Phase Equilibria in the Systems CaO–CuO and CaO-Bi2O3

New data are presented on the phase equilibria of the binary systems CaO-CuO and CaO-Bi₂O₃. Corrected compositions are reported for Ca.Bi₆O₁₃ and Ca₂Bi₂O₅ and a new metastable high-temperature phase is reported for a composition near Ca₆Bi₇O_16.5. The composition and decomposition temperatures for Ca_1–x.CuO₂ are given for both air and 1 atm of oxygen at 755 ± 5° and 835 ± 5°C, respectively.     

Sorption of a diverse set of organic vapors to diesel soot and road tunnel aerosols

In a traffic-dominated environment sorption of organic pollutants to exhaust aerosols can strongly determine their further fate. The sorption properties of two aerosol samples representing different exhaust sources have been determined for a large set of diverse organic vapors. For pure diesel soot we could identify adsorption to elemental carbon (EC) as the dominant sorption process. We used our experimental equilibrium adsorption coefficients to derive a predictive model for adsorption on soot in line with adsorption models for other surfaces published earlier. On road tunnel aerosols, both adsorption to EC and absorption in organic matter (OM) governed the observed sorption and the data could not be further evaluated in terms of a specific sorption mechanism.     

Deuterium retention in sintered boron carbide exposed to a deuterium plasma

Depth profiles of deuterium up to a depth of 10 μm have been measured using the D(³He,p)⁴He nuclear reaction in a resonance-like technique after exposure of sintered boron carbide, B₄C, at elevated temperatures to a low energy (≈200 eV/D) and high ion flux (≈10²¹ m⁻² s⁻¹) D plasma. The proton yield was measured as a function of incident ³He energy and the D depth profile was obtained by deconvolution of the measured proton yields using the program SIMNRA. D atoms diffuse into the bulk at temperatures above 553 K, and accumulate up to a maximum concentration of about 0.2 at.%. At high fluences (?10²⁴ D/m²), the accumulation in the bulk plays a major role in the D retention. With increasing exposure temperature, the amount of D retained in B₄C increases and exceeds a value of 2 × 10²¹ D/m² at 923 K. The deuterium diffusivity in the sintered boron carbide is estimated to be D = 2.6 × 10⁻⁶exp{−(107 ± 10) kJ mol⁻¹/RT} m² s⁻¹.     

Matrix metalloproteases and their inhibitors in the pleura

Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a frequent inflammatory process in women but it has not been widely studied in female sex workers (FSWs). To estimate the frequency of Candida species infection in FSWs and to identify related risk factors and clinical findings, we carried out a retrospective study of 1923 FSWs over 11 years. We also performed a prospective study of 163 consecutive FSWs with a history of candidiasis during a 4-year period. Candida species were isolated in 1967 samples (18.5% of the total). Candida albicans (89.3%) was the most frequent species, followed by Candida glabrata (2.7%), Candida parapsilosis (1.2%) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.4%). In the prospective study of 163 patients, we found vaginal discharge in 76.1% of cases, soreness in 52.1% and vulval pruritus in 32.5%. We identified 12 patients (7.4%) with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. No statistical difference was found between recurrent vulvovaginitis and the use of oral contraceptives, oral sex, tight-fitting clothing and synthetic underwear. FSWs have the same prevalence of candidiasis as other groups of women described in published literature. The proportion of albicans and non-albicans species does not differ between women with recurrent and non-recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).     

Comparison between lasers isolated by oxygen implantation and SiO2isolated stripe lasers

GaAs/GaAlAs DH lasers isolated by an SiO2layer on top of the p-contacting layer are compared to DH lasers in which the isolation is maintained by an isolating the O+ -implanted layer within the n+- substrate. Measurements were performed on four O+ isolated lasers and five SiO2isolated lasers with the same composition and thickness of active and upper confinement layers. Threshold currents of both groups were very similar, whereas the O+ -implanted lasers showed superior thermal resistances by a factor of 2. Thermal resistances were measured by the shift of the lasing spectra with power dissipation.     

Effects of DC Current on the Mechanical Behavior of AlMg1SiCu

The effect of an electron wind on the mechanical properties of aluminum is investigated with the ultimate goal of establishing a technique by which the mechanical energy associated with the deformation of a material can be reduced without requiring a significant increase in the material's temperature. In the study presented herein, the effect that the electrical flow has on the mechanical properties of aluminum is examined through tensile testing. However, as electricity is passed through the material, some incidental resistive heating occurs. Therefore, in order to isolate the effect of the electrical flow from that resulting from resistive heat, the effect of transient temperatures on the stress-strain behavior of aluminum is also considered, with, and without, the presence of the electrical flow. In addition, variation in the electrical effect, with respect to the aluminum's temper and electrical pre-treating, is investigated. The experimental results indicate that the electrical current has the potential to substantially reduce deformation energies without causing significant increases in the workpiece temperature. The data also indicates that this effect exists regardless of the temper on the material. Finally, the study found that electrically pre-treating the aluminum produced results similar to that of an annealing process (i.e., the energies were significantly reduced).     

Viscosity and electrical conductivity of liquid Sn–Ti and Sn–Zr alloys

Viscosity and electrical conductivity of liquid Sn–Ti and Sn–Zr alloys on the Sn-rich side were investigated in a wide temperature range above the melting temperature. It was shown that admixtures of Ti and Zr considerably increased the viscosity of liquid Sn. The electrical conductivity of the melts decreased with an increase of the Ti and Zr content. The conductivity results are interpreted in the context of the s–d hybridization model.     

Determinants of residual effects of hypnotics

Studies of hypnotics have generally focused on the effects the drugs have on sleep. It is now clear that they also have effects which can extend beyond the usual sleep period. These residual effects of hypnotics are assessed by studying the effects of these drugs on performance. This paper discusses the issues critical to evaluating studies of the effects of hypnotics on performance. Dose and half-life are important variables in determining the degree to which these daytime effects occur following nighttime use. However, a number of issues have yet to be clarified. Whether residual effects persist with chronic use is not clear. Whether any specific skill may be more or less sensitive to residual effects cannot be determined from the available information. Finally, the degree to which the decrements occur in different populations is not well understood.