Surface second harmonic generation of Se–Te–Sb films

We present the first report for the investigation on surface second harmonic generation (SSHG) of thin films of Se_80−xSb_xTe₂₀ (0 ≤ x ≤ 9 at.%) system. SSHG measurements were made using a confocal microscope system and a mode locked Ti:Saphire pulsed laser (785 nm) probe beam with 100 fs pulses. A remarkable difference in the magnitude of the signal generated between the samples with antimony content ≤4 at.% and those containing antimony >4 at.% has been explained based on charge distribution associated with structural changes in these materials for different compositions. The results have been discussed on the basis of relatively isolated atomic events that occur at short length scales mainly due to spatial redistribution of covalent bonds and the rational changes in the electric dipole moment arising from the change in the distribution of the lone pair electrons inherent in chalcogenide glasses. The analysis of the results is supported by the variation of the glass transition temperature obtained from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results. The electronic structure has been calculated using the density functional theory (DFT) modified by the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange correlation energy.     

A transient ventilation demand model for air-conditioned offices

Ventilation to supply fresh air in an air-conditioned office consumes a considerable portion of energy in an air-conditioning system and affects the indoor-air quality (IAQ). The ventilation demand is primarily related to the occupant load. In this study, the ventilation demands due to occupant load variations were examined against certain IAQ objectives using the mass balance of carbon dioxide (CO₂) volume fractions in an air-conditioned office. In particular, this study proposed a transient ventilation demand model for occupant load, with the parameters determined from a year-round occupant load survey in Hong Kong. This model was applied to evaluate the performance of energy saving in different operating schedules of ventilation systems for typical office buildings in Hong Kong. The results showed that the energy consumption of a ventilation system would be correlated with the transient occupant load and its variations in the air-conditioned office. The ventilation system, with schedules taking account of the transient occupant loads, would offer a reduction in energy consumption up to 19% as compared with an operating schedule that assumed a steady occupant-load in the office during working hours. In both cases, the same IAQ objective was achieved.     

IGIF does not drive Th1 development but synergizes with IL-12 for interferon-gamma production and activates IRAK and NFkappaB

In these studies, IFN gamma-inducing factor (IGIF), unlike IL-12, did not drive Th1 development in BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice, but like IL-1alpha, potentiated IL-12-driven Th1 development in BALB/c mice. IGIF and IL-12 synergized for IFN gamma production from Th1 cells. Unlike IL-1alpha, IGIF had no effect on Th2 cells. IGIF signaled through IRAK, IL-1 receptor-associated kinase, to induce nuclear translocation of p65/p50 NFkappaB in Th1 cells. IL-1alpha had no effect on proliferation, cytokine production, or NFkappaB activation in Th1 cells but activated NFkappaB and proliferation in Th2 cells. Thus, Th1 and Th2 cells may differ in responsiveness and receptor expression for IL-1 family molecules. IGIF and IL-1alpha may differentially amplify Th1 and Th2 effector responses, respectively.     

Acaricide residues in honeys from Galicia (N.W. Spain).

Honey samples (101) from Galicia (N.W. Spain) were analyzed by gas chromatography (electron capture and flame ionization) for the presence of acaricides (amitraz, bromopropylate, coumaphos, and fluvalinate). Seventy-three samples were free from detectable residues. Bromopropylate residues were found in 16 samples in levels ranging from 5 to 60 microg/kg. Fluvalinate residues were found in 11 samples in levels ranging from 10 to 40 microg/kg. One sample contained 100 microg of fluvalinate per kg. Neither amitraz nor coumaphos residues were detected.     

Interaction of polymerization conditions,structural variables,and mechanical properties of rubber-modified plastics produced from bulk polymerized styrene/poly(butadiene-co-styrene)

Rubber-modified polystyrenes were prepared by bulk polymerization with seven different butadiene–styrene copolymers of differing chemical microstructures. The products were structurally characterized through measurement of the swell ratio, percent insolubles, intrinsic viscosity of the soluble fraction, and transmission electron microscope photomicrographs. Increasing initiator concentration or raising polymerization temperature gives lower molecular weight, higher rubber crosslink density, and decreased grafting. Increasing rubber content generally leads to aggregation. Tensile stress–strain curves and Izod impact strengths were measured. High Izod impact strength and increased elongation to break are favored by increasing matrix molecular weight, rubber content, and extent of grafting.     

Performance evaluation of two multiple-access protocols

A real-time, microprocessor-based simulator was designed to study the packet transmission of voice on a broadcast type local area network, based on the CSMA/CD and Hymap multiple-access protocols. The speech quality is evaluated subjectively. A packetization-frozen protocol is used to eliminate the successive collisions due to possible synchronization of packet generation among stations. The variance of the network delay is bounded by discarding packets which have not been transmitted within a certain amount of time. Smooth speech output can be obtained by introducing additional buffer delay at the receiver.     

Influence of in-tunnel environment to in-bus air quality and thermal condition in Hong Kong

In this study, the potential exposure of bus commuters to significant air parameters (CO(2), CO and RSP) and thermal environment (air temperature and relative humidity) when buses traveled through tunnels in Hong Kong was investigated. It was found that air-conditioned buses provided a better commuting environment than non-air-conditioned buses. The blate increasing trend was found on air-conditioned buses as the in-bus air parameters concentration levels rose slowly throughout the traveling process. In contrast, the in-bus environment varied rapidly on non-air-conditioned buses as it depended on the out-bus environment. The measured in-bus CO concentration was 2.9 ppm on air-conditioned buses, while it was 4.6 ppm (even reaching the highest level at 12.0 ppm) on non-air-conditioned buses. Considering the in-bus thermal environment, air-conditioned buses provided thermally comfortable cabins (about 24 degrees C and 59% of relative humidity). However, on non-air-conditioned buses, the thermal environment varied with the out-bus environment. The mean in-bus air temperature was about 34 degrees C and 66% of relative humidity, and the in-bus air temperature varied between 29 and 38 degrees C. Also, the lower-deck to upper-deck air parameters concentration ratios indicated that the vertical dispersion of air pollutants in tunnels influenced non-air-conditioned buses as higher air parameters concentration levels were obtained on the lower-deck cabins.     

Cooling load calculations in subtropical climate

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system is the major electricity consumer in an air-conditioned building; therefore, an accurate cooling load calculation method is indispensable. ASHRAE has developed a Radiant Time Series (RTS) method to improve the accuracy of cooling load calculation. However, outdoor design conditions and occupant load patterns vary with the buildings and cities. This study discusses the development of a new example weather year and a mathematical model to generate design occupant load profiles using Monte Carlo simulation for a subtropical climate. The results would be useful for determining the HVAC energy consumption in buildings in order to obtain more representative data for the prediction of annual energy consumption.