Comment on "Carnot efficiency at divergent power output" (and additional discussion)

In a recent Letter [EPL, 118 (2017) 40003], Polettini and Esposito claimed that it is theoretically possible for a thermodynamic machine to achieve Carnot efficiency at divergent power output through the use of infinitely-fast processes. It appears however that this assertion is misleading as it is not supported by their derivations as demonstrated below. In this Comment, we first show that there is a confusion regarding the notion of optimal efficiency. We then analyze the quantum dot engine described in Ref. [EPL, 118 (2017) 40003] and demonstrate that Carnot efficiency is recovered only for vanishing output power. Moreover, a discussion on the use of infinite thermodynamical forces to reach Carnot efficiency is also presented in the appendix.Comment: Modified version compared to the manuscript submitted to EP

Effects of Ion Valency on Polyelectrolyte Brushes: A Unified Theory

Ion valency has strong effects on the conformation of polyelectrolyte brushes, which is important for designing the adhesive and lubrication properties of the surface. But a unified theory applicable to both monovalent and multivalent ions is still lacking. Using a consistent description of ion adsorption, we demonstrate the significant effect of ion valency on the brush conformation and the distribution of ions in the system. Our theoretical predictions are consistent with experimental and simulation results. When the system involves only monovalent ions in the solution, our theory predicts that the brush height vs added salt concentration undergoes osmotic and salted brush regimes, consistent with the previous studies. Interestingly, when multivalent ions are present in the solution, the brush height undergoes an adsorption regimewhich has not been reported beforein addition to the osmotic and salted regimes. Furthermore, at low salt concentrations, the ion valency of added ions can cause a phase transition in the brush. Our study provides a unified theory for the effects of ions on polyelectrolyte brushes. It reveals that the collapse behavior of the multivalent cation system is mainly caused by adsorption, which originates from the strong electrostatic interaction between monomers and multivalent cations under specific adsorption configurations

Role of clays in fouling-resistant clay-embedded polyelectrolyte multilayer membranes for wastewater effluent treatment

<p>This study aimed to investigate the effects of cation exchange capacity (CEC) and location of clay nanoplatelets on the structure and performance of clay-embedded polyelectrolyte multilayer (c-PEM) membranes for wastewater effluent treatment. Two kinds of clay nanoplatelets, montmorillonite and kaolin, were deposited on the ultrafiltration membrane by employing layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Negatively charged clay platelets or PAA interacted with positively charged PAH to form a bilayer in the c-PEM membrane. The filtration effect of clay platelets was successively distinguished from PEM by reducing the number of (PAH/PAA) bilayers from four to one, while keeping the clay layer at the outermost layer of assembly. When the clay platelets were deposited only as the outermost layer of the LbL multilayers, the c-PEM membrane with one clay layer and one bilayer assembly showed significant flux barrier and fouling resistance. Clay platelets as the outermost layer physically increased the flow path length and decreased the number of pores, as well as effectively blocked the organic contaminants in the wastewater. Meanwhile, when the clay layer was embedded in the middle of the PEM, the synergistic effect of clay platelets and PEM for wastewater treatment was difficult to obtain because the presence of clay platelets defected the buildup of fully interdigitated c-PEM and the adsorption of clay platelets was decreased. For the clays having low CEC, a higher number of LbL multilayers were required to deposit the clay platelets and to improve the performance of membrane. The high CEC clays (montmorillonite) turned out to be better than the low CEC clays (kaolin) in the structure and performance of the c-PEM membrane for wastewater effluent treatment.</p

Municipal Law

<p>Fagan’s Nomogram plot for contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differential diagnosis for benign and malignant ovarian tumors.</p

Risk of bias summary: review authors' judgments about each risk of bias item for each included study.

<p>Risk of bias summary: review authors' judgments about each risk of bias item for each included study.</p

Baseline characteristics and methodological quality of all included studies.

<p>Legend: TP—true positive; TN—true negative; FP—false positive; FN—false negative; SMI—second harmonic imaging; PIHI, pulse inversion harmonic imaging.</p><p>Baseline characteristics and methodological quality of all included studies.</p

Meta-regression plot for contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differential diagnosis for benign and malignant ovarian tumors.

<p>Meta-regression plot for contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differential diagnosis for benign and malignant ovarian tumors.</p

Forest plot of specificity (Spe), sensitivity (Sen), positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR⁺/LR⁻), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with their 95%Cis for contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differential diagnosis for benign and malignant ovarian tumors.

<p>Forest plot of specificity (Spe), sensitivity (Sen), positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR⁺/LR⁻), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with their 95%Cis for contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differential diagnosis for benign and malignant ovarian tumors.</p

DataSheet_1_Genetic analysis and QTL mapping of aroma volatile compounds in the apple progeny ‘Fuji’ × ‘Cripps Pink’.doc

Aroma is an essential trait for apple fruit quality, but the understanding of biochemical mechanisms underlying aroma formation is still limited. To better characterize and assess the genetic potential for improving aroma quality for breeding, many efforts have been paid to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) using a saturated molecular linkage map. In the present study, aroma profiles in ripe fruit of F1 population between ‘Fuji’ and ‘Cripps Pink’ were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) over 2019 and 2020 years, and the genetics of volatile compounds were dissected. In total, 38 volatile compounds were identified in ‘Fuji’ × ‘Cripps Pink’ population, including 23 esters, 3 alcohols, 7 aldehydes and 5 others. With the combination of aroma phenotypic data and constructed genetic linkage map, 87 QTLs were detected for 15 volatile compounds on 14 linkage groups (LGs). Among them, a set of QTLs associated with ester production identified and confirmed on LG 6. A candidate gene MdAAT6 in the QTL mapping interval was detected. Over-expression of MdAAT6 in tomato and apple fruits showed significantly higher esters accumulation compared to the control, indicating it was critical for the ester production. Our results give light on the mode of inheritance of the apple volatilome and provide new insights for apple flavor improvement in the future.</p

(A) Massive infiltration of ovarian cortex by CMV infected cells and (B) Scattered CMV positive cells in the colon (Immunoperoxidase, original magnification ×400)

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Bilateral cytomegalovirus (CMV) oophoritis mimicking widely metastatic carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature"</p><p>http://www.diagnosticpathology.org/content/2/1/50</p><p>Diagnostic Pathology 2007;2():50-50.</p><p>Published online 20 Dec 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC2245911.</p><p></p