Diamond growth by carbon ion implantation of diamond

Medium energy (5–25 keV) ¹³C⁺ ion implantation into diamond (100) to a fluence ranging from 10¹⁶ cm⁻² to 10¹⁸ cm⁻² was performed for the study of diamond growth via the approach of ion beam implantation. The samples were characterized with Rutherford backscattering/channelling spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Extended defects are formed in the cascade collision volume during bombardment at high temperatures. Carbon incorporation indeed induces a volume growth but the diamond (100) samples receiving a fluence of 4 × 10¹⁷ to 2 × 10¹⁸ at. cm⁻² (with a dose rate of 5 × 10¹⁵ at. cm⁻² s⁻¹ at 5 to 25 keV and 800 °C) showed no He-ion channelling. Common to these samples is that the top surface layer of a few nanometers has a substantial amount of graphite which can be removed by chemical etching. The rest of the grown layer is polycrystalline diamond with a very high density of extended defects.     

Simulation of transient process in melting section of reciprocating extruder

Plastic injection molding machine that can be classified as reciprocating extruders are among the most widely used machines in industry. However, most studies in the injector design were based on steady state models developed for extruders that involved no reciprocation. This over-simplified model leaves out the most important aspect of reciprocation. The authors of this paper have derived a transient melting model that takes care of the change from the conventional steady extrusion to that of a discontinuous transient process. This paper describes simulations conducted on the derived model to explain observation that cannot be explained by the steady extrusion model in practical experiments. The simulation was conducted by using parameters given in Donovan's experiment [Polym Engng, 11 (1971) 353]. The simulation results are found to qualitatively match with the experimental results. It proves the validity of the model. Simulation has also been conducted with the model on materials that their viscosities are temperature and shear rate dependent. The result has shown that screw rotation speed, screw axial movement speed, barrel thickness, barrel heat capacity, temperature of heater and polymer are factors affecting the melting speed and the transient effects.     

Synthesis of novel tri- and tetrasubstituted C<Subscript>18</Subscript> furan fatty esters

A methylene-interrupted C₁₈ keto-acetylenic fatty ester (methyl 12-oxo-9-octadecynoate) was obtained from methyl ricinoleate by bromination-dehydrobromination followed by oxidation. Reaction of methyl 12-oxo-9-octadecynoate with bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride, allyl bromide, or methyl-allyl bromide furnished methyl 8-[5-hexyl-3-allyl-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (1, 56%) or methyl 8-[5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (2, 55%). Reaction of methyl 12-oxo-11-chloro-or 11-fluoro-9-octadeyynoate (prepared from methyl santalbate-methyl 11-E-9-octadecynoate, found in sandalwood, Santalum album, seed oil) with bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride gave methyl 8-(4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (3, 50%) or methyl 8-(4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (4, 50%), respectively. And when methyl 12-oxo-11-chloro- or 11-fluoro-9-octadecynoate was treated with a mixture of bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride, allyl bromide, or methyl-allyl bromide, the reaction yielded tetrasubstituted C₁₈ furan derivatives, viz, methyl 8-(3-allyl-4-chloro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (5, 54%), methyl 8-[4-chloro-5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (6, 54%), methyl 8-(3-allyl-4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (7, 10%), and methyl 8-[4-fluoro-5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (8, 10%). The presence of a fluorine atom in the furan derivatives 4, 7, and 8 was readily characterized by the appearance of doublets for carbon nuclei, which were coupled to the fluorine atom in the ¹³C NMR spectra. All furan fatty derivatives from this work were characterized by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses. The yields of compounds 7 and 8 were very low (10%) despite attempts to improve the procedure by increasing the amounts of the reactants and catalyst.     

Ölveredelung: Produkt-, Energie-, Prozeß- und Umweltdaten,Ergebnisse von Großanlagen

Oil Refining: Data on Product, Energy, Process, Environmental Pollution, and Processing Data from Large Technical Plants The need to develope new methods for processing new raw materials, meeting wider market demands, conserving energy and providing environmental protection is discussed. Physical refinement provides the means to accomplish these ends, as well as being the only practical way to overcome certain new problems such as contamination with pesticides. Modern steam distillation equipment is flexible enough to handle a wide range of energy usage, recovering the fatty acids in a directly useable form without use of lye and soapstock splitting, and with very low oil losses. Data is provided to show the extreme economy of one particular method versus other physical refining equipment, and to give information on the product quality. A formula is presented to prove the reality of the low stripping steam usage achieved in practice.     

Mass spectrometric immunoassay and MRM as targeted MS-based quantitative approaches in biomarker development: Potential applications to cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD)—the leading cause of death in the United States. Yet not all subjects with T2DM are at equal risk for CVD complications; the challenge lies in identifying those at greatest risk. Therapies directed toward treating conventional risk factors have failed to significantly reduce this residual risk in T2DM patients. Thus newer targets and markers are needed for the development and testing of novel therapies. Herein we review two complementary MS-based approaches—mass spectrometric immunoassay (MSIA) and MS/MS as MRM—for the analysis of plasma proteins and PTMs of relevance to T2DM and CVD. Together, these complementary approaches allow for high-throughput monitoring of many PTMs and the absolute quantification of proteins near the low picomolar range. In this review article, we discuss the clinical relevance of the high density lipoprotein (HDL) proteome and Apolipoprotein A-I PTMs to T2DM and CVD as well as provide illustrative MSIA and MRM data on HDL proteins from T2DM patients to provide examples of how these MS approaches can be applied to gain new insight regarding cardiovascular risk factors. Also discussed are the reproducibility, interpretation, and limitations of each technique with an emphasis on their capacities to facilitate the translation of new biomarkers into clinical practice.     

