Smart SQUIDs based on Relaxation Oscillation SQUIDs

Smart SQUIDs based on double Relaxation Oscillation SQUIDs (DROS) and a superconducting up-down counter have been developed. DROS and counter form a flux locked loop on one single chip. The DROS output consists of a series of pulses that controls the two up and down write gates of the counter. The pulsed output structure of the DROS constitutes the internal clock for this single-chip device. Several prototypes were built with a clock frequency of 100 MHz, a linear operation flux range of about 2.5 ¿0, and a white noise level of 6.5 ¿¿0/¿Hz. The smart SQUID is in principle a promising device for application in multichannel SQUID system

Optimization of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 as host for the production of cis, cis-muconate from benzoate

Optimization of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 as host for the production of cis, cis-muconate from benzoate P. putida KT2440 was used as biocatalyst given its versatile and energetically robust metabolism. Therefore, a mutant was generated and a process developed based on which a life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed. Additionally, the growth related parameters were experimentally obtained to constrain the metabolic model iJP815 further. The mutant Pseudomonas putida KT2440-JD1 was derived from P. putida KT2440 after NTGmutagenesis and exposure to 3-fluorobenzoate. The strain was no longer able to grow with benzoate as a single source of carbon and energy. Instead, benzoate was co-metabolized to cis, cis-muconate that accumulated in the culture medium while the strain grew on glucose. In batch cultures, a maximal production rate per gram biomass of 2.0 g cis, cis-muconate gDCW -1 h-1 was obtained. This is 8-fold higher than thus far reported. The cat operon was no longer expressed in P. putida KT2440-JD1 due to a point mutation in the regulator gene catR. This operon contains the genes for the conversion of catechol to metabolites of the central metabolism, including catA, which encodes a catechol 1,2-dioxygenase. Consequently, benzoate is converted in the mutant by enzymes that are encoded on the ben operon. This operon includes a gene (catA2; PP_3166) that encodes an additional catechol 1,2-dioxygenase, thus allowing the conversion of benzoate to cis, cis-muconate. In batch cultures the maximal growth rate of P. putida KT2440-JD1 in mineral medium with glucose decreased linearly in the presence of increasing concentrations of benzoate and/or cis, cismuconate and finally stopped at 6 g L-1 benzoate or 85 g L-1 cis, cis-muconate. The inhibitory effects of both compounds were cumulative and no synergistic effects were observed. The maximal uptake rate of benzoate was higher than the production rate of cis, cis-muconate per gram biomass during growth on glucose in the presence of benzoate, indicating that a benzoate derivative accumulated in the cells, which is likely to be catechol, as accumulation of this intermediate was observed. Catechol is known to cause oxidative stress, and the accumulation of catechol and benzoate should be prevented during the production of cis, cis-muconate. This is feasible by coupling the addition of benzoate to the decrease of the pH of the culture medium in a so-called pHstat process, as the cultivation medium acidifies only when benzoate has been converted to cis, cismuconate. Such a pH-stat fed-batch process resulted in the production of 18.5 g L-1 cis, cismuconate from benzoate with a molar yield of 96%. The phenotype of P. putida KT2440 can be assessed by the constraint-based metabolic model iJP815. The solution space of the model based on flux variability analysis was further constrained by growth associated maintenance, non-growth associated maintenance, and biomass composition determined form the experimentally measured growth-related factors of the strain that were generated during continuous cultivations at various dilution rates (D) (0.05-0.49) h-1. Transcriptomic profiles obtained at a D of 0.2 h-1 were consistent with model predictions of expressed genes based on flux balance analysis. The growth-related macro molecular composition of the biomass was similar as measured with E. coli K-12. However, growth parameters like the maximum biomass yield and maintenance coefficient were different. The energy required for assembly of P. putida KT2440 is higher compared to E. coli W3110, which will result in higher costs of glucose in biotechnological processes. On the other hand, the metabolism is robust as even at a D of 0.49 h-1 no overflow metabolism was observed. The lack of overflow metabolism is of great importance as it underscores the capacity of P. putida KT2440 as biocatalyst e.g. for conversions involving cofactor dependent oxygenase reactions. Further restriction of enzymatic conversions with already published 13C measurements only decreased the maximum solution space excluding solutions that are far from the experimental phenotype. Possibly, the best agreement was reached within limitations of constraint-based modeling. A LCA was performed on a combined biological and chemical process for the production of adipic acid. The outcome was compared with the traditional chemical process. The LCA focused on the cumulative energy demand, cumulative exergy demand and the CO2 equivalent emissions, with CO2 and N2O separate. Acidified cis, cis-muconate can be easily hydrogenated to adipic acid a resource for nylon-6,6 used in carpets and the auto industry, because of its long lasting and strong features. Feedstocks have a large effect on the overall environmental impact. The soil bacterium P. putida KT2440 has a versatile metabolism and is able to convert various feedstocks to cis, cis-muconate. Consequently, the use of feedstocks with a lower energy demand were taken into account besides benzoate, including: the petrochemical based feedstocks impure aromatics and toluene, and the biomass based feedstock phenol (from lignin). The effect of an increase of the final concentration cis, cis-muconate in the fermentor broth from 1.85% to 4.26% was modeled as P. putida KT2440- JD1 was able to consume benzoate up to 4.26% cis, cis-muconate. At a final concentration of 1.85% cis, cis-muconate, the use of impure aromatics and lignin instead of benzoate reduced the energy demand compared to the chemical production of adipic acid. The applicability of these feedstocks depends on the metabolic robustness of P. putida KT2440-JD1 with impure aromatics, and/or the development of an efficient process for the production of phenol from lignin. At a final concentration of 4.26% cis, cis-muconate the process energy and CO2eq emissions were reduced for all feedstocks. The pH-stat fed-batch process had a higher production rate per gram biomass compared to other processes although the speed was significantly lower as measured during the batch cultures. By generating a high cell density in combination of a pH-regulated inflow of benzoate, the volumetric productivity will increase as has been described for a cell-recycle process. While this only has a minor impact on the energy consumption, it does have a major impact on the economic parameters of an industrial scale bio-reactor. Recycling biomass with a membrane and using a solvent, as e.g. cold diethyl ether, after the acidification of the medium (pH 2.5) for the extraction of cis, cismuconate, could further reduce the environmental impact. The use of solvents will result in a higher product concentration and/or the evaporation will require less energy since the boiling temperature of solvents is most often lower than water. </p

