Acoustic Emission from a Porcelain Body during Cooling

Quartz grains in porcelain bodies cause cracking. Under the present conditions, acoustic emission (AE) has shown that the cracking occurred in a temperature range of 900°–800°C during cooling from firing at a temperature of 1200°C. This cracking can be explained by a large thermal expansion mismatch that was due to the negative thermal expansion of quartz at temperatures >1000°C and no stress relaxation of the glass phase. At a temperature of 573°C, which is the transition temperature of quartz, AE was not detected by the measuring system that was used, although there were many peripheral cracks around the large quartz grains. The energy release rate of the peripheral cracks at a temperature of 573°C was too low to be detected by the equipment that was used.     

Simple Design of Hydrophobic Zeolite Material by Modification Using TEFS and its Application as a Support of TiO2 Photocatalyst

Through the simple process using alkoxide reagent containing fluorine, triethoxyfluorosilane (TEFS), hydrophobic mesoporous silica material (HMS) was prepared. The surface modified HMS have still maintained its mesoporous structure and large surface area and showed considerable hydrophobic property compared with non-modified HMS. Moreover the surface modified HMS was applied as a support of TiO₂ photocatalyst with the aim of the efficient degradation of organic pollutant in water. Due to the hydrophobic property, the fine TiO₂ photocatalyst particles were generated on the modified HMS and both the adsorption properties and photocatalytic activities for the degradation of 2-propanol diluted in water were dramatically increased.     

Fabrication of Hydrophobic Zeolites Using Triethoxyfluorosilane and their Application for Photocatalytic Degradation of Acetaldehyde

Hydrophobically modified zeolites were prepared using alkoxide reagent containing fluorine, triethoxyfluorosilane (TEFS). These zeolites have still maintained mesoporous structure and large surface area and showed more hydrophobic property compared with unmodified zeolite. Moreover surface modified zeolite prepared thus was applied as a support of TiO₂ photocatalyst for efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of acetaldehyde diluted in air. With an increase in the grafted amount of TEFS reagent, the TiO₂ photocatalyst deposited on the modified zeolite showed greater photocatalytic activities for the degradation of acetaldehyde compared with that on unmodified zeolite due to its hydrophobic property.     

Stages and processes of change as predictors of drug use among methadone maintenance patients.

In this study the authors evaluated the predictive validity of stages-of-change and processes-of-change measures among methadone maintenance patients. One month after treatment entry, participants completed questionnaires providing stage and process scale scores regarding readiness to discontinue polydrug use. Participants also completed an algorithm assigning them to a stage category on the basis of their stated intentions regarding quitting. The algorithm predicted urinalysis results during a 12-week posttest period; however, only 1 stage scale (contemplation) and no process scales correlated significantly with outcome. In a hierarchical regression, stage and process scale scores significantly improved prediction of posttest abstinence beyond that afforded by baseline drug-free urine rates, but this effect was attributable to the contemplation scale alone. Despite their widespread use, stage and process scales have yet to demonstrate clearly predictive validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An increased ratio of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist to interleukin-1alpha in inflammatory skin diseases

IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a cytokine that competitively binds the IL-1 receptor to antagonize IL-1 activity without any agonist function. Previous experiments indicated that the ratio of IL-1ra to IL-1alpha in the normal stratum corneum (SC) was much higher in the sun-exposed face than in the sun-protected area, upper arms. It was also reported by another laboratory that IL-1ra is increased in the lesional skin of psoriatic patients. This study was designed to measure the contents of IL-1alpha and IL-1ra in non-lesional and pathological SC obtained from inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis and non-psoriatic dermatoses such as atopic dermatitis. The SC materials were obtained with a non-invasive tape-stripping method. Their soluble fractions were prepared and assayed for IL-1alpha and IL-1ra by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. As a result we confirmed the previous findings that the ratio of IL-1ra to IL-1alpha in the normal SC was much higher in the face than in the sun-protected sites, the trunk as well as extremities. Next, we found that IL-1alpha contents were significantly reduced in the SC samples obtained from inflammatory skin regardless of whether their IL-1ra contents increased or unchanged. Moreover, we noted that an increased ratio of IL-1ra to IL-1alpha in the SC was not specific to psoriasis, but was also found in other inflammatory skin diseases including atopic dermatitis. This ratio was found to become lower after successful treatment of these skin lesions with topical glucocorticoids. We conclude from these observations that the increased ratio of IL-1ra to IL-1alpha in the SC is a non-specific phenomenon that can occur in any inflammatory skin diseases regardless of the inflammatory pattern, probably reflecting a skin regulation process against various kinds of inflammation.     

Modeling mean flow and turbulence characteristics in gas-agitated bath with top layer

A numerical study is presented of the flow characteristics in a gas-agitated water bath in the presence of a top layer of dissimilar fluid. Two systems are considered, comprised separately of silicon and normal pentane as the top layer, to simulate slag cover in a real steelmaking process. The mathematical model involves solution of transport equations for the variables of each phase, with allowance for interphase transfer of momentum. Turbulence is assumed to be a property of the carrier (liquid) phase and represented through solution of additional transport equations for the turbulence kinetic energy, k, and its rate of dissipation, ɛ. The model also accounts for turbulence modulation by the bubbles through enhancement of the source terms in the equations for k and ɛ. The predicted mean and fluctuating velocities, stresses, and turbulence production are generally in the consensus of the experimental data. Both mean flow and turbulence characteristics are found to be suppressed in the water/silicon system of smaller density ratio, indicating enhanced re-entrainment of the top layer, than the water/normal pentane system.