Search

Background: The island of inversion near the $N=20$ shell gap is home to nuclei with reordered single-particle energy levels compared with the spherical shell model. Studies of $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ have revealed that its ground state has a halo component characterized by a valence neutron orbiting a deformed $^{30}\mathrm{Ne}$ core. This lightly bound nucleus with a separation energy of only ${S}_{n}=170$ keV is expected to have excited states that are neutron unbound.Purpose: The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the low-lying excited states in $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ that decay by the emission of a single neutron.Methods: An 89 MeV/nucleon $^{33}\mathrm{Mg}$ beam impinged on a segmented Be reaction target. Neutron-unbound states in $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ were populated via a two-proton knockout reaction. The $^{30}\mathrm{Ne}$ fragment and associated neutron from the decay of $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ were detected by the MoNA-LISA-Sweeper experimental setup at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Invariant-mass spectroscopy was used to reconstruct the two-body decay energy ($^{30}\mathrm{Ne}+n$).Results: The two-body decay energy spectrum exhibits two features: a low-lying peak at $0.30\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.17$ MeV and a broad enhancement at $1.50\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.33$ MeV, each fit with an energy-dependent asymmetric Breit-Wigner lineshape representing a resonance in the continuum. Accompanying shell-model calculations using the FSU interaction within NuShellX, combined with cross-section calculations using the eikonal reaction theory, indicate that these peaks in the decay energy spectrum are caused by multiple resonant states in $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$.Conclusions: Excited states in $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ were observed for the first time. Transitions from calculated shell-model final states in $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ to bound states in $^{30}\mathrm{Ne}$ are in good agreement with the measured decay energy spectrum. Cross-section calculations for the two-proton knockout populating $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ states as well as spectroscopic factors pertaining to the decay of $^{31}\mathrm{Ne}$ into $^{30}\mathrm{Ne}$ are used to examine the results within the context of the shell-model expectations.

Most humans can walk effortlessly across uniform terrain even when they do not pay much attention to it. However, most natural terrain is far from uniform, and we need visual information to maintain stable gait. Recent advances in mobile eye-tracking technology have made it possible to study, in natural environments, how terrain affects gaze and thus the sampling of visual information. However, natural environments provide only limited experimental control, and some conditions cannot safely be tested. Typical laboratory setups, in contrast, are far from natural settings for walking. We used a setup consisting of a dual-belt treadmill, 240∘ projection screen, floor projection, three-dimensional optical motion tracking, and mobile eye tracking to investigate eye, head, and body movements during perturbed and unperturbed walking in a controlled yet naturalistic environment. In two experiments (N = 22 each), we simulated terrain difficulty by repeatedly inducing slipping through accelerating either of the two belts rapidly and unpredictably (Experiment 1) or sometimes following visual cues (Experiment 2). We quantified the distinct roles of eye and head movements for adjusting gaze on different time scales. While motor perturbations mainly influenced head movements, eye movements were primarily affected by the presence of visual cues. This was true both immediately following slips and—to a lesser extent—over the course of entire 5-min blocks. We find adapted gaze parameters already after the first perturbation in each block, with little transfer between blocks. In conclusion, gaze–gait interactions in experimentally perturbed yet naturalistic walking are adaptive, flexible, and effector specific.

We introduce a catalyst-free, highly efficient, ambient temperature Diels-Alder reaction employing o-methylbenzaldehyde derivatives as photocaged dienes as an ideal approach for forming three-dimensional insoluble networks for inkjet printing of OLED emissive layer. Herein, poly(methyl methacrylate) based polymers containing 4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-2-(3′-hydroxy-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-yl)isoindoline-1,3-dione as a blue-green (λmax = 495-500 nm) thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter and a photochemically active maleimide/o-methylbenzaldehyde cross-linker couple were synthesized and their photo-cross-linking behavior was studied. Time resolved fluorescence measurements confirm that the TADF properties are maintained upon integration in a polymer network and HOMO/LUMO levels of the emitter species remain unchanged by the photo-cross-linking at 365 nm of the polymer chains. The network formation of the fluorescent films is evidenced by solvent resistance tests and monitored by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy as well as time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), showing the consumption of maleimide and o-methylbenzaldehyde groups with increasing irradiation time. The surface roughness is investigated via atomic force microscopy (AFM) and found to be unchanged by a solvent wash after the cross-linking. Furthermore, confirmation that the polymer solution can be printed on an inkjet-printer and subsequently photo-cross-linked for multilayer OLED device fabrication is obtained. © 2019 American Chemical Society.