\u3ci\u3eManifestations\u3c/i\u3e: A fixed media microtonal octet

Manifestations is a composition in three movements, scored for an octet comprising the following instruments: flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet in B♭ (doubling bass clarinet), trumpet in C, tenor trombone, piano, marimba, violin, and cello. This piece serves as a vehicle for demonstrating the use of pitch adjustment software to incorporate microtonal aspects into a fixed-media piece. By utilizing this software, acoustic instruments may accurately provide pitches outside of the traditional twelve-tone chromatic scale in ways that impart expressiveness and/or provide structural significance without any physical alteration or extended techniques. The microtonal elements of this piece are incorporated via three primary techniques, which I call controlled beating, linear inflection, and centstonic modulation. In my paper, I describe what each of these techniques entails and how they relate to and inform the piece. I also outline the workflow I used for producing a recording of this piece so that this process may be applied to works with similar concepts in the future. The aim of Manifestations is to invite acoustic instruments into the novel pitch territory of microtonal music. However, despite the relatively new pitch elements, this piece is not entirely reliant on the novelty of these elements for its musical substance. Rather, it was my intention to build upon the contemporary repertoire by applying the techniques described herein to conventional compositional principles. For a majority of the piece there are other forces at work that are the primary focus, such as the durational pattern in the first movement and the “diamond” motive in the second, which are articulated and clarified by the microtonal elements. It is this careful synthesis that I believe will strengthen my mission of advocacy

The use of (double) relaxation oscillation SQUIDs as a sensor

Relaxation Oscillation SQUIDs (ROSs) and Double Relaxation Oscillation SQUIDs (DROSs) are based on relaxation oscillations that are induced in hysteretic dc SQUIDs by an external L-R shunt. The relaxation frequency of a ROS varies with the applied flux Φ, whereas the output of a DROS is a dc voltage, with a typical flux-to-voltage transfer of ∂V/∂Φ&ap;1 mV/Φ0. The flux-to-frequency response of several ROSs has been measured and compared with theory for frequencies up to 7 GHz. Various DROS designs-a multi-loop direct coupling DROS, a DROS with a washer type signal SQUID and a DROS with gradiometric signal SQUID-will be discussed in this paper. The integration of a DROS with a digital flux locked loop (“Smart DROS”) will also be analyze

High Sensitivity Magnetic Flux Sensors with Direct Voltage Readout Double Relaxation Oscillation SQUIDs

The experimental sensitivity of double relaxation oscillation SQUIDs (DROSs) has been compared with theory and with the results obtained by numerical simulations. The experimental sensitivity ranges from 60 to 13h, where h is Planck's constant, for relaxation frequencies from 0.4 up to 10 GHz. For low frequencies the DROS characteristics can be explained by thermal noise on the critical currents. For high frequencies, the voltage-flux characteristics and the sensitivity are limited by the plasma frequency. The cross-over frequency is at 2 GHz, which is about 2% of the plasma frequency of the DROS

Revenue recognition disclosure quality in the financial statements of Dutch construction companies

This study focuses on the revenue recognition disclosure quality of Dutch construction companies for a sample of both IFRS and Dutch GAAP applying companies. Attention is paid to the quality of the disclosures of significant judgements and estimates for IFRS issuers before and after the implementation of IFRS 15. Furthermore, a baseline measurement on the revenue recognition disclosures required by Dutch Accounting Standards ('DAS') 221 and 270 has been performed on the Dutch GAAP sample. We discuss also the forthcoming changes in these standards which will become effective for financial reporting years starting as per 1 January 2022. This study finds that overall the quality of disclosure of significant judgements and estimates related to the revenue recognition improved after the implementation of IFRS 15. Also, IFRS issuers provide relatively more useful disclosures than DAS issuers

Does institutional quality condition the impact of financial stability transparency on financial stability?

Using a fixed effects panel model on data for 110 countries over the period 2000-2011, we confirm previous findings that financial stability transparency increases the degree of financial stability in a country. However, our results also suggest that financial stability transparency is significantly negatively related to banks' non-performing loans only with low institutional quality