Conducting stability of nickel-coated graphite/methyl vinyl silicone rubber composites

In this study, conductive composites of methyl vinyl silicone rubber (MVQ) filled with nickel-coated graphite (NCG) were prepared. The effects of the storage time, aging time, stretching, neutral-salt spraying, and acid-salt spraying on the electrical conductivity of NCG/MVQ were investigated. The results indicate that the values of the NCG/MVQ volume resistivity increased a little and were no greater than 0.1 Ω cm after long-term storage, thermooxidative aging, stretching, and neutral-salt spraying, respectively; this showed good conductive stability. The volume resistivity rose rapidly under acid-salt spraying; this indicated poor conductive stability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Collaborative privacy preserving multi-agent planning

In many cases several entities, such as commercial companies, need to work together towards the achievement of joint goals, while hiding certain private information. To collaborate effectively, some sort of plan is needed to coordinate the different entities. We address the problem of automatically generating such a coordination plan while preserving the agents’ privacy. Maintaining privacy is challenging when planning for multiple agents, especially when tight collaboration is needed and a global high-level view of the plan is required. In this work we present the Greedy Privacy-Preserving Planner (GPPP), a privacy preserving planning algorithm in which the agents collaboratively generate an abstract and approximate global coordination plan and then individually extend the global plan to executable plans. To guide GPPP, we propose two domain independent privacy preserving heuristics based on landmarks and pattern databases, which are classical heuristics for single agent search. These heuristics, called privacy-preserving landmarks and privacy preserving PDBs, are agnostic to the planning algorithm and can be used by other privacy-preserving planning algorithms. Empirically, we demonstrate on benchmark domains the benefits of using these heuristics and the advantage of GPPP over existing privacy preserving planners for the multi-agent STRIPS formalism.     

Functionalization at the double bond region of jojoba oil. 6. Production of aminesvia azides

The apolar and hydrophobic jojoba molecule was made more hydrophilic by the incorporation of primary amino groupsvia the introduction and subsequent reduction of azido groups. The azides were obtained by the substitution of bromine or a mesylate group introduced into the jojoba oil molecule; by opening of the epoxide ring in epoxy jojoba; or by the addition of bromoazide to the double bonds of jojoba.     

Substrate-induced coagulation (SIC) of nano-disperse carbon black in non-aqueous media: a method of manufacturing highly conductive cathode materials for Li-ion batteries by self-assembly

Substrate-induced coagulation (SIC) is a coating process based on self-assembly for coating different surfaces with fine particulate materials. The particles are dispersed in a suitable solvent and the stability of the dispersion is adjusted by additives. When a surface, pre-treated with a flocculant e.g. a polyelectrolyte, is dipped into the dispersion, it induces coagulation resulting in the deposition of the particles on the surface. A non-aqueous SIC process for carbon coating is presented, which can be performed in polar, aprotic solvents such as N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) is used to condition the surface of substrates such as mica, copper-foil, silicon-wafers and lithiumcobalt oxide powder, a cathode material used for Li-ion batteries. The subsequent SIC carbon coating produces uniform layers on the substrates and causes the conductivity of lithiumcobalt oxide to increase drastically, while retaining a high percentage of active battery material.     

Trimerization ofEarias insulana sex pheromone, (E,E)-10,12-Hexadecadienal,A phenomenon affecting trapping efficiency

The sex pheromone ofEarias insulana, (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienal, may trimerize extensively to form a crystalline trioxane derivative. The structure of the trimer was deduced from its CI-MS and NMR spectra. Capillary GC analysis resulted in the thermal decomposition of the trimer to the monomer. This process could be studied on a 2-m packed column under specific conditions. A convenient separation between the pheromone and its trimer was achieved by TLC. The trimer was inactive in the field, and it has a harmful effect on the performance of the polyethylene dispenser. Material which contains large amounts of the trimer is unsuitable for field use, even if applied at high dosage. The pheromone should be analyzed by NMR or TLC in addition to GC in order to detect the presence of its trimer. The trimerization process is catalyzed by acid which should therefore be completely eliminated from the storing vessels.Boisduval, Lepidoptera: Noctuidae.Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), No. 675-E, 1983 series.     

VISTAnet deployment and system integration experiences

VISTAnet is a three-year research effort that involves the deployment of prototype broadband switching systems interconnecting specialized supercomputers. The project partners include BellSouth, GTE, MCNC, North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). In addition to the deployment and evaluation of experimental network facilities, the project supports research activities in several areas: gigabit communications, metacomputing, advanced visualization techniques, and medical treatment planning techniques, specifically dynamic radiation therapy planning. VISTAnet is organized as a testbed. It is an environment that has been established to experiment with and evaluate techniques associated with gigabit networking. These experiments include methods for moving data into and out of host computers from the application to the network at gigabit rates, demonstrations and evaluations of an application that requires gigabit networking, and interactive three-dimensional graphics techniques. The overall goal of the testbed is to advance the state-of-the-art in gigabit networking and its application. VISTAnet is one of five gigabit test beds coordinated by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives in cooperation with DARPA and NSF     

Distribution of adenosine-5'-diphosphatase activity in the lactating bovine mammary gland.

A Ca2+- and Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine-5'-diphosphatase has been found in lactating bovine mammary glands. The enzyme is associated with membranes of mitochondrial, microsomal, and Golgi apparatus fractions. The pH activity curves for the Golgi apparatus and microsomal fractions display two distinct maxima, one at pH 5.8 and the other between pH 7.4 and 8.4. Studies with activators and inhibitors indicate the enzyme is similar to adenosine-5'-diphosphatase found in other tissues. Its occurrence in the Golgi apparatus fraction indicates a possible role for this enzyme in the milk secretory process, particularly in ATP cycling in vesicles. Its occurrence in the microsomal fraction suggests a role in plasma membrane functioning.     

Synthesis of jojobamide and homojojobamide

Jojobamide has been synthesized from methyl jojoboate (the transesterification product of jojoba oil and methanol) and concentrated ammonium hydroxide by high temperature treatment of the mixture in a sealed vessel. Homojojobamide has been synthesized by partial hydrolysis of homojojobylnitrile, which was prepared from jojobyl mesylate. The melting points of the amides were found to be relatively high (>75 C) for a mixture of amides.     

Electronic Structure and Properties of the O2+2, SO2+ and S2+2 Diatomic Dications

Multiply charged ions show novel energetic features which can potentially have useful photophysical properties. In order to investigate these interesting type systems, energy interaction curves for the ground and excited electronic states of O²⁺₂, SO²⁺, and S²⁺₂ have been generated by the ab initio complete active space multiconfiguration self-consistent field (CAS-MCSCF) method. The calculations were carried out in a triple-zeta sp plus double-zeta d Gaussian function basis set using compact effective potentials to replace the core electrons. In order to gauge the accuracy of the results, analogous calculations were carried out on the valence isoelectronic N₂ and NO⁺ systems for which experimental information is available for comparison of geometric and spectroscopic properties. Diverse high energy spectroscopy experiments on O²⁺₂ are interpreted and reconciled using the calculated ground and excited state energy interaction curves. Special attention is paid to the ₃Σ₊^u state, whose location and character have been particularly puzzling. Almost all the dication molecular states studied show the characteristic avoided crossing of diabatic states which gives a trapped equilibrium structure and a barrier to dissociation. These features make the dication kinetically stable, but thermodynamically unstable with an exothermic dissociation energy. The spectroscopy experiments on O²⁺₂ show that these states are experimentally attainable.