Characterization of structure and diffusion behaviour of Ca-alginate beads prepared with external or internal calcium sources

Ca-alginate beads were prepared with either external or internal calcium sources. The structures of both beads were investigated with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy. It was shown that the beads with internal calcium source had a looser structure and bigger pore size than those with external calcium source. The attempts to interpret the difference were carried out by determining the Ca content within the beads at various times, which indicated that it was the different gelation mechanisms that caused the difference of structures of both beads. Furthermore, it was also found that the diffusion rate of haemoglobin (Hb) within the beads with an internal calcium source was faster than that of the beads with an external one, which was consistent with the observation of their structures.

Migration of large-scale subaqueous bedforms measured with seagrasses(Cymudocea nodesa) as tracers

The vertical growth of seagrasses in response to burial by migration of bedforms is combined with dating techniques to provide precise and rapid estimates of the migration speed of subaqueous dunes over seagrass patches. Two methods to estimate the time interval between the passage of successive dunes and the motion of single dunes through seagrass patches are described. The second method is more precise. The application of these methods to vegetated (Cymodocea nodosa) subaqueous dunes in the Alfacs Bay (NW Mediterranean) showed that the dunes traveled at an average speed of $13.0 \pm 0.6 m yr^-1$ and demonstrated that the methods can resolve migration speeds from 0.15 to $980 m yr^-1$ with this particular seagrass species. In areas vegetated with different seagrass species, bedform migration can be estimated over different time scales. The strong coupling between seagrass and sediment dynamics resembles the coupling of vegetation and land dunes.

A mathematical model of crevice and pitting corrosion—I. The physical model

A predictive and self-consistent mathematical model incorporating the electrochemical, chemical and ionic migration processes characterizing the propagation stage of crevice and pitting corrosion in metals is described. The model predicts the steady-state solution chemistry and electrode kinetics (and hence metal penetration rates) within an active corrosion cavity as a function of the many parameters on which these depend, such as external electrode potential and crevice dimensions. The crevice is modelled as a parallel-sided slot filled with a dilute sodium chloride solution. The cavity propagation rates are found to be faster in the case of a crevice with passive walls than one with active walls. The distribution of current over the internal surface of a crevice with corroding walls can be assessed using this model, giving an indication of the future shape of the cavity. The model is extended to include a solid hydroxide precipitation reaction and considers the effect of consequent changes in the chemical and physical environment within the crevice on the predicted corrosion rates. In this paper, the model is applied to crevice and pitting corrosion in carbon steel.

Harvesting Excitons Via Two Parallel Channels for Efficient White Organic LEDs with Nearly 100% Internal Quantum Efficiency: Fabrication and Emission-Mechanism Analysis

By incorporating two phosphorescent dyes, namely, iridium(III)[bis(4,6-difluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C-2']picolinate (Flrpic) for blue emission and bis(2-(9,9-diethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)-1-phenyl-1 H-benzoimidazol-N,C-3) iridium(acetylacetonate) ((fbi)(2)Ir(acac)) for orange emission, into a single-energy well-like emissive layer, an extremely high-efficiency white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) with excellent color stability is demonstrated. This device can achieve a peak forward-viewing power efficiency of 42.5 lm W-1, corresponding to an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 19.3% and a current efficiency of 52.8 cd A(-1). Systematic studies of the dopants, host and dopant-doped host films in terms of photophysical properties (including absorption, photoluminescence, and excitation spectra), transient photoluminescence, current density-voltage characteristics, and temperature-dependent electroluminescence spectra are subsequently performed, from which it is concluded that the emission natures of Flrpic and (fbi)(2)Ir(acac) are, respectively, host-guest energy transfer and a direct exciton formation process. These two parallel pathways serve to channel the overall excitons to both dopants, greatly reducing unfavorable energy losses.

Investigation on internal electric field distribution of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with Eu2O3 buffer layer

We have found that organic light-emitting diode (OLED) performance was highly improved by using europium oxide (Eu2O3) as a buffer layer on indium tin oxide (ITO) in OLEDs based on tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq(3)), which showed low turn-on voltage, high luminance, and high electroluminescent (EL) efficiency. The thickness of Eu2O3 generally was 0.5-1.5 nm. We investigated the effects of Eu2O3 on internal electric field distributions in the device through the analysis of current-voltage characteristics, and found that the introduction of the buffer layer balanced the internal electric field distributions in hole transport layer (HTL) and electron transport layer (ETL), which should fully explain the role of the buffer layer in improving device performance. Our investigation demonstrates that the hole injection is Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunnelling and the electron injection is Richardson-Schottky (RS) thermionic emission, which are very significant in understanding the operational mechanism and improving the performance, of OLEDs.