On the 1 H NMR timescale, 2,2'-biindolyls with (R)-configured (1-alkoxyprop)-2-yl, (1-hydroxyprop)-2-yl, or (1-siloxyprop)-2-yl substituents at C-1 and C-1' are atropisomerically stable at 30 °C. A 2,2'-biindolyl (R,R)-17 a of that kind and achiral (!) brominating reagents gave the atropisomerically stable 3,3'-dibromobiindolyls (M)- and/or (P)-18 a at best atropselectively-because of point-to-axial asymmetric inductions-and atropdivergently, exhibiting up to 95 % (M)- and as much (P)-atropselectivity. This route to atropisomerically pure biaryls is novel and should extend to other substrates and/or different functionalizations. The dibromobiindolyls (M)- and (P)-18 a furnished the biindolyldiphosphanes (M)- and (P)-14 without atropisomerization. These syntheses did not require the resolution of a racemic mixture, which distinguishes them from virtually all biaryldiphosphane syntheses known to date. (M)- and (P)-14 acted as ligands in catalytic asymmetric allylations and hydrogenations. Remarkably, the β-ketoester rac-25 c was hydrogenated trans-selectively with 98 % ee; this included a dynamic kinetic resolution.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) materials are extensively investigated as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with TADF emitting layers demonstrating high efficiency without the use of heavy metal complexes. Therefore, solution-processable and printable TADF emitters are highly desirable, moving away from expensive vacuum deposition techniques. In addition, using emissive materials not requiring an external host simplifies the fabrication process significantly. Herein, OLEDs using a solution-processable TADF polymer that do not need an external host are introduced. The non-conjugated TADF polymer features a TADF emitter (4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-2-(3′-hydroxy-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-yl)-isoindoline-1,3-dione) as a side chain, as well as a hole-transporting side chain and an electron-transporting side chain on an inactive polymer backbone. All organic layers of the OLEDs are fabricated using solution processing methods. The OLEDs with inkjet-printed emissive layers have comparable maximum current and external quantum efficiency as their spin-coated counterparts, exceeding luminance of 2000 cd m$^{-2}$. The herein-explored strategy is a viable route toward self-hosted printable TADF OLEDs.

This review discusses the identification and quantification of microplastic (MP) using Raman microspectroscopy (RM). It addresses scientists investigating MP in environmental and food samples. We show the benefits and limitations of RM from a technical point of view (sensitivity, smallest particle sizes, speed optimizations, analysis artefacts and background effects) and provide an assessment of the relevance of lab analyses and their interpretation (sample sizes for the analysis, uncertainty of the analysis). All parts are complimented by extensive literature data and a theoretical derivation of the concepts. We conclude with suggestions for a feasible and meaningful RM analysis of MP samples.

BackgroundMongolian traditional swaddling of infants, where arms and legs are extended with a tight wrapping and hips are in adduction position, may lead to abnormal maturation and formation of the hip joint; and is a contributing factor for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). This hypothesis was tested in this randomized controlled trial.MethodsEighty newborns with one or two hips at risk of worsening to DDH (Graf Type 2a; physiologically immature hips) at birth were randomized into 2 groups at a tertiary hospital in Ulaanbaatar. The “swaddling” group (n = 40) was swaddled in the common traditional Mongolian method for a month while the “non-swaddling” group (n = 40) was instructed not to swaddle at all. All enrollees were followed up on monthly basis by hip ultrasound and treated with an abduction-flexion splint if necessary. The groups were compared on the rate of Graf’s “non-Type 1” hips at follow-up controls as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were rate of DDH and time to discharge (Graf Type 1; healthy hips). In addition, correlation between the primary outcome and swaddling length in days and frequency of swaddling in hours per day were calculated.ResultsRecruitment continued from September 2019 to March 2020 and follow-up data were completed in June 2020. We collected final outcome data in all 80 enrollees. Percentages of cases with non-Type 1 hip at any follow-up examination were 7.5% (3/40) in the non-swaddling group and 40% (16/40) in the swaddling group (p = 0.001). There was no DDH case in the non-swaddling group while there were 8 cases of DDH in the swaddling group. The mean time to discharge was 5.1 ± 0.3 weeks in the non-swaddling group and 8.4 ± 0.89 weeks in the swaddling group (p = 0.001). There is a correlation between the primary outcome and the swaddling frequency in hours per day (r = 0.81) and swaddling length in days (r = 0.43).ConclusionsMongolian traditional swaddling where legs are extended and hips are in extension and adduction position increases the risk for DDH.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered,ISRCTN11228572.

Chemical stimulation of geothermal wells to remove drilling mud and to increase the connection to the reservoir are state of the art. There is hardly any deep geothermal well in the carbonates of the upper jurassic in the pre alpine foreland basin which was not developed using one or more pulses of acid. Several tons of acid are injected into the borehole and followed by a chaser to push the acid into the reservoir. Given the wide use of chemical stimulation measures, mass balance data for the stimulation is rare. This might be due to a rather simple reaction mechanism and the assumption that there is a full stoichiometric reaction and all injected acid is recovered. The efficiency of the stimulation is assessed based on the hydraulic properties derived from the short-term pumping tests following the stimulation. This project compares the full mass balance for chemical stimulation measures and the temporal development of the concentration of relevant ions during the pumping test after stimulation. The data was collected at several sites with a temporal resolution of down to 30 mins. The data includes multiple stimulations as well as stimulation with varying acids and different setup. Using this data set we want to answer the questions whether the acid is fully recovered, whether the assumption of full stochiometric reaction is valid, whether there is a difference in the transport of reactive and conservative ions, what additional value a hydrochemical analysis could add and whether on-site measurements could substitute costly measurements. The evaluation shows a distinct behaviour of the temporal development of the chloride concentration (after stimulation with hydrochloric acid) which can be described by a bi-exponential fit. The fitting parameters of the two exponential terms are getting closer with each stimulation indicating a reduced heterogeneity along the accessible flow paths around the borehole. A comparison of the full scale analysis with on-site sensors was sometimes not possible because the sensors showed a drift during the experiment or were poorly calibrated. As calcium, magnesium, and chloride ion concentrations showed different behaviour, electrical conductivity is not able to cover the full development. The mass balance indicates that a full recovery of the injected acid might take significantly longer than the short term pumping tests. Hydrochemical monitoring provides additional and relevant data about the reservoir in the surrounding of the borehole and allows important predictions about the long-term behaviour, especially if the borehole is used as injection well. For routine applications improved sensors and fast (and cheap) on-site analysis is required.

