Sealed Samples Research Articles

Optimizing Rolling Patterns for Chip Seals Using Laboratory Aggregate Loss Performance Tests on Field Fabricated Samples

This paper presents a study to determine the optimal rolling patterns for chip seals based on aggregate retention performance. Chip seal sections composed of single seals of granite 78M and CRS-2 emulsion are constructed using five different rolling patterns with two or three rollers. Both pneumatic tire and combination rollers are used in developing these patterns. Chip seal samples are obtained from the sections for laboratory testing. The aggregate retention performance is evaluated using the flip-over test, Vialit test, and the third-scale model mobile loading simulator. It is found that the time delay between aggregate spreading and rolling is an important parameter for the aggregate retention performance. The laboratory aggregate retention test results are used along with typical roller speeds and the maximum allowable time delay between aggregate spreading and rolling to develop optimal rolling patterns for two and three rollers.

Testing of Hygrothermally Aged E-Glass/Epoxy Cylindrical Laminates Using a Novel Fixture for Simulating Internal Pressure

This paper discusses the development of a novel test fixture for applying a uniform radial stress to cylindrical composite laminates in such a way as to eliminate bending moments and axial loads. This fixture requires the use of easily fabricated poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ring seals. These seals, which fit just inside the composite sample, are designed to be internally pressurized in the fixture and expand outwards, applying a uniform radial load to the sample. The results of mechanics analyses of the PTFE ring seal and composite sample are presented, which estimate the radial stress applied to the composite sample as a fraction of the applied internal hydraulic pressure. Further, results are presented from a prolonged hygrothermal aging study, in which the E-glass/epoxy, cylindrically wound composite samples are aged under varying hygrothermal conditions (ambient dry; and 30, 40, and 50°C submerged in water). At various points during the aging, a subset of samples are removed and destructively test...

Early-age acoustic emission measurements in hydrating cement paste: Evidence for cavitation during solidification due to self-desiccation

In this study, the acoustic emission activity of cement pastes was investigated during the first day of hydration. Deaired, fresh cement pastes were cast in sealed sample holders designed to minimize friction and restraint. The majority of acoustic emission events occurred in lower water to cement ratio pastes, while cement pastes with higher water to cement ratios showed significantly less acoustic activity. These acoustic events occurred around the time of setting. A layer of water on the surface of the cement pastes substantially reduced acoustic emission activity at the time of setting. According to these experimental results, the acoustic emission measured around setting time was attributed to cavitation events occurring in the pores of the cement paste due to self-desiccation. This paper shows how acoustic emission might be used to indicate the time when the fluid–solid transition occurs in a cement paste, often referred to as time-zero. Knowledge of time-zero is fundamental for determining when mechanical properties develop and in calculations of residual stresses.

In vitro analysis of cell metabolism using a long-decay pH-sensitive lanthanide probe and extracellular acidification assay

Metabolic perturbations play a critical role in a variety of disease states and toxicities. Therefore, knowledge of the interplay between the two main cellular ATP generating pathways, glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, is particularly informative when examining such perturbations. Here we describe a new fluorescence-based screening assay for the assessment of glycolytic flux and demonstrate the value of such analysis in assessing the cellular “energy budget.” The assay employs a long-decay pH-sensitive lanthanide probe to monitor extracellular acidification (ECA) in standard 96- or 384-well plates on a time-resolved fluorescence plate reader. The simple mix-and-measure procedure and fluorescence lifetime-based pH sensing allow the use of standard adherent cell culture techniques, providing high sample throughput and excellent assay performance. The assay also facilitates multiplexed or parallel analysis with existing oxygen consumption and ATP assays, thereby providing a detailed multiparametric assessment of cell metabolism. Data on cellular CO 2 production can also be obtained by comparing sealed and unsealed samples. The utility of the approach in assessing perturbed cell metabolism is demonstrated using a panel of metabolic effectors with known mechanisms of action. More complex metabolic stimuli, such as G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation and perturbed ion homeostasis, are also examined.

