Effect of bias condition on heavy ion radiation in bipolar junction transistors

The characteristic degradations in a silicon NPN bipolar junction transistor(BJT) of 3DG142 type are examined under irradiation with 40-MeV chlorine(Cl) ions under forward,grounded,and reverse bias conditions,respectively.Different electrical parameters are in-situ measured during the exposure under each bias condition.From the experimental data,a larger variation of base current(I B) is observed after irradiation at a given value of base-emitter voltage(V BE),while the collector current is slightly affected by irradiation at a given V BE.The gain degradation is affected mostly by the behaviour of the base current.From the experimental data,the variation of current gain in the case of forward bias is much smaller than that in the other conditions.Moreover,for 3DG142 BJT,the current gain degradation in the case of reverse bias is more severe than that in the grounded case at low fluence,while at high fluence,the gain degradation in the reverse bias case becomes smaller than that in the grounded case.     

Transient Behavior in Variable Geometry Industrial Gas Turbines: A Comprehensive Overview of Pertinent Modeling Techniques

Generally, industrial gas turbines (IGT) face transient behavior during start-up, load change, shutdown and variations in ambient conditions. These transient conditions shift engine thermal equilibrium from one steady state to another steady state. In turn, various aero-thermal and mechanical stresses are developed that are adverse for engine’s reliability, availability, and overall health. The transient behavior needs to be accurately predicted since it is highly related to low cycle fatigue and early failures, especially in the hot regions of the gas turbine. In the present paper, several critical aspects related to transient behavior and its modeling are reviewed and studied from the point of view of identifying potential research gaps within the context of fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) under dynamic conditions. Among the considered topics are, (i) general transient regimes and pertinent model formulation techniques, (ii) control mechanism for part-load operation, (iii) developing a database of variable geometry inlet guide vanes (VIGVs) and variable bleed valves (VBVs) schedules along with selection framework, and (iv) data compilation of shaft’s polar moment of inertia for different types of engine’s configurations. This comprehensive literature document, considering all the aspects of transient behavior and its associated modeling techniques will serve as an anchor point for the future researchers, gas turbine operators and design engineers for effective prognostics, FDD and predictive condition monitoring for variable geometry IGT.     

Concomitant degradation of bisphenol A during ultrasonication and Fenton oxidation and production of biofertilizer from wastewater sludge

Degradation of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor, from wastewater sludge (WWS) has attracted great interest recently. In the present study, the effects of different pre-treatment methods, including ultrasonication (US), Fenton's oxidation (FO) and ferro-sonication (FS) was assessed in terms of increase in solubilization of WWS and simultaneous degradation of BPA. Among US, FO and FS pre-treatment, higher suspended solids (SS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and soluble organic carbon (SOC) solubilization (39.7%, 51.2%, 64.5% and 17.6%, respectively) was observed during a ferro-sonication pre-treatment process carried out for 180 min, resulting in higher degradation of BPA (82.7%). In addition, the effect of rheological parameters (viscosity and particle size) and zeta potential on the degradation of BPA in raw and different pre-treated sludges were also investigated. The results showed that a decrease in viscosity and particle size and an increase in zeta potential resulted in higher degradation of BPA. BPA degradation by laccases produced by Sinorhizobium meliloti in raw and pre-treated sludge was also determined. Higher activity of laccases (207.9 U L(-1)) was observed in ferro-sonicated pre-treated sludge (180 min ultrasonic time), resulting in higher removal of BPA (0.083 μg g(-1)), suggesting concomitant biological degradation of BPA.     

Quantum Entanglement in Relativistic Three-Particle Systems

The relativistic three-particle systems are studied within the framework of Relativistic Schrödinger Theory (RST), with emphasis on the determination of the energy functional for the stationary bound states. The phenomenon of entanglement shows up here in form of the exchange energy which is a significant part of the relativistic field energy. The electromagnetic interactions become unified with the exchange interactions into a relativistic U(N) gauge theory, which has the Hartree–Fock equations as its non-relativistic limit. This yields a general framework for treating entangled states of relativistic many-particle systems, e.g., the N-electron atoms.     

Sonodegradation of 17α-ethynylestradiol in environmentally relevant matrices: laboratory-scale kinetic studies

The sonochemical degradation of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in secondary treated effluents was investigated. Ultrasound irradiation was provided by a horn-type sonicator operating at 80 kHz. The effect of various operating conditions such as estrogen concentration (25-160 μg/L), power density (18-46 W/L), liquid bulk temperature (15-60 °C), gas sparging (air, oxygen, and helium), solution pH (3 and 7.8), as well as the addition of radical promoters (hydrogen peroxide) or catalysts (TiO₂ and Fe²⁺) on degradation kinetics was evaluated. Changes in estrogen concentration were followed by high performance liquid chromatography and the yeast estrogen screening (YES) assay. EE2 degradation in the range 25-110 μg/L follows first order kinetics in regard to its concentration, while lower order kinetics occur at higher concentrations. The reaction rate increases linearly with applied power and decreases exponentially with temperature at the conditions in question. Continuous sparging of air or oxygen has little effect on the kinetics relative to air-equilibrated conditions, while helium has a marginally positive effect. The inorganic and organic contents of the wastewater matrix appear to promote degradation at inherent conditions in comparison to experiments in ultrapure water. Nevertheless, the addition of H₂O₂ (8.6 and 86 mg/L), Fe²⁺ (2.5-25 mg/L) or TiO₂ (50-2000 mg/L) has no or, in some cases, adverse effect on kinetics.     

Effect of bias condition on heavy ion radiation in bipolar junction transistor

The characteristic degradations in silicon NPN bipolar junction transistor (BJT) of 3DG142 type are examined under the irradiation with 40-MeV chlorine (Cl) ions under forward, grounded, and reverse bias conditions, respectively. Different electrical parameters are in-situ measured during the exposure under each bias condition. From the experimental data, larger variation of base current (I_B) is observed after irradiation at a given value of base-emitter voltage (V_BE), while the collector current is slightly affected by irradiation at a given V_BE. The gain degradation is affected mostly by the behaviour of the base current. From the experimental data, the variation of current gain in the case of forward bias is much smaller than that in the other conditions. Moreover, for 3DG142 BJT, the current gain degradation in the case of reverse bias is more severe than that in the grounded case at low fluence, while at high fluence, the gain degradation in the reverse bias case becomes smaller than that in the grounded case.     

A new water treatment technology for degradation of B[a]A by hydrodynamic cavitation and chlorine dioxide oxidation

Managing environmental contamination with Benz[a]anthracene (B[a]A) is essential due to its carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects on humans and the environment. At present, the mainly B[a]A degradation methods used are photodegradation, bioremediation and traditional advanced oxidation, although they all have disadvantages. In this study, B[a]A was degraded by hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), or an innovative combination of the two methods. According to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysed the degradation products and degradation pathway of B[a]A, with the kinetics of different degradation methods discussed. Under optimal conditions, HC combined with ClO₂ oxidation can further degrade products to achieve ring cleavage. Compared with the two separate degradation process methods, the combined method exerts a synergistic effect on the degradation of B[a]A, with an enhancement factor of 1.48. Experimental results showed that the combination method can realize enhanced complete degradation of B[a]A, reduce ClO₂ requirements, improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption and produce less harmful products with ring cleavage achieved.     

The effects of contact area and applied load on the morphology of in vitro worn ultra‐high molecular weight knee prostheses: a micro‐Raman and gravimetric study

Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene knee prostheses of two different sizes (i.e. characterised by different contact areas) were run on a knee wear simulator in two tests differing for the applied load. Gravimetric and micro‐Raman spectroscopic analyses were performed to investigate at macroscopic and molecular levels the effects of contact area and applied load on the morphology of the knee components. The larger prostheses showed a higher mass loss in both tests, while Raman spectroscopy showed a more significant polymer degradation in the smaller prostheses, suggesting that a lower contact area is responsible for a higher wear at the molecular wear, but for a lower gravimetric wear. Raman measurements showed that in the second test (using a higher applied load), the wear mechanism changed with respect to the first test: the less severe conditions used in the latter resulted in an increase in the orthorhombic content, while the more severe conditions used in the former determined an increase and rearrangement of the amorphous phase. The results here reported allow to gain more insights into the effects of contact area, applied load and contact stress on wear. Preliminary micro‐Raman analyses on in vivo worn knee prostheses confirmed the results obtained in vitro: the retrievals of smaller size were found more degraded at molecular level than those of larger size. These findings showed that the conditions used in the in vitro tests well simulate the knee kinematics of the knee joint and thus the in vivo wear. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Effect of Noise on Computer-Aided Measures of Voice: A Comparison of CSpeechSP and the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program Software Using the CSL 4300B Module and Multi-Speech for Windows

The effect of noise on computer-derived samples of voice was compared across three different hardware/software configurations. The hardware/software systems included a stand-alone A/D converter (CSL Module 4300B) coupled to a custom Pentium PC used in conjunction with the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP) software, and a Creative Labs A/D converter coupled to the same custom PC under software control of MDVP/Multispeech and CSpeechSP. Voice samples were taken from 10 female subjects, then mixed with computer fan noise creating three different signal-to-noise (S/N) levels. Mixed signals were analyzed on the three hardware/software systems. Results revealed that fundamental frequency was most resistant to the degradation effect of noise across systems; jitter and shimmer values, however, were more variable across all configurations. Jitter and shimmer values were significantly higher under certain S/N levels for the MDVP 4300B based system as compared to MDVP for Multi-Speech and CSpeechSP. The findings punctuate the need for sensitivity to recording environments, careful selection of hardware/software equipment arrays, and the establishment of minimal recording conditions (>25 dBA S/N) for voice sampling and analysis using computer-assisted methods.     

Degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether in water: effects of the combined use of sonolysis and photocatalysis

The degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in water was kinetically investigated in a O(2)/Ar 80:20 atmosphere employing either sonolysis at 20 kHz, or photocatalysis on TiO(2) (with 315 nm< lambda(irr) <400 nm), or simultaneous sonolysis and photocatalysis (i.e. sonophotocatalysis), as degradation techniques. In all investigated conditions, MTBE concentration decreased according to a first order rate law; under ultrasound the degradation rate was stirring-dependent. The time profile of the reaction intermediates gave information on the reaction paths prevailing under the different experimental conditions. The energy consumption of the employed degradation techniques was also evaluated, which might be decisive for their practical application.     

Stability–Indicating Spectrofluorimetric Methods for the Determination of Metolazone and Xipamide in Their Tablets. Application to Content Uniformity Testing

A highly sensitive, simple and rapid stability-indicating spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of metolazone (MET) and xipamide (XPM) in their tablets. The proposed method is based on the measurement of the native fluorescence of MET in methanol at 437 nm after excitation at 238 nm and XPM in alkaline methanolic solution at 400 nm after excitation at 255 nm. The fluorescence–concentration plots were rectilinear over the range of 2.0– 20.0 ng/mL for MET and 0.2– 2.0 μg/mL for XPM, with lower detection limits (LOD) of 0.35 ng/mL and 0.02 μg/mL and a lower quantification limit (LOQ) of 1.05 ng/mL and 0.07 μg/mL for MET and XPM, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of MET and XPM in their commercial tablets and the results were in good agreement with those obtained using the official and comparison methods, respectively. Furthermore, content uniformity testing of the studied pharmaceutical tablets was also conducted. The application of the proposed method was extended to stability studies of MET and XPM after exposure to different forced degradation conditions, such as acidic, alkaline, oxidative and photolytic degradation conditions, according to ICH Guidelines. Moreover, the method was utilized to investigate the kinetics of the alkaline, acidic and photolytic degradation of MET. The apparent first-order rate constants and half-life times were calculated. Proposals for the degradation pathways for both MET and XPM were postulated.     

