Abstract: Background: Strong electric fields are knownto affect cell membrane permeability,which can be applied for therapeutic purposes, e.g., in cancer therapy. A synergistic enhancement of this effect may be accomplished by the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as generated in cold atmospheric plasmas. Little is known about the synergy between lipid oxidation by ROS and the electric field, nor on howthis affects the cell membrane permeability.
Method: We here conduct molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the dynamics of the permeation process under the influence of combined lipid oxidation and electroporation. A phospholipid bilayer (PLB), consisting of di-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine molecules covered with water layers, is used as a model system for the plasma membrane.
Results and conclusions:Weshow howoxidation of the lipids in the PLB leads to an increase of the permeability of the bilayer to ROS, although the permeation free energy barriers still remain relatively high. More importantly, oxidation of the lipids results in a drop of the electric field threshold needed for pore formation (i.e., electroporation) in the PLB. The created pores in the membrane facilitate the penetration of reactive plasma species deep into the cell interior, eventually causing oxidative damage.
General significance: This study is of particular interest for plasma medicine, as plasma generates both ROS and electric fields, but it is also of more general interest for applications where strong electric fields and ROS both come into play.

Abstract: An efficient model-based estimation algorithm is introduced in order to quantify the atomic column positions and intensities from atomic resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) images. This algorithm uses the least squares estimator on image segments containing individual columns fully accounting for the overlap between neighbouring columns, enabling the analysis of a large field of view. For this algorithm, the accuracy and precision with which measurements for the atomic column positions and scattering cross-sections from annular dark field (ADF) STEM images can be estimated, is investigated. The highest attainable precision is reached even for low dose images. Furthermore, advantages of the model- based approach taking into account overlap between neighbouring columns are highlighted. To provide end-users this well-established quantification method, a user friendly program, StatSTEM, is developed which is freely available under a GNU public license.

Abstract: The trapping of positrons at the surface of a material can be exploited to study quite selectively the surface properties of the latter by means of positron annihilation spectroscopy techniques. To support these, it is desirable to be able to theoretically predict the existence of such positronic surface states and to describe their annihilation characteristics with core or valence surface electrons in a reliable way. Here, we build on the well-developed first-principles techniques for the study of positrons in bulk solids as well as on previous models for surfaces, and investigate two schemes that can improve the theoretical description of the interaction of positrons with surfaces. One is based on supplementing the local-density correlation potential with the corrugated image potential at the surface, and the other is based on the weighted-density approximation to correlation. We discuss our results for topological insulators, graphene layers, and quantum dots, with emphasis on the information that can be directly related to experiment. We also discuss some open theoretical problems that should be addressed by future research.

Abstract: Nanocomposites CoOx/SnO2 based on tin oxide powders with different crystallinity have been prepared by wet chemical synthesis and characterized in detail by ICP-MS, XPS, EPR, XRD, HAADF-STEM imaging and EDX-STEM mapping. It was shown that cobalt is distributed differently between the bulk and surface of SnO2 nanocrystals, which depends on the crystallinity of the SnO2 matrix. The measurements of gas sensor properties have been carried out during exposure to CO (10 ppm), and H2S (2 ppm) in dry air. The decrease of sensor signal toward CO was attributed to high catalytic activity of Co3O4 leading to oxidation of carbon monoxide entirely on the surface of catalyst particles. The formation of a p-CoOx/n-SnO2 heterojunction results in high sensitivity of nanocomposites in H2S detection. The conductance significantly changed in the presence of H2S, which was attributed to the formation of metallic cobalt sulfide and removal of the p – n junction.

Abstract: The Ca0.85-1.5xGdxEu0.1_0.05-0.5xWO4 (0 < x < 0.567) series of cation-deficient scheelites is investigated to unveil the influence of the cation vacancies on the crystal structure and luminescent properties. The concentration of the vacancies is varied by the heterovalent substitution of Gd3+ for Ca2+, keeping the concentration of the Eu3+ luminescent centers constant in all compounds of the series. The crystal structure of the materials is studied using a combination of transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. At low vacancy concentration (x = 0.1, 0.2), cations and cation vacancies are randomly distributed in the structure, and the materials preserve the I41/a symmetry of the parent scheelite structure [x = 0.1: a = 5.25151(1) Å, c = 11.39479(2) Å; x = 0.2: a = 5.25042(1) Å, c = 11.41335(2) Å]. At higher concentration, the cation-vacancy ordering gives rise to incommensurately modulated structures. The x = 0.3 structure has a (3 + 2)D tetragonal symmetry [superspace group I41/a(a,b,0)00(-b,a,0)00, a = 5.24700(1) Å, c = 11.45514(3) Å, q1 = 0.51637(14)a* + 0.80761(13)b*, q2 = -0.80761a* + 0.51637b*]. At x = 0.4, the scheelite basic cell undergoes a monoclinic distortion with the formation of the (3 + 1)D structure [superspace group I2/b(a,b,0)00, a = 5.23757(1) Å, b = 5.25035(1) Å, c = 11.45750(2) Å, g = 90.5120(2) o, q = 0.54206(8)a* + 0.79330(8)b*]. In both structures, the antiphase Ca and (Gd,Eu) occupancy modulations indicate that the ordering between the A cations and vacancies also induces partial Ca/(Gd,Eu) cation ordering. Further increase of the Gd3þ content up to x = 0.567 leads to the formation of a monoclinic phase (space group C2/c) with the Eu2/3WO4-type structure. Despite the difference in the cation-vacancy ordering patterns, all materials in the series demonstrate very similar quantum efficiency and luminescence decay lifetimes. However, the difference in the local coordination environment of the A cation species noticeably affects the line width and the multiplet splitting of the 4f6-4f6 transitions.

