Electrical and mechanical properties of hot-pressed versus sintered LiTi2(PO4)3

The electrical and mechanical properties of hot-pressed versus sintered LiTi₂(PO₄)₃ were investigated. The hot-pressed LiTi₂(PO₄)₃ had a higher density and larger average grain size than the sintered material. As a result of these microstructural differences the hot-pressed material exhibited a higher total ionic conductivity and lower hardness. The electronic conductivity of both materials was the same and increased by a factor of about 10⁷ when the hot-pressed and sintered materials were heated under a reducing atmosphere.     

Development of a two-phase xenon dark matter detector

The current status of the development study focused on building a novel two-phase xenon detector for dark matter search is described. Discrimination of the radioactive background is based on particle identification that comes from the analysis of the scintillation-to-ionization ratio. Electroluminescence (proportional scintillation) is used for “amplification” of the ionization signal.     

Gradient elution in counter-current chromatography: a new layout for an old path

Gradient elution in CCC is a powerful tool, which needs further systematic development to become robust and easy to use. The first attempt to build a correlation between gradient elution profile and distribution ratio (K(D)) values for model mixtures containing typical representatives of pharmaceutical compounds is presented in this paper. The three step estimation of the solvent system composition of a heptane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (HEMWat) series is described. The estimation is based on simple measurements of initial and final stationary phase retention for gradient elution run, calculating gradient distribution ratio and correlating it with static K(D) against HEMWat number.     

The NMR reciprocity theorem for arbitrary probe geometry

It is shown that the NMR reciprocity theorem is a variant of a problem considered by Lorentz in 1895. This formulation is quite general and applies to electric-dipole-based as well as coil-based or resonator-based magnetic resonance probes. The reasoning is related to, but different from, the proof of the reciprocity theorem for radiofrequency networks and for transmit/receive antenna systems in telecommunications. The signal-to-noise ratio of the NMR experiment is also discussed in very general terms.     

Two circular cylinders in cross-flow: A review

Pairs of circular cylinders immersed in a steady cross-flow are encountered in many engineering applications. The cylinders may be arranged in tandem, side-by-side, or staggered configurations. Wake and proximity interference effects, which are determined primarily by the longitudinal and transverse spacing between the cylinders, and also by the Reynolds number, have a strong influence on the flow patterns, aerodynamic forces, vortex shedding, and other parameters. This paper reviews the current understanding of the flow around two “infinite” circular cylinders of equal diameter immersed in a steady cross-flow, with a focus on the near-wake flow patterns, Reynolds number effects, intermediate wake structure and behaviour, and the general trends in the measurements of the aerodynamic force coefficients and Strouhal numbers. A primary focus is on the key experimental and numerical studies that have appeared since the last major review of this subject more than 20 years ago.     

A visualization study of fluid-structure interaction between a circular cylinder and a channel bed

Flow visualization was used to study the fluid-structure interaction between a circular cylinder and a shallow turbulent open channel flow. The Reynolds number ranged from Re _D = 1500–4400 based on the cylinder diameter, and from Re _H =7,800?27,600 based on the channel hydraulic radius. The cylinder was mounted vertically on the channel bed and the flow depth-to-cylinder-diameter ratio was varied fromd/D=7.0?11.7. Tests were carried out over smooth and rough beds, with the rough beds being either permeable or impermeable. The study showed that the horseshoe vortex forming at the cylinder-bed junction affects many of the flow structures, including the mode of vortex shedding, the shear layer dynamics, the vortex formation length, and the width of the near-wake region. The influence of the horseshoe vortex can be recognized throughout the depth of flow; however, its influence decreases with an increase in distance from the channel bed. It was also possible to discern that the bed roughness resulted in a change to the above interaction and the permeability of the bed resulted in additional changes.     

Adaptation in a revised inner-hair cell model

A revised computational model of the inner-hair cell (IHC) and auditory-nerve (AN) complex was recently presented [Sumner et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111, 2178-2188 (2002)]. One key improvement is that the model reproduces the rate-intensity functions of low- (LSR), medium- (MSR), and high-spontaneous rate (HSR) fibers in the guinea-pig. Here we describe the adaptation characteristics of the model, and how they vary with model fiber type. Adaptation of the revised model for a HSR fiber is in line with an earlier version of the model [Meddis and Hewitt, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 90, 904-917 (1991)]. In guinea-pig, poststimulus time histograms (PSTH) have been found to show less adaptation in LSR fibers. Evidence from chinchilla suggests that this is due to chronic adaptation resulting from short interstimulus intervals, and that fully recovered LSR fibers actually show more adaptation. However, the model is able to account for both variations of PSTH shape when fully recovered from adaptation. Interstimulus interval can also affect recovery in the model. The model is further tested against data previously used to evaluate models of AN adaptation. The tests are (i) recovery from adaptation of spontaneous rate and (ii) the recovery of response to acoustic stimuli ("forward masking"), (iii) the response to stimulus increments and (iv) decrements, and (v) the conservation of transient components. A HSR model fiber performs similarly to the earlier version of the model. However, there is considerable variation in response to increments and decrements between different model fibers.     

An Optimized SPME-GC-MS Method for Volatile Metabolite Profiling of Different Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Tissues

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and a method optimized to quantitatively and qualitatively measure a large array of volatile metabolites in alfalfa glandular trichomes isolated from stems, trichome-free stems, and leaves as part of a non-targeted metabolomics approach. Major SPME extraction parameters optimized included SPME fiber composition, extraction temperature, and extraction time. The optimized SPME method provided the most chemically diverse coverage of alfalfa volatile and semi-volatile metabolites using a DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, extraction temperature of 60 °C, and an extraction time of 20 min. Alfalfa SPME-GC-MS profiles were processed using automated peak deconvolution and identification (AMDIS) and quantitative data extraction software (MET-IDEA). A total of 87 trichome, 59 stem, and 99 leaf volatile metabolites were detected after background subtraction which removed contaminants present in ambient air and associated with the fibers and NaOH/EDTA buffer solution containing CaCl₂. Thirty-seven volatile metabolites were detected in all samples, while 15 volatile metabolites were uniquely detected only in glandular trichomes, 9 only in stems, and 33 specifically in leaves as tissue specific volatile metabolites. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) of glandular trichomes, stems, and leaves showed that the volatile metabolic profiles obtained from the optimized SPME-GC-MS method clearly differentiated the three tissues (glandular trichomes, stems, and leaves), and the biochemical basis for this differentiation is discussed. Although optimized using plant tissues, the method can be applied to other types of samples including fruits and other foods.