Combustion of Active Carbon as a Model Carbon Material: Comparison of Non-catalytic and Catalytic Oxidation

Kinetics of non-catalytic and Pt-catalysed oxidation of active carbon, selected as a model carbon material was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Investigations were performed in the temperature range from 40 °C to 1000 °C at different heating rates (5–25 °C min–1). The influence of Pt-based catalyst on the combustion kinetics was examined as well. Values of the kinetic parameters, such as activation energy, Ea and Arrhenius pre-exponential factor, A were determined using isoconversional method proposed by Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose. The obtained values were in good agreement with the literature data

Aortic stiffness and left ventricular function in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer

K

Six-fold Coordinated Carbon Dioxide VI

Under standard conditions, carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) is a simple molecular gas and an important atmospheric constituent while silicon dioxide (SiO{sub 2}) is a covalent solid, and represents one of the fundamental minerals of the planet. The remarkable dissimilarity between these two group IV oxides is diminished at higher pressures and temperatures as CO{sub 2} transforms to a series of solid phases, from simple molecular to a fully covalent extended-solid V, structurally analogous to SiO{sub 2} tridymite. Here, we present the discovery of a new extended-solid phase of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}): a six-fold coordinated stishovite-like phase VI, obtained by isothermal compression of associated CO{sub 2}-II above 50GPa at 530-650K. Together with the previously reported CO{sub 2}-V and a-carbonia, this new extended phase indicates a fundamental similarity between CO{sub 2}--a prototypical molecular solid, and SiO{sub 2}--one of Earth's fundamental building blocks. The phase diagram suggests a limited stability domain for molecular CO{sub 2}-I, and proposes that the conversion to extended-network solids above 40-50 GPa occurs via intermediate phases II, III, and IV. The crystal structure of phase VI suggests strong disorder along the caxis in stishovite-like P4{sub 2}/mnm, with carbon atoms manifesting an average six-fold coordination within the framework of sp{sup 3} hybridization

Pressure Induced Bonding Changes in Carbon Dioxide: Six Fold Coordinated CO2

In this LDRD, we examined in detail the pressure-induced bonding and local coordination changes leading to the molecular {yields} associated {yields} extended-solid transitions in carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). We studied the progressive delocalization of electrons from the C=O molecular double bond at high pressures and temperatures, and determined the phase stability and physical properties of a new extended-solid CO{sub 2} phase (VI). We find that the new CO{sub 2} phase VI is based on a network of six-fold coordinated (octahedral) CO{sub 6} structures similar to the ultra-hard SiO{sub 2} phase stishovite

High Pressure Materials Research using Advanced Third-Generation Synchrotron X-ray

The recent discoveries of nonmolecular phases of simple molecular solids [1,2] demonstrate the proof-of-the-principles for producing exotic phases by application of high pressure. Modern advances in theoretical and computational methodologies now make possible to explain or even predict novel structures and properties in a relatively wide range of length scales on the basis of thermodynamic stability [3]. Equally important in materials research is the recent developments in advanced x-ray and laser diagnostics that enable in-situ observations at the formidable pressure-temperature conditions [4]. Having benefited by all these developments, we discuss the first principle of the pressure-induced chemistry, 'Mbar Chemistry', with a few examples that may have important implications in materials research

Flux-tunable heat sink for quantum electric circuits

© 2018 The Author(s). Superconducting microwave circuits show great potential for practical quantum technological applications such as quantum information processing. However, fast and on-demand initialization of the quantum degrees of freedom in these devices remains a challenge. Here, we experimentally implement a tunable heat sink that is potentially suitable for the initialization of superconducting qubits. Our device consists of two coupled resonators. The first resonator has a high quality factor and a fixed frequency whereas the second resonator is designed to have a low quality factor and a tunable resonance frequency. We engineer the low quality factor using an on-chip resistor and the frequency tunability using a superconducting quantum interference device. When the two resonators are in resonance, the photons in the high-quality resonator can be efficiently dissipated. We show that the corresponding loaded quality factor can be tuned from above 10 5 down to a few thousand at 10 GHz in good quantitative agreement with our theoretical model

Elevated [11C]-D-Deprenyl Uptake in Chronic Whiplash Associated Disorder Suggests Persistent Musculoskeletal Inflammation

There are few diagnostic tools for chronic musculoskeletal pain as structural imaging methods seldom reveal pathological alterations. This is especially true for Whiplash Associated Disorder, for which physical signs of persistent injuries to the neck have yet to be established. Here, we sought to visualize inflammatory processes in the neck region by means Positron Emission Tomography using the tracer 11C-D-deprenyl, a potential marker for inflammation. Twenty-two patients with enduring pain after a rear impact car accident (Whiplash Associated Disorder grade II) and 14 healthy controls were investigated. Patients displayed significantly elevated tracer uptake in the neck, particularly in regions around the spineous process of the second cervical vertebra. This suggests that whiplash patients have signs of local persistent peripheral tissue inflammation, which may potentially serve as a diagnostic biomarker. The present investigation demonstrates that painful processes in the periphery can be objectively visualized and quantified with PET and that 11C-D-deprenyl is a promising tracer for these purposes

Novel experimental setup for megahertz X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell at the High Energy Density (HED) instrument of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL)

The high-precision X-ray diffraction setup for work with diamond anvil cells (DACs) in interaction chamber 2 (IC2) of the High Energy Density instrument of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser is described. This includes beamline optics, sample positioning and detector systems located in the multipurpose vacuum chamber. Concepts for pump-probe X-ray diffraction experiments in the DAC are described and their implementation demonstrated during the First User Community Assisted Commissioning experiment. X-ray heating and diffraction of Bi under pressure, obtained using 20 fs X-ray pulses at 17.8 keV and 2.2 MHz repetition, is illustrated through splitting of diffraction peaks, and interpreted employing finite element modeling of the sample chamber in the DAC

Methylation and Loss of Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 3 Enhances Melanoma Cell Migration and Invasion

Wnt signaling is important in development and can also contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer. The Secreted Frizzled Related Proteins (SFRPs) constitute a family of Wnt modulators, crucial for controlling Wnt signaling. Here we investigate the expression and role of SFRP3 in melanoma