Abstract: SmFe8.75 Si-0.25 C/alpha-Fe nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized using high energy milling, followed by annealing at 750 degrees C. The crystal structure of these compounds was characterized by the Rietveld method using powder X-ray diffraction data. By increasing the concentration of Sm, we observed a decrease in the amount of alpha-Fe phase. The morphology of the samples was determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The average grain size is about 20 nm. The magnetic properties were investigated at room temperature and at 10 K. A ferromagnetic behavior was observed in all samples at both temperatures. An increase of the soft magnetic phase alpha-Fe induced an increase in the magnetization and a decrease in coercivity. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The ability of urban wastewater systems to adapt and transform as a response to change is an integral part of sustainable development. This requires technology and infrastructure that can be adapted to new operational challenges. In this study the adaptive capacity of urban wastewater systems is evaluated by assessing the interdependencies between system components. In interdependent and therefore tightly coupled systems, changes to one systems component will require alteration elsewhere in the system, therefore impairing the capacity of these systems to be changed. The aim of this paper is to develop a methodology to evaluate the adaptive capacity of urban wastewater systems by assessing how change drivers and innovation affect existing wastewater technology and infrastructure. The methodology comprises 7 steps and applies a change impact table and a design structure matrix that are completed by experts during workshops. Change impact tables quantify where change drivers, such as energy neutrality and resource recovery, require innovation in a system. The design structure matrix is a tool to quantify emerging changes that are a result of the innovation. The method is applied for the change driver of energy neutrality and shown for two innovations: a decentralised upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor followed by an anammox process and a conventional activated sludge treatment with enhanced chemical precipitation and high temperature-high pressure hydrolysis. The results show that the energy neutrality of wastewater systems can be address by either innovation in the decentralised or centralised treatment. The quantification of the emerging changes for both innovations indicates that the decentralised treatment is more disruptive, or in other words, the system needs to undergo more adaptation. It is concluded that the change impact and change propagation method can be used to characterise and quantify the technological or infrastructural transformations. In addition, it provides insight into the stakeholders affected by change.

Abstract: In a mesoscopic sample of a chiral p-wave superconductor, novel states comprising skyrmions and edge states have been stabilized in out-of-plane applied magnetic field. Using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations we shed light on the dynamic response of such states to an external applied current. Three different regimes are obtained, namely, the superconducting (stationary), resistive (non-stationary) and normal regime, similarly to conventional s-wave superconductors. However, in the resistive regime and depending on the external current, we found that moving skyrmions and the edge state behave distinctly different from the conventional kinematic vortex, thereby providing new fingerprints for identification of p-wave superconductivity. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: This work addresses the dissolution corrosion behaviour of 316L austenitic stainless steels. For this purpose, solution-annealed and cold-deformed 316L steels were simultaneously exposed to oxygen-poor (<10-8 mass%) static liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) for 253e3282 h at 500 °C. Corrosion was consistently more severe for the cold-drawn steels than the solution-annealed steel, indicating the importance of the steel thermomechanical state. The thickness of the dissolution-affected zone was nonuniform, and sites of locally-enhanced dissolution were occasionally observed. The progress of LBE dissolution attack was promoted by the interplay of certain steel microstructural features (grain boundaries, deformation twin laths, precipitates) with the dissolution corrosion process. The identified dissolution mechanisms were selective leaching leading to steel ferritization, and non-selective leaching; the latter was mainly observed in the solution-annealed steel. The maximum corrosion rate decreased with exposure time and was found to be inversely proportional to the depth of dissolution attack.

Abstract: A new electrocatalytic conversion of alcohols to ketones and aldehydes was developed based on an electrochemical study of Shvos complex. The oxidation of secondary alcohols was efficiently performed under mild conditions using a catalytic amount of Shvos catalyst, in combination with a sub-stoichiometric amount of 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4- benzoquinone in N,N-dimethylformamide at 80 8C. The hydroquinone thus formed is continuously reoxidized with the aid of an electrochemical device. Excellent yields for different ketones, aromatic as well as aliphatic and a,b-unsaturated ketones, are obtained. In addition, chemoselectivity towards oxidation of the secondary alcohol is achieved when converting vicinal diols such as 1,2-octanediol and 1,2-decanediol.

