Correlations between structure and thermodynamic properties of spinels and their applications in technology

Measurements a/the Gibbs' energy enthalpy and entrupy vffarmation oj chromites, vanadites and alumlnat.:s 0/ F", Ni. Co'. Mn, Zn Mg and Cd, using solid oxide galvanic cells over a ternperature range extending approximately lOOO°C, have shown that the '~'Ilir"!,,, J'JrIl/iJ~ tion 0/ cubic 2-3 oxide spinel phases (MX!O,), from component oxide (MO) with rock-salt and X.Os whir c(1f'l/!ldwn st!'llt'lw,·. call b,' represented by a semi-empirical correlalion, ~S~ = --LiS + L'i,SM +~S~:"d(±O.3) cal.deg-1 mol-1 where /',.SM Is the entropy 0/calian mixing oillhe tetrahedral alld octahedral sites o/the spinel and Sr:~ is tlie enfropy associaf,'d Wifh Ih,' randomization a/the lahn-Telier distortions. A review a/the methods/or evaluating the cation distriblltion lfl spille!s suggeJ{j' l/r,l! Ihe most promising scheme is based Oil octahedral site preference energies from the crystal field theory for the Iral1silioll IIIl'f"! IlIIL';. For I/""-Irallsifioll melal cal ions site preference energies are derived relative /0 thol'lt fLI, [ransilion metal ions from measured high tClllP('ftJi ure Cal iUlI disll iiJuriol1 in spine! phases thar contail! one IransilioJl metal and another non-transition metal carion. For 2-3 srinds compulatiorrs b,IS"J Oil i.!c[J;' Temkin mixing on each catioll subialtice predici JistributionJ that are In fair agreement with X-ray and 1I1'IIIrOll ditTraction, /IIdg""!ic dll.! electrical propcrries, and spectroscopic measurements. In 2-4 spineis mixing vI ions do not foliow strictly ideal slllIistli:al Jaws, Th,' OIl/up) associated with the randomizalion 0/the Jllhn-Teller dislOriioll" appear to be significant, only ill spinels witll 3d'. 3d', 3d' (ifld~UI' iOtls in tetrahedral and 3d' and 3d9 ions in octahedral positions. Application 0/this structural model for predicting the thermodynamic proputies ofspinel solid .,olutiofl5 or,' illustrated. F,lr complex systems additional contributions arising from strain fields, redox equilibria and off-center ions have to be qllalllififti. The entropy correlation for spinels provides a method for evaluating structure tran:.jormafiofl entropies in silllple o.\id.-s, ["founlllion on the relative stabilities ofoxides in different crystallCtructures is USe/III for computer ea/culaliof! a/phase dfugrullls ofIlIrer,',,1 III (N.lll1ie5 by method, similar to thost: used by Kaufman and Bernstein for refractory alloy systems. Examples oftechnoiogical appliCation tnclude the predictioll ofdeoxidation equilibria in Fe-Mn-AI-O s),slelll at 1600°C duj ,'Ulllpltfalion 0/phase relutions in Fe-Ni-Cr-S system,

Optical read-out scheme based on Grated Waveguide Cantilever cavity resonance for interrogation of cantilever sensor arrays

The design and analysis of an optical read-out scheme based on a grated waveguide (GWG) resonator for interrogating microcantilever sensor arrays is presented. The optical system consisting of a micro cantilever monolithically integrated in proximity to a grated waveguide (GWG), is realized in silicon optical bench platform. The mathematical analysis of the optical system is performed using a Fabry-Perot interferometer model with a lossy cavity formed between the cantilever and the GWG and an analytical expression is derived for the optical power transmission as a function of the cantilever deflection which corresponds to cavity width variation. The intensity transmission of the optical system for different cantilever deflections estimated using the analytical expression captures the essential features exhibited by a FDTD numerical model.

