Structure and reactivity of Pd doped Ag surfaces

We have performed first principles calculations for clean and Pd doped Ag(1 1 1) and Ag(1 0 0) surfaces, with and without adsorbed O and CO. Our results for the structure of the Pd doped Ag surfaces indicate that Pd atoms are located lower than the surrounding Ag surface atoms. We find that O atoms adsorbed on Pd doped Ag(1 1 1) reside at the fcc hollow sites, the site next to Pd being slightly favored. Moreover, we provide results for O and CO co-adsorption on the clean and Pd doped Ag(1 1 1) surfaces, indicating that Pd can act as an electronic promoter for the CO oxidation reaction.     

Effects of HearFones on speaking and singing voice quality

HearFones (HF) have been designed to enhance auditory feedback during phonation. This study investigated the effects of HF (1) on sound perceivable by the subject, (2) on voice quality in reading and singing, and (3) on voice production in speech and singing at the same pitch and sound level.

Test 1: Text reading was recorded with two identical microphones in the ears of a subject. One ear was covered with HF, and the other was free. Four subjects attended this test. Tests 2 and 3: A reading sample was recorded from 13 subjects and a song from 12 subjects without and with HF on. Test 4: Six females repeated [pa:p:a] in speaking and singing modes without and with HF on same pitch and sound level.

Long-term average spectra were made (Tests 1–3), and formant frequencies, fundamental frequency, and sound level were measured (Tests 2 and 3). Subglottic pressure was estimated from oral pressure in [p], and simultaneously electroglottography (EGG) was registered during voicing on [a:] (Test 4). Voice quality in speech and singing was evaluated by three professional voice trainers (Tests 2–4).

HF seemed to enhance sound perceivable at the whole range studied (0–8 kHz), with the greatest enhancement (up to ca 25 dB) being at 1–3 kHz and at 4–7 kHz. The subjects tended to decrease loudness with HF (when sound level was not being monitored). In more than half of the cases, voice quality was evaluated “less strained” and “better controlled” with HF. When pitch and loudness were constant, no clear differences were heard but closed quotient of the EGG signal was higher and the signal more skewed, suggesting a better glottal closure and/or diminished activity of the thyroarytenoid muscle.     

p-harmonic functions on graphs and manifolds

We show that the LiouvilleD _p -property is invariant under rough isometries between a Riemannian manifold of bounded geometry and a graph of bounded degree. The first author was supported partly by the EU HCM contract No. CHRX-CT92-0071. This article was processed by the author using the Springer-Verlag TEX P Jourlg macro package 1991.     

Validation of the microbiological methods hygicult dipslide, contact plate, and swabbing in surface hygiene control: a Nordic collaborative study

A collaborative study on total aerobic bacterial count was conducted to validate the Hygicult TPC dipslide against contact plates and swabbing, using stainless-steel surfaces artificially contaminated with different microbes at various levels. Twelve laboratories took part in the validation procedure. The total number of collaborative samples was 108. The microbial level in each sample was assessed in triplicate using the 3 above-mentioned methods under 3 different incubation conditions (at 25 +/- 1 degrees C for 48 and 72 h and at 30 +/- 1 degrees C for 48 h). Surface sampling methods detached 25-30% at the lowest (theoretical yield, 1.4 cfu/cm2), 18-20% at the middle (theoretical yield, 10.7 cfu/cm2), and 16-21% at the highest (theoretical yield, 43.6 cfu/cm2) levels of microbes from the test surfaces. The percentage of acceptable results after removing outliers was 89%. Repeatability standard deviations ranged from 27.2 to 74.6% and reproducibility standard deviations ranged from 42.1 to 97.5%. There were no significant differences between results obtained at different incubation temperatures (25 and 30 degrees C) or incubation times (48 and 72 h) for all 3 methods. The Hygicult TPC dipslide, contact plate, and swabbing methods gave similar results at all 3 microbial levels tested: 0.35-0.43 cfu/cm2 at the lowest level, 1.9-2.2 cfu/cm2 at the middle level, and 7.1-9.1 cfu/cm2 at the highest level.     

Thermo-Reversible Cellulose Micro Phase-Separation in Mixtures of Methyltributylphosphonium Acetate and γ-Valerolactone or DMSO

We have identified cellulose solvents, comprised of binary mixtures of molecular solvents and ionic liquids that rapidly dissolve cellulose to high concentration and show upper-critical solution temperature (UCST)-like thermodynamic behaviour - upon cooling and micro phase-separation to roughly spherical microparticle particle-gel mixtures. This is a result of an entropy-dominant process, controllable by changing temperature, with an overall exothermic regeneration step. However, the initial dissolution of cellulose in this system, from the majority cellulose I allomorph upon increasing temperature, is also exothermic. The mixtures essentially act as ‘thermo-switchable’ gels. Upon initial dissolution and cooling, micro-scaled spherical particles are formed, the formation onset and size of which are dependent on the presence of traces of water. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and ¹³C cross-polarisation magic-angle spinning (CP-MAS) NMR spectroscopy have identified that the cellulose micro phase-separates with no remaining cellulose I allomorph and eventually forms a proportion of the cellulose II allomorph after water washing and drying. The rheological properties of these solutions demonstrate the possibility of a new type of cellulose processing, whereby morphology can be influenced by changing temperature.     

Partial Molar Volume,Ionization, Viscosity and Structure of Glycine Betaine in Aqueous Solutions

Densities, partial molar volumes, and viscosities of aqueous solutions of betaine have been measured at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 37, and 45 °C over the concentration range 0.05 to 5.0 mol⋅L⁻¹. The partial molar volumes show that betaine exists partly as a monohydrate and partly in its anhydrous form. The proportion of the anhydrous form increases with increasing temperature. Also, an associated form of betaine appears in concentrated betaine solutions, possibly with water as a bridging group. The significance of the viscosity B-coefficient is discussed. The signs of B _st, the increment of the viscosity B-coefficients arising from structural changes of water, are negative and the signs of dB/dT, the temperature derivative of B, are positive. These results show that betaine is a water structure breaker especially at lower temperatures, and this effect decreases to insignificance at higher temperatures. The ionization equilibria of betaine were investigated in aqueous 0.5 mol⋅L⁻¹ and 1.0 mol⋅L⁻¹ NaNO₃ at 5, 15, 25, and 37 °C by a potentiometric method. Using the least-square computer program SUPERQUAD, the complex forms are deduced to be betanium BH, bis(betanium) BHB, and bis(betaine) B₂ or bis(betaine)hydrate BH₂OB.     

Growth of large KDP single crystals for UV spectrum range

The influence of various technological parameters of crystallization (acidity of growth solutions, crystallization temperature, growth rate, degree of solution purification) on the optical absorption of large KDP single crystals has been studied in the UV range of the spectrum. It is shown that the method of solvent recirculation with the use of the starting material with the microimpurity content not exceeding 5 × 10^?5 wt % and solution ultrafiltration under the optimum crystallization conditions (t_cr = 80°C, V_cr ～ (0.8–1.6) × 10^?6 cm/s, pH 4) enables one to grow KDP single crystals with cross sections up to 300 × 300 mm² and the transmission in the vicinity of the fundamental absorption edge λ = 200 nm) equal to 86%.