Decremental oscillation curve fitting of heart rate response following face immersion into cold water

Sociodemographic differences between rural and urban clients with severe mental illness (SMI) are explored using approaches which extend research in this area beyond limitations found in the few existing studies. Sixteen hundred adult clients from 18 Wisconsin counties are classified according to the degree of rurality of their counties of residence, using two definitions: a dichotomous metropolitan-non-metropolitan grouping and population density. There are significant differences between rural and urban clients for age, gender, and marital status, but not education or income. Young (18-35 years), unmarried males are more likely to live in more densely populated counties. Older (65 and older) women who are currently or previously married are more likely to live in less densely populated counties.     

Interconnected power systems with superconducting magnetic energy storage

The objective of this work is to discuss the concept of back‐to‐back interconnection systems with energy storage, especially with a Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) incorporated into a back‐to‐back DC link. In this case, each converter of the back‐to‐back system is used as a power conditioning system for the SMES coils. Since the AC–DC converter can be designed independently of the frequency of the power system, a two‐way switch is connected to the AC side of each converter. This two‐way switch can select the interconnected power systems. By using the two‐way switches, this system can provide the stored energy in the SMES system to each interconnected power system through two AC–DC converters. For instance, lower‐cost power of each power network can be stored through two converters during the off‐peak hours and made available for dispatch to each power network during periods of demand peak. Then this system increases the reliability of electric power networks and enables the economical operations depending on the power demand. This paper describes the unique operations of the back‐to‐back interconnection with SMES and discuses the optimal SMES configuration for a 300‐MW‐class back‐to‐back interconnection. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 164(2): 37–43, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20482     

An evaluation of the optimal generation mix for controlling carbon dioxide emissions

This paper presents an efficient computational algorithm for selecting the optimal generation mix considering CO₂ emissions. To demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, a fundamental study of the evaluation of the optimal generation mix for controlling CO₂ emissions is indicated. Furthermore, by using a parametric analysis which considers load characteristics as parameters, a general trend for the optimal generation mix which is affected by controlling CO₂ can be derived. The proposed method is based on an optimization method known as simulated annealing. In the method, solutions in a generation mix problem are equivalent to state of a physical system, and the cost of a solution is equivalent to the energy of a state. The proposed method can easily accommodate not only CO₂ emissions but also many practical constraints of generation expansion planning, such as integer solutions of unit capacities, condition of existing units, and so on. Case studies with various annual load patterns (combinations of annual load factors and the shapes of annual load duration curve) are presented and discussed. Consequently, a general trend for selecting generation technologies that should be added to a power system is derived, i.e., a useful guideline for studying generation expansion planning under controlling CO₂ emissions can be provided.     

Correspondence among PL measurement, MBIC measurement and defect delineation in polycrystalline cast-Si solar cells

We report the correspondence between the photoluminescence (PL) measurement, monochromatic-light-beam-induced current (MBIC) measurement and defect delineation in polycrystalline cast-Si solar cells. It was found that the peak of the band-edge PL emission in the hydrogenerated and non-hydrogenerated cast-Si shifted from 1.093 eV in the single crystalline CZ-Si to 1.075 eV at room temperature and the band-edge PL mapping corresponded with the MBIC mapping and defect delineation pattern if excluding the surface damages delineated by the MD-1 etchant.     

A convenient preparative method of 3-hydroxy acids,and the reaction of 3-hydroxy acids with acidic materials

3-Hydroxy acids were synthesised in good yield from ketones and carboxylic acids using lithium naphthalenide in the presence of diethylamine. From cyclohexanone and propionic acid, 2-(1′-hydroxycyclohexan-1′-yl) propionic acid ( I ) was obtained in 98.3% yield. 3-Hydroxy acids were treated with various acidic materials to give 3,4-unsaturated carboxylic acids and γ-butyrolactones. From the reaction of ( I ) with p-toluenesulphonic acid or potassium bisulphate, 2-(cyclohexen-1′-yl) propionic acid ( II ) (a 3,4-unsaturated acid) was obtained (yield 98%), and with 97% sulphuric acid 2-(1′-hydroxycyclohexan-1′-yl) propionic acid lactone ( III ) was formed (93% yield). Several new γ-butyrolactones were obtained in good yield by this method.     

