Evaluating dredging and offshore loading locations for U.S. coal exports using the local logistics system

The formulation and use of a mixed integer mathematical programming location-allocation model, the Coal Logistics System (COLS), is presented in this study. COLS is used to evaluate the potential for reducing water-borne coal transportation costs, and concomitantly the costs of delivering coal to European markets. This cost reduction is accomplished through the use of supercolliers which would require the dredging of channels at selected ports or the use of offshore loading sites at East and Gulf Coast ports or both. The model developed and the analysis presented in this paper are intended to aid in the determination of the location and extent of these activities, and to indicate the size of the potential reduction in the costs of U.S. export coal. In order to be able to accommodate these deeper draft vessels at East and Gulf Coast ports, expensive improvements would need to be undertaken which may include the deepening of harbor channels to the depths required for 120 000 dead weight ton (dwt) or larger supercolliers. Since dredging requires large initial investments and has significant long-term maintenance costs, excess capacity could represent an inefficient use of both U.S. revenues and the ports' own funds. The use of offshore loading moorings to permit the topping off of supercolliers by self-unloading colliers at the deepwater sections of harbor channels has been proposed as a way of reducing trans-ocean transportation costs and avoiding the large investments and time delays associated with dredging activities. The Coal Logistics System was modified and extended to enable the evaluation of these two port improvement options to be undertaken in a consistent and realistic manner.     

Three-dimensional structural features and the toxicity of aminobenzenes and phenols

There are many organic pollutants in the environment, such as polychlorinated biphenyl, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated naphthalene. These organic pollutants are persistent,liposoluble and easily cumulated in organism; consequently, the potential toxicity will be high. Risk assessment of industrial chemicals is currently carried out using scanty experimental data, because many of these chemicals have very little or no test data. S…     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a New 2D Honeycomb-like Cadmium(II) Complex with Tripodal Ligand

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N(nPr)4[B5O6(OH)4][B(OH)3]2 and N(nBu)4[B5O6(OH)4][B(OH)3]2: Clathrates with a diamondoid arrangement of hydrogen-bonded pentaborate anions

Single-crystal X-ray structure analyses of N(nPr)₄[B₅O₆(OH)₄][B(OH)₃]₂,1, and N(nBu)₄ [B₅O₆(OH)₄][B(OH)₃]₂,2, reveal that these materials are novel clathrates, the isotypic host structures of which are three-dimensional assemblies of hydrogen-bonded [B₅O₆(OH)₄]^– ionsand B(OH)₃ molecules. The assembly of only the pentaborate anions is a distorted (i.e., along [102] elongated) fourconnected diamond-related network. The N(nPr) ₄ ⁺ and N(nBu) ₄ ⁺ ions are trapped within the complex three-dimensional channel systems of the host frameworks. Both1 and2 crystallize monoclinically with space groupP2₁/c andZ=4. The cell constants are:1:a=13.592(5),b=12.082(2),c=17.355(6) Å, =106.60(2)° (298K);2:a=13.874(3),b=12.585(1),c=17.588(4) Å, =107.04(1)° (238 K). The results obtained by both¹¹B and¹³C MAS NMR spectroscopy are discussed. Thermogravimetric studies under a flowing inert-gas atmosphere suggest that water, stemming from polycondensation of the hydrous borate species, is released from the clathrates at ca. 443 K (1) and 398 K (2) before the decomposition of the organic cations starts at ca. 603 K (1) and 603 K (2).Author for correspondence. Supplementary Data relating to this article are deposited with the British Library as supplementary publication No. SUP 82172 (82 pages).     

Two—dimensional Network Crown Ether Complex.Synthesis and Crystal Structure of 18—Crown—6 Complex：[K（18—C—6）]2[Cd—（nmt）2]

The novel complex [K(18-C-6)]2[Cd(mnt)2][18-C-6-18-crown-6,nmt=1,2-dicyanoethene-1,2-dithiolate,C2S2-(CN)2^2-] was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis,IR spectrum and X-ray diffraction analysis.The complex displays two-dimensional network structure of [K(18-C-6)] complex segments and [Cd(nmt)2] complex segment bridged by S-K-S,S-K-N and N-K-N interactions between adjacent[K(18-C-6)] and [Cd(mnt)2]units.     

两组份互穿网络聚合物的合成研究

以蓖麻油聚氨酯和聚醚聚氨酯的不同重量比与光敏剂、催化剂、稀释剂、促进剂所组成的多相体系为反应物,分别在紫外光照射和加热的条件下合成网络Ⅰ和网络Ⅱ的互穿网络聚合物(IPN)。改变网络Ⅱ聚醚聚氨酯中各组份的摩尔比制得系列样品。红外光谱,应力-应变曲线和动态力学性能测定发现,样品的力学性能与两组份重量比和网络Ⅱ中不同组成都存在着一定关系。这些结果,为该体系IPN的合成和应用提供了一定依据。     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of [{Cd(hmbdc)(H_2O)_3}·2H_2O]_n

A novel coordination polymer [{Cd(hmbdc)(H2O)3}·2H2O]n (hmbdc = 5-hydroxy- isophthalic acid) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal belongs to monoclinic, space group P21/c, with a = 9.599(3), b = 18.699(5), c = 7.557(2) , β = 108.198(4)°, V = 1288.6(6) 3, Z = 4, Mr = 382.60, Dc = 1.972 g/cm3, F(000) = 760, μ = 1.740, the final R = 0.0555 and wR = 0.0995 for 1732 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). The structural analysis shows that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions result in a three-dimensional supramolecular framework.     

Repeatability and pattern recognition of bacterial fatty acid profiles generated by direct mass spectrometric analysis of in situ thermal hydrolysis/methylation of whole cells

Direct CI mass spectrometry profiling of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from in situ thermal hydrolysis/methylation (THM) of whole bacterial cells with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) has been demonstrated as a potential method for real time and fieldable detection/identification of microorganisms. Bacillus anthracis (Ames), Yersinia pestis (Nair. Kenya), Vibrio cholerae (E1 Tor), Brucella melitensis (Abortus wild) and Francisella tularensis (LVS vaccine) were profiled by this method during a 10-month period. Repeatability of the in situ FAME data was calculated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a t-test. Artificial neural network (ANN) and multivariate statistics of the FAME profiles were also compared for bacterial identification/classification. Equivalent results were obtained with a multivariate rule building expert system (MuRES) and the ANN. However, the ANN analysis required much less computer time and was deemed the best choice for this application. In situ THM FAME profiles of the bacterial samples provided comparable results with those obtained from the Microbial Identification System (MIDI) (Newark, DE) wet chemistry-gas chromatographic based system.     

Preparation of a Star Network PEG-based Gel Polymer Electrolyte and Its Application to Electrochromic Devices

A star network polymer with a pentaerythritol core linking four PEG-block polymeric arms was synthesized, and its corresponding gel polymer electrolyte based on lithium perchlorate and plasticizers EC/PC with the character being colorless and highly transparent has been also prepared. The polymer host was characterized and confirmed to be of a star network and an amorphous structure by FTIR, ^1H NMR and XRD studies. The polymer host hold good mechanical properties for pentaerythritol cross-linking. Maximum ionic conductivity of the prepared polymer electrolyte has reached 8.83 × 10 ^-4 S·cm^-1 at room temperature. Thermogravimetry （TG） of the polymer electrolyte showed that the thermal stability was up to at least 150 ℃. The gel polymer electrolyte was further evaluated in electrochromic devices fabricated by transparent PET-ITO and electrochromically active viologen derivative films, and its excellent performance promised the usage of the gel polymer electrolyte as ionic conductor material in electrochrornic devices.