Reversible shear-induced crystallization above equilibrium freezing temperature in a lyotropic surfactant system

We demonstrate a unique shear-induced crystallization phenomenon above the equilibrium freezing temperature (T-K(o)) in weakly swollen isotropic (L-i) and lamellar (L-alpha) mesophases with bilayers formed in a cationic-anionic mixed surfactant system. Synchrotron rheological X-ray diffraction study reveals the crystallization transition to be reversible under shear (i.e., on stopping the shear, the nonequilibrium crystalline phase L-c melts back to the equilibrium mesophase). This is different from the shear-driven crystallization below T-K(o), which is irreversible. Rheological optical observations show that the growth of the crystalline phase occurs through a preordering of the L-i phase to an L-alpha phase induced by shear flow, before the nucleation of the Lc phase. Shear diagram of the L-i phase constructed in the parameter space of shear rate ((gamma)) over dot vs. temperature exhibits L-i -> L-c and L-i -> L-alpha transitions above the equilibrium crystallization temperature (T-K(o)), in addition to the irreversible shear-driven nucleation of L-c in the L-i phase below T-K(o). In addition to revealing a unique class of nonequilibrium phase transition, the present study urges a unique approach toward understanding shear-induced phenomena in concentrated mesophases of mixed amphiphilic systems.

On piercing (pseudo)lines and boxes

We say a family of geometric objects C has (l;k)-property if every subfamily C0C of cardinality at most lisk- piercable. In this paper we investigate the existence of g(k;d)such that if any family of objects C in Rd has the (g(k;d);k)-property, then C is k-piercable. Danzer and Gr̈ unbaum showed that g(k;d)is infinite for fami-lies of boxes and translates of centrally symmetric convex hexagons. In this paper we show that any family of pseudo-lines(lines) with (k2+k+ 1;k)-property is k-piercable and extend this result to certain families of objects with discrete intersections. This is the first positive result for arbitrary k for a general family of objects. We also pose a relaxed ver-sion of the above question and show that any family of boxes in Rd with (k2d;k)-property is 2dk- piercable.

Power-Controlled Reverse Channel Training in a Multiuser TDD-MIMO Spatial Multiplexing System With CSIR

This paper considers the design of a power-controlled reverse channel training (RCT) scheme for spatial multiplexing (SM)-based data transmission along the dominant modes of the channel in a time-division duplex (TDD) multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) system, when channel knowledge is available at the receiver. A channel-dependent power-controlled RCT scheme is proposed, using which the transmitter estimates the beamforming (BF) vectors required for the forward-link SM data transmission. Tight approximate expressions for 1) the mean square error (MSE) in the estimate of the BF vectors, and 2) a capacity lower bound (CLB) for an SM system, are derived and used to optimize the parameters of the training sequence. Moreover, an extension of the channel-dependent training scheme and the data rate analysis to a multiuser scenario with M user terminals is presented. For the single-mode BF system, a closed-form expression for an upper bound on the average sum data rate is derived, which is shown to scale as ((L-c - L-B,L- tau)/L-c) log logM asymptotically in M, where L-c and L-B,L- tau are the channel coherence time and training duration, respectively. The significant performance gain offered by the proposed training sequence over the conventional constant-power orthogonal RCT sequence is demonstrated using Monte Carlo simulations.

Phytoplankton size structure in the southern Bay of Bengal modified by the Summer Monsoon Current and associated eddies: Implications on the vertical biogenic flux

The present study combines field and satellite observations to investigate how hydrographical transformations influence phytoplankton size structure in the southern Bay of Bengal during the peak Southwest Monsoon/Summer Monsoon (July-August). The intrusion of the Summer Monsoon Current (SMC) into the Bay of Bengal and associated changes in sea surface chemistry, traceable eastward up to 90 degrees E along 8 degrees N, seems to influence biology of the region significantly. Both in situ and satellite (MODIS) data revealed low surface chlorophyll except in the area influenced by the SMC During the study period, two well-developed cydonic eddies (north) and an anti-cyclonic eddy (south), closely linked to the main eastward flow of the SMC, were sampled. Considering the capping effect of the low-saline surface water that is characteristic of the Bay of Bengal, the impact of the cyclonic eddy, estimated in terms of enhanced nutrients and chlorophyll, was mostly restricted to the subsurface waters (below 20 m depth). Conversely, the anti-cyclonic eddy aided by the SMC was characterized by considerably higher nutrient concentration and chlorophyll in the upper water column (upper 60 m), which was contrary to the general characteristic of such eddies. Albeit smaller phytoplankton predominated the southern Bay of Bengal (60-95% of the total chlorophyll), the contribution of large phytoplankton was double in the regions influenced by the SMC and associated eddies. Multivariate analysis revealed the extent to which SMC-associated eddies spatially influence phytoplankton community structure. The study presents the first direct quantification of the size structure of phytoplankton from the southern Bay of Bengal and demonstrates that the SMC-associated hydrographical ramifications significantly increase the phytoplankton biomass contributed by larger phytoplankton and thereby influence the vertical opal and organic carbon flux in the region. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluación de la incidencia natural de Beauveria bassiana (Bals) vuill sobre Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) y leucoptera coffeella (Guerin-Meneville) en el cultivo de café en dos zonas cafetaleras de Nicaragua