Perfluorinated contaminants in fur seal pups and penguin eggs from South Shetland, Antarctica

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have emerged as a new class of global environmental pollutants. In this study, the presence of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in penguin eggs and Antarctic fur seals was reported for the first time. Tissue samples from Antarctic fur seal pups and penguin eggs were collected during the 2003/04 breeding season. Ten PFC contaminants were determined in seal and penguin samples. The PFC concentrations in seal liver were in the decreasing order, PFOS > PFNA > PFHpA > PFUnDA while in Adélie penguin eggs were PFHpA > PFUnDA > PFDA > PFDoDA, and in Gentoo penguin eggs were PFUnDA > PFOS > PFDoDA > PFHpA. The PFC concentrations differed significantly between seals and penguins ( p < 0.005) and a species-specific difference was found between the two species of penguins ( p < 0.005). In our study we found a mean concentration of PFOS in seal muscle and liver samples of 1.3 ng/g and 9.4 ng/g wet wt, respectively, and a mean concentration in Gentoo and Adélie penguin eggs of 0.3 ng/g and 0.38 ng/g wet wt, respectively. PFCs detected in penguin eggs and seal pups suggested oviparous and viviparous transfer of PFOS to eggs and off-springs.

Mercury Trends in Ringed Seals (Phoca hispida) from the Western Canadian Arctic since 1973: Associations with Length of Ice-Free Season

We examined a unique time series of ringed seal (Phoca hispida) samples collected from a single location in the western Canadian Arctic between 1973 and 2007 to test for changes in total mercury (THg) in muscle tissue associated with (1) year and (2) length of ice-free season. We found no temporal trend with muscle THg whereas a curvilinear relationship existed with the length of ice-free season: seals attaimed higher THg in short (2 months) and long (5 months) ice-free seasons. delta 15N and delta13C in muscle tissue did not illustrate significant trends with ice-free days. We estimated that the turnover time of THg in muscle was about twice as long as stable isotope turnover in muscle, possibly explaining the lack of trend with stable isotopes in association with ice-free duration. Our discussion explains how summer environmental conditions may influence the composition of prey (mercury exposure) available to ringed seals. Results offer insight into how marine mammals may respond to directional changes in the Arctic ice-free season.

Rapid and efficient isotachophoretic preconcentration in free solution coupled with gel electrophoresis separation on a microchip using a negative pressure sampling technique

We present a novel isotachophoresis–gel electrophoresis (ITP–GE) microchip system designed for rapid and efficient isotachophoretic preconcentration coupled with gel electrophoresis separation by using a negative pressure sampling technique. The overall ITP–GE procedure involves only three steps: sample loading, ITP preconcentration and GE separation and was controlled by a simple and compact negative pressure sampling device, which is composed of a vacuum vessel, a three-way electromagnetic valve and a single high voltage power supply. During the sample loading stage, a negative pressure was applied via a three-way electromagnetic valve in headspace of the two sealed sample waste reservoirs (SWs). A sandwiched sample zone between a leading and a terminating electrolyte zone was formed in the channel intersection in less than 1 s. Once the three-way electromagnetic valve was switched to connect SWs to ambient atmosphere to release vacuum in SWs, ITP preconcentration in free solution and GE separation in the 4% hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) sieving material were consequently activated under the electric potentials applied. The performance of present approach was evaluated by using DNA fragments as model analytes. Compared to conventional cross microchip GE using electrokinetic pinched injection, an average signal enhancement of 185-fold was obtained with satisfactory resolution. The results demonstrated the ITP–GE approach possessing an exciting potential of high sensitivity and short sampling time with significant simplification in operation and instrumentation.