Discharge of organic dyes from different industries into receiving rivers and natural streams poses serious problems for the environment because of their toxicity. These dyes are not readily biodegradable and therefore, their removal from effluents is urgent. Various methods used for removal of dyes from wastewater, such as coagulation, flocculation, filtration or reverse osmosis are quite expensive and have a low removal efficiency. On the contrary, Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) using metal oxide semiconductors like ZnO, are capable to operate effectively and efficiently to degrade many dye pollutants.In this work, ZnO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via a simple solvothermal method with different solvents. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging showed that nanoflower, nanorod, and nanosphere ZnO particles were produced when water, 1-hexanol, and ethylene glycol were used as the solvent, respectively. Nanoflower ZnO particles exhibited higher photocatalytic reduction efficiencies under UV light irradiation than nanosphere and nanorod particles. Results suggested a close relationship between the photocatalytic activity and the particle morphology and size which was due to using different solvents in preparation processes. Also, the recovery of ZnO nanoparticles was investigated and samples showed stable photodegradation efficiencies after being reused for three times.

Scalings in geothermal systems are affecting the efficiency and safety of geothermal systems. An operate-until-fail maintenance scheme might seem appropriate for subsurface installations where the replacement of pumps and production pipes is costly and regular maintenance comprises a complete overhaul of the installations. The situation is different for surface level installations and injection wells. Here, monitoring of the thickness of precipitates is the key to optimized maintenance schedules and long-term operation.A questionnaire revealed that operators of geothermal facilities start with a standardized maintenance schedule which is adjusted based on local experience. Sensor networks, numerical modelling and predictive maintenance are not yet applied. In this project we are aiming to close this gap with the development of a non-invasive sensor system coupled to innovative data acquisition and evaluation and an expert system to quantitatively predict the development of precipitations in geothermal systems and open cooling towers.Previous investigations of scalings in the lower part of production pipes of a geothermal facility suggest that the disruption of the carbonate equilibrium is triggered by the formation of gas bubbles in the pump and subsequent stripping of CO2. Although small in it's overall effect on pH-value and saturation index, significant amounts of precipitates are forming at high volumetric flow rates. To assess the kinetics of gas bubble induced precipitations laboratory experiments were run. The experiment addresses precipitations at surfaces and at the gas bubbles themselves.

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) commits EU member states to achieve a good qualitative and quantitative status of all their water bodies. WFD provides a list of actions to be taken to achieve the goal of good status. However, this list disregards the specific conditions under which deep (> 400 m b.g.l.) groundwater aquifers form and exist. In particular, deep groundwater fluid composition is influenced by interaction with the rock matrix and other geofluids, and may assume a bad status without anthropogenic influences. Thus, a new concept with directions of monitoring and modelling this specific kind of aquifers is needed. Their status evaluation must be based on the effects induced by their exploitation. Here, we analyze long-term real-life production data series to detect changes in the hydrochemical deep groundwater characteristics which might be triggered by balneological and geothermal exploitation. We aim to use these insights to design a set of criteria with which the status of deep groundwater aquifers can be quantitatively and qualitatively determined. Our analysis is based on a unique long-term hydrochemical data set, taken from 8 balneological and geothermal sites in the molasse basin of Lower Bavaria, Germany, and Upper Austria. It is focused on a predefined set of annual hydrochemical concentration values. The data range dates back to 1937. Our methods include developing threshold corridors, within which a good status can be assumed, and developing cluster analyses, correlation, and piper diagram analyses. We observed strong fluctuations in the hydrochemical characteristics of the molasse basin deep groundwater during the last decades. Special interest is put on fluctuations that seem to have a clear start and end date, and to be correlated with other exploitation activities in the region. For example, during the period between 1990 and 2020, bicarbonate and sodium values displayed a clear increase, followed by a distinct dip to below-average values and a subsequent return to average values at site F. During the same time, these values showed striking irregularities at site B. Furthermore, we observed fluctuations in several locations, which come close to disqualifying quality thresholds, commonly used in German balneology. Our preliminary results prove the importance of using long-term (multiple decades) time series analysis to better inform quality and quantity assessments for deep groundwater bodies: most fluctuations would stay undetected within a < 5 year time series window, but become a distinct irregularity when viewed in the context of multiple decades. In the next steps, a quality assessment matrix and threshold corridors will be developed, which take into account methods to identify these fluctuations. This will ultimately aid in assessing the sustainability of deep groundwater exploitation and reservoir management for balneological and geothermal uses.

The $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decays of $^{103,104m}\mathrm{Nb}$ were studied with the Summing NaI(Tl) (SuN) detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay feeding intensity distribution ${I}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}(E)$ for each isotope was extracted by measuring $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays in coincidence with an emitted electron. The ${I}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}(E)$ was extracted via the total absorption spectroscopy technique. The ${I}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}(E)$ for each nucleus was compared to predictions made by the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) model which is commonly used to calculate $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay properties for astrophysical applications. The main goal was to provide experimental data for neutron-rich nuclei, relevant to the astrophysical $r$ process. In addition, the extracted $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay feeding intensity distributions can lead to a better understanding of nuclear structure in a region of rapid structure changes around $A=100$. Finally, experimental data for $^{104m}\mathrm{Nb}$ are also of interest to antineutrino studies of nuclear reactors.

