"The increasing global demands for materials and energy directly contributes to the devastating ecological, toxicological, and climate consequences currently observed. Biomass-derived energy and materials offers a sustainable option to meeting current needs and developing novel materials. Hydrothermal carbonization is a promising green platform to valorize biomass by forming Hydrochar, a carbon solid. Hydrothermal carbonization converts biomass using liquid phase water at elevated temperatures (180-350 °C), forming organic intermediates, which dehydrate and polymerize to form the solid material on time scales of several hours. Hydrochar shows promise for a wide variety of applications, including aqueous heavy-metal adsorption. The complexity of the hydrochar prevents reliable characterization, hindering a full understanding of how to optimize the material. The focus of this study was to develop spectroscopic methods better understand the material as it changes with reaction time (ex-situ). This study developed IR and Raman Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry (MS) methods. Hydrochars were prepared from glucose (a model for biomass) and were prepared at different reaction times between 3 and 24 hours to understand the formation of the material and how it matures under process conditions (180 °C, autogenous pressure). IR and MS identified hydroxyl and ketone functionalities and aliphatic, furanic, and aromatic moieties, and both techniques indicated decreasing hydroxyl and furan content and increasing methyl and aromatic content. The Raman spectra were consistent with aldehyde-functionalized 1- and 2-ring arenes and aldehyde-functionalized furans, and indicated increasing 2-ring arene content relative to 1-ring arenes. MS showed a significant increase in the aromatic to furan ratio, and MS confirmed the increase in 2-ring arenes relative to 1-ring arenes seen in the Raman. These spectroscopic methods are in good agreement and will allow for greater chemical information in the hydrochar, which will inform the link between material modification under process conditions and application performance."

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis. 1975. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Physics. / Includes bibliographical references. / M.S.

Vidros dopados com íons de elementos terras−raras são amplamente estudados com o objetivo de obtenção de meios ativos para lasers, amplificadores e sensores ópticos. Dentro desta classe de materiais, o vidro ZBLAN dopado com íons de Er+3, tem recebido grande atenção nos últimos anos. No entanto, nenhum estudo em espectroscopia óptica foi realizado para este sistema vítreo (ZBLAN:Er3+) em temperaturas inferiores a 10 K. Nesta dissertação foi promovida com sucesso, através de medidas de absorção, e luminescência entre os multipletos 4S3⁄2 e 4I15⁄2, uma completa identificação experimental das posições dos níveis de energia dos multipletos excitado (4S3⁄2) e fundamental (4I15⁄2), do íon Er3+,na matriz ZBLAN na temperatura de 2 K. Os resultados obtidos e aqui apresentados são inéditos e indicam a ocupação de sítios muito semelhantes pelos íons Er3+ dentro da matriz vítrea. Também a partir da comparação entre o espectro de luminescência e conversão ascendente de energia foi possível observar um forte acoplamento entre os íons Er3+ e a matriz ZBLAN / Glasses doped with earth−rare elements ions are widely study with the objective of obtains of the active environment for lasers, optics amplifier and optics feeler. Inside this material c1ass, the ZBLAN glass doped with Er3+ ions has received great attention on last years. Meantime, either study in optic spectroscopy ware realized for this system (ZBLAN:Er3+) in temperature below 10 K. In this paper was realized with success, through measures of absorption and luminescence between 4S3⁄2 e 4I15⁄2 multiplets, a complete experimental identification of the stark positions for 4S3⁄2 and 4I15⁄2 multiplets, for Er3+ ions, in ZBLAN glass matrix at 2 K. The resultants obtained here are originals and showed the occupation of environment very similar by Er3+ ions. To finish we show from the comparison between the luminescence and ascendant conversion of energy spectrum was possible observe the existence of an interaction strong between the ZBLAN glass matrix with Er3+ ions.

Personalised medicine is widely considered to be the future of global healthcare, where diagnosis, treatment, and potentially even drug development, will become specific to, and optimised for, each individual patient. Traditional population based cell studies suppress the influence of outlier cells that are frequently those of most clinical relevance. Hence single-cell analysis is becoming increasingly important in understanding disease, aiding diagnosis and selecting tailored treatment; but remains the preserve of biomedical laboratories far from the patient. Current instruments depend upon cell-labelling to identify the cell type(s) of interest, which require that these be chosen a-priori and may not be those most clinically relevant. Furthermore, cell-labelling is fundamentally subjective, requiring highly-skilled operators to decide upon the validity of each and every test. Therefore, new test methods need to be developed to enable the widespread adoption of single-cell analysis. The passive electrical properties of biological cells are known to be indicative of the specific cell type, but no technology has demonstrated their comprehensive measurement within a mass-manufacturable device. This work aims to show that biologically meaningful information can be obtained in the form of identifiable “cell signatures” through broadband frequency measurements spanning 100 kHz to 100 MHz that exploit the properties of differential electric fields. This hypothesis is tested through the design, implementation and experimental testing of a dedicated microsystem that integrates two novel designs of electrical sensor within a standard, mass-manufacturable Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor microelectronics technology. One sensor measures the absolute electrical environment above a single sense electrode. The other measures the difference in electrical environment between a pair of electrodes, with view to provide information regarding the suspended cell only, through rejecting the common signal due to its suspending medium. Both sensors are shown capable of detecting individual biological cells in physiological solution, and the differential sensor capable of identifying individually-fixed red blood cells, cervical cancer HeLa cells, and three diameters of homogeneous polystyrene micro-beads of comparable size, all while suspended in physiological saline. These results confirm the hypothesis that differential electric fields provide greater distinction of suspended cells from their environment than existing electrical methods. This finding shows that electrode polarisation arising from proximity to liquids, and particularly physiological media, can be overcome through fully-differential electrical cell sensing. However, misalignment between cells and sensor electrodes limits the sensitivity achieved with the microsystem. Methods to overcome such alignment issues should be investigated in future work, along with higher frequency measurements beyond those presented here.