Laser-Printed Plasmonic Metasurface Supporting Bound States in the Continuum Enhances and Shapes Infrared Spontaneous Emission of Coupled HgTe Quantum Dots

In order to advance the development of quantum emitter-based devices, it is essential to enhance light-matter interactions through coupling between semiconductor quantum dots with high quality factor resonators. Here, efficient tuning of the emission properties of HgTe quantum dots in the infrared spectral region is demonstrated by coupling them to a plasmonic metasurface that supports bound states in the continuum. The plasmonic metasurface, composed of an array of gold nanobumps, is fabricated using single-step direct laser printing, opening up new opportunities for creating exclusive 3D plasmonic nanostructures and advanced photonic devices in the infrared region. A 12-fold enhancement of the photoluminescence in the 900–1700 nm range is observed under optimal coupling conditions. By tuning the geometry of the plasmonic arrays, controllable shaping of the emission spectra is achieved, selectively enhancing specific wavelength ranges across the emission spectrum. The observed enhancement and shaping of the emission are attributed to the Purcell effect, as corroborated by systematic measurements of radiative lifetimes and optical simulations based on the numerical solution of Maxwell's equations. Moreover, coupling of the HgTe photoluminescence to high quality factor modes of the metasurface improves emission directivity, concentrating output within an ≈20° angle.     

A modified θ projection model for constant load creep curves-II. Application of creep life prediction

To minimize the deviation of the predicted creep curves obtained under constant load conditions by the original θ projection model, a new modified version that can be expressed by $\epsilon ={\theta }_1\left(1-e^{-{\theta }_{2}t}\right)+{\theta }_3\left(e^{{\theta }_4{e}^{{\theta }_5\epsilon }t}-1\right)$, was derived and experimentally validated in our last study. In the present study, the predictive capability of the modified θ projection model was investigated by comparing the simulated and experimentally determined creep curves of K465 and DZ125 superalloys over a range of temperatures and stresses. Furthermore, the linear relationship between creep temperature and initial stress was extended to the 5-parameter model. The results indicated that the modified model could be used as a creep life prediction method, as it described the creep curve shape and resulted in predictions that fall within a specified error interval. Meanwhile, this modified model provides a more accurate way of describing creep curves under constant load conditions. The limitations and future direction of the modified model were also discussed. In addition, this modified θ projection model shows great potential for the evaluation and assessment of the service safety of structural materials used in components governed by creep deformation.     

The invisible profession

The job of a manager continues to be one of achieving outcomes through other people. However, in the current work environment, managers are finding that while their scope of responsibility is expanding, the traditional power base used to excourage high performance is shrinking. There are limited rewards a manager can use to gain commitment from their staff. Even if some of those rewards are available, many of the new employees do not see them as motivators. Employees come to the workplace with a different set of expectations. There seems to be a mismatch between the traditional management approach to getting the best from the worker and what the worker wants from their manager. In as much as the workplace and the worker are changing so too must manager's approach to "getting the job done."     

An integrated dual sensor system automatically optimized by target rate histogram

The use of combined sensors and advanced algorithms using different principles can improve rate performance over a single sensor system. Combinations of sensors and more sophisticated algorithms, however, invariably increase the complexity of pacemaker programming. An automatically optimized combined minute ventilation and activity DDDR pacemaker was developed to minimize repeated sensor adjustment. The device used subthreshold (below cardiac stimulation threshold) lead impedance to detect lead configuration at implantation automatically, followed by "implant management," including setting of lead polarity and initiation of DDDR pacing. Automatic sensor adaptation was achieved by programming a "target rate histogram" based on the patient's activity level and frequency of exertion, and the rate profile optimization process matched the recorded integrated sensor response to the target rate histogram profile. In nine patients implanted with the DX2 pacemakers, the implant management gave 100% accuracy in the detection of lead polarity. Rate profile optimization automatically increased the pacing rate during exercise between discharge and 3-month follow-up (hall walk: 78 +/- 3 vs 98 +/- 3 beats/min, and maximal treadmill exercise: 89 +/- 6 vs 115 +/- 5 beats/min, P < 0.001) with a significant increase in exercise duration during maximal exercise (7.18 +/- 1 min vs 9.56 +/- 2 min, P = 0.05). The accuracy of rate profile optimization versus manual programming was assessed at 1 month, and there was no significant difference between pacing rate kinetics and maximal pacing rate between the two methods of programming. In conclusion, pacemaker automaticity can be initiated at implantation and the self-optimized rate adaptive response appeared to be comparable to that derived from a manual programming procedure, which may reduce the need to perform time consuming sensor programming.