Arsenic speciation in bodily fluids of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)

Environmental context. Marine mammals play an important role in their ecosystem. As top predators they ingest a lot of arsenic from their food. In the present study bodily fluids and tissue samples of harbor seals and porpoises were investigated for arsenic speciation in order to obtain a clearer picture on their feeding habits and consequently a better understanding of the mass mortality of the animals in the North and Baltic Sea. Abstract. The total arsenic concentrations and arsenic speciation in various tissues and bodily fluids of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were determined to obtain information about the feeding habits of these endangered marine mammals. Lower whole blood arsenic concentrations were found for fish-fed (median: 71 μg As L–1) than for free ranging seals (median: 190 μg As L–1). In porpoise liver the arsenic concentrations were higher from carcasses found in the North Sea (median: 421 μg As kg–1 wet mass) than from those inhabiting the Baltic Sea or found in the River Elbe (median: 250 μg As kg–1). The arsenic speciation in the urine, plasma, and gastric juice of seals and the urine of porpoises, collected from animals at different areas in the North and Baltic Seas, revealed the following picture: arsenobetaine was the predominant arsenic species in all measured bodily fluids. Plasma samples of seals contained only dimethylarsinic acid as additional species. In gastric juice arsenocholine and trimethylarsine oxide were found at trace concentrations. Several arsenic compounds were identified in mammals’ urine, the major being dimethylarsinic acid and thio-dimethylarsinic acid but high variability was observed in the relative proportions of each. No correlation between degree of decay and arsenic speciation in urine could be found. This is very useful information as older carcasses can also be included in future studies. Our preliminary results are promising to obtain an insight into feeding habits of seals and porpoises by the arsenic speciation in urine.

Method for measuring solvent permeation through polymer film on porous dielectric films

An analytical technique for measuring the permeation rate of chlorine-tagged organic solvents through thin polymer films on low-k porous dielectrics was developed. All samples consisted of a silicon substrate with 450nm thick porous silicon oxicarbide overlayer. The porous layers of some samples were sealed by a 17nm thick chemical vapor deposited polymer (parylene X) film. Samples were exposed to liquid 3-chloro-1-propanol at room temperature and pressure. The chlorine atom on the propanol molecule was used as a marker, enabling Rutherford backscattering spectrometry analysis to determine the total amount of chemical penetration into the porous layer as a function of the exposure time. Solvent penetration into the sealed porous material increased linearly for exposure times of less than 30min. Exposures over 30min saturated the sealed samples with 10.5μgofsolvent∕cm2. The permeation rate of 3-chloro-1-propanol through the 17nm parylene X layer was approximately 6.5×10−3μg∕cm2s.

Novel and Canine Genotypes of Giardia duodenalis in Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi)

Feces of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) and hybrid glaucous-winged/western gulls (Larus glaucescens / occidentalis) from Washington State's inland marine waters were examined for Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. to determine if genotypes carried by these wildlife species were the same genotypes that commonly infect humans and domestic animals. Using immunomagnetic separation followed by direct fluorescent antibody detection, Giardia spp. cysts were detected in 42% of seal fecal samples (41/97). Giardia-positive samples came from 90% of the sites (9/10) and the prevalence of positive seal fecal samples differed significantly among study sites. Fecal samples collected from seal haulout sites with over 400 animals were 4.7 times more likely to have Giardia spp. cysts than samples collected at smaller haulout sites. In gulls, a single Giardia sp. cyst was detected in 4% of fecal samples (3/78). Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were not detected in any of the seals or gulls tested. Sequence analysis of a 398 bp segment of G. duodenalis DNA at the glutamate dehydrogenase locus suggested that 11 isolates originating from seals throughout the region were a novel genotype and 3 isolates obtained from a single site in south Puget Sound were the G. duodenalis canine genotype D. Real-time TaqMan PCR amplification and subsequent sequencing of a 52 bp small subunit ribosomal DNA region from novel harbor seal genotype isolates showed sequence homology to canine genotypes C and D. Sequence analysis of the 52 bp small subunit ribosomal DNA products from the 3 canine genotype isolates from seals produced mixed sequences at could not be evaluated.

Rapid determination of ethanol in fermentation liquor by full evaporation headspace gas chromatography

This paper reports a full evaporation (FE) headspace gas chromatographic (GC) method for rapid determination of ethanol in fermentation liquor. The data show that ethanol in the fermentation liquor was transferred to the vapor phase (headspace) almost completely within 3 min at a temperature of 105 °C when a very small volume (<50 μL) of sample was directly added to a sealed headspace sample vial (20 mL). The ethanol in the vapor phase was then measured by headspace GC using a flame ionization detector. The results show that the present method has an excellent measurement precision (RSD = 1.62%) and accuracy (recovery = 98.1 (±1.76%)) for the ethanol quantification in fermentation liquors. The method requires no sample pretreatment and is very simple and rapid.