Abstract: The response of electron systems to electrodynamic fields that change rapidly in space is endowed by unique features, including an exquisite spatial nonlocality. This can reveal much about the materials' electronic structure that is invisible in standard probes that use gradually varying fields. Here, we use graphene plasmons, propagating at extremely slow velocities close to the electron Fermi velocity, to probe the nonlocal response of the graphene electron liquid. The near-field imaging experiments reveal a parameter-free match with the full quantum description of the massless Dirac electron gas, which involves three types of nonlocal quantum effects: single-particle velocity matching, interaction-enhanced Fermi velocity, and interaction-reduced compressibility. Our experimental approach can determine the full spatiotemporal response of an electron system.

Abstract: The Wigner-Liouville equation is reformulated using a spectral decomposition of the classical force field instead of the potential energy. The latter is shown to simplify the Wigner-Liouville kernel both conceptually and numerically as the spectral force Wigner-Liouville equation avoids the numerical evaluation of the highly oscillatory Wigner kernel which is nonlocal in both position and momentum. The quantum mechanical evolution is instead governed by a term local in space and non-local in momentum, where the non locality in momentum has only a limited range. An interpretation of the time evolution in terms of two processes is presented; a classical evolution under the influence of the averaged driving field, and a probability-preserving quantum-mechanical generation and annihilation term. Using the inherent stability and reduced complexity, a direct deterministic numerical implementation using Chebyshev and Fourier pseudo-spectral methods is detailed. For the purpose of illustration, we present results for the time evolution of a one-dimensional resonant tunneling diode driven out of equilibrium. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Mesoporous MIL-101(Cr) is used as host for a ship-in-a-bottle type adsorbent for selective U(VI) recovery from aqueous environments. The acid-resistant cage-type MOF is built in-situ around N,N-Diisobutyl-2-(octylphenylphosphoryl)acetamide (CMPO), a sterically demanding ligand with high U(VI) affinity. This one-step procedure yields an adsorbent which is an ideal compromise between homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, where the ligand can act freely within the pores of MIL-101, without leaching, while the adsorbent is easy separable and reusable. The adsorbent was characterized by XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, XRF, ADF-STEM and EDX, to confirm and quantify the successful encapsulation of the CMPO in MIL-101, and the preservation of the host. Adsorption experiments with a central focus on U(VI) recovery were performed. Very high selectivity for U(VI) was observed, while competitive metal adsorption (rare earths, transition metals...) was almost negligible. The adsorption capacity was calculated at 5.32 mg U/g (pH 3) and 27.99 mg U/g (pH 4), by fitting equilibrium data to the Langmuir model. Adsorption kinetics correlated to the pseudo-second-order model, where more than 95% of maximum uptake is achieved within 375 min. The adsorbed U(VI) is easily recovered by desorption in 0.1 M HNO3. Three adsorption/desorption cycles were performed. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for CO2 conversion, but the interaction between the plasma and catalyst is still poorly understood. This is caused by limited systematic materials research, since most works combine a plasma with commercial supported catalysts and packings. In the present paper, we study the influence of specific material and reactor properties, as well as reactor/bead configuration, on the conversion and energy efficiency of CO2 dissociation in a packed bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. Of the various packing materials investigated, BaTiO3 yields the highest conversion and energy efficiency, i.e., 25% and 4.5%.
Our results show that, when evaluating the influence of catalysts, the impact of the packing (support) material itself cannot be neglected, since it can largely affect the conversion and energy efficiency. This shows the large potential for further improvement of packed bed plasma reactors for CO2 conversion and other chemical conversion reactions by adjusting both packing (support) properties and catalytically active sites. Moreover, we clearly prove that comparison of results obtained in different reactor setups should be done with care, since there is a large effect of the reactor setup and reactor/bead configuration.

Abstract: In-situ fabrication of palladium(0) nanoparticles inside zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) has been established via one-step facile spray-dry technique. Crystal structures and morphologies of the Pd@ZIF-8 samples are investigated by powder XRD, TEM, SAED, STEM, and EDX techniques. High angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAAD-STEM) and 3D tomographic analysis confirm the presence of palladium nanoparticles inside the ZIF-8 structure. The porosity, surface area and N-2 physisorption properties are evaluated for Pd@ZIF-8 with various palladium contents. Furthermore, Pd@ZIF-8 samples are effectively applied as heterogeneous catalysts in alkenes hydrogenation. This straightforward method is able to speed up the synthesis of encapsulation of metal nanoparticles in metal organic frameworks. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.