El presente estudio se realizó en la zona cafetalera del Norte y Pacífico de Nicaragua, en el período comprendido de Marzo a Noviembre del 2004. La incidencia natural del hongo entomopatógeno Beauveria bassiana sobre Hypothenemus hampei fue evaluada en tres fincas localizadas en el Coyolar, El Tuma, Matagalp a y la incidencia natural sobre Leucoptera coffeella fue evaluada en tres fincas ubicadas en Masatepe y Niquinohomo, Masaya. Los objetivos del presente estudio fueron: a) Evaluar la incidencia natural del hongo entomopatógeno Beauveria bassiana sobre H. ha mpei y sobre L. coffeella en las zonas cafetaleras de El Tuma, Matagalpa y Masatepe y Niquinohomo, Masaya; b) Evaluar diferentes métodos de cámara húmeda para el estudio de la incidencia natural de B. bassiana sobre H. hampei y L. coffeella ; c) Evaluar l a fluctuación poblacional de H. hampei y L. coffeella en plantaciones de café sin aplicaciones de productos químicos ni biológicos. Para evaluar la incidencia de H. hampei y L. coffeella se realizaron muestreos quincenales en las fincas en estudio. Para e studiar la incidencia natural de B. bassiana se obtuvieron muestras de frutos brocados y hojas minadas, las que fueron procesadas en el laboratorio de la UNA. Para las muestras de broca se usaron tres métodos: Cámara húmeda en vasos con agar - agua, cámara h úmeda en vasos con papel filtro y cámara húmeda en bolsas plásticas, para minador se usaron dos métodos: Cámara húmeda en vasos con agar - agua y cámara húmeda en bolsas plásticas. Las muestras eran revisadas cada dos días para observar la incidencia del hon go entomopatógeno. Los resultados indican que La mayor incidencia de B. bassiana sobre H. hampei se presentó en las muestras obtenidas en la finca Quitasueño, con 60% de incidencia, mediante el método de cámara húmeda en bolsas plásticas y el mayor nivel d e incidencia de B. bassiana sobre L. coffeella se presentó en las muestras obtenidas en la finca Héroes y Mártires, con 25% de incidencia, mediante el método de cámara húmeda de vasos con agar - agua. Durante todo el estudio, H. hampei presentó niveles de in cidencia que oscilaron entre 4 y 16%, en las fincas IX muestreadas, niveles que son superiores al nivel crítico establecido de 2% para esta plaga. La incidencia de L. coffeella fue relativamente baja en dos de las fincas muestreadas, solamente la finca San Luis presentó un porcentaje alto alcanzando 26% en una de las fechas de muestreo.

Sediment incipience in turbulence generated in a square tank by a vertically oscillating grid

The failure of hydraulic structures in many estuaries and coastal regions around the world has been attributed to sediment transport and local scour. The sediment incipience in homogenous turbulence generated by oscillating grid is studied in this paper. The turbulent flow is measured by particle tracer velocimetry (PTV) technique. The integral length scale and time scale of turbulence are obtained. The turbulent flow near the wall is measured by local optical magnification. The sediment incipience is described by static theory. The relationship of probability of sediment incipience and the turbulent kinetic energy were obtained experimentally and theoretically. The distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy near the wall is found to obey the power law and the turbulent energy is further identified as the dynamic mechanism of sediment incipience.

