Positively Thermo‐Sensitive Monodisperse Core–Shell Microspheres

In this paper, we report on a novel family of monodisperse thermo‐sensitive core–shell hydrogel microspheres that is featured with high monodispersity and positively thermo‐responsive volume phase transition characteristics with tunable swelling kinetics, i.e., the particle swelling is induced by an increase rather than a decrease in temperature. The microspheres were fabricated in a three‐step process. In the first step, monodisperse poly(acrylamide‐co‐styrene) seeds were prepared by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization. In the second step, poly(acrylamide) or poly[acrylamide‐co‐(butyl methacrylate)] shells were fabricated on the microsphere seeds by free radical polymerization. In the third step, the core–shell microspheres with poly‐ (acrylamide)/poly(acrylic acid) based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) shells were finished by a method of sequential IPN synthesis. The proposed monodisperse core–shell microspheres provide a new mode of the phase transition behavior for thermo‐sensitive “smart” or “intelligent” monodisperse micro‐actuators that is highly attractive for targeting drug delivery systems, chemical separations, sensors, and so on.     

Effect of precyclic loading on stress-corrosion-cracking initiation in an X-65 pipeline steel exposed to near-neutral pH soil environment

A study was carried out to understand the effect of precyclic loading on stress-corrosion-crack initiation in an X-65 pipeline steel exposed to a near-neutral-pH soil environment. The test specimens were precyclically loaded before corrosion exposure to represent a service history of up to about 20 years, depending on the severity of pressure fluctuation. Microcracks had initiated on the polished surface of the X-65 pipeline steel after long-time exposure at open-circuit potential (OCP) in a near-neutral-pH synthetic soil solution. These microcracks were mostly initiated from pits at metallurgical discontinuities such as grain boundaries, pearlitic colonies, and banded phases in the steel. Strong preferential dissolution was observed along planes of the banded structures in the steel. The selective corrosion attack at these metallurgical discontinuities is attributed to the galvanic nature of those areas to their neighbors. Cyclic loading prior to corrosion exposure had significant effects on microcrack initiation and propagation during subsequent corrosion exposure. Cyclic loading prior to corrosion exposure either reduced or increased the probability of crack initiation and the rate of crack propagation, depending upon the magnitude of the stress cycles. The largest reduction was seen at a peak cyclic stress of about 0.8 of the yield strength. This cyclic-loading-dependent cracking behavior might be related to the alteration of the substructures and the residual stress in the steel as a result of precyclic loading.     

A multilevel soliton communication system

A multilevel soliton communication system is proposed and assessed. In this system, at the transmitter end each channel transmits its data via fundamental solitons with a pre-specified amplitude (i.e., soliton width). At the receiver end we take advantage of the sensitive relationship between the amount or fundamental soliton self-wavelength shift and the width of the soliton in the subpicosecond region. We first compress the incoming soliton noises to the subpicosecond level and pass them through a short length of fiber at the end of which the pulses have become separated in the wavelength domain since each soliton, corresponding to a data channel, has experienced a different Raman self-wavelength shift. The channels are then easily separated by optical filters. We have derived the design constraint relations for such a system. We have then heuristically designed a 40 Gbs (four channels) system for a 1000 km propagation distance (total data-rate distance product of 40 Tb/km). Numerical simulations and noise analyses have verified the feasibility and practicality of the proposed system with very good design margins. The wavelength jitter is found to be much smaller than the desired filter spacing, and thus its contribution to the bit error rate is negligible. We also argue that the system is more tolerant to Gordon-Haus timing jitter than conventional TDM soliton systems. The system is all fiber and is, therefore very cost effective as it does not require sophisticated electro-optic and microwave circuits for demultiplexing. The system can potentially operate at much higher speeds than those achievable in conventional soliton systems and it can be used in parallel with WDM soliton system     

传输线衰减常数与柱形谐振器Q值的关系

文中严格地讨论了任意截面形状，任意模式的柱形谐振腔Ｑ值与构成该谐振器的传输线衰减常数间的关系，给出了更一般的公式，推广了Ｄａｖｉｄｓｏｎ和Ｓｉｍ－ｍｏｎｄｓ＾［１］、Ｂａｒｌｏｗ和Ｃｕｌｌｅｎ＾［２］以及Ｙｅｈ和Ｓｈｉｍａｂｕｋｕｒｏ＾［３，４］的结果。     

Growth And Industrial Organisation

The bicycle industry is an interesting case where East Asian firms have made a considerable impact, but where Taiwan has outperformed Korea. In the Korean sector, none of the well-known chaebol such as Samsung have become involved, and the incumbent firