The “degree of rate control” (DRC) is a mathematical approach for analyzing multistep reaction mechanisms that has proven very useful in catalysis research. It identifies the “rate-controlling ...transition states and intermediates” (i.e., those whose DRCs are large in magnitude). Even in mechanisms with over 30 intermediates and transition states, these are generally just a few distinct chemical species whose energies, if they could be independently changed, would achieve a faster net reaction rate to the product of interest. For example, when there is a single “rate-determining step”, the DRC for its transition state (TS) is 1, which means (by definition) that if this TS’s energy could be decreased by k B T (where k B is Boltzmann’s constant and T is temperature), the net rate would increase by a factor of e. Because the (relative) energies of these key adsorbed intermediates and transition states can be adjusted by modifying the catalyst or solvent, or even a reactant’s molecular structure, the DRC values provide important ideas for catalyst improvement. The species with large DRCs are also the ones whose energetics must be most accurately measured or calculated to achieve an accurate kinetic model for any reaction mechanism. A tutorial on DRC analysis, the calculation of DRCs, and examples of the applications of DRCs in catalysis research is presented here. Applications of DRC analysis include the following: clarifying reaction kinetics, improving the accuracy of computational models, improving reaction conditions, improving choice of oxidant in selective oxidation, incorporation in algorithms which calculate net reaction rates of multistep mechanisms without solving the differential equations involved, and high-throughput computational screening of catalyst materials. Because DRC values can be determined experimentally, a full microkinetic model is not required to take advantage of DRC analysis.
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Transition metal nanoparticles on the surfaces of oxide andcarbon support materials form the basis for most solid catalysts and electrocatalysts, and have important industrial applications such as ...fuel production, fuels, and pollution prevention. In this Account, I review my laboratory group’s research toward the basic understanding of the effects of particle size and support material on catalytic properties. I focus on studies of well-defined model metal nanoparticle catalysts supported on single-crystalline oxide surfaces. My group structurally characterized such catalysts using a variety of ultrahigh vacuum surface science techniques. We then measured the energies of metal atoms in these supported nanoparticles, using adsorption calorimetry tools that we developed. These metal adsorption energies increase with increasing size of the nanoparticles, until their diameter exceeds about 6 nm. Below 6 nm, the nature of the oxide support surface reaches also greatly affects the metal adsorption energies. Using both adsorption calorimetry and temperature programmed desorption (TPD), we measured the energy of adsorbed catalytic intermediates on metal nanoparticles supported on single crystal oxide surfaces, as a function of particle size. The studies reveal correlations between a number of characteristics. These include the size- and support-dependent energies of metal surface atoms in supported metal nanoparticles, their rates of sintering, how strongly they bind small adsorbates, and their catalytic activity. The data are consistent with the following model: the more weakly the surface metal atom is attached to the nanomaterial, the more strongly it binds small adsorbates. Its strength of attachment to the nanomaterial is dominated by the number of metal–metal bonds which bind it there, but also by the strength of metal/oxide interfacial bonding. This same combination of bond strengths controls sintering rates as well: the less stable a surface metal atom is in the nanomaterial, the greater is the thermodynamic driving force for it to sinter, and the faster is its sintering rate. These correlations provide key insights into how and why specific structural properties of catalyst nanomaterials dictate their catalytic properties. For example, they explain why supported Au catalysts must contain Au nanoparticles smaller than about 6 nm to have high activity for combustion and selective oxidation reactions. Only below about 6 nm are the Au atoms so weakly attached to the catalyst that they bind oxygen sufficiently strongly to enable the activation of O2. By characterizing this interplay between industrially important rates (of net catalytic reactions, of elementary steps in the catalytic mechanism, and of sintering) and their thermodynamic driving forces, we can achieve a deeper fundamental understanding of supported metal nanoparticle catalysts. This understanding may facilitate development of better catalytic nanomaterials for clean, sustainable energy technologies.
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We conduct an in depth study on the performance of deep learning based radio signal classification for radio communications signals. We consider a rigorous baseline method using higher order moments ...and strong boosted gradient tree classification, and compare performance between the two approaches across a range of configurations and channel impairments. We consider the effects of carrier frequency offset, symbol rate, and multipath fading in simulation, and conduct over-the-air measurement of radio classification performance in the lab using software radios, and we compare performance and training strategies for both. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of remaining problems, and design considerations for using such techniques.
In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration approved 2 medications for sickle cell anemia (SCA): hydroxyurea for children and l-glutamine for children and adults. The approval of hydroxyurea was long ...overdue, but the approval of l-glutamine was a surprise to many. Any effective new treatment for SCA is a welcome advance, but there are few published studies of l-glutamine as a specific treatment for SCA. Accordingly, there are many unanswered questions about its efficacy, safety, and role in current therapy.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Plant cell walls are dynamic structures that are synthesized by plants to provide durable coverings for the delicate cells they encase. They are made of polysaccharides, proteins, and other ...biomolecules and have evolved to withstand large amounts of physical force and to resist external attack by herbivores and pathogens but can in many cases expand, contract, and undergo controlled degradation and reconstruction to facilitate developmental transitions and regulate plant physiology and reproduction. Recent advances in genetics, microscopy, biochemistry, structural biology, and physical characterization methods have revealed a diverse set of mechanisms by which plant cells dynamically monitor and regulate the composition and architecture of their cell walls, but much remains to be discovered about how the nanoscale assembly of these remarkable structures underpins the majestic forms and vital ecological functions achieved by plants.