The $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of $^{101,102}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{109}\mathrm{Tc}$ was studied using the technique of total absorption spectroscopy. The experiment was performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory using the Summing NaI(Tl) (SuN) detector in the first-ever application of total absorption spectroscopy with a fast beam produced via projectile fragmentation. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay feeding intensity and Gamow-Teller transition strength distributions were extracted for these three decays. The extracted distributions were compared to three different quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) models based on different mean-field potentials. A comparison with calculations from one of the QRPA models was performed to learn about the ground-state shape of the parent nucleus. For $^{101}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{102}\mathrm{Zr}$, calculations assuming a pure shape configuration (oblate or prolate) were not able to reproduce the extracted distributions. These results may indicate that some type of mixture between oblate and prolate shapes is necessary to reproduce the extracted distributions. For $^{109}\mathrm{Tc}$, a comparison of the extracted distributions with QRPA calculations suggests a dominant oblate configuration. The other two QRPA models are commonly used to provide $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay properties in $r$-process network calculations. This work shows the importance of making comparisons between the experimental and theoretical $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay distributions, rather than just half-lives and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-delayed neutron emission probabilities, as close to the $r$-process path as possible.

Excited states in ${}^{73,75}\mathrm{Ni}$ were investigated through the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of ${}^{73,75}\mathrm{Co}$ in an experiment performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University (MSU). The experimental results extended the level scheme of $^{73}\mathrm{Ni}$ to 3.2-MeV excitation energy and provided the experimental information on excited states in $^{75}\mathrm{Ni}$. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-delayed neutron branching ratio for $^{73}\mathrm{Co}$ was obtained. The experimental results are discussed in comparison with shell-model calculations.

Sonographic diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip allows treatment with a flexion-abduction orthosis preventing hip luxation. Accurate determination of alpha and beta angles according to Graf is crucial for correct diagnosis. It is unclear if algorithms could predict the angles. We aimed to compare the accuracy for users and automation reporting root mean squared errors (RMSE). We used 303 306 ultrasound images of newborn hips collected between 2009 and 2016 in screening consultations. Trained physicians labelled every second image with alpha and beta angles during the consultations. A random subset of images was labeled with time and precision under lab conditions as ground truth. Automation predicted the two angles using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The analysis was focused on the alpha angle. Three methods were implemented, each with a different abstraction of the problem: (1) CNNs that directly learn the angles without any post-processing steps; (2) CNNs that return the relevant landmarks in the image to identify the angles; (3) CNNs that return the base line, bony roof line, and the cartilage roof line which are necessary to calculate the angles. The RMSE between physicians and ground truth were found to be 7.1° for alpha. The best CNN architecture was (2) landmark detection. The RMSE between landmark detection and ground truth was 3.9° for alpha. The accuracy of physicians in their daily routine is inferior to deep learning-based algorithms for determining angles in ultrasound of the newborn hip. Similar methods could be used to support physicians.ZIEL: Die Diagnose von Hüftdysplasie mittels Sonografie erlaubt das Behandeln mit Flexionsorthese, um einer Hüftluxation vorzubeugen. Genaue Bestimmungen der Winkel Alpha und Beta nach Graf sind essenziell für eine korrekte Diagnose. Es ist unklar, ob ein Algorithmus die Winkel vorhersagen könnte. Diese Arbeit vergleicht die Genauigkeit für Anwender und Automation mittels mittlerer quadratischer Fehler (MQF). Wir verwendeten 303 306 Ultraschallbilder von Neugeborenenhüften, die zwischen 2009 und 2016 in Screening-Untersuchungen akquiriert wurden. Ausgebildete Ärzte bestimmten während der Konsultation in jedem zweiten Bild die Winkel Alpha und Beta. Eine zufällige Teilmenge an Bildern wurde unter Laborbedingungen mit Zeit und Präzision als Ground Truth beschriftet. Die Automation sagte die beiden Winkel mittels convolutional neural network (CNN) voraus. Die Analyse war auf den Winkel Alpha fokussiert. Drei Methoden wurden implementiert, jede davon mit einer anderen Abstraktion des Problems: (1) CNNs, die Winkel ohne post-processing direkt lernen; (2) CNNs, die Punkte im Bild bestimmen, die relevant sind, um die Winkel zu bestimmen; (3) CNNs, die Grundlinie, Pfannendachlinie und die Knorpeldachlinie in das Bild legen, um daraus die Winkel zu bestimmen. Der MQF zwischen Ärzten und der Ground Truth war 7,1° für Alpha. Die beste CNN-Architektur war (2) die Detektion der Punkte. Der MQF zwischen Punktedetektion und Ground Truth betrug 3,9° für Alpha. Die Genauigkeit von Ärzten in ihrer täglichen Arbeit ist kleiner als diejenige eines Deep-Learning-basierten Algorithmus beim Bestimmen von Winkeln im Ultraschall der Säuglingshüfte. Ähnliche Methoden könnten verwendet werden, um Ärzte zu unterstützen.