Surface sealing of electron beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings by high-intensity pulsed ion beam

A surface sealing technology by employing high-intensity pulsed ion beam (HIPIB) technique is developed for electron beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to further improve the high temperature performance. The HIPIB irradiation can deliver a high-density energy up to 100J∕cm2 into the shallow ion range of about 0.1–10μm within a short pulse width of less than 1μs, by which a micrometer-thick bridging layer was achieved on the gap between columnar grains of EB-PVD TBCs under a single pulse of 4.5J∕cm2. The thin bridging layer provided atmosphere shielding for the TBCs along with matching strain tolerance of the columnar top coat during thermal cycling. Cyclic oxidation tests at 1050°C demonstrated that weight gain of the sealed TBC samples is decreased by about 60% from 0.8mg∕cm2 of the as-deposited ones.

Autogenous Shrinkage in Plain Cement Mixtures

Determination of a realistic model for the estimation of autogenous shrinkage in plain cement mixtures has been an ongoing research among researchers in high performance concrete. While no standard test method exists for the determination of autogenous shrinkage, various researchers have designed different test methods for measurement of autogenous shrinkage. Current study involved the experimental determination of autogenous shrinkage using the test method developed by O.M.Jensen and co-workers, complimented with non-contact eddy current sensors. Measurements were conducted from as early as 1.5 hours from the time of casting. The samples were placed in a constant temperature chamber and the temperature of the sample was also monitored using a thermocouple. The study was carried out on plain cement mixtures at three water cement ratios of 0.25, 0.32 and 0.38. Measurements were also conducted on simple sealed prismatic samples but these measurements could only be collected after 24 hours of casting. The work is supplemented with CEMHYD3D simulations of the samples at similar water-cement ratios under sealed conditions so as to understand the development of the microstructure of the cement responsible for autogenous shrinkage. While experimental determination of internal relative humidity is quite difficult, data regarding chemical shrinkage, amount of water left and the development of the discontinuous capillary network from the simulations help to understand the determined experimental values of autogenous shrinkage. A detailed explanation on the causes of autogenous shrinkage and the basic mechanism responsible for it has been presented.

First results studying the transmutation of 129I, 237Np, 238Pu, and 239Pu in the irradiation of an extended natU/Pb-assembly with 2.52 GeV deuterons

An extended U/Pb-assembly was irradiated with an extracted beam of 2.52 GeV deuterons from the Nuclotron accelerator of the Laboratory of High Energies within the JINR in Dubna, Russia. The lay-out of this experiment and first results are reported. The Pb-target (diameter 8.4 cm, length 45.6 cm) is surrounded by a natU-blanket (206.4 kg) and used for transmutation studies of hermetically sealed radioactive samples of 129I, 237Np, 238Pu and 239Pu. Estimates of transmutation rates were obtained as result of measurements of gamma-activities of the samples. Information about the spatial and energy distribution of neutrons in the volume of the lead target and the uranium blanket was obtained with sets of activation threshold detectors (Al, Y and Au) and solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). An electronic 3He neutron detector was tested on-line. A comparison of experimental data with theoretical model calculations using the MCNPX program was performed yielding satisfactory results.

Sealed and temperature-controlled sample cell for inverted and confocal microscopes and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Precise temperature control of sample environments plays a key role while exploring biological systems or temperature-sensitive materials. We have developed a sample cell for inverted microscopes, which allows a temperature accuracy of ±0.05 K in a temperature range of 5 to 65 °C, with an absolute precession of ±0.1 K. Our sample cell is developed for requirements of single-molecule experiments, which comprises easy-to-clean and well-sealed devices to prevent solvent evaporation. The applied control algorithm permits a tunable independent setting of heat and cooling behavior and allows the application on microscopes without any objective heating. For measuring precise and absolute diffusion coefficients with two-focus fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, the exact control of the sample temperature is essential. We performed diffusion measurements of TetraSpeck 100-nm fluorescent latex particles and of temperature-sensitive microgels in aqueous solutions to demonstrate the excellent temperature stability and reproducibility of the device.

