Gas-Grain Modeling of Isocyanic Acid (HNCO), Cyanic Acid (HOCN), Fulminic Acid (HCNO), and Isofulminic Acid (HONC) in Assorted Interstellar Environments

Isocyanic acid (HNCO) is a well-known interstellar molecule. Evidence also exists for the presence of two of its metastable isomers in the interstellar medium: HCNO (fulminic acid) and HOCN (cyanic acid). Fulminic acid has been detected toward cold and lukewarm sources, while cyanic acid has been detected both in these sources and in warm sources in the Galactic Center. Gas-phase models can reproduce the abundances of the isomers in cold sources, but overproduce HCNO in the Galactic Center. Here we present a detailed study of a gas-grain model that contains these three isomers, plus a fourth isomer, isofulminic acid (HONC), for four types of sources: hot cores, the warm envelopes of hot cores, lukewarm corinos, and cold cores. The current model is partially able to rationalize the abundances of HNCO, HOCN, and HCNO in cold and warm sources. Predictions for HONC in all environments are also made

Muisti ja Arki : Ajankohtaista tietoa muistisairauksista, niiden ennaltaehkäisemisestä sekä arjesta muistisairauden kanssa

Suomen väestön ikärakenne muuttuu nopeasti lähivuosikymmeninä. Tilastokeskuksen ennusteiden mukaan yli 75-vuotiaiden määrä kaksinkertaistuisi vuoteen 2030 mennessä, joten muistisairauksien esiintyvyys tulee myös lisääntymään ikääntyvien määrän kasvaessa. Opinnäytetyömme idea sai alkunsa SenioriKaste-hankkeelta, joka toivoi ensitietopäivän järjestämistä Keski-Pohjanmaan alueella muistisairauksiin sairastuneille sekä heidän läheisilleen. Opinnäytetyömme tarkoituksena oli järjestää muistisairauksia käsittelevä tilaisuus muistisairauteen sairastuneille sekä heidän läheisilleen. Tilaisuus oli myös avoin kaikille asiasta kiinnostuneille. Opinnäytetyömme tavoitteena oli välittää muistisairauteen sairastuneille ja heidän läheisilleen ajankohtaista tietoa muistisairauksista sekä keinoista, joiden avulla kotona pärjääminen onnistuu mahdollisimman pitkään. Kartoitimme yhteistyökumppaneidemme kautta aiheen tärkeyttä ja tarvetta. Heidän asiakkailtaan saadun palautteen perusteella varmistuimme tilaisuuden järjestämisen tärkeydestä ja tiedon tarpeellisuudesta. Opinnäytetyömme toteutui toiminnallisena projektityönä yhteistyössä toimeksiantajan SenioriKaste-hankkeen kanssa Kokkolassa 4.6.2015. Tilaisuudessa luennoitiin muistisairauksien ennaltaehkäisemisestä, yleisimmistä muistisairauksista, muistisairauksien varhaisesta tunnistamisesta sekä niiden tuomista haasteista ja vaikutuksista ihmisen jokapäiväiseen elämään. Tilaisuuteen osallistui yhteensä 140 henkilöä. Osallistujilta kerättiin kirjallinen palaute. Palautekyselyistä tehtiin yhteenveto ja kehittämisehdotukset kirjattiin myös opinnäytetyöhön. Tilaisuus vastasi yleisesti osallistujien odotuksia kiitettävästi. Projekti toteutettiin parityöskentelynä, jossa onnistuimme kiitettävästi.The age structure of Finnish population is changing rapidly within the next few decades. Statistics prognosis is that the number of over 75 years old people will be doubled by 2030, so the occurrence of memory disorders will increase with aging people. The idea for this study got its start from Senior Initiation project that wished a public lecture to be organized in Central Ostrobothnia for patients with memory disorder and their families. The purpose of our study was to organize a memory disorder event for the aforementioned groups. The occasion was open for anyone who was interested in it. The aim of this study was to provide current information to memory disorder patients and their loved ones about memory disorders and ways to cope with it at home as long as possible. Through our co-operation partners we surveyed the importance and need of the topic. Based on the feedback from their clients we were convinced of the importance of the event and the need for information. Our thesis was completed as a functional project work together with our client Senior Initiation project in Kokkola 4th of June 2015. The prevention of memory disorders, most common memory disorders, their early recognition and the challenges and effects they bring to people’s everyday lives were discussed during this event. The total of 140 people took part in the event. A written feedback was collected from all participants. A summary was made from the feedback survey, and all development proposals were registered also in this thesis. The event corresponded in general to the participants’ expectations very well. The project was implemented as pair work, in which we succeeded commendably