Most humans can walk effortlessly across uniform terrain even without paying much attention to it. However, most natural terrain is far from uniform, and we need visual information to maintain stable gait. In a controlled yet naturalistic environment, we simulated terrain difficulty through slip-like perturbations that were either unpredictable (experiment 1) or sometimes followed visual cues (experiment 2) while recording eye and body movements using mobile eye tracking and full-body motion tracking. We quantified the distinct roles of eye and head movements for adjusting gaze on different time scales. While motor perturbations mainly influenced head movements, eye movements were primarily affected by visual cues, both immediately following slips, and – to a lesser extent – over 5-minute blocks. We find adapted gaze parameters already after the first perturbation in each block, with little transfer between blocks. In conclusion, gaze-gait interactions in experimentally perturbed naturalistic walking are adaptive, flexible, and effector-specific.

For more than 50 years AKW Equipment + Process Design has been successfully active in the international mining sector as engineering provider, equipment supplier and EPC player. Focusing on the ‘separation step’ in the overall mining value chain, we offer a wide range of proprietary and state-of-the-art equipment that enable processing in the most efficient and economical way. Some of the recent developments in the phosphate industry, which call for sharper cuts and better particle cleanliness, motivated AKW Equipment + Process Design to introduce smart solutions that have already found acceptance in several other mineral processing industries. Taking into consideration the particular environment of a mining operation, relevant smart features that are robust enough and provide the needed controls constitute critical parts of the concepts developed by AKW Equipment + Process Design. In smart attrition cells, the control and monitoring of a given and specific high solid concentration is compulsory in order to achieve the required scrubbing effect within a specific timeframe. To determine this suspension concentration, the agitator shaft torque will be measured indirectly via consumed motor current and used as basis for control. Therefore with an adjustable intensity range for the torque, a dosing valve will be controlled to ensure that the working concentration is continuously adjusted in the wanted level, hence delivering a steady and optimum scrubbing performances. In smart hydrosizers, a continuous control and adjustment of the teeter bed is compulsory in order to ensure a constant and uninterrupted classification effect. By the mean of an automatic hydrostatic measurement, the specific conditions of the teeter bed are determined, and thereafter are kept stable through a unique control system of the discharge valves. This allows a steady cut size and prevent interruptions that might be caused by discontinuous batch discharge and sudden variation of the hydrosizer feed conditions.

Low-mass planets that are in the process of growing larger within protoplanetary disks exchange torques with the disk and change their semi-major axis accordingly. This process is called type I migration and is strongly dependent on the underlying disk structure. As a result, there are many uncertainties about planetary migration in general. In a number of simulations, the current type I migration rates lead to planets reaching the inner edge of the disk within the disk lifetime. A new kind of torque exchange between planet and disk, the thermal torque, aims to slow down inward migration via the heating torque. The heating torque may even cause planets to migrate outwards, if the planetary luminosity is large enough. Here, we study the influence on planetary migration of the thermal torque on top of previous type I models. We find that the formula of Paardekooper et al. (2011, MNRAS, 410, 293) allows for more outward migration than that of Jiménez & Masset (2017, MNRAS, 471, 4917) in most configurations, but we also find that planets evolve to very similar mass and final orbital radius using both formulae in a single planet-formation scenario, including pebble and gas accretion. Adding the thermal torque can introduce new, but small, regions of outwards migration if the accretion rates onto the planet correspond to typical solid accretion rates following the pebble accretion scenario. If the accretion rates onto the planets become very large, as could be the case in environments with large pebble fluxes (e.g., high-metallicity environments), the thermal torque can allow more efficient outward migration. However, even then, the changes for the final mass and orbital positions in our planet formation scenario are quite small. This implies that for single planet evolution scenarios, the influence of the heating torque is probably negligible.

With high temperatures, high transmissivities, and low salinities the Malm aquifer in the Bavarian Molasse Basin, Germany, offers ideal conditions for the exploration of geothermal energy in Germany. In 2011, the Pullach geothermal doublet system was extended with a third geothermal well (Th3) to account for increasing heat demand. The third well was then used as injection well and the former injection well (Th2) was converted to a production well. Hence, for the first time in the history of geothermal exploration of the Malm aquifer, data became accessible from the formation surrounding an injection well which had been in operation for more than 5 years. This data provides access to the processes at the injection well and sets the baseline for an assessment of the long term behaviour of geothermal heat and power plants in the Molasse Basin. The increase of the production temperatures at the former injection well after conversion from injection to production went faster than expected; after 3 years of production the initial temperatures have almost been reached. This can be explained with a vertically heterogeneous distribution of the aquifer transmissivity with one thin, highly permeable layer. In this setting, the cold water forms a thin disc which extends much further from the injection well compared to a vertically homogeneous setting, with a cylindrical propagation of the injected water. Hence, in a heterogeneous setting the effective interface for conductive heat exchange between injected cool water and hot aquifer matrix with low permeability is larger. The hydrochemical data of the water from the former injection well showed a significant increase of the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate, indicating dissolution of dolomite with about 0.6 mmol/L of produced water. Together with thermoelastic effects and hydrostatic stress, the dissolution significantly contributes to an increasing injectivity. The effects are overcompensating the effects of the increased viscosity of the injected cold water. Results from the hydrogeochemical model show that lower temperatures and different lithostratigraphic origin of the injected water are responsible for the dissolution. The kinetic model suggests that the dissolution takes place close to the bore hole. The data collected from the Pullach site provides experimental proof for the processes in the surrounding of injection wells, i.e., the assumed aquifer heterogeneity, the connection to overlying strata, and for the hydrogeochemical model of the Malm aquifer. The data serves as a benchmark and reference for future exploration.