A review of radiation effects in heterojunction bipolar transistors

We present a review of radiation effects studies on heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) in order to develop a framework for qualifying devices for application in the harsh radiation environment of space. Radiation effects in different HBT material systems are considered here, including Si/SiGe, GaAs/AlGaAs, and InP/InGaAs. We discuss the different effects of ionizing and nonionizing radiation on device performance and review the strong role that device geometry plays in determining the overall radiation tolerance. We present a new comparison of radiation tolerance in conventional transistors, HBTs, and high electron mobility transistors. Finally, we conclude that with proper design, HBTs are excellent candidates for application in space.     

Development and validation of a UV-spectrophotometric method for the determination of pheniramine maleate and its stability studies

A sensitive, precise, and cost-effective UV-spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of pheniramine maleate (PAM) in bulk drug and tablets. The method is based on the measurement of absorbance of a PAM solution in 0.1 N HCl at 264 nm. As per the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, the method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), and robustness and ruggedness. A linear relationship between absorbance and concentration of PAM in the range of 2–40 μg/ml with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9998 was obtained. The LOD and LOQ values were found to be 0.18 and 0.39 μg/ml PAM, respectively. The precision of the method was satisfactory: the value of relative standard deviation (RSD) did not exceed 3.47%. The proposed method was applied successfully to the determination of PAM in tablets with good accuracy and precision. Percentages of the label claims ranged from 101.8 to 102.01% with the standard deviation (SD) from 0.64 to 0.72%. The accuracy of the method was further ascertained by recovery studies via a standard addition procedure. In addition, the forced degradation of PAM was conducted in accordance with the ICH guidelines. Acidic and basic hydrolysis, thermal stress, peroxide, and photolytic degradation were used to assess the stability-indicating power of the method. A substantial degradation was observed during oxidative and alkaline degradations. No degradation was observed under other stress conditions.     

γ射线及质子辐照导致CCD光谱响应退化的机制

光谱响应是表征CCD性能的重要参数。为了研究辐射环境对CCD光谱响应产生影响的规律及物理机制,开展了不同粒子辐照实验,对CCD光谱响应曲线的退化形式及典型波长下CCD光响应的退化情况进行了分析。辐射效应对CCD光谱响应的影响可以分为电离总剂量效应和位移效应导致的退化,本文从这两种辐射效应出发,采用⁶⁰Co-γ射线及质子两种辐照条件,研究了CCD光谱响应的退化规律。针对460 nm（蓝光）和700 nm（红光）等典型CCD光响应波长,从辐射效应导致的损伤缺陷方面分析了CCD光谱响应退化的物理机制。研究发现,在⁶⁰Co-γ射线辐照时CCD光谱响应曲线变化是由于暗信号增加导致的,而质子辐照导致CCD对700 nm波长的光响应退化明显大于460 nm波长的光响应,且10 MeV质子导致的损伤比3 MeV质子更明显,表明位移损伤缺陷易导致CCD光谱响应退化。结果表明,电离总剂量效应主要导致CCD光谱响应整体变化,而位移效应则导致不同波长光的响应差异增大。     

RuO2/TiO2/漂珠复合光催化剂的制备及性能

"利用RuO2/TiO2前驱体溶胶,采用溶胶-凝胶-浸渍法在漂珠(FP)表面沉积RuO2/TiO2膜,经120 ℃干燥、500 ℃焙烧制备复合光催化剂RuO2/TiO2/FP,并通过SEM、XRD以及FT-IR分别对其结构进行了表征． 结果表明,RuO2/TiO2膜的平均厚度(三层)约1 1m,膜材料中TiO2主要呈现锐钛矿型结构,而RuO2是以非晶态高度分散在粒子表面．以高效氯氰菊酯杀虫剂的光催化降解为模型反应,研究了RuO2/TiO2/FP的光催化性能,探讨了影响催化剂活性的因素及采用太阳光做光源处理     

IR-poled second-harmonic generation in glass

Infrared (IR)-induced second-harmonic generation in the chalcogenide glasses is observed. A phenomenological approach of IR picosecond non-linear optical (NLO) response in glass is developed for the middle IR spectral range (5–15 μm). The observed effect is explained within the framework of fifth-order NLO susceptibilities. A model that reproduces the basic characteristics of the experimental data, in which the optical non-linearities caused by photoinduced electron–phonon anharmonic interactions, is proposed. The role of the IR-induced phase matching conditions in the observed phenomenon is discussed.     

A stochastic theory for clustering of quenched-in vacancies—III. A continuum model

In continuation of our earlier investigation on the problem of clustering of quenched-in vacancies reported earlier, starting from the discrete model, we derive a second order partial differential equation for the growth of the clusters. The solution of this equation is shown to be in reasonable agreement with the solution of the discrete model proposed earlier. However, the total number of vacancies is not conserved under slightly less stringent conditions than the conditions dictated by the solution of the discrete model, suggesting a slightly modified differential equation for the concentration of the clusters. The solution of this modified differential equation has the required properties. The leading part of the distribution when transferred into the space designating the linear dimension of the cluster has a Gaussian form. This feature is shown to be consistent with writing a Langevin equation with the linear dimension of the cluster taking the role of the random variable. This permits the identification of the smallness of parameter. An alternate formulation is also given where the concentration of the vacancies stored in a cluster of a certain size is considered as the dynamical variable. The solution obtained in this alternate formulation is shown to be consistent with the other formulation.     

Magnetophoresis behaviour at low gradient magnetic field and size control of nickel single core nanobeads

Magnetic separation of organic compounds, proteins, nucleic acids and other biomolecules, and cells from complex reaction mixtures is becoming the most suitable solution for large production in bioindustrial purification and extraction processes. Optimal magnetic properties can be achieved by the use of metals. However, they are extremely sensitive to oxidation and degradation under atmospheric conditions. In this work Ni nanoparticles are synthesised by conventional solution reduction process with the addition of a non-ionic surfactant as a surface agent. The nanoparticles were surfacted in citric acid and then coated with silica to form single core Ni nanobeads. A magnetophoresis study at different magnetic field gradients and at the different steps of synthesis route was performed using Horizontal Low Gradient Magnetic Field (HLGMF) systems. The reversible aggregation times are reduced to a few seconds, allowing a very fast separation process.     

A Framework for Comparative Evaluation of Dosimetric Methods to Triage a Large Population Following a Radiological Event

BACKGROUND: To prepare for a possible major radiation disaster involving large numbers of potentially exposed people, it is important to be able to rapidly and accurately triage people for treatment or not, factoring in the likely conditions and available resources. To date, planners have had to create guidelines for triage based on methods for estimating dose that are clinically available and which use evidence extrapolated from unrelated conditions. Current guidelines consequently focus on measuring clinical symptoms (e.g., time-to-vomiting), which may not be subject to the same verification of standard methods and validation processes required for governmental approval processes of new and modified procedures. Biodosimeters under development have not yet been formally approved for this use. Neither set of methods has been tested in settings involving large-scale populations at risk for exposure. OBJECTIVE: To propose a framework for comparative evaluation of methods for such triage and to evaluate biodosimetric methods that are currently recommended and new methods as they are developed. METHODS: We adapt the NIH model of scientific evaluations and sciences needed for effective translational research to apply to biodosimetry for triaging very large populations following a radiation event. We detail criteria for translating basic science about dosimetry into effective multi-stage triage of large populations and illustrate it by analyzing 3 current guidelines and 3 advanced methods for biodosimetry. CONCLUSIONS: This framework for evaluating dosimetry in large populations is a useful technique to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different dosimetry methods. It can help policy-makers and planners not only to compare the methods' strengths and weaknesses for their intended use but also to develop an integrated approach to maximize their effectiveness. It also reveals weaknesses in methods that would benefit from further research and evaluation.