Consideration of allowable flaw size for pressurized pipes

Failure strength for circumferentially and axially cracked Type 304 stainless steel pipes is evaluated based on the net-stress approach. Using this approach, allowable flaw sizes for pipes containing circumferential or axial cracks are considered from the leakage and breakage viewpoint.     

The effect of excess gate current on input impedance of a JFET amplifier

When JFET is used as an amplifier, it should be regarded that the effect of excess gate current on the input impedance is changed by gain of the amplifier. The input impedance or conductance with gain of the JFET amplifier is experimentally analyzed applying small signal equivalent circuit.     

Preparation and catalytic activity of Au-Pd, Au-Pt, and Pt-Pd binary metal dendrimer nanocomposites

Catalytic activity of Au-Pt, Au-Pd, and Pt-Pd dendrimer nanocomposites for reduction of p-nitrophenol was investigated in water. The bimetallic dendrimer nanocomposites were prepared by simultaneous reduction with sodium borohydride in the presence of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers with amine and carboxyl terminal groups. Average diameters of the obtained particles were 2-4 nm by transmission electron microscopy. From UV-vis spectroscopy, it was found that the particles were not mixtures of monometallic particles but binary ones. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that formation of binary composite particles prevents palladium atoms from oxidation. The Au-Pd and Pt-Pd binary particles exhibited higher catalytic activity than monometallic ones. On the other hand, catalytic activity of Au-Pt binary particle was comparable to that of platinum nanoparticles.     

Improvement in physical properties of poly(vinyl chloride) by radiation-induced graft copolymerization with mixed monomers

Gamma-ray-induced graft copolymerization of butadiene with vinyl monomers onto PVC was attempted to improve the physical properties of PVC. The Izod impact strength was increased from 2 kg·cm/cm² to more than 100 kg·cm/cm² by grafting ca. 10% butadiene. But the tensile strength and melt flow were decreased by the grafting. The electron micrograph showed that the mass of polybutadiene in the graft copolymer had a convenient diameter (0.1–1 μ) for absorbing the impact energy. The weatherability of PVC grafted with butadiene was improved by cografting of butadiene with acrylates and methacrylates which had long side chains.     

Use of liposome encapsulated hemoglobin as an oxygen carrier for fetal and adult rat liver cell culture

Engineering liver tissue constructs with sufficient cell mass for transplantation implies culturing large numbers of hepatocytes in a reduced volume; however, providing sufficient oxygen to dense cell cultures is still not feasible using only conventional culture medium. Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH), an oxygen-carrying blood substitute originally designed for short-term perfusion, may be a good candidate as an oxygen carrier to cultured liver cells. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of maintaining long term hepatocyte cultures using LEH. Primary fetal and adult rat liver cells were directly exposed to LEH for 6 to 14 days in static culture or in a perfused flat plate bioreactor. The functions and viability of adult rat hepatocytes exposed to LEH were not adversely affected in static monolayer culture and were even improved in the bioreactor. However, some cytotoxicity of LEH was observed with fetal rat liver cells after 4 days of culture. LEH, though a suitable oxygen carrier for long-term culture of mature hepatocytes, is not suitable in its present form for perfusing fetal hepatocyte cultures in direct contact with the liposomes; either the LEH will have to be made less toxic or a more sophisticated bioreactor that prevents the direct contact between hepatocytes and perfusates will have to be designed if fetal cells are to be used for liver tissue engineering.     

Pulse Combustors - Performance and Control

~nonEmphasising time characterishcs and contIDI, onlyfew workll'v is av'ailable among the numerous reports onPulse combustors. Rare work deals with tWin Pulsecombustorsls] or combined pulse combustor-"dinesystemsl']. Kenffield15] obtained with a combinedconvenhonal Pulse combustor-tulbine system acombushon Pressals gain of 3-7% and a totalPerformance Of the combustor-"dine system for Pulsecombushon 40% higher than that of steady'combushonwhat aught also be due tO the brine characteristics.…