Background: Measurements of neutron-unbound states can test nuclear models in very neutron-rich nuclei that, in some cases, cannot be probed with other methods.Purpose: Search for highly excited neutron-unbound states of $^{25}\mathrm{O}$ above the three-neutron separation energy.Method: The decay energy of $^{25}\mathrm{O}$ was reconstructed using the invariant mass spectroscopy method. A 101.3-MeV/u $^{27}\mathrm{Ne}$ beam collided with a liquid-deuterium target. Two-proton removal reactions populated excited $^{25}\mathrm{O}$ that decayed into three neutrons and an $^{22}\mathrm{O}$ fragment. The neutrons were detected by arrays of plastic scintillator bars, whereas a 4-Tm dipole magnet placed directly after the target redirected charged fragments to a series of charged-particle detectors. The data were compared with detailed Monte Carlo simulations of the reaction process and subsequent decay.Results: The data show evidence of neutron-unbound level(s) in $^{25}\mathrm{O}$ at an excitation energy of about 9 MeV which decay sequentially by the emission of three neutrons to $^{22}\mathrm{O}$.Conclusion: The observation of resonance strength in $^{25}\mathrm{O}$ at about 9 MeV is consistent with shell-model and eikonal calculations for the two-proton removal reaction from $^{27}\mathrm{Ne}$.

The low efficiency of fluorescent blue OLED pixels remains one of the top issues for OLED panel makers despite the success that OLED displays have had on the market in the last decade. Recent progress on the TADF technology, however, has shown this technology´s potential to finally deliver high-efficiency deep-blue materials that also have enough stability for OLED panels. CYNORA has already shown that the customer specifications for color and efficiency can be reached and the lifetime is in the final development stage. We were able to reach these results with two separate TADF approaches, the self-emitting and the co-emitting (or hyper) approach. In this paper, we will show some of the requirements for the TADF emitter that are necessary to achieve good results in the co-emitting approach. We will discuss the theoretical requirements to achieve good energy transfer from a TADF emitter to a fluorescent emitter. We will also show device results that confirm the required deep-blue color of the TADF emitter for efficient hyper-fluorescent devices. And we will also give an update on our latest results where we have achieved more than 20% EQE (external quantum efficiency) at deep-blue colors with a CIEy 1931 coordinate of ≤0.15.

To comply with the United Nations’ (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities teaching units have to be universally accessible to all students. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers one possible way of creating an inclusive teaching unit that should be accessible to as many students as possible. New technologies and media are very suitable for providing flexible materials and are therefore of particular importance to the UDL. To investigate the effect of a digital multimedia learning environment on students with and without special educational needs (SEN) we developed a learning software according to the UDL for two 90 min courses for the lower secondary chemistry course. We examined the learning environment in inclusive German classrooms with n = 89 students at the age of 13–15, including n = 16 SEN-students. For this, we used a chemistry performance test in form of a multiple-choice test in a pre-post-follow-up-design as well as a test for the attitude of the students towards the learning software. Additionally, we recorded the activities on the screens of selected learners. The chemistry performance concerning chemical reactions significantly increased through the intervention. Moreover, the students gave a positive feedback on the learning software. The results of the study suggest that the digital learning unit is suitable for learning about chemical reactions. The analysis of the videos shows that students with and without SEN use the functions of the software mostly adequate. In this paper first results are presented, further analysis will follow.

In September 2018, an international meeting of doctors of various disciplines, with expertise in the detection and treatment of DDH, was held in Csolyospalos, Hungary. The aim was to achieve consensus on the detection and early treatment of the condition and to develop a standardized system of teaching and training for hip ultrasound. There was strong agreement that US screening is essential. Specifically the Graf technique was selected as the technique of choice. Universal US screening was strongly favored. Screening should be carried out as soon as possible, but not later than the sixth week of age. US screening is cost-effective, does not result in overtreatment, and contributes to a reduction of long-term consequences. The essential principle of treatment is timely application of a device to achieve reduction, retention and maturation, by holding the hips in flexion, and a safe degree of abduction. It was agreed that the effectiveness of any screening policy depends on the correct scanning technique. Therefore, standardization of teaching and training of the Graf technique is mandatory. A unified teaching policy and materials should be developed for this purpose. Certification, re-certification and audit were discussed. The group, which has been formalized as the International Interdisciplinary Consensus Committee On DDH Evaluation (ICODE), will continue to meet and work towards establishing international consensus on DDH, standardizing and developing teaching and training of the Graf technique for hip US, and maintaining standards for detection and management.Im September 2018 fand in Csolyospalos, Ungarn, ein internationales Treffen von Fachärzten unterschiedlicher Disziplinen mit Expertise in der Diagnostik und Behandlung von DDH statt. Ziel war das Erreichen eines Konsenses zu den einzelnen Aspekten der DDH, die Entwicklung eines standardisierten Lehr- und Trainingssystems für die Anwendung von Hüftultraschall (US) sowie die Sicherung der Anwendungsqualität. Ein starker Konsens bestand darin, dass die klinische Untersuchung alleine unzureichend und eine Ultraschalluntersuchung unerlässlich ist. Die Methodik nach Graf wurde dabei als erste Wahl konsentiert. Ein möglichst vor der sechsten Lebenswoche durchgeführtes generelles US-Screening wurde stark favorisiert. Wesentliches Prinzip der US-gesteuerten Therapie ist dabei der möglichst frühe Behandlungsbeginn zur Reposition bzw. Retention und Nachreifung. Konsens bestand darin, dass die Effektivität eines Screenings stark von der korrekten Anwendung der Scan-Technik abhängt, weswegen eine standardisierte Ausbildung in der Methode nach Graf unerlässlich ist. Korrekt angewendet ist US kosteneffektiv, führt nicht zu Übertherapie und hilft, langfristige Folgen der DDH erheblich zu reduzieren. Daher sollen ein einheitlicher Lehrkatalog und Ausbildungsmaterialien entwickelt werden. Auch eine Zertifizierung, Re-Zertifizierung und mögliche Audits wurden eingehend diskutiert. Die Aufgabe des internationalen, interdisziplinaren Konsensuskomitees fur DDH Evaluation (ICODE) ist es, einen internationalen Konsens über Diagnostik- und Behandlungsstandards der DDH herzustellen sowie einen internationalen, standardisierten Lehr- und Ausbildungsplan in der Methodik nach Graf zu entwickeln und zu etablieren.