Enzymatic synthesis of N-acyl-l-amino acids in a glycerol-water system using acylase I from pig kidney

N-Medium- and long-chain acyl-l-amino acids were enzymatically synthesized from the corresponding l-amino acids and fatty acids using a reverse hydrolysis. Enzymes that are suitable for the synthetic reaction of N-acyl-l-amino acids were screened on the basis of hydrolytic activity toward N-lauroyl-l-glutamic acid as an indicator. Acylase I from pig kidney (EC 3.5.1.14) showed the highest N-acyl-l-amino acid hydrolytic activity among 57 commercially available enzymes tested. Acylase I effectively catalyzed the synthesis of N-lauroyl-l-amino acids except for N-lauroyl-l-proline and N-lauroyl-l-tyrosine in a glycerol-water system. Under the optimized reaction conditions, N-lauroyl-l-arginine and N-lauroyl-l-glutamic acid were obtained in conversions of 82 and 44%, respectively. The equilibrium constants calculated from the conversion obtained were 5.6, 15.4, 18.0, and 39.4 for the syntheses of N-lauroyl-l-glutamic acid, N_α-lauroyl-l-lysine, N-lauroyl-l-glutamine, and N-lauroyl-l-methionine, respectively. N-Acyl-l-arginines with myristic acid and palmitic acid as the fatty acid were also synthesized using acylase I.     

Three DOF parallel link mechanism utilizing smooth impact drive mechanism

For a wide range of purposes, a compact and smart positioning stage is in strong demand. Our final goal is to fabricate a positioning mechanism that possesses multi-degrees of freedom, a wide movable area, dexterity, rigidity, and high speed. To meet most of requirements, i.e., except that of a wide movable area, a parallel mechanism is superior to a serial link mechanism. However, a lack of smart actuators has previously resulted in a large and complicated construction of a parallel mechanism.A purpose of this paper is to propose a new parallel link that utilizes a smart actuator called smooth impact drive mechanism (SIDM), and to verify its advantage for a smart and compact positioning stage. The SIDM actuator is an interesting mechanism that achieves a long stroke with fine positioning resolution. This paper treats a three DOF stage containing three SIDM actuators and a two-dimensional positioning sensor. The first operation test was carried out, and it was confirmed that a position control was successful. The average deviation was 18.6 μm and the standard deviation was 9.31 μm. As another trial, a circle 3.0 mm in diameter was successfully drawn. These values were insufficient for the SIDM actuator that has potentially nanometer-level resolution. The rough positioning resolution seems to be due to inferior driving method and mechanical ricketiness of the joints. In the near future, high speed and accurate positioning control could be realized with overcoming these problems.     

Decomposition of Perfluorinated Compounds in Water by DC Plasma within Oxygen Bubbles

Complete decomposition of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) at a concentration of 41.4 mg/L and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) at a concentration of 60 mg/L in water was successfully completed by DC plasma within oxygen bubbles. PFOA and PFOS were decomposed completely after 3‐h operation and 8‐h operation, respectively. The decomposition efficiency was evaluated by measuring the amounts of fluorine ions that were detached from PFOA and PFOS in the solution. As indicated by the measurement of LC/MS, the main byproducts generated during the plasma treatment turned out to be perfluorocarboxylic acids. For practical application, 2‐parallel operation of DC plasma was also demonstrated as a basic technology for a large capacity reactor. The decomposition efficiency of 2‐parallel operation was at the same level as that of single operation.     

Rupture, orientation and strain-induced crystallization of polymer chain and network in vulcanized polyisoprene during uniaxial deformation by in-situ Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and synchrotron X-ray analysis

Different network structures of vulcanized polyisoprene rubbers were studied by in-situ ESR and synchrotron X-ray during deformation to analyze the rupture, orientation, and strain-induced crystallization of polymer chains and network points. Rupture of network points occur, depending on network structure, and create an un-reversible change in vulcanized rubber. The flexibility of network points affects the possibility of rupture, polymer orientation and strain-induced crystallization. Peroxide vulcanized network is rigid and un-rupturable. Poly-sulfide rich vulcanized network is more flexible and less rupturable than mono-sulfide rich vulcanized network. Chain flexibility and rupturability of network points affect the strain-induced crystallization and stress-strain relation.