The research presented in this thesis set out to contribute to knowledge seeking to advance the state-of-the-art in laser based, multi-functional, non-invasive diagnostic systems. The results of the work have contributed to the development of methodological generic approaches to the development of devices using light to detect and analyse biomarkers relevant to human health and disease conditions. Following the development of methodologies the research then progresses to examine in-vivo the potential of the integrated spectroscopic technologies to detect changes and rhythms in the micro-vasculature of the skin relevant to the response of the subjects to emotional and physical stress. The results uncover myogenic rhythm synchronisation as a potential marker of adaptive response. The complexity of monitoring and interpreting key biomarkers of metabolism, NADH and FAD and the derived redox ratio is addressed in detail. Analysis of results of around 3,000 functional scans, including tissue oxygen saturation and laser Doppler flowmetry, provides new insights into bio-technological issues. The challenges identified with biological characteristics include sampling zones and physiological features of the skin. Technological, photonics, electronics and computing challenges emerge from the results. These should be considered in advancing the integration of bio-photonic technologies toward realising meaningful diagnostic poly-bio-markers relevant to developing algorithms capable of delivering consistent, reliable and meaningful diagnostic information with utility in clinical practice for early diagnosis of disease conditions such as cancers and cardio-vascular diseases in individuals from the global population. The results have been published in peer-reviewed international journals and presented at major international conferences in the field.

No description available.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an established treatment option for patients with inoperable liver tumours and is now being investigated for the treatment of lung and other solid tumours. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the use RFA to decrease blood loss during liver resection, for the treatment of the liver resection edge and to investigate the safety and efficacy of brain RFA. Blood loss is an important factor affecting both the morbidity and mortality following liver resection. The use of a novel in line RF probe to ablate the transection plane prior to liver resection resulted in decreased blood loss with easier resection. This has potential in the treatment of liver tumors in cirrhotic livers and also in other vascular organs. The other important prognostic factor affecting long-term survival in patients undergoing liver resection for liver tumors is the surgical margins. Positive margins which cannot be treated with repeat resection may be treated with cryotherapy. The use of a novel probe to ablate the resection edge with RFA was found to be equally effective as cryotherapy and superior to argon beam coagulation or diathermy in an ex-vivo model. The radiofrequency ablation of the brain was found to be safe with no hemorrhage or damage to the surrounding brain parenchyma. There was no rise in intra-cranial pressure in the animals treated with RFA. The brain RFA was found to be effective and has potential for the treatment of brain tumours. Dispersive pad site burns was a significant problem in patients treated with radiofrequency ablation for lung and liver tumours occurring in 5% of patients. Pad tissue temperature of 45oC was found to be the threshold temperature above which burns occurred. Monitoring of pad-tissue temperatures with thermocouples and application of ice packs in addition to increasing the number of pads may help decrease this complication.

Includes bibliographical references. / 1 v. : / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / The experimental, analytical and computational research achievements of the author, relating to the study of the interaction of vacuum ultraviolet radiation with molecules of particular atmospheric, aeronomic, or astrophysical significance are described. Elucidates details of molecular structure and dynamics through comparision between precise experimental measurements and quantum-mechanical calculations, and provides benchmark experimental molecular data and develops molecular modelling techniques intended to contribute to the solution of problems in the photochemistry of the terrestial and planetary atmospheres, aeronomy and astrophysics / Thesis (D.Sc.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics and Mathematical Physics, 2000

This thesis focuses on the study of the electromagnetic properties of active spinplasmonic artificial materials. Artificial materials are composites having a macroscopic electromagnetic response that arises due to electromagnetic and electronic interactions between subwavelength sized elements. They are of practical engineering interest due to the wide range of free parameters such as the size, shape, density, and orientation of the individual elements, among others, thus providing the means to produce highly customizable photonic components. The thesis work can be categorized into four major sections: the design and construction of an advanced terahertz system capable of probing the electromagnetic response of such materials, the development of a class of artificial materials that permits the active, spin-dependent tuning of the position dependent phase accumulation of terahertz radiation, the study of spintronic-plasmonic artificial materials, and the discovery of a loss reduction mechanism for terahertz pulses transmitted through dense ensembles of bimetallic particles.