Synthesis and characterization of an interpenetrating polymer network composed of poly(methacrylic acid) and poly(vinyl alcohol)

Temperature and pH‐responsive interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels, constructed with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), by a sequential IPN method, were studied. The characterization of IPN hydrogels was investigated by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and swelling under various conditions. The IPN hydrogels exhibited relatively high swelling ratios, in the range 230–380 %, at 25 °C. The swelling ratios of the PMAA/PVA IPN hydrogels were pH and temperature dependent. DSC was used for the quantitative determination of the amounts of freezing and non‐freezing water. The amount of free water increased with increasing PMAA content in the IPN hydrogels. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Application of a multi-channel system for continuous monitoring and an early warning system.

A multi-channel continuous toxicity monitoring system developed in our laboratory, based on two-stage mini-bioreactors, was successfully implemented in the form of computer-based data acquisition. The multi-channel system consists of a series of a two-stage minibioreactor systems connected by a fiber optic probe to a luminometer, and uses genetically engineered bioluminescent bacteria for the detection of the potential toxicity from the soluble chemicals. This system can be stably and continuously operated due to the separation of the culture reactor from the test reactor and accomplish easy and long-term monitoring without system shut down by abrupt inflows of severe polluting chemicals. Four different recombinant bioluminescent bacteria were used in different channels so that the modes of the samples toxicities can be reasonably identified and evaluated based upon the response signature of each channel. The bioluminescent signatures were delivered from four channels by switching one at once, while the data is automatically logged to an IBM compatible computer. We also achieved the enhancement of the system through the manipulation of the dilution rate and the use of thermo-lux fusion strains. Finally, this system is now being implemented to a drinking water reservoir and river for remote sensing as an early warning system.     

A single-chip storage LSI for home networks

Network direct attached storage (NDAS) is a network storage architecture that allows direct attachment of existing ATA/ATAPI devices to Ethernet without a separate server. Unlike other architectures such as NAS, SAN, and USB mass storage, no server computer intervenes between the storage and the client hosts. We describe an NDAS disk controller (NDC) amenable to low-cost single-chip implementation that processes a simplified L3/L4 protocol and converts commands between ATA/ATAPI and Ethernet, while the remaining complex tasks are performed by remote hosts. Unlike NAS architectures that use TCP/IP, NDAS uses a TCP-like lean protocol that lends itself well to high-performance hardware realization. Thanks to the simple NDAS architecture and protocol, an NDC implemented on a single 4 mm /spl times/ 4 mm chip in 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology achieves a maximum throughput of 55 Mbytes/s on gigabit Ethernet, which is comparable to that of a high-performance disk locally attached to a host computer.     

Direct adaptive control of nonminimum phase systems using integralaction

A direct adaptive control scheme is proposed for nonminimum-phase systems in which controller parameters are estimated from the recursive least-squares algorithm and additional auxiliary parameters are obtained from the proposed polynomial identity. A local convergence is guaranteed without any extra condition. Integral action is incorporated into the adaptive controller to eliminate the steady-state error and to satisfy a condition of the unique solution for the polynomial identity. The control law used in this scheme is based on the set-point-on-I-only proportional-integral-derivative (PID) structure     

Antimutagenic activity of phenolic compounds, oligosaccharides and quinolizidinic alkaloids from Lupinus campestris seeds.

There are some foods that contain mutagenic or carcinogenic agents, some of which occur naturally and others that may be formed during preparation or cooking. Several foods such as legumes, also contain natural antimutagens and/or anticarcinogens. Lupine is one such legume that contains high amounts of protein (40%) and oils (14%). About 90 species of lupine have been reported throughout Mexico. However, the use of this crop as a source of food has been limited by the presence of antinutritional agents such as phenolic compounds (PC), carbohydrates (CH) and quinolizidinic alkaloids (Qas). It has also been suggested that consuming these compounds can affect human health and may even reduce the risk of disease. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of PC, CH and Qas, isolated and quantified from Lupinus campestris on the mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) as a model mutagen and we used the Salmonella typhimurium tester strain YG1024 by the Kado microsuspension method. The results indicate that L. campestris seeds have 11 mg (+)catechin equivalent g(-1) seed coat; 120.3 mg g(-1) seeds and 2.13 mg g(-1) seeds of PC, CH and Qas, respectively. 1-NP mutagenicity was inhibited by 86% for PC, 76% for CH and 75% for Qas at concentrations of 200, 512 and 13.6 microg/tube, respectively.     

Synthesis of LiFePO4 with fine particle by co-precipitation method

LiFePO₄ is a potential candidate for the cathode material of the lithium secondary batteries. A co-precipitation method was adopted to prepare LiFePO₄ because it is simple and cheap. Nitrogen gas was needed to prevent oxidation of Fe²⁺ in the aqueous solution. The co-precipitated precursor shows the high reactivity with the reductive gas, and the single phase of LiFePO₄ is successfully synthesized with the aid of carbon under less reductive conditions. LiFePO₄ fine powder prepared by co-precipitation method shows high rate capability, impressive specific capacity and cycle property.     

A personal computer based system used in electromyography for interpretation and reporting

Programs for rule based electromyography (EMG) interpretation and reporting are described. A number of parameters are obtained during an EMG investigation. The combination of these data leads to a neurophysiological conclusion. Knowledge from the literature, research and experience is the basis for rule development. Rules have been developed for 14 of the most commonly used classifications of an EMG. The syntax is relatively easy and the user may change the rules, add rules or apply the system for other types of data. The results are displayed in a new graphical way. The system presented here is part of an integrated EMG laboratory with administrative routines, distributed databases for storage of results and routines for automatic report generation.     

Physical modeling of gas/liquid mass transfer in a gas stirred ladle

The absorption of gas through the plume eye and of an injected gas in a steelmaking ladle process was investigated, using a physical model of CO₂ absorption into a NaOH solution. The results show that the inert gas escaping through the plume eye is ineffective in protecting the bath from the atmosphere, and placing an oil layer (simulated slag) decreases the absorption rate significantly. Increasing the flow rate of the inert gas not only exposes more of the liquid surface to the CO₂ atmosphere, but also increases the mass transfer coefficient at the surface. The overall mass transfer between an injected CO₂ gas and NaOH solution includes the mass transfer through the surface of the bath as well as the mass transfer in the bubble dispersion zone. The difference between the mass transfer in the bubble dispersion zone and the overall mass transfer was found to be significant for relatively low gas flow rates. The mass transfer coefficient of CO₂ in the bubble dispersion zone was estimated using available information regarding the bubble size and velocity. Mass transfer coefficient estimated for the constant bubble frequency regime shows a dependence on gas flow rate. However, if a constant characteristic size of bubbles is assumed as an alternative approach, the mass transfer coefficient is independent of the gas flow rate.