Hydrogen uptake of DPB getter pellets

The physical and chemical properties of 1,4-diphenylbutadiyne (DPB) blended with carbon-supported Pd (DPB-Pd/C) in the form of pellets during hydrogenation were investigated. A thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) was employed to measure the kinetics of the hydrogen uptake by the DPB getter pellets. The kinetics obtained were then used to develop a semi-empirical model, based on gas diffusion into solids, to predict the performance of the getter pellets under various conditions. The accuracy of the prediction model was established by comparing the prediction models with independent experimental data on hydrogen pressure buildup in sealed systems containing DPB getter pellets and subjected to known rates of hydrogen input. The volatility of the hydrogenated DPB products and its effects on the hydrogen uptake kinetics were also analyzed.     

覆盖三个十倍频程的锁定同步正弦波发生器

测试、校准、普通系统操作等模拟应用经常需要具有准确的振幅和频率、THDf总谐波失真）很低的正弦波形。一些应用要求此类波形发生器能用外部时序信号使其输出准确同步。简单的正弦波发生器能提供多个性能级别，但保持低THD和恒定振幅是个问题，特别是如果输出和同步信号必须在扩展的频率范围内保持锁定的话。     

Cardiovascular and neurohumoral responses to behavioral challenge as a function of race and sex.

Cardiovascular and hormonal responses to a structured interview, an electronic video game, a cold pressor test, and exercise on a bicycle ergometer were assessed in 83 normotensive Black and White men and women (aged 25–44 yrs). Black Ss showed significantly greater diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses than White Ss during the cold pressor test, which were not accounted for by an increase in plasma catecholamines. Exercise produced reliably greater systolic blood pressure (SBP) increases in Black women than in Black men or White women. Men showed significantly greater SBP and DBP changes than women during the video game. The pattern of physiological reactivity elicited by challenge may be related to the Ss' race and sex. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

在RGB显示器中生成一致的LED亮度

发光二极管（LED）在各种终端设备中已经被广泛使用，从汽车前照灯、交通信号灯、文字显示器、广告牌及大屏幕视频显示器，到普通及建筑照明和LCD背光等最新应用，LED的迅速采用使得最普通的设备也需要重新设计。随着LED效率与亮度的增加以及成本的减少，LED有可能会取代消费类应用中的传统照明技术。本文通过比较采用基于LED的LCD背光的大屏幕显示器中所使用的一些技术，阐述如何解决在使用LED时所面对的一些设计挑战。     

A discrete-time stochastic learning control algorithm

In this paper, the learning gain, for a selected learning algorithm, is derived based on minimizing the trace of the input error covariance matrix for linear time-varying systems. It is shown that, if the product of the input/output coupling matrices is a full-column rank, then the input error covariance matrix converges uniformly to zero in the presence of uncorrelated random disturbances. However, the state error covariance matrix converges uniformly to zero in presence of measurement noise. Moreover, it is shown that, if a certain condition is met, then the knowledge of the state coupling matrix is not needed to apply the proposed stochastic algorithm. The proposed algorithm is shown to suppress a class of nonlinear and repetitive state disturbance. The application of this algorithm to a class of nonlinear systems is also considered. A numerical example is included to illustrate the performance of the algorithm     

Aromatic bisphenol A-based elastomers via hydrosilylation chemistry

The preparation of highly aromatic elastomers from a bisphenol A-based divinyl-terminated resin and polymerization with various aromatic silane containing compounds utilizing a room temperature hydrosilylation reaction is demonstrated. The polymers exhibit high thermal and oxidative stability with 5% weight losses around 430 and 350°C and char yields ranging from 35% to 40%. The thermosets maintained their elastomeric properties with good hardness and mechanical properties as measured by elongation measurements. The toughness of the thermosets was not improved with the inclusion of aromatic moieties but the hardness did appear to increase with the addition of more aromatic groups.     

Carbon black oxidation in the presence of Al2O3, CeO2, and Mn oxide catalysts: An EPR study

Carbon black oxidation in the presence of CeO₂, Al₂O₃ and manganese oxide catalysts has been studied in tight contact conditions. In the presence of manganese based catalysts, the temperature gain is about 275 °C compared to the non-catalysed carbon black oxidation. The contribution of the manganese species to enhance the reactivity of carbon black oxidation has been evaluated by EPR technique. For Mn/Ce + CB mixtures the Mn²⁺ content considerably increases consequently to tight milled treatment indicating the reduction of some manganese species with higher oxidation states into Mn²⁺ ions. This phenomenon can be considered as the first step in the carbon black oxidation mechanism in the presence of Mn/Ce catalysts.     

EPR characterisation of carbon black in loose and tight contact with Al2O3 and CeO2 catalysts

The intensity of contact between soot and catalyst is one of the major parameters that determine the soot oxidation reactivity. In the present work the EPR study is focused on the mixtures of carbon black with Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ in loose and tight contacts in order to provide the physicochemical characterisation of the contact. For tight contact CB-catalyst mixtures a new paramagnetic species is observed and can be considered as a fingerprint of the contact between the two solids. These new paramagnetic species increase the catalytic reactivity of CB combustion in the presence of cerium oxide.     

Stabilization of the Reductase Domain in the Catalytically Self‐Sufficient Cytochrome P450BM3 by Consensus‐Guided Mutagenesis

The multidomain, catalytically self‐sufficient cytochrome P450 BM‐3 from Bacillus megaterium (P450_BM3) constitutes a versatile enzyme for the oxyfunctionalization of organic molecules and natural products. However, the limited stability of the diflavin reductase domain limits the utility of this enzyme for synthetic applications. In this work, a consensus‐guided mutagenesis approach was applied to enhance the thermal stability of the reductase domain of P450_BM3. Upon phylogenetic analysis of a set of distantly related P450s (>38 % identity), a total of 14 amino acid substitutions were identified and evaluated in terms of their stabilizing effects relative to the wild‐type reductase domain. Recombination of the six most stabilizing mutations generated two thermostable variants featuring up to tenfold longer half‐lives at 50 °C and increased catalytic performance at elevated temperatures. Further characterization of the engineered P450_BM3 variants indicated that the introduced mutations increased the thermal stability of the FAD‐binding domain and that the optimal temperature (T_opt) of the enzyme had shifted from 25 to 40 °C. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of consensus mutagenesis for enhancing the stability of the reductase component of a multidomain P450. The stabilized P450_BM3 variants developed here could potentially provide more robust scaffolds for the engineering of oxidation biocatalysts.