The ^{23}Al(p,γ)^{24}Si reaction is among the most important reactions driving the energy generation in type-I x-ray bursts. However, the present reaction-rate uncertainty limits constraints on neutron star properties that can be achieved with burst model-observation comparisons. Here, we present a novel technique for constraining this important reaction by combining the GRETINA array with the neutron detector LENDA coupled to the S800 spectrograph at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The ^{23}Al(d,n) reaction was used to populate the astrophysically important states in ^{24}Si. This enables a measurement in complete kinematics for extracting all relevant inputs necessary to calculate the reaction rate. For the first time, a predicted close-lying doublet of a 2_{2}^{+} and (4_{1}^{+},0_{2}^{+}) state in ^{24}Si was disentangled, finally resolving conflicting results from two previous measurements. Moreover, it was possible to extract spectroscopic factors using GRETINA and LENDA simultaneously. This new technique may be used to constrain other important reaction rates for various astrophysical scenarios.

$\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay half-lives of neutron-rich nuclides in the $A=100--110$ mass region have been measured using an implantation station installed inside of the Summing NaI(Tl) (SuN) detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Accurate half-lives for these nuclides are important for nuclear astrophysics, nuclear structure, and nuclear technology. The half-lives from the present work are compared with previous measurements, showing overall good agreement.

Dependent on the specific conditions flat roofs can be well suited for the installation of large photovoltaic systems in urban areas. For urban designers also other aspects, such as the insulation of buildings, cooling, air purification and water retention play an important role besides the ecological energy generation. The combination of photovoltaics and roof greening can therefore be an interesting fusion. It combines the advantages of a green roof with the local electrical energy production at the place of consumption. However, using a conventional photovoltaic system with tilted modules in south or east-west direction on a green roof causes problems, as typical low tilt angels and high ground coverage rates result in an almost complete coverage of the roof surface. Plants, growing in between the covered areas provoke undesirable shading of the collector surface. Only a frequent maintenance procedure, complicated by dense PV system layouts, can avoid a reduction of the energy yield in the course of time. Vertically mounted specially designed bifacial modules are an option to realize photovoltaic power generation in combination with a functional green roof at low maintenance costs. In this paper, we report on the layout and the energy yield of a corresponding system. Custom-made bifacial modules with 20 cells were produced and vertically installed in landscape orientation. The narrow layout of the modules lowers the wind load and reduces the visibility. The enhanced power in the morning and evening of vertically east-west installed modules can additionally lead to higher self-consumptions rates. Despite having some shading and undergrounds with albedo factors of less than 0.2, the bifacial installation with a rated power of 9.09 kWp achieved a specific yield of the 942 kWh/kWp in one year (11.08.2017–10.08.2018). This is close to typical values of 1000 kWh/kWp achieved for south-facing PV systems in the same region. The impact of the greening on the albedo and the system performance is investigated in more detail with two smaller sub-systems. The energy yields of the two bifacial sub-systems are compared to a monofacial, south-facing reference module. The use of silver-leaved plants in this system resulted in higher albedo values and a more resilient roof greening.

The decay of unbound excited 11 Li was measured after being populated by a two-proton removal from a 13 B beam at 71 MeV/nucleon. Decay energy spectra and Jacobi plots were obtained from measurements of the momentum vectors of the 9 Li fragment and neutrons. A resonance at an excitation energy of ∼1.2 MeV was observed. The kinematics of the decay are equally well fit by a simple dineutron-like model or a phase-space model that includes final state interactions. A sequential decay model can be excluded.

The development of iridium-free, yet efficient emitters with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) was an important step towards mass production of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Progress is currently impeded by the low solubility and low chemical stability of the materials. Herein, we present a CuI -based TADF emitter that is sufficiently chemically stable under ambient conditions and can be processed by printing techniques. The solubility is drastically enhanced (to 100 g L-1 ) in relevant printing solvents. The integrity of the complex is preserved in solution, as was demonstrated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and other techniques. In addition, it was found that the optoelectronic properties are not affected even when partly processing under ambient conditions. As a highlight, we present a TADF-based OLED device that reached an efficiency of 11±2 % external quantum efficiency (EQE).

Important in decision-making processes in a portfolio setting are the targets of each project and the consequences for portfolio success. Increase in a portfolio's complexity requires understanding of decision-making mechanisms, elements of complex projects and their impact on the portfolio. The involvement of international stakeholders adds complexity. The paper uses a real-world example (Competence Based Dual Education in Michigan) where this complexity exists and a mature decision-making process from industry, academia, and government stakeholders was successfully implemented. This paper will describe how models of decision making were considered, combined with models of complexity, transferred into applications, and facilitated success.

Innovations are new combinations of means to reach goals ( Hauschild, 2005 ). A program under the US DOL grant (December 2014) shows that industry innovation and project management can be transferred to education. The paper uses two cases to explain targets, project management, and cultural alignments (US/GER/JPN) to ensure this transfer.

Use of a beam-based approach is presented for establishing a rigidity calibration for the A1900 fragment separator located at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Also presented is why an alternative approach to the rigidity calibration – using detailed field maps of individual magnetic components – is not a feasible basis for deriving an accurate calibration. The level of accuracy achieved for the rigidity calibration is ±0.1%.

Phosphorous (P) leaching (e.g., from effluents, fertilizers) and transport in highly permeable subsurface media can be an important pathway that contributes to eutrophication of receiving surface waters as groundwater recharges the base-flow of surface waters. Here we investigated attenuation and transport of orthophosphate-P in gravel aquifer and vadose zone media in the presence and absence of model colloids (Escherichia coli, kaolinite, goethite). Experiments were conducted using repacked aquifer media in a large column (2m long, 0.19m in diameter) and intact cores (0.4m long, 0.24m in diameter) of vadose zone media under typical field flow rates. In the absence of the model colloids, P was readily traveled through the aquifer media with little attenuation (up to 100% recovery) and retardation, and P adsorption was highly reversible. Conversely, addition of the model colloids generally resulted in reduced P concentration and mass recovery (down to 28% recovery), and increased retardation and adsorption irreversibility in both aquifer and vadose zone media. The degree of colloid-assisted P attenuation was most significant in the presence of fine material and Fe-containing colloids at low flow rate but was least significant in the presence of coarse gravels and E. coli at high flow rate. Based on the experimental results, setback distances of 49-53m were estimated to allow a reduction of P concentrations in groundwater to acceptable levels in the receiving water. These estimates were consistent with field observations in the same aquifer media. Colloid-assisted P attenuation can be utilized to develop mitigation strategies to better manage effluent applications in gravelly soils. To efficiently retain P within soil matrix and reduce P leaching to groundwater, it is recommended to select soils that are rich in iron oxides, to periodically disturb soil preferential flow paths by tillage, and to apply a low irrigation rate.

The widespread use of engineered inorganic nanoparticles (EINP) leads to a growing risk for an unintended release into the environment. Despite the good characterization of EINP in regard to their function scale and the application areas, there is still a gap of knowledge concerning their behaviour in the different environmental compartments. Due to their high surface to volume ratio, surface properties and existence or development of a coating are of high importance for their stability and transport behaviour. However, analytical methods to investigate organic coatings on nanoparticles in aqueous media are scarce. We used Raman microspectroscopy in combination with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to investigate humic acid coatings on silver nanoparticles under environmentally relevant conditions and in real world samples. This setup is more challenging than previous mechanistic studies using SERS to characterize the humic acids in tailored settings where only one type of organic matter is present and the concentrations of the nanoparticles can be easily adjusted to the experimental needs. SERS offers the unique opportunity to work with little sample preparation directly with liquid samples, thus significantly reducing artefacts. SERS spectra of different natural organic matter brought into contact with silver nanoparticles indicate humic acid in close proximity to the nanoparticles. This coating was also present after several washing steps by centrifugation and resuspension in deionized water and after an increase in ionic strength.

The purpose of this paper is to identify a suitable and CO2-neutral geothermal co-produced gas utilization for a use case in the German Molasse Basin. Therefore, different approaches, based on gas engines, are compared to each other. The investigations are based on heating values from existing measurements of the actual co-produced gas composition. An oxyfuel-based concept with flue gas recirculation has been determined to be the best suitable option, since it allows the reinjection of the entire flue gas into the geothermal brine. The approach for the technological adaption of the gas engine is based on the adiabatic flame temperature in order to identify comparable operational regimes and the necessary flue gas recirculation rate. Necessary reinjection pressures are calculated based on hydrogeochemical equilibrium calculations, showing general feasibility of the reinjection as well. An analysis of the energy balance and the resulting energy streams shows an electric power output of 94.9 kW and an additional heat output of at least 256.2 kW, when the power consumption for the air separation unit is taken into account as well.

The study of neutron-unbound systems using invariant mass spectroscopy is often performed using low-intensity radioactive ion beams. Low reaction yields can be countered by using thick targets but at the expense of larger uncertainties in the reconstructed invariant mass. We present a new segmented target designed to address this trade-off. It is composed of three ∼ 4 mm thick passive beryllium targets interleaved between four 140 μ m thick position sensitive silicon detectors. In the first experiment to use this new system the half-life of two-neutron unbound 26 O was measured to be T 1 ∕ 2 = 5 . 0 − 2 . 2 + 1 . 7 (stat) ± 1 . 7 (syst) ps, which agrees with a previous measurement made by the MoNA Collaboration.