Collisions of Deformed Nuclei: A Path to the Far Side of the Superheavy Island

A detailed understanding of complete fusion cross sections in heavy-ion collisions requires a consideration of the effects of the deformation of the projectile and target. Our aim here is to show that deformation and orientation of the colliding nuclei have a very significant effect on the fusion-barrier height and on the compactness of the touching configuration. To facilitate discussions of fusion configurations of deformed nuclei, we develop a classification scheme and introduce a notation convention for these configurations. We discuss particular deformations and orientations that lead to compact touching configurations and to fusion-barrier heights that correspond to fairly low excitation energies of the compound systems. Such configurations should be the most favorable for producing superheavy elements. We analyse a few projectile-target combinations whose deformations allow favorable entrance-channel configurations and whose proton and neutron numbers lead to compound systems in a part of the superheavy region where alpha half-lives are calculated to be observable, that is, longer than 1 microsecond.Comment: 15 pages. LaTeX with iopconf.sty style file. Submitted to Nuclear Physics A. 25 figures not included here. PostScript version with figures available at http://t2.lanl.gov/pub/publications/publications.html or at ftp://t2.lanl.gov/pub/publications/cd

A high-entropy wind r-process study based on nuclear-structure quantities from the new finite-range droplet model FRDM(2012)

Theoretical studies of the nucleosynthesis origin of the heavy elements in our Solar System (S.S.) by the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) still face the entwined uncertainties in the possible astrophysical scenarios and the nuclear-physics properties far from stability. In this paper we present results from the investigation of an r-process in the high-entropy wind (HEW) of core-collapse supernovae (here chosen as one of the possible scenarios for this nucleosynthesis process), using new nuclear-data input calculated in a consistent approach, for masses and $\beta$-decay properties from the new finite-range droplet model FRDM(2012). The accuracy of the new mass model is 0.56 MeV with respect to {\sc AME2003}, to which it was adjusted. We compare the new HEW r-process abundance pattern to the latest S.S. r-process residuals and to our earlier calculations with the nuclear-structure quantities based on FRDM(1992). Substantial overall and specific local improvements in the calculated pattern of the r-process between $A\simeq 110$ and $^{209}$Bi, as well as remaining deficiencies are discussed in terms of the underlying spherical and deformed shell structure far from stability.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

The deactivation of Zeolite-Y and mordenite during hexane cracking and propene oligomerisation

Bibliography : pages 244-253.The objective of this study was to determine the effect that the type of catalyst and reaction would have on the rate of deactivation, properties of coke and transport properties of the catalyst. HY and HM were chosen because of their different pore structures and acid site distributions. Hexane cracking at 1 atmosphere and high pressure propene oligomerisation provided two different reaction types. The transport properties of the catalysts were compared by measuring adsorption and diffusion using the GC technique with ancillary information obtained from ammonia TPD, mercury porosimetry and BET surface area measurements. It was confirmed that a knowledge of the crystallite size distribution was necessary to predict the adsorption and diffusion of light hydrocarbons in HY and HM. The adsorption constants and heats of sorption were found to,be much greater in HM than in HY, in agreement with the presence of a greater number of strong acid sites detected in HM by ammonia TPD. The diffusivities of the Tight hydrocarbons were too large to measure in HY. In HM only methane diffusion was too fast to measure. Diffusivities decreased and adsorption constant increased with increasing molecular size. HY had greater activity and slower deactivation than HM towards hexane cracking. The reaction as well as coking took place in the micro-pores. The graphitic coke content of HY was much greater than in HM. The introduction of the macro-pore adsorption term was necessary to predict diffusion in coked samples, emphasizing the severity of the diffusional resistance. While hydrocarbon diffusivities decreased after cracking, adsorption constants were found to increase in the presence of graphitic coke in J-IY. In HM the deactivation took place primarily by pore blockage, with strong acid sites being preferentially removed. Both diffusivities and adsorption constants decreased in the presence of coke in HM. In HY and HM deactivated by oligomerisation, macro-pore adsorption had to be taken into account, again emphasizing the severe diffusional resistance. Reaction as well as graphitic coke occurred predominantly in the micro-pores in HY. High boiling point hydrocarbons were able to migrate into the mesopores where they closed the mouths of the micro-pores in HY. Strongly adsorbed high boiling point hydrocarbons which deactivated the catalyst presented far less diffusional resistance in HY than the equivalent mass of graphitic coke. These high boiling point hydrocarbons also markedly lowered the adsorption constants. Graphitic coke was responsible for the modification of the catalyst selectivity. Temperature runaway in HY caused severe coking and hence deactivation. The inactivity of HM below 200°C was caused by strong adsorption and high diffusional resistance of reactant and product. Pore blockage was the dominant deactivation mechanism in HM, while in HY it was partial pore blockage by graphitic coke and pore mouth closure by high boiling point hydrocarbons. It was possible to restore the activity of HY for oligomerisation by flushing the high boiling point hydrocarbons in flowing nitrogen