Aquatic birds harbor diverse influenza A viruses and are a major viral reservoir in nature. The recent discovery of influenza viruses of a new H17N10 subtype in Central American fruit bats suggests ...that other New World species may similarly carry divergent influenza viruses. Using consensus degenerate RT-PCR, we identified a novel influenza A virus, designated as H18N11, in a flat-faced fruit bat (Artibeus planirostris) from Peru. Serologic studies with the recombinant H18 protein indicated that several Peruvian bat species were infected by this virus. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that, in some gene segments, New World bats harbor more influenza virus genetic diversity than all other mammalian and avian species combined, indicative of a long-standing host-virus association. Structural and functional analyses of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase indicate that sialic acid is not a ligand for virus attachment nor a substrate for release, suggesting a unique mode of influenza A virus attachment and activation of membrane fusion for entry into host cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that bats constitute a potentially important and likely ancient reservoir for a diverse pool of influenza viruses.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Catalyst sintering, a main cause of the loss of catalytic activity and/or selectivity at high reaction temperatures, is a major concern and grand challenge in the general area of heterogeneous ...catalysis. Although all heterogeneous catalysts are inevitably subjected to sintering during their operation, the immediate and drastic consequences can be mitigated by carefully engineering the catalytic particles and their interactions with the supports. In this tutorial review, we highlight recent progress in understanding the physical chemistry and materials science involved in sintering, including the discussion of advanced techniques, such as
in situ
microscopy and spectroscopy, for investigating the sintering process and its rate. We also discuss strategies for the design and rational fabrication of sinter-resistant catalysts. Finally, we showcase recent success in improving the thermal stability and thus sinter resistance of supported catalytic systems.
This tutorial review highlights recent progress in understanding the physical chemistry and materials science for developing sinter-resistant catalytic systems.
Conspectus Better catalysts and electrocatalysts are essential for the production and use of clean fuels with less pollution and improved energy efficiency, for making chemicals with less energy and ...environmental impact, for pollution abatement, and for many other future technologies needed to achieve environmentally friendlier energy supply and chemicals industry. Crucial for rational design of better catalyst and electrocatalyst materials is knowledge of the energies of elementary chemical reactions on late transition metal surfaces. This knowledge would also aid in designing more efficient and stable photocatalysts and batteries for harvesting and storing solar energy. These are all crucial for sustainable living with high quality. Herein, I review measurements of surface reaction energies involving many of the most common adsorbates formed as intermediates on late transition metal surfaces in catalytic and electrocatalytic reactions of interest for energy and environmental technologies. I focus on calorimetric measurements of the heat of molecular and dissociative adsorption of gases on single crystals (i.e., single crystal adsorption calorimetry, or SCAC) that allow the heats of formation of adsorbed intermediates in well-defined structures to be directly determined. Adsorption reactions are often irreversible, and in such cases SCAC is required to get these heats, since the other methods for measuring adsorption energies (equilibrium adsorption isotherms and temperature-programmed desorption) work only for reversible adsorption. Common examples of irreversible adsorption reactions are ones that produce adsorbed molecular fragments or adsorbed molecules such as olefins and aromatic molecules that bind very strongly to non-noble metals. When the heats of formation of different adsorbed molecular fragments are compared to each other, and to their values on different metal surfaces, they reveal which properties of the metal surface and the molecular fragments determine metal–adsorbate bond strengths, and clarify differences in catalytic reactivity between different metals. When combined with earlier adsorption energy measurements, these heats also provide a database of reliable energies of adsorbed catalytic intermediates that serve as crucial benchmarks to guide the development of improved computational methods for calculating the energetics of elementary steps on late transition metal surfaces (i.e., reaction energies and activation barriers), such as density functional theory. The energy accuracy of such computational estimates is crucial for the future of catalysis research and catalyst discovery.
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Both the MRTF-SRF and the YAP-TEAD transcriptional regulatory networks respond to extracellular signals and mechanical stimuli. We show that the MRTF-SRF pathway is activated in cancer-associated ...fibroblasts (CAFs). The MRTFs are required in addition to the YAP pathway for CAF contractile and proinvasive properties. We compared MRTF-SRF and YAP-TEAD target gene sets and identified genes directly regulated by one pathway, the other, or both. Nevertheless, the two pathways exhibit mutual dependence. In CAFs, expression of direct MRTF-SRF genomic targets is also dependent on YAP-TEAD activity, and, conversely, YAP-TEAD target gene expression is also dependent on MRTF-SRF signaling. In normal fibroblasts, expression of activated MRTF derivatives activates YAP, while activated YAP derivatives activate MRTF. Cross-talk between the pathways requires recruitment of MRTF and YAP to DNA via their respective DNA-binding partners (SRF and TEAD) and is therefore indirect, arising as a consequence of activation of their target genes. In both CAFs and normal fibroblasts, we found that YAP-TEAD activity is sensitive to MRTF-SRF-induced contractility, while MRTF-SRF signaling responds to YAP-TEAD-dependent TGFβ signaling. Thus, the MRF-SRF and YAP-TEAD pathways interact indirectly through their ability to control cytoskeletal dynamics.
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