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O3
Kinds of O3 Terms modified by O3 Selected AbstractsExperimental Study and Modelling of Formation and Decay of Active Species in an Oxygen DischargeCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 1 2005A.-M. Diamy Abstract A microwave (2.45 GHz) oxygen discharge (3 hPa, 150 W, 50 mL.min,1) is studied by optical emission spectroscopy of O(5P) (line 777.4 nm) and of the atmospheric system of O2(head-line 759.4 nm). Calibration of the spectral response of the optical setup is used to determine the concentrations of O(5P) and O2(b). The concentration of the O(5P) atoms is in the range 108,109 cm,3 and the concentration of the O2(b) molecules is in the range 1014 , 2 × 1014 cm,3 along the discharge tube. An attempt is made to simulate the experimental results by using coupling the Boltzmann equation, homogeneous energy transfer V-V and V-T, heterogeneous reactions on the walls (energy transfer and recombination of atoms) and a kinetic scheme (electronic transfer and chemical reactions). The Boltzmann equation includes momentum transfer, inelastic and superelastic processes and e-e collisions. V-V and V-T transfer equations are obtained from the SSH theory and the kinetic scheme includes 65 reactions with 17 species [electrons e, ions O, and O2,, fundamental electronic neutral species O(3P), O2, O2(X,v), O3 and excited neutral species O2(a), O2(b), O2(A), O(1D), O(1S), O(5P), O(4d 5Do), O(5s 5So), O(3d 5Do) and O(4s 5So)]. A fair agreement between experimental results and modelling is obtained with the following set of fitting values: , heterogeneous deactivation coefficient for O2(b) , = 2.6 × 10,2; , rate constant of reaction [O(1D) + O(3P) , 2 O(3P)] k34 = 1.4 × 10,11 cm3.s,1; , electron concentration in the range 1010 , 1011 cm,3. Modelling shows that the recombination coefficient for oxygen atoms on the silica wall (range 1.4 × 10,3 , 0.2 × 10,3) is of the same order as the values obtained in a previous paper and that the ratio ([O] / 2 [O2]initial) is about 33,50%. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Investigation on growth defects in Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 -PbTiO3 crystalsCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 11 2006Min Jin Abstract Relaxor ferroelectric crystal (1-x)Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 -xPbTiO3 (PZNT) with x=0.07 (PZNT93/7) has been grown by the vertical Bridgman method from the high temperature solution of PZNT-PbO system. The growth defects, such as nucleation core, inclusions, boundaries and particles, were investigated by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Sub-structures were found in the flux inclusions and the lack of ZnO component in PZNT crystals was attributed to the existence of ZnO particles in the inclusions. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Species-specific responses to atmospheric carbon dioxide and tropospheric ozone mediate changes in soil carbonECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 11 2009Alan F. Talhelm Abstract We repeatedly sampled the surface mineral soil (0,20 cm depth) in three northern temperate forest communities over an 11-year experimental fumigation to understand the effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or elevated phyto-toxic ozone (O3) on soil carbon (C). After 11 years, there was no significant main effect of CO2 or O3 on soil C. However, within the community containing only aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), elevated CO2 caused a significant decrease in soil C content. Together with the observations of increased litter inputs, this result strongly suggests accelerated decomposition under elevated CO2. In addition, an initial reduction in the formation of new (fumigation-derived) soil C by O3 under elevated CO2 proved to be only a temporary effect, mirroring trends in fine root biomass. Our results contradict predictions of increased soil C under elevated CO2 and decreased soil C under elevated O3 and should be considered in models simulating the effects of Earth's altered atmosphere. [source] Analysis of air quality monitoring networks by functional clusteringENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 7 2008R. Ignaccolo Abstract Air quality monitoring networks are important tools in management and evaluation of air quality. Classifying monitoring stations via homogeneous clusters allows e dentification of similarities in pollution, of representative sites, and of spatial patterns. Instead of summaries by statistical indicators, we propose to consider the air pollutant concentrations as functional data. We then classify using functional cluster analysis, where Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) algorithm is embedded. The proposed data analysis approach is applied to the air quality monitoring network in Piemonte (Northern Italy); we consider the three more critical pollutants: NO2, PM10, and O3. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The meta-analysis of the Italian studies on short-term effects of air pollution (MISA): old and new issues on the interpretation of the statistical evidencesENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 3 2007Pierantonio Bellini Abstract The second meta-analysis of the Italian studies on short-term health effects of air pollution, known as MISA-2, was based on daily time series of indicators of both pollution and of health outcomes. It covered 15 cities during 1996,2002 for a total population of approximately nine millions. Health outcomes included mortality for natural causes, for respiratory diseases and for cardiovascular conditions, as well as hospital admissions for respiratory, cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases. Pollutants considered in univariate analyses were sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), suspended particulate matter (SPM) measuring less than 10,µm diameter (PM10) and ozone (O3, limited to the summer period). Results, including risk estimates, have been largely confirmatory of findings obtained in previous large meta-analytic studies carried out in North America and in Europe. A full report in Italian is available. The present contribution summarises the results of MISA-2 and addresses three major issues regarding their interpretation: robustness of the causal inferential process, the role of specific air pollutants and the reliability of risk estimates. The former issue is stressed according to Bradford Hill's criteria and the conclusion is reached that at least for the association of air pollution with an increase in mortality the evidence for causality is strong. Assessing the role of each air pollutant is problematic: there is some evidence that the effects of PM10 are partly confounded by other pollutants, but PM10 may not be the best indicator of the role of air SPM (routine measures of PM2.5 have not been introduced in Italy). As for risk estimates, the per cent increase in risk of mortality for unit increase in PM10 concentration, measured in MISA-2, is remarkably similar to estimates in other studies and there is indication for linearity of the dose,response relationship. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Data analysis of environmental air pollutant monitoring systems in EuropeENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2004Kristina Voigt Abstract Public access to information about the environment is being strengthened across Europe. The concept of public's right to information gives the basis for the access to environmental information. In this paper the quality of air pollutant monitoring systems in the 15 European member states is analyzed. For pragmatic reasons only the capitals are looked upon. Comprehensive data on environmental monitoring programs concerning air pollutants like ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (NO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), and sometimes suspended dust, benzene and other environmental chemicals are available on the free Internet. As different monitoring information systems exist in the European member states a comparison of these systems with their pros and cons is of great interest to the public. Environmental air pollutant monitoring systems in the capitals of the 15 EEC member countries (objects) are evaluated by applying 5 evaluation criteria for the differentiation of these systems. The scores run from 0,=,insufficient, 1,=,medium, to 2,=,excellent. Different data-analysis methods will be applied. As order theory is still not sufficiently presented in the scientific literature, a short overview about the so-called Hasse diagram technique and POSAC method is outlined. In several steps the data-matrix is analyzed coming to the conclusion that all methods (additionally PCA is used) identify one criterion as specifically important. Not unexpected, each method has its own advantage. The aim of this data-analysis is the evaluation of the publicly available air quality monitoring systems in Europe with their pros and cons. This might help the interested public to find and understand the information given on the Internet. Furthermore our evaluation approach might give some recommendations for an improvement of the air quality monitoring systems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Assessment of short-term association between health outcomes and ozone concentrations using a Markov regression modelENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 3 2003Abdelkrim Zeghnoun Abstract Longitudinal binary data are often used in panel studies where short-term associations between air pollutants and respiratory health outcomes are investigated. A Markov regression model in which the transition probabilities depend on the covariates, as well as the past responses, was used to study the short-term association between daily ozone (O3) concentrations and respiratory health outcomes in a panel of schoolchildren in Armentières, Northern France. The results suggest that there was a small but statistically significant association between O3 and children's cough episodes. A 10,,g/m3 increase in O3 concentrations was associated with a 13.9,% increase in cough symptoms (CI,95%,=,1.2,28.1%). The use of a Markov regression model can be useful as it permits one to address easily both the regression objective and the stochastic dependence between successive observations. However, it is important to verify the sensitivity of the Markov regression parameters to the time-dependence structure. In this study, it was found that, although what happened on the previous day was a strong predictor of what happened on the current day, this did not contradict the O3 -respiratory symptom associations. Compared to the Markov regression model, the signs of the parameter estimates of marginal and random-intercept models remain the same. The magnitudes of the O3 effects were also essentially the same in the three models, whose confidence intervals overlapped. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] New Coordination Modes of L -Ascorbic Acid and Dehydro- L -ascorbic Acid as Dianionic Chelating Ligand for PlatinumEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2008Paola Bergamini Abstract A variety of coordination modes of L -ascorbic acid as an anionic bidentate ligand has been exploited to prepare platinum(II) complexes 1,7 that contain phosphanes or R,R -dach (1R,2R -diaminocyclohexane) as neutral ligands in which O2, O3, O5, O6 and C2 act as anionic donating functionalities. An alternative synthetic route to known O2,O3 complexes is proposed, and their solubility in water has been enhanced by introducing PTA (1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) as a neutral ligand. A new coordination mode of ascorbic acid (O2 and O3 protected) as an O5,O6-diolate chelating ligand has been characterised in solution by NMR spectroscopy and in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. The first example of a platinum complex that contains dehydroascorbic acid, 7, has also been prepared and its X-ray crystal structure has been determined. The antiproliferative activity in vitro of complexes 1,7 has been tested, and the best values were obtained for the DHA complex 7, which was found to be more active than cisplatin on both a cisplatin-sensitive and a cisplatin-resistant cell line.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008) [source] Conservation and variation in Ubx expression among cheliceratesEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2001Aleksandar Popadi SUMMARY Chelicerates are an ancient arthropod group with a distinct body plan composed of an anterior (prosoma) and a posterior portion (opisthosoma). The expression of the Hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) has been examined in a single representative of the chelicerates, the spider Cupiennius salei. In spiders, Ubx expression starts in the second opisthosomal segment (O2). Because the first opisthosomal segment (O1) in spiders is greatly reduced relative to other chelicerates, we hypothesized that the observed Ubx expression pattern might be secondarily modified. Shifts in the anterior boundary of the expression of Ubx have been correlated with functional shifts in morphology within malacostracan crustaceans. Thus, the boundary of Ubx expression between chelicerates with different morphologies in their anterior opisthosoma could also be variable. To test this prediction, we examined the expression patterns of Ubx and abdominal-A (collectively referred to as UbdA) in two basal chelicerate lineages, scorpions and xiphosurans (horseshoe crabs), which exhibit variation in the morphology of their anterior opisthosoma. In the scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis, the anterior border of early expression of UbdA is in a few cells in the medial, posterior region of the O2 segment, with a predominant expression in O3 and posterior. Expression later spreads to encompass the whole O2 segment and a ventral, posterior portion of the O1 segment. In the xiphosuran Limulus polyphemus, early expression of UbdA has an anterior boundary in the segment. Later in development, the anterior boundary moves forward one segment to the chilarial (O1) segment. Thus, the earliest expression boundary of UbdA lies within the second opisthosomal segment in all the chelicerates examined. These results suggest that rather than being derived, the spider UbdA expression in O2 likely reflects the ancestral expression boundary. Changes in the morphology of the first opisthosomal segment are either not associated with changes in UbdA expression or correlate with late developmental changes in UbdA expression. [source] Thermoplastic Extrusion to Highly-Loaded Thin Green Fibres Containing Pb(Zr,Ti)O3,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2005J. Heiber Because of their piezoelectric properties lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fibres are used in several electronic applications. Such fibres can be produced by extrusion. Therefore the extrusion behaviour of highly loaded thermoplastic feedstocks (PZT-polymer compound) has been investigated depending on the surfactant concentration and the powder preparation method. After sintering butterfly curves were measured for single fibres. [source] Thickness-Dependent Properties of Relaxor-PbTiO3 Ferroelectrics for Ultrasonic TransducersADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2010Hyeong Jae Lee Abstract The electrical properties of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 -PbTiO3 (PMN-PT)-based polycrystalline ceramics and single crystals were investigated as a function of scale ranging from 500 ,m to 30 ,m. Fine-grained PMN-PT ceramics exhibited comparable dielectric and piezoelectric properties to their coarse-grained counterpart in the low frequency range (<10 MHz), but offered greater mechanical strength and improved property stability with decreasing thickness, corresponding to higher operating frequencies (>40 MHz). For PMN-PT single crystals, however, the dielectric and electromechanical properties degraded with decreasing thickness, while ternary Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3 -Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 -PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) exhibited minimal size-dependent behavior. The origin of property degradation of PMN-PT crystals was further studied by investigating the dielectric permittivity at high temperatures, and domain observations using optical polarized light microscopy. The results demonstrated that the thickness-dependent properties of relaxor-PT ferroelectrics are closely related to the domain size with respect to the associated macroscopic scale of the samples. [source] Physicochemical properties and distinct DNA binding capacity of the repressor of temperate Staphylococcus aureus phage ,11FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 7 2009Tridib Ganguly The repressor protein and cognate operator DNA of any temperate Staphylococcus aureus phage have not been investigated in depth, despite having the potential to enrich the molecular biology of the staphylococcal system. In the present study, using the extremely pure repressor of temperate Staphylococcus aureus phage ,11 (CI), we demonstrate that CI is composed of ,-helix and ,-sheet to a substantial extent at room temperature, possesses two domains, unfolds at temperatures above 39 °C and binds to two sites in the ,11 cI - cro intergenic region with variable affinity. The above CI binding sites harbor two homologous 15 bp inverted repeats (O1 and O2), which are spaced 18 bp apart. Several guanine bases located in and around O1 and O2 demonstrate interaction with CI, indicating that these 15 bp sites are used as operators for repressor binding. CI interacted with O1 and O2 in a cooperative manner and was found to bind to operator DNA as a homodimer. Interestingly, CI did not show appreciable binding to another homologous 15 bp site (O3) that was located in the same primary immunity region as O1 and O2. Taken together, these results suggest that ,11 CI and the ,11 CI,operator complex resemble significantly those of the lambdoid phages at the structural level. The mode of action of ,11 CI, however, may be distinct from that of the repressor proteins of , and related phages. [source] The structure of the core region of the lipopolysaccharide from Klebsiella pneumoniae O3FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2001-D-manno-octulosonic acid (, -Kdo) residue in the outer part of the core, 3-Deoxy-, O12 lipopolysaccharides, a common structural element of Klebsiella pneumoniae O The structure of lipid A,core region of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Klebsiella pneumoniae serotype O3 was determined using NMR, MS and chemical analysis of the oligosaccharides, obtained by mild acid hydrolysis, alkaline deacylation, and deamination of the LPS:where P is H or ,-Hep; J is H or ,-GalA; R is H or P (in the deacylated oligosaccharides).Screening of the LPS from K. pneumoniae O1, O2, O4, O5, O8, and O12 using deamination showed that they also contain ,-Hep-(1,4)-,-Kdo-(2,6)-GlcN and ,-Kdo-(2,6)-GlcN fragments. [source] Isolation and structural characterization of an R-form lipopolysaccharide from Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:8FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2001Clemens Oertelt The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of strain 8081-c-R2, a spontaneous R-mutant of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:8, was isolated using extraction with phenol/chloroform/light petroleum. Its compositional analysis indicated the presence of d -GlcN, d -Glc, lglycerodmanno - and dglycerodmanno -heptose, 3-deoxy- dmanno -oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) and phosphate. From deacylated LPS obtained after successive treatment with hydrazine and potassium hydroxide, three oligosaccharides (1,3) were isolated using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography, the structures of which were determined by compositional analysis and one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy as in which all sugars are pyranoses, and R and R, represent ,- d -Glc (in 1 and 2) and ,- d -GlcN (in 1 only), respectively. d -,- d -Hep is dglycero -,- dmanno -heptose, l -,- d -Hep is lglycero -,- dmanno- heptose, Kdo is 3-deoxy- dmanno -oct-2-ulosonic acid, and P is phosphate. The liberated lipid A was analyzed by compositional analyses and MALDI-TOF MS. Its ,- d -GlcN4P-(1,6)-,- d -GlcN-1,P backbone is mainly tetra-acylated with two amide- and one ester-linked (at O3 of the reducing GlcN) (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid residues, and one tetradecanoic acid that is attached to the 3-OH group of the amide-linked (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid of the nonreducing GlcN. Additionally, small amounts of tri- and hexa-acylated lipid A species occur. [source] The serodiagnosis of human infections with Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosisFEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Henrik Chart Abstract The techniques of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting were evaluated for the serodiagnosis of human infections with Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was prepared from strains comprising four serogroups of Y. enterocolitica and five serogroups of Y. pseudotuberculosis, tested against 200 sera submitted to the Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens for routine serodiagnosis, and shown to contain antibodies to Yersinia LPS by agglutination. Forty four sera were found to contain antibodies that bound to one of the LPS preparations used in the immunoassay. Thirty five of the sera contained antibodies to the LPS of Y. enterocolitica O3, whilst three contained antibodies to the LPS of Y. enterocolitica O5, 27 and Y. enterocolitica O9 LPS respectively. Two sera had antibodies to the LPS of Y. pseudotuberculosis II and a single serum contained antibodies to Y. pseudotuberculosis IV. The SDS-PAGE-immunoblotting procedure described proved to be a reliable procedure for the serodiagnosis of infections with Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis. [source] Outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by the pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3 : K6 in MexicoFEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2006Héctor Cabanillas-Beltrán Abstract During 2003 and during late September of 2004, more than 1230 cases of gastroenteritis were reported in the south of Sinaloa State, north-western Mexico. All cases were attributed to the consumption of raw or undercooked shrimp collected at the Huizache-Caimanero lagunary system. Vibrio parahaemolyticus was identified by standard biochemical methods, and many strains were positive for PCR amplifications of the tlh and tdh genes and negative for the trh gene. A representative strain belonged to the O3 : K6 serogroup. This is the first outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by the pandemic strains of O3 : K6 V. parahaemolyticus in México. [source] New Stack Design of Micro-tubular SOFCs for Portable Power SourcesFUEL CELLS, Issue 6 2008T. Suzuki Abstract Micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have high thermal stability and higher volumetric power density, which are considered to be ideal features for portable power sources and auxiliary power units for automobile. Here, we report a new stack design using anode supported micro-tubular SOFCs with 2,mm diameter using Gd doped CeO2 (GDC) electrolyte, NiO-GDC anode and (La, Sr)(Co, Fe)O3 (LSCF)-GDC cathode. The new stack consists of three bundles with five tubular cells, sealing layers and interconnects and fuel manifolds. The performance of the stack whose volume is 1,cm3 was shown to be 2.8,V OCV and maximum power output of 1.5,W at 500,°C, applying air only by natural convection. The results also showed strong dependence of the fuel flow rates on the stack performance, which was correlated to the gas diffusion limitation. [source] Reactivity in LaGaO3/Ni and CeO2/Ni SystemsFUEL CELLS, Issue 2 2006N. Solak Abstract The reactivity in CeO2/Ni and LaGaO3/Ni systems, which are constituents of intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) anodes, has been investigated both computationally and experimentally. The CALPHAD-method (CALculating of PHAse Diagrams), employing BINGSS and THERMOCALC software, was used to obtain a self-consistent set of Gibbs energy functions describing the systems. Interactions in the LaGaO3/Ni system were predicted using a thermodynamic database developed for the La-Ga-Ni-O system. Similarly, to analyze the CeO2/Ni system, the Ce-Ni-O ternary phase diagram was calculated using known thermodynamic data for binary Ce-O, Ni-O, and Ce-Ni systems. The experimental work was designed based on the calculated phase diagrams. While the La-Ga-Ni-O system experiments were conducted in air, the Ce-Ni-O system was also investigated in a reducing atmosphere. The calculated Ce-Ni-O diagram is in good agreement with the experimental results. It has been found that NiO does not react with CeO2. Extended solid solutions of La(Ga,Ni)O3, La2(Ni,Ga)O4, and La4(Ni,Ga)3O10 were found in the La-Ga-Ni-O system. Additionally, the compound LaNiGa11O19, with magnetoplumbite-type structure, has been found, which has not been reported in the literature so far. It is concluded that La2NiO4 is not chemically compatible, as a cathode material, with the LSGM electrolyte. [source] Tropospheric O3 moderates responses of temperate hardwood forests to elevated CO2: a synthesis of molecular to ecosystem results from the Aspen FACE projectFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2003D. F. Karnosky Summary 1The impacts of elevated atmospheric CO2 and/or O3 have been examined over 4 years using an open-air exposure system in an aggrading northern temperate forest containing two different functional groups (the indeterminate, pioneer, O3 -sensitive species Trembling Aspen, Populus tremuloides and Paper Birch, Betula papyrifera, and the determinate, late successional, O3 -tolerant species Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum). 2The responses to these interacting greenhouse gases have been remarkably consistent in pure Aspen stands and in mixed Aspen/Birch and Aspen/Maple stands, from leaf to ecosystem level, for O3 -tolerant as well as O3 -sensitive genotypes and across various trophic levels. These two gases act in opposing ways, and even at low concentrations (1·5 × ambient, with ambient averaging 34,36 nL L,1 during the summer daylight hours), O3 offsets or moderates the responses induced by elevated CO2. 3After 3 years of exposure to 560 µmol mol,1 CO2, the above-ground volume of Aspen stands was 40% above those grown at ambient CO2, and there was no indication of a diminishing growth trend. In contrast, O3 at 1·5 × ambient completely offset the growth enhancement by CO2, both for O3 -sensitive and O3 -tolerant clones. Implications of this finding for carbon sequestration, plantations to reduce excess CO2, and global models of forest productivity and climate change are presented. [source] Do elevated atmospheric CO2 and O3 affect food quality and performance of folivorous insects on silver birch?GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010PETRI A. PELTONEN Abstract The individual and combined effects of elevated CO2 and O3 on the foliar chemistry of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and on the performance of five potential birch-defoliating insect herbivore species (two geometrid moths, one lymantrid moth and two weevils) were examined. Elevated CO2 decreased the water concentration in both short- and long-shoot leaves, but the effect of CO2 on the concentration of nitrogen and individual phenolic compounds was mediated by O3 treatment, tree genotype and leaf type. Elevated O3 increased the total carbon concentration only in short-shoot leaves. Bioassays showed that elevated CO2 increased the food consumption rate of juvenile Epirrita autumnata and Rheumaptera hastata larvae fed with short- and long-shoot leaves in spring and mid-summer, respectively, but had no effect on the growth of larvae. The contribution of leaf quality variables to the observed CO2 effects indicate that insect compensatory consumption may be related to leaf age. Elevated CO2 increased the food preference of only two tested species: Phyllobius argentatus (CO2 alone) and R. hastata (CO2 combined with O3). The observed stimulus was dependent on tree genotype and the measured leaf quality variables explained only a portion of the stimulus. Elevated O3 decreased the growth of flush-feeding young E. autumnata larvae, irrespective of CO2 concentration, apparently via reductions in general food quality. Therefore, the increasing tropospheric O3 concentration could pose a health risk for juvenile early-season birch folivores in future. In conclusion, the effects of elevated O3 were found to be detrimental to the performance of early-season insect herbivores in birch whereas elevated CO2 had only minor effects on insect performance despite changes in food quality related foliar chemistry. [source] Interannual climatic variation mediates elevated CO2 and O3 effects on forest growthGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006MARK E. KUBISKE Abstract We analyzed growth data from model aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forest ecosystems grown in elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO2]; 518 ,L L,1) and ozone concentrations ([O3]; 1.5 × background of 30,40 nL L,1 during daylight hours) for 7 years using free-air CO2 enrichment technology to determine how interannual variability in present-day climate might affect growth responses to either gas. We also tested whether growth effects of those gasses were sustained over time. Elevated [CO2] increased tree heights, diameters, and main stem volumes by 11%, 16%, and 20%, respectively, whereas elevated ozone [O3] decreased them by 11%, 8%, and 29%, respectively. Responses similar to these were found for stand volume and basal area. There were no growth responses to the combination of elevated [CO2+O3]. The elevated [CO2] growth stimulation was found to be decreasing, but relative growth rates varied considerably from year to year. Neither the variation in annual relative growth rates nor the apparent decline in CO2 growth response could be explained in terms of nitrogen or water limitations. Instead, growth responses to elevated [CO2] and [O3] interacted strongly with present-day interannual variability in climatic conditions. The amount of photosynthetically active radiation and temperature during specific times of the year coinciding with growth phenology explained 20,63% of the annual variation in growth response to elevated [CO2] and [O3]. Years with higher photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) during the month of July resulted in more positive growth responses to elevated [CO2] and more negative growth responses to elevated [O3]. Mean daily temperatures during the month of October affected growth in a similar fashion the following year. These results indicate that a several-year trend of increasingly cloudy summers and cool autumns were responsible for the decrease in CO2 growth response. [source] Importance of changing CO2, temperature, precipitation, and ozone on carbon and water cycles of an upland-oak forest: incorporating experimental results into model simulationsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2005Paul J. Hanson Abstract Observed responses of upland-oak vegetation of the eastern deciduous hardwood forest to changing CO2, temperature, precipitation and tropospheric ozone (O3) were derived from field studies and interpreted with a stand-level model for an 11-year range of environmental variation upon which scenarios of future environmental change were imposed. Scenarios for the year 2100 included elevated [CO2] and [O3] (+385 ppm and +20 ppb, respectively), warming (+4°C), and increased winter precipitation (+20% November,March). Simulations were run with and without adjustments for experimentally observed physiological and biomass adjustments. Initial simplistic model runs for single-factor changes in CO2 and temperature predicted substantial increases (+191% or 508 g C m,2 yr,1) or decreases (,206% or ,549 g C m,2 yr,1), respectively, in mean annual net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEEa,266±23 g C m,2 yr,1 from 1993 to 2003). Conversely, single-factor changes in precipitation or O3 had comparatively small effects on NEEa (0% and ,35%, respectively). The combined influence of all four environmental changes yielded a 29% reduction in mean annual NEEa. These results suggested that future CO2 -induced enhancements of gross photosynthesis would be largely offset by temperature-induced increases in respiration, exacerbation of water deficits, and O3 -induced reductions in photosynthesis. However, when experimentally observed physiological adjustments were included in the simulations (e.g. acclimation of leaf respiration to warming), the combined influence of the year 2100 scenario resulted in a 20% increase in NEEa not a decrease. Consistent with the annual model's predictions, simulations with a forest succession model run for gradually changing conditions from 2000 to 2100 indicated an 11% increase in stand wood biomass in the future compared with current conditions. These model-based analyses identify critical areas of uncertainty for multivariate predictions of future ecosystem response, and underscore the importance of long term field experiments for the evaluation of acclimation and growth under complex environmental scenarios. [source] Fabrication of Microcantilever Sensors Actuated by Piezoelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 Thick Films and Determination of Their Electromechanical Characteristics,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 12 2005H. Park Abstract The integration and the device realization of Pb(Zr,,Ti)O3 (PZT) thick films on Si substrates are known to be extremely difficult because the processing temperature of the PZT thick film is close to the melting point of Si. However, PZT thick-film devices on Si warrant attention as they are appropriate for biological transducers; they generate large actuating forces and have a relatively high sensitivity for mass detection, especially in liquids. In this study, Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thick-film cantilever devices are successfully fabricated on a Pt/TiO2/SiNx/Si substrate using a screen-printing method and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) process. Elastic and electromechanical properties such as the Young's modulus and transverse piezoelectric coefficient are determined from microstructural and electrical analyses for further mechanical study. The calculated Young's modulus of the thick film, 53.9,±,3.85,GPa, corresponds to the resonant frequency obtained from the measured harmonic oscillation response. The transverse piezoelectric constant, d31, of ,20.7 to ,18.8,pC,N,1 is comparable to that of a dense thin film. These values promise the possibility of determining the resonance properties of a thick-film cantilever by designing its structure and then simulating the harmonic oscillation response. Using the PZT thick-film cantilever, a strong harmonic oscillation with a quality (Q) factor of about 23 is demonstrated in water. The observation of strong harmonic oscillation in liquid implies the feasibility of precise real-time recognition of biomolecules using PZT thick-film cantilevers. [source] The Effect of Dopants on the Dielectric Properties of Ba(B,1/2Ta1/2)O3 (B,=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Y, Yb, and In) Microwave CeramicsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Lamrat Abdul Khalam Low-loss dielectric ceramics based on Ba(B,1/2Ta1/2)O3 (B,=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Y, Yb, and In) complex perovskites have been prepared by the solid-state ceramic route. The dielectric properties (,r, Qu, and ,f) of the ceramics have been measured in the frequency range 4,6 GHz by the resonance method. The resonators have a relatively high dielectric constant and high quality factor. Most of the compounds have a low coefficient of temperature variation of the resonant frequencies. The microwave dielectric properties have been improved by the addition of dopants and by solid solution formation. The solid solution Ba[(Y1,xPrx)1/2Ta1/2]O3 has x=0.15, with ,r=33.2, Qu×f=51,500 GHz, and ,f,0. The microwave dielectric properties of Ba(B,1/2Ta1/2)O3 ceramics are found to depend on the tolerance factor (t), ionic radius, and ionization energy. [source] Study of Cation Ordering in Ba(Yb1/2Ta1/2)O3 by X-Ray Diffraction and Raman SpectroscopyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Dibyaranjan Rout The complex perovskite Ba(Yb1/2Ta1/2)O3 has been prepared by the two-stage solid-state reaction method. Rietveld' refinement analysis indicates cubic perovskite phase with space group . The 1:1 cation ordering at the B-site is revealed by the presence of (111) superlattice reflection in the X-ray diffraction pattern and further evidenced by the presence of A1g and F2g vibrational modes in the Raman spectra. The dielectric constant is measured to be 29.1, the product of quality factor and resonant frequency (Q×f) is found to be 32,000 GHz and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (,f) is 135 (ppm/°C) in the temperature range 30,70°C. [source] Low-Temperature Firing and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3,, Ceramics with ZnB2O4 Glass AdditionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Li-Xia Pang Low-temperature sintered Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3,, microwave dielectric ceramics with ZnB2O4 glass (ZBG) addition were prepared by the conventional solid state reaction method. The sintering behavior, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3,, ceramics with ZBG addition were investigated. The ZBG addition lowered the densified temperature of Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3,, ceramics from 1150°C to 940°C. The dielectric constants of Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3,, ceramics decreased from 40 to 34 and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (,f) changed gradually from +12.7 to ,25.7 ppm/°C as ZBG addition increased from 0 to 8 wt%. The Qf values increased greatly from 20,500 GHz of pure Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3,, to 26,900 GHz when 5 wt% ZBG was added. Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3,, ceramics with 8 wt% ZBG addition sintered at 940°C show good microwave dielectric properties with ,r,32.5, Qf,20,600 GHz, and ,f,,25.7 ppm/°C. The relationship between dielectric properties and microstructure was also discussed. [source] Texture Development in Barium Titanate and PMN,PT Using Hexabarium 17-Titanate HeterotemplatesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Toshio Kimura Bulk BaTiO3 ceramics with ,111,-texture have been prepared by the modified templated grain growth method, using platelike Ba6Ti17O40 particles as templates, and the mechanism of texture development is examined. The Ba6Ti17O40 particles induce the abnormal growth of BaTiO3 grains, and a structure similarity between {001} of Ba6Ti17O40 and {111} of BaTiO3 gives ,111,-texture to abnormally grown BaTiO3 grains. Thus, the ,111,-texture develops in the BaTiO3 matrix. The use of platelike Ba6Ti17O40 particles has been extended to a 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3,0.35PbTiO3 matrix, but the matrix phase is decomposed by extensive chemical reactions between the matrix and template phases. [source] Kinetics of the CH3O2 + HO2 reaction: A temperature and pressure dependence study using chemical ionization mass spectrometryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 10 2007M. Teresa Raventós-Duran A temperature and pressure kinetic study for the CH3O2 + HO2 reaction has been performed using the turbulent flow technique with a chemical ionization mass spectrometry detection system. An Arrhenius expression was obtained for the overall rate coefficient of CH3O2 + HO2 reaction: k(T) = (3.82+2.79,1.61) × 10,13 exp[(,781 ± 127)/T] cm,3 molecule,1 s,1. A direct quantification of the branching ratios for the O3 and OH product channels, at pressures between 75 and 200 Torr and temperatures between 298 and 205 K, was also investigated. The atmospheric implications of considering the upper limit rate coefficients for the O3 and OH branching channels are observed with a significant reduction of the concentration of CH3OOH, which leads to a lower amount of methyl peroxy radical. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 571,579, 2007 [source] Variational transition-state theory study of the atmospheric reaction OH + O3 , HO2 + O2INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 3 2007Li-Ping Ju We report variational transition-state theory calculations for the OH + O3, HO2 + O2 reaction based on the recently reported double many-body expansion potential energy surface for ground-state HO4 [Chem Phys Lett 2000, 331, 474]. The barrier height of 1.884 kcal mol,1 is comparable to the value of 1.77,2.0 kcal mol,1 suggested by experimental measurements, both much smaller than the value of 2.16,5.11 kcal mol,1 predicted by previous ab initio calculations. The calculated rate constant shows good agreement with available experimental results and a previous theoretical dynamics prediction, thus implying that the previous ab initio calculations will significantly underestimate the rate constant. Variational and tunneling effects are found to be negligible over the temperature range 100,2000 K. The O1O2 bond is shown to be spectator like during the reactive process, which confirms a previous theoretical dynamics prediction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 39: 148,153, 2007 [source] Kinetics of the gas-phase reaction of CF3OC(O)H with OH radicals at 242,328 KINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 6 2004L. Chen The rate constants, k1, of the reaction of CF3OC(O)H with OH radicals were measured by using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic technique in an 11.5-dm3 reaction chamber at 242,328 K. OH radicals were produced by UV photolysis of an O3,H2O,He mixture at an initial pressure of 200 Torr. Ozone was continuously introduced into the reaction chamber during UV irradiation. With CF3OCH3 as a reference compound, k1 at 298 K was (1.65 ± 0.13) × 10,14 cm3 molecule,1 s,1. The temperature dependence of k1 was determined as (2.33 ± 0.42) × 10,12 exp[,(1480 ± 60)/T] cm3 molecule,1 s,1; possible systematic uncertainty could add an additional 20% to the k1 values. The atmospheric lifetime of CF3OC(O)H with respect to reaction with OH radicals was calculated to be 3.6 years. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 337,344 2004 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||