Periodic motor impairments in a case of 48-hour bipolar ultrarapid cycling before and under treatment with valproate

Motor impairments of psychiatric patients can be assessed with digital recordings of handwriting tasks. The investigation of patients with bipolar affective disorders differentiates intraindividual changes related to the patient's fluctuating affective states. An unmedicated 67-year-old male with 48-hour bipolar ultrarapid cycling was investigated during 8 consecutive days of ultrarapid cycling and 4 weeks later, after remission under treatment with valproate. The handwriting skills of the patient followed the same rhythmic changes of the psychopathology in the first part of the study and a steady pattern in the second phase, after remission. Therefore, it can be assumed that the handwriting skills reflect a state marker of the disease. Poorer handwriting skills on the manic days, as compared to the depressive ones, support the hypothesis of a low arousal in manic patients. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

Stichwort: Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht

Zusammenfassung: Die naturwissenschaftliche Bildung ist wieder vermehrt in den Fokus fachdidaktischer, erziehungswissenschaftlicher und politischer Diskussionen gerückt. In diesem Reviewartikel werden Schwerpunkte der naturwissenschaftsdidaktischen Forschung und Perspektiven der Entwicklung des naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichts präsentiert. Dabei geht es einerseits um Ziele naturwissenschaftlicher Bildung, andererseits um Schwerpunkte empirischer fachdidaktischer Forschung sowie um Arbeiten zur inhaltlichen Weiterentwicklung des Unterrichts. Ausblicke auf Implementationen von Erneuerungen sowie auf Zukunftsperspektiven der naturwissenschaftlichen Bildung runden den Beitrag a

Inhibition of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Blockade of cytokines, particularly of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), in immuno-inflammatory diseases, has led to the greatest advances in medicine of recent years. We did a thorough review of the literature with a focus on inflammation models in rodents on modified gene expression or bioactivity for IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, and we summarized the results of randomized controlled clinical trials in human disease. What we have learned herewith is that important information can be achieved by the use of animal models in complex, immune-mediated diseases. However, a clear ranking for putative therapeutic targets appears difficult to obtain from an experimental approach alone. This is primarily due to the fact that none of the disease models has proven to cover more than one crucial pathogenetic aspect of the complex cascade of events leading to characteristic clinical disease signs and symptoms. This supports the notion that the addressed human immune-mediated diseases are polygenic and the summation of genetic, perhaps epigenetic, and environmental factors. Nevertheless, it has become apparent, so far, that TNF-α is of crucial importance in the development of antigen-dependent and antigen-independent models of inflammation, and that these results correlate well with clinical success. With some delay, clinical trials in conditions having some relationship with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) indicate new opportunities for blocking IL-1 or IL-6 therapeutically. It appears, therefore, that a translational approach with critical, mutual reflection of simultaneously performed experiments and clinical trials is important for rapid identification of new targets and development of novel treatment options in complex, immune-mediated, inflammatory disease