On the thermodynamic stability of confined thin films under shear

Thin films of monatomic fluid constrained between two plane-parallel structured solid walls have been modeled by Monte Carlo simulation under conditions (fixed temperature, chemical potential, and normal stress or load) prevailing in high-precision measurements of surface forces. Several states of the film, corresponding to different numbers of layers of fluid parallel with the walls, are generally consistent with these conditions, but only one is thermodynamically stable; the others are metastable. When the walls are properly aligned, epitaxial solid phases are stable. These melt under shear, eventually becoming metastable, whereupon a drainage (or imbibition) transition occurs, leading to a stable phase with fewer (or more) layers.     

Evaporation of Ice in Space: Saturn's Rings

The photosputtering erosion velocity of ice in space is estimated to be 400 centimeters per billion years at 1 astronomical unit.     

Soil microbiological attributes under summer/winter crops rotation in a no-tillage system

Knowledge of the effect of a multiple combination of summer/winter crop rotation on the microbiological properties of soil would allow a more adequate response to its use. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the rotation of three summer crops (continuous soybean, continuous maize and soybean/maize rotation) in combination with seven winter crops (maize, sunflower, oilseed radish, millet, pigeon pea, sorghum and sunn hemp) on the microbiological properties of the soil. A soybean/maize (SM) rotation had a greater influence on microbial biomass than continuous maize (MM) and continuous soybean (SS). Urease and phosphatase activities were not affected by the crop rotation. Dehydrogenase activity was higher in continuous crops (MM and SS) than in SM, whereas respiratory activity was higher in SM than in continuous crops. For the SM rotation, the main variables selected by principal components analysis were microbial biomass C, N and P, respiratory and phosphatase activities, and microbial quotient. Pigeon pea, sorghum and sunn hemp had a greater effect on soil properties than the other winter crops. In general, the degree of influence of the summer and winter crops on the microbiological soil properties can be ranked as follows: SM > MM > SS, and millet > sorghum > sunn hemp > radish > pigeon pea > maize, respectively.     

Qualitative modifications of humic acid-like and core-humic acid-like during high-rate composting of pig faeces amended with wheat straw

Humic acid-like (HA-like) and core-humic acid-like (core-HA-like) were characterized during the high-rate composting process by CP-MAS ¹³C NMR, pyrolysis-gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS), and elemental analysis. Results obtained indicated that humification proceeded through a relative concentration of aromatic fractions due to the faster degradation of the O-alkyl and alkyl fractions. Core-HA-like, after purification of the parent material, showed a large reduction of the O-alkyl fraction in terms of HA-like. We concluded that HA-like consisted of refractory organic molecules, such as lignin and biopolymers, which formed a stable structure (core-HA-like) coated with degradable material associated with the core by weak physical association, ether or ester bounds.     

Shear forces in molecularly thin films

Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods have been used to study the shearing behavior of an atomic fluid between two plane-parallel solid surfaces having the face-centered cubic (100) structure. A distorted, face-centered cubic solid can form epitaxially between surfaces that are separated by distances of one to five atomic diameters. Under these conditions a critical stress must be overcome to initiate sliding of the surfaces over one another at fixed separation, temperature, and chemical potential. As sliding begins, a layer of solid exits the space between the surfaces and the remaining layers become fluid.     

Real-time NASBA for Detection of Strawberry Vein Banding Virus

An assay for the detection of Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV) in Fragaria spp. based on nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) and real-time detection using molecular beacons (real-time NASBA) is described. This assay was compared both with biological indexing, the current method for certification of SVBV, and a newly optimised PCR-based detection method. Performance of the assay was tested on three SVBV isolates in Fragaria indicator plants and 317 field strawberries from five European countries. The assay was shown to be SVBV-specific, testing negative for other common aphid-borne strawberry viruses. The virus was detected in purified total RNA preparations diluted a millionfold, which is an amount equivalent to 1ng of fresh material. The real-time NASBA method developed here offers the potential of a fast, sensitive and reliable approach for the routine diagnosis of strawberry stock material.     

Inhibition of calcification of bioprosthetic heart valves by local controlled-release diphosphonate

Bioprostheses fabricated from porcine aortic valves are widely used to replace diseased heart valves. Calcification is the principal cause of the clinical failure of these devices. In the present study, inhibition of the calcification of bioprosthetic heart valve cusps implanted subcutaneously in rats was achieved through the adjacent implantation of controlled-release matrices containing the anticalcification agent ethanehydroxydiphosphonate dispersed in a copolymer of ethylene-vinyl acetate. Prevention of calcification was virtually complete, without the adverse effects of retarded bone and somatic growth that accompany systemic administration of ethanehydroxydiphosphonate.