Generation of chiral bis(cyclopentadienyl)neodymium Schiff base complex bearing internal C-C bond formation and hydrogen transfer

NdCl3 reacts with excess CpNa (Cp=Cyclopentadienyl) in THF, followed by sequent treatment with (S)-(+)-N-(1-phenylethyl)salicylideneamine led to the formation of title compound, [GRAPHICS] The X-ray structure determination shows that it is a dimer with internal C-C bond formation and hydrogen transfer between one of Cp ring and the C=N bond of Schiff base ligand. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

INTRAANNULAR AND INTERANNULAR SUBSTITUENT MIGRATION AND INTRAMOLECULAR IPSO SUBSTITUTION OF BIPHENYL DERIVATIVES IN MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Biphenyl derivatives undergo extensive intraannular substituent migrations and subsequent intramolecular ipso substitutions giving rise to a fluorenyl cation and a biphenylene radical cation as common products in mass spectrometry. For biphenyls bearing an alkyl group, interannular substituent migration resulting in a substituted tropylium ion is also observed. Electron-withdrawing groups are found to be much more favourable to these reactions than the electron-donating ones.

LUMINESCENCE AND ENERGY MIGRATION IN THE OXYAPATITE CA2GD8(SIO4)6O2 DOPED WITH SEVERAL RARE-EARTH AND MERCURY-LIKE IONS

Energy transfer phenomena have been observed by activating the oxyapatite host-lattice Ca2Gd8(SiO4)6O2 with Eu3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Sm3+. This is based on the energy migration in the Gd3+ sublattice and trapping by the activators. The trapping efficiency for G

CHRONOAMPEROMETRIC STUDIES ON MIGRATION AND DIFFUSION OF COUNTERION IN POLY(3-METHYLTHIOPHENE)

Small amplitude potential step experiments were carried out to study the counterion transfer process in oxidized poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMT) film. The results demonstrate that anion transfer process in PMT film is migration rather than diffusion. A porous metal electrode model-single hole model, which takes into account both the ionic resistance of the film and the uncompensated solution resistance, was found suitable to describe the potential step experiments. According to this model, the ionic resistivity of oxidized PMT film was calculated to be 5.0 x 10(4) OMEGA.cm, and, in turn, the diffusion coefficent of ClO4- ion in PMT film 3.7 x 10(-9) cm2/s.

Using the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) as a complement marker for species identification of red macroalgae

Barcodes based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (mtDNA CO1) sequences are being used for broad taxonomic groups of animals with demonstrated success in species identification and cryptic species discovery, but it has become clear that complementation by a nuclear marker system is necessary, in particular for the barcoding of plants. Here, we propose the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) as a potentially usable and complementary marker for species identification of red macroalgae, as well as present a primary workflow for species barcoding. Data show that for most red macroalgal genera (except members of the family Delesseriaceae), the size of ITS region ranges from 600 to 1200 bp, and contains enough variation to generate unique identifiers at either the species or genus levels. Consistent with previous studies, we found that the ITS sequence can resolve closely related species with the same fidelity as mtDNA CO1. Significantly, we confirmed that length polymorphism in the ITS region (including 5.8S rRNA gene) can be utilized as a character to discriminate red macroalgal species. As a complementary marker, the verifiable nuclear ITS region can speed routine identification and the detection of species, advance ecological and taxonomic inquiry, and permit rapid and accurate analysis of red macroalgae.

Phylogeography of the Northern Atlantic species Chondrus crispus (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) inferred from nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences

Eighteen isolates of the red algae Chondrus crispus were collected from Northern Atlantic sites, together with C. ocellatus, C. yendoi and C. pinnulatus from the North Pacific. The nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) was sequenced and compared, spanning both the ITS regions and the 5.8S rRNA gene. Percentage of nucleotide variation for C. crispus ranged from 0.3% to 4.0%. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using maximum parsimony (MP), neighbor-joining (NJ) and minimum evolution methods. They showed that two main clades existed within the C. crispus samples examined and that suggested C. crispus had a single Atlantic origin. The clustering however did not follow the geographic origin. We hypothesized that the current distribution of C. crispus populations might be a result of three main factors: temperature boundaries, paleoclimate and paleoceanography. ITS data exhibited abundant molecular information not only for phylogeographical investigation but also for systematics studies.

River mouth bar formation, riverbed aggradation and channel migration in the modern Huanghe (Yellow) River delta, China

This paper addresses the recent (1970s-1990s) processes of river mouth bar formation, riverbed aggradation and distributary migration in the Huanghe River mouth area, in the light of station-based monitoring, field measurements and remote sensing interpretation. The results show that the morphological changes of the river mouth bar have been closely associated with the largely reduced fluvial discharge and sediment load. Landforrn development such as bar progradation occurred in two phases, i.e. before and after 1989, which correspond to faster and lower bar growth rates, respectively. Fast riverbed aggradation in the mouth channel was strongly related to river mouth bar progradation. During 1976-1996, about 2.8% of the total sediment loads were deposited in the river channel on the upper to middle delta. Therefore, the river water level rose by a few meters from 1984 to 1996. The frequent distributary channel migration, which switched the radial channel pattern into the SE-directed pattern in the mid-1980s, was linked with mouth bar formation. Marine conditions also constrain seaward bar progradation. Furthermore, the history of river mouth bar formation reflects human impacts, such as dredging and dyking in order to stabilize the coastal area. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.