In Vitro Changes in Hardness of Sealed Resilient Lining Materials on Immersion in Various Fluids

During clinical use, resilient lining materials undergo changes in hardness that make them ineffective. The aims of this investigation were (1) to determine the effect of a resilient lining sealer on the hardness of four resilient denture liners; and (2) to determine the effect of the sealer on hardness after immersion in various solutions. Two sets of specimens of four resilient liners, Coe-comfort (CC), PermaSoft (PS), Tokuyama soft reline (TK), and Total-Soft (TS), 6-mm diameter by 4-mm thickness, were fabricated. Two coats of Permaseal, a soft reline sealant, were applied to one set of specimens of each material according to manufacturers' instructions. Sealed and unsealed samples were divided into four groups (n = 10). Each group was immersed in one of the following solutions: artificial saliva at 37 degrees C, Efferdent, Efferdent with once daily scrubbing with a soft toothbrush, and 50% ethanol. Shore A hardness numbers were obtained at 0, 1, 3, 7, 30, and 90 days. A two-way ANOVA test was performed using materials (treated and untreated) and immersion solution as independent variables. The percentage change in hardness after the 90-day immersion period was the dependent variable. The results show that the application of sealant significantly improved the durability of CC, PS, and TS in immersion solutions by maintaining hardness close to preimmersion values or delaying the softening effect of the solutions. The hardness of sealed and unsealed TK showed the significantly (p < 0.05) lowest change after immersion in the test solutions. Ethanol caused the most severe decrease in hardness of all solutions, followed by saliva. Immersion in Efferdent and daily brushing after immersion in Efferdent showed only a mild effect on the hardness of the soft reline agents. The use of a sealer can play an important role in the preservation of the hardness of some resilient lining materials.

Trace element analysis in the serum and hair of Antarctic leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx, and Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii

Leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx, and Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii, occupy an upper trophic level within the Antarctic ecosystem and are useful indicator species in the Southern Ocean of trace element concentrations. Reference values for the concentration of 19 trace elements were determined in the serum and hair of leopard and Weddell seals sampled in Eastern Antarctica. These reference values can be used as ‘baseline’ levels for monitoring trace element concentrations in these species. Greater trace element concentrations were determined in hair compared to serum, indicating different time scales of trace element accumulation in these samples. For the majority of trace elements, except for Se in the leopard seal samples and Cr in the Weddell seal samples, significant regression relationships for trace element concentrations in hair and serum were not elucidated. Significant differences were determined in the concentrations of seven out of 15 elements with hair type, moult and new, in the leopard seal; concentrations in moult hair were determined to be greater than in new hair for all elements except Zn. Hair analysis was determined to be useful for monitoring exposure to trace elements and when collected off the ice from moulting seals, hair can be employed as a non-invasive sample for trace element analysis in leopard and Weddell seals.

The pH Dependence of Heme Pocket Hydration and Ligand Rebinding Kinetics in Photodissociated Carbonmonoxymyoglobin

We monitored the occupancy of a functionally important non-coordinated water molecule in the distal heme pocket of sperm whale myoglobin over the pH range 4.3-9.4. Water occupancy was assessed by using time-resolved spectroscopy to detect the perturbation of the heme visible band absorption spectrum caused by water entry after CO photodissociation ( Goldbeck, R. A., Bhaskaran, S., Ortega, C., Mendoza, J. L., Olson, J. S., Soman, J., Kliger, D. S., and Esquerra, R. M. (2006) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 103, 1254-1259 ). We found that the water occupancy observed during the time interval between ligand photolysis and diffusive recombination decreased by nearly 20% as the pH was lowered below 6. This decrease accounted for most of the concomitant increase in the observed CO bimolecular recombination rate constant, as the lower water occupancy presented a smaller kinetic barrier to CO entry into the pocket at lower pH. These results were consistent with a model in which the distal histidine, which stabilizes the water molecule within the distal pocket by accepting a hydrogen bond, tends to swing out of the pocket upon protonation and destabilize the water occupancy at low pH. Extrapolation of this model to lower pH suggests that the additional increase in ligand association rate constant observed previously in stopped-flow studies at pH 3 may also be due in part to reduced distal water occupancy concomitant with further His64 protonation and coupled protein conformational change.

Wetting of liquid-crystal surfaces and induced smectic layering at a nematic-liquid interface: An x-ray reflectivity study

We report the results of a synchrotron x-ray reflectivity study of bulk liquid-crystal surfaces that are coated by thin wetting films of an immiscible liquid. The liquid-crystal subphase consisted of the nematic or isotropic phase of 4-octyl- 4;{'} -cyanobiphenyl (8CB), and the wetting film was formed by the fluorocarbon perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PFMC), a volatile liquid. The thickness of the wetting film was controlled by the temperature difference DeltaT(micro) between the sample and a reservoir of bulk PFMC, contained within the sealed sample cell. Phase information on the interfacial electron density profiles has been extracted from the interference between the scattering from the PFMC-vapor interface and the surface-induced smectic order of the 8CB subphase. The liquid-crystal side of the nematic-liquid (8CB-PFMC) interface is characterized by a density oscillation whose period corresponds to the smectic layer spacing and whose amplitude decays exponentially toward the underlying nematic subphase. The decay length xi of the smectic amplitude is independent of the PFMC film thickness but increases as the nematic-smectic- A transition temperature T(NA) is approached, in agreement with the longitudinal correlation length xi(parallel) proportional, variant(T-T(NA))(-0.7} for the smectic fluctuations in the bulk nematic. The results indicate that the homeotropic orientation of the 8CB molecules is preferred at the 8CB-PFMC interface and that the observed temperature dependence of the smectic layer growth is consistent with the critical adsorption mechanism. The observed DeltaT(micro) dependence of the PFMC film thickness, L proportional, variant(DeltaT(micro))(-1/3) , implies that PFMC completely wets the 8CB surface and is dominated by the nonretarded dispersion interactions between hydro- and fluorocarbons. The complete wetting behavior of PFMC is nearly independent of the degree of interfacial smectic order in the subphase.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in seal populations from eastern and western Canada: An assessment of the processes and factors controlling PBDE distribution in seals

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations were measured in the blubber of five mother–pup pairs of grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus) from Sable Island, Nova Scotia (NS) sampled in 1995 and in 20 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from British Columbia (BC) sampled in 1991–1992. Concentrations in maternal grey seals from Sable Island averaged 112 ± 55.2 ng/g lipid (mean ± s.d.) and were over twice the concentrations measured in their pups; higher brominated PBDEs showed a distinct decline in PBDEs transfer efficiency in mother–pup pairs as a function of increasing K o/w. Hepta-BDEs and higher molecular weight (MW) congeners appear not to be transferred efficiently from the grey seals mother to pup during lactation on the basis of lipid/water partitioning (as indicated by ln K o/w) and this may be a consequence of molecular size (MW > 600 Da) which may limit diffusion and partitioning. PBDE concentrations in blubber from harbour seals from the Strait of Georgia averaged 319 ± 132 ng/g lipid (mean ± s.d., n = 13), while those from the more remote and less contaminated Quatsino Sd. averaged 27.8 ± 11.8 ng/g (mean ± s.d., n = 7). Tri- to hexa-BDEs were appreciably enriched in Strait of Georgia harbour seals relative to those from Quatsino Sd, suggesting that the former were closer to PBDE sources. The main congeners identified in all samples were BDEs 47, 99, 100, 153 and 154. Data were compared to those in ringed seals sampled from Holman, North West Territories (NWT), in 1996. The Holman samples had a higher proportion of lower bromination congeners, and a lower proportion of higher bromination congeners, than did the Sable Island and BC seal samples, consistent with selection in favour of more volatile compounds during atmospheric transport to the Arctic.