The Effect of Organic Ligands on the Rate of Loss of Phenylmercuric Nitrate into Rubber Closures and Plastic Containers

The effect of the presence of various organic compounds containing a variety of functional groups on the rate of loss of phenylmericuric (PM) nitrate into plastic containers and rubber closures has been investigated. The presence of organic compounds profoundly influenced the loss of the phenylmercuric nitrate, that loss being dependent upon their chemical structure and concentration. This effect explains the unpredictability of the loss of PM nitrate into polymer matrices from pharmaceutical products.     

Loudness balance between acoustic and electric stimulation by a patient with a multichannel cochlear implant

Estimates of loudness balance were obtained for acoustically and electrically presented 250 Hz sine signals from a patient who uses the Ineraid multichannel cochlear implant. Acoustic and electric loudness matching was possible because the patient evidenced a 25 dB HL threshold at 250 Hz in his nonimplanted ear. The level of the electrical stimulus in microamperes required for a balance of loudness grew linearly with equal increments in decibels for the acoustic stimulus. These data, in concert with the very limited data from previous studies, provide a rationale for using a logarithmic transformation of acoustic to electric intensity in signal processors for cochlear implants.     

The importance of IT security

Security and the ‘will to survive’ are basic instincts which are evident in all aspects of life. Businesses in general, exhibit and practice these instincts with varying degrees of success.     

Study on the Influence of Different Energy Sources on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of a Welded Joint from an EP693 Nickel Alloy

Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals - The results of a study on the influence of types of welding (laser, electron beam, and argon arc) on the properties of a permanent joint made of an EP693...     

The Edge Effects Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Performance of Platinum/Transition Bimetallic Phosphide Hybrid Electrocatalysts

Platinum (Pt) is regarded as a promising electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, its application in an alkaline medium is limited by the activation energy of water dissociation, diffusion of H⁺, and desorption of H*. Moreover, the formation of effective structures with a low Pt usage amount is still a challenge. Herein, guided by the simulation discovery that the edge effect can boost local electric field (LEF) of the electrocatalysts for faster proton diffusion, platinum nanocrystals on the edge of transition metal phosphide nanosheets are fabricated. The unique heterostructure with ultralow Pt amount delivered an outstanding HER performance in an alkaline medium with a small overpotential of 44.5 mV and excellent stability for 80 h at the current density of −10 mA cm⁻². The mass activity of as-prepared electrocatalyst is 2.77 A mg⁻¹_Pt, which is 15 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C electrocatalysts (0.18 A mg⁻¹_Pt). The density function theory calculation revealed the efficient water dissociation, fast adsorption, and desorption of protons with hybrid structure. The study provides an innovative strategy to design unique nanostructures for boosting HER performances via achieving both synergistic effects from hybrid components and enhanced LEF from the structural edge effect.     

Energetic ion loss detector on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

A scintillator-based energetic ion loss detector has been successfully commissioned on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. This probe is located just below the outer midplane, where it captures ions of energies up to 2 MeV resulting from ion cyclotron resonance heating. After passing through a collimating aperture, ions impact different regions of the scintillator according to their gyroradius (energy) and pitch angle. The probe geometry and installation location are determined based on modeling of expected lost ions. The resulting probe is compact and resembles a standard plasma facing tile. Four separate fiber optic cables view different regions of the scintillator to provide phase space resolution. Evolving loss levels are measured during ion cyclotron resonance heating, including variation dependent upon individual antennae.