The active sites in different TS-1 zeolites for propylene epoxidation studied by ultraviolet resonance Raman and ultraviolet visible absorption spectroscopies

The titanium species in four kinds of titanium-containing MFI zeolites have been studied by ultraviolet (UV)-Raman and ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopies and by the epoxidation of propylene with diluted H2O2 solution (30%). UV-Raman spectroscopy is proved to be a suitable means to estimate qualitatively the framework titanium in TS-l zeolites. Based on the comparison of the relative intensity ratio I-1125/I-380 of UV-Raman spectra, the TS-1(conv.) sample synthesized hydrothermally by the conventional procedure shows the highest amount of framework titanium. UV-Vis spectroscopy reveals that besides minor anatase. titanium species are mainly tetrahydrally coordinated into the framework for TS-l(conv.) or the Ti-ZSM-5 sample prepared by gas-solid reaction between deboronated B-ZSM-5 and TiCl4 vapor at elevated temperatures. For the TS-1(org.) and TS-1(inorg.) samples synthesized hydrothermally using tetrapropylammonium bromide (TPABr) as template and tetrabutylorthotitanite (TBOT) and TiCl3 as titanium source, respectively, the presence of mononuclear and isolated TiOx species which are proposed to bond to the zeolite extraframework is observed. In addition to the framework titanium species, these isolated TiOx species are assumed to be also active for propylene epoxidation.

Finding Edges and Lines in Images

The problem of detecting intensity changes in images is canonical in vision. Edge detection operators are typically designed to optimally estimate first or second derivative over some (usually small) support. Other criteria such as output signal to noise ratio or bandwidth have also been argued for. This thesis is an attempt to formulate a set of edge detection criteria that capture as directly as possible the desirable properties of an edge operator. Variational techniques are used to find a solution over the space of all linear shift invariant operators. The first criterion is that the detector have low probability of error i.e. failing to mark edges or falsely marking non-edges. The second is that the marked points should be as close as possible to the centre of the true edge. The third criterion is that there should be low probability of more than one response to a single edge. The technique is used to find optimal operators for step edges and for extended impulse profiles (ridges or valleys in two dimensions). The extension of the one dimensional operators to two dimentions is then discussed. The result is a set of operators of varying width, length and orientation. The problem of combining these outputs into a single description is discussed, and a set of heuristics for the integration are given.

Reference genes for quantitative RT-PCR data in gastric tissues and cell lines

AIM: To evaluate the suitability of reference genes in gastric tissue samples and cell lines.METHODS: the suitability of genes ACTB, B2M, GAPDH, RPL29, and 18S rRNA was assessed in 21 matched pairs of neoplastic and adjacent nonneoplastic gastric tissues from patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, 27 normal gastric tissues from patients without cancer, and 4 cell lines using reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). the ranking of the best single and combination of reference genes was determined by NormFinder, geNorm (TM), BestKeeper, and DataAssist (TM). in addition, GenEx software was used to determine the optimal number of reference genes. To validate the results, the mRNA expression of a target gene, DNMT1, was quantified using the different reference gene combinations suggested by the various software packages for normalization.RESULTS: ACTB was the best reference gene for all gastric tissues, cell lines and all gastric tissues plus cell lines. GAPDH + B2M or ACTB + B2M was the best combination of reference genes for all the gastric tissues. On the other hand, ACTB + B2M was the best combination for all the cell lines tested and was also the best combination for analyses involving all the gastric tissues plus cell lines. According to the GenEx software, 2 or 3 genes were the optimal number of references genes for all the gastric tissues. the relative quantification of DNMT1 showed similar patterns when normalized by each combination of reference genes. the level of expression of DNMT1 in neoplastic, adjacent non-neoplastic and normal gastric tissues did not differ when these samples were normalized using GAPDH + B2M (P = 0.32), ACTB + B2M (P = 0.61), or GAPDH + B2M + ACTB (P = 0.44).CONCLUSION: GAPDH + B2M or ACTB + B2M is the best combination of reference gene for all the gastric tissues, and ACTB + B2M is the best combination for the cell lines tested. (C) 2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.

Locating hexagonal and cubic phases in boron nitride using wavelength-selective optically detected x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Locating hexagonal and cubic phases in boron nitride using wavelength-selective optically detected x-ray absorption spectroscopy, D.A. Evans, A.R. Vearey-Roberts, N.R.J. Poolton Appl Phys Lett 89, (2006) 161107

Quantum Flows as Markovian Limit of Emission, Absorption and Scattering Interactions

Gough, John, (2004) 'Quantum Flows as Markovian Limit of Emission, Absorption and Scattering Interactions', Communications in Mathematical Physics 254 pp.498-512 RAE2008

New instrumentation for micro-imaging X-ray absorption spectroscopy using optical detection methods

Poolton, Nigel; Towlson, B.M.; Hamilton, B.; Evans, D.A., (2006) 'New instrumentation for micro-imaging X-ray absorption spectroscopy using optical detection methods', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 246(2) pp.445-451 RAE2008

Synchrotron-laser pump-probe luminescence spectroscopy: Correlation of electronic defect states with x-ray absorption in wide-gap solids

Poolton, Nigel; Hamilton, B.; Evans, D.A., (2005) 'Synchrotron-laser pump-probe luminescence spectroscopy: Correlation of electronic defect states with x-ray absorption in wide-gap solids', Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 38 pp.1478-1484 RAE2008

Construction of a Festuca pratensis BAC library for map-based cloning in IFestulolium substitution lines

Iain S. Donnison, Donal M. O Sullivan, Ann Thomas, Peter Canter, Beverley Moore, Ian Armstead, Howard Thomas, Keith J. Edwards and Ian P. King (2005). Construction of a Festuca pratensis BAC library for map-based cloning in Festulolium substitution lines. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 110 (5) pp.846-851 Sponsorship: BBSRC;BBSRC RAE2008

Reading Between the Lines: The Potential of Popular Young Adult Fiction in Adolescent Spiritual Formation

Popular culture is a powerful, shaping force in the lives of teenagers between the ages of fourteen through eighteen in the United States today. This dissertation argues the importance of popular fiction for adolescent spiritual formation and it investigates that importance by exploring the significance of narrative for theology and moral formation. The dissertation employs mythic and archetypal criticism as a tool for informing the selection and critique of narratives for use in adolescent spiritual development and it also incorporates insights gained from developmental psychology to lay the groundwork for the development of a curriculum that uses young adult fiction in a program of spiritual formation for teenagers in a local church setting. The dissertation defends the power of narrative in Christian theology and concludes that narrative shapes the imagination in ways that alter perception and are important for the faith life of teenagers in particular. I go on to argue that not all narratives are created equal. In using literary myth criticism in concert with theology, I use the two disciplines’ different aims and methods to fully flesh out the potential of theologies intrinsic to works meant for a largely secular audience. The dissertation compares various works of young adult fiction (M.T. Anderson’s Feed and Terry Pratchett’s Nation in dialogue with a theology of creation; Marcus Zusak’s I am the Messenger and Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl in dialogue with salvation and saviors; and the four novels of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga in dialogue with a theology of hope (eschatology). The dissertation explores how each theme surfaces (even if only implicitly) from both literary and theological standpoints. The dissertation concludes with a sample four-week lesson plan that demonstrates one way the theological and literary critique can be formed into a practical curriculum for use in an adolescent spiritual development setting. Ultimately, this dissertation provides a framework for how practitioners of young adult formation can select, analyze, and develop materials for their teenagers using new works of popular young adult fiction. The dissertation comes to the conclusion that popular fiction contains a wealth of material that can challenge and shape young readers’ own emerging theology.