Estimating the impact of PSTN migration: The case of eastern Japan

In this research, we estimated the number of possible subscribers of the public switched telephone network (hereafter, referred to as “PSTN”) in the future of Japan based on the public data, and evaluated the alternatives as the candidates for the migration by comparative analysis, with respect to the definition of PSTN from the regulations in Japan. As the result of this analysis, the number of those subscribers in Japan will decrease to around 7.1 million households in 2030. Despite the telecommunication operators’ effort to provide their own NGN, 6.8 million subscribers will remain using PSTN. Then, 0.3 million households of them are going to live in the area where the telecommunication operators will not expand their own optical fiber network if the designation of the universal service on telecommunication service will not be reformed. The result also revealed the difficulties of migration from PSTN because the regulation for PSTN did not justify many of the alternatives including Metal IP Phone, IP phone using optical fiber, CATV, MVNO using LTE

Photoresponse properties of Al/n-beta-FeSi2 Schottky diodes using beta-FeSi2 single crystals

We have clearly observed photoresponse properties in an Al/n-beta-FeSi2 structure using beta-FeSi2 single crystals grown by chemical vapor transport. A photocurrent is observed for photons with energies greater than 0.68 eV. It increases sharply with increasing photon energy and attains a maximum at approximately 0.95 eV (1.31 µm). The photocurrent originated from the photoexcited electrons in the Al and the band-to-band photoexcited carriers in the beta-FeSi2 located under the Al contact. The photoresponsivity increased upon high-temperature annealing, reaching 58 mA/W at 0.95 eV after annealing at 800 °C for 8 h

Two-dimensional Distributions and Column Densities of Gaseous Molecules in Protoplanetary Disks II

We have investigated the two-dimensional (R,Z) distribution of deuterated molecular species in circumstellar disks around young stellar objects. The abundance ratios between singly deuterated and normal molecules (``D/H ratios'') in disks evolve in a similar way as in molecular clouds. Fractionation is caused by rapid exchange reactions that are exothermic because of energy differences between deuterated and normal species. In the midplane region, where molecules are heavily depleted onto grain surfaces, the D/H ratios of gaseous molecules are higher than at larger heights. The D/H ratios for the vertical column densities of NH3, H2O, and HCO+ are sensitive to the temperature, and decrease significantly with decreasing radial distance for R < 300 AU. The analogous D/H ratios for CH4 and H2CO, on the other hand, are not very sensitive to the temperature in the range (T=10-50 K) we are concerned with, and do not decrease with decreasing R at R > 50 AU. The D/H column-density ratios also depend on disk mass. In a disk with a larger mass, the ratios of deuterated species to normal species are higher, because of heavier depletion of molecules onto grains. In the second part of the paper, we report molecular column densities for disks embedded in ambient cloud gas. Our results suggest that CN and HCO+ can be tracers of gaseous disks, especially if the central object is a strong X-ray source. Our results also suggest that the radial distributions of CN, C2H, HCN, and H2CO may vary among disks depending on the X-ray luminosity of the central star.Comment: 13 page

Surface and electronic structure of MOCVD-grown Ga(0.92)In(0.08)N investigated by UV and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies

The surface and electronic structure of MOCVD-grown layers of Ga(0.92)In(0.08)N have been investigated by means of photoemission. An additional feature at the valence band edge, which can be ascribed to the presence of In in the layer, has been revealed. A clean (0001)-(1x1) surface was prepared by argon ion sputtering and annealing. Stability of chemical composition of the investigated surface subjected to similar ion etching was proven by means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure