive sequences in their 3' untranslated regions, and the S. franciscanus cDNA contains an inverted repetitive sequence match between the 5' untranslated region and the coding region. The middle third of the mature bindin sequence is highly conserved in all three species, and the flanking sequences share short repeated sequences that vary in number between the species. Cross-fertilization data are reported for the species S. purpuratus, S. franciscanus, L. variegatus, and L. pictus. A barrier to cross-fertilization exists between the sympatric Strongylocentrotus species, but there is no barrier between the allopatric Lytechinus species

Recent atmospheric neutrino results from Soudan 2

An updated measurement of the atmospheric nu_mu/nu_e ratio-of-ratios, 0.68+-0.11+-0.06, has been obtained using a 4.6-kty exposure of the Soudan-2 iron tracking calorimeter. The L/E distributions have been analyzed for effects of nu_mu -> nu_x oscillations, and an allowed region in the Delta m^2 vs. sin^2 2 theta plane has been determined.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures; presented at TAUP99, the 6th Int. Workshop on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, Sept. 6-10, 1999, College de France, Paris, Franc

Strong Correlations in Electron Doped Phthalocyanine Conductors Near Half Filling

We propose that electron doped nontransition metal-phthalocyanines (MPc) like ZnPc and MgPc, similar to those very recently reported, should constitute novel strongly correlated metals. Due to orbital degeneracy, Jahn-Teller coupling and Hund's rule exchange, and with a large on-site Coulomb repulsion, these molecular conductors should display, particularly near half filling at two electrons/molecule, very unconventional properties, including Mott insulators, strongly correlated superconductivity, and other intriguing phases.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, submited to PR