Estado actual del bosque de galería en un tramo de la parte media de los ríos Ochomogo y Nandarola, municipio de Nandaime, Granada, Nicaragua, 2014

La Facultad de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente (FARENA) en conjunto con el proyecto UNA-FAGRO DEPARTIR/ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL PARA LA SALUD Y SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA, FAO, consideraron como objetivo principal Diagnosticar el estado actual del bosque de galería en los ríos Ochomogo y Nandarola, del municipio de Nandaime, Granada. En el río Nandarola se inventarió un área de 23.33 ha, encontrándose 321 árboles en 62 especies y 29 familias; la especie más representativa es el Guácimo de ternero(Guazuma ulmifolia Lam) con 30 individuos, y la familia más representativa es Mimosaceae con ocho especies. El área inventariada del río Ochomogo fue de 8.18 ha, se identificaron 154 árboles en 37 especies y 24 familias; la especie más abundante es Tigüilote(Cordia dentata Poir) con 19 individuos, la familiacon mayor representatividad es la Mimosaceae con cinco especies. Las variables silviculturales, iluminación respecto al río Nandarola equivale a un 51% de iluminación vertical plena, un 52% poseen fustes rectos sin ningún daño, y un 65% se encuentra libre de lianas. Por otro lado en el río Ochomogo se encontró un 57% de árboles que recibe iluminación vertical plena, con una calidad de fuste recto sin ningún daño de 45% y el 65% están libres de lianas. En general se puede decir que la población local y circundante ejerce presión sobre el recurso bosque; el caudal del río ha disminuido notoriamente por las actividades de extracción de madera para consumo energético; se evidencia la sustitución de especies nativas por exóticas como Teca (Tectona grandis L.F), Eucalipto (Eucalyptus spp.) y Neem(Azadirachta indica A. Juss) en las áreas de las riveras de los ríos, el aumento de áreas para potreros y el establecimiento de pasto, de plantaciones de cultivos de plátanos y de micro fábricas de ladrillos.

Evaluación de sobrevivencia e incremento de seis especies forestales maderables en plantaciones de la finca Eco forestal, San Juan del Sur, Rivas. 2010

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo evaluar la sobrevivencia y el incremento de seis especies forestales: Caoba del Pacífico (Swietenia humilis. Zucc.), Pochote (Pachira quinata (Jacq.) Alverson), Roble ( Tabebuia rosea(Bertol) DC.), Teca (Tectona grandis L.F.), Caoba Africana (Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss) y Ñambar (Dalbergia retusa Hemsl). La plantación se encuentra establecida en la finca Eco forestal, San Juan del Sur, Rivas. Se inventariaron 62 parcelas de 20m x 20m (400 m²), estas parcelas tienen un área útil de 225m², las plantas están establecidas con un distanciamiento de 2.5m x 2.5m entre planta, cada parcela contiene 64 árboles y la parcela útil contiene 36 árboles, el inventario se aplicó a la parcela útil. Las variables evaluadas fueron diámetro, altura total y sobrevivencia. La sobrevivencia general de la plantación fue 76% (entre las edades de 5 a 11 años). La especie que presentó mayor porcentaje de sobrevivencia fue Caoba africana (Khaya enegalensis(Desr) con 87% y la especie que presentó menor porcentaje de sobrevivencia fue el Pochote (Pachira quinata (Jacq.)con 66.59%. El mayor incremento medio anual en diámetro lo obtuvo la especie Caoba africana (Khaya senegalensis (Desr)) con 1.6 cm/año, mientras que el Ñambar (Dalbergiaretus a Hemsl.) presentó el menor incremento medio anual en diámetro con 0.82 cm/año. Los valores en incremento medio en altura total por especie la Teca (Tectona grandis L.F.)presentó el mayor valor con 1.11 m/año, debido a que es una especie de rápido crecimiento y el espaciamiento fue ideal para dicho incremento, mientras que el Ñambar (Dalbergia retusa Hemsl.) presentó el menor incremento medio anual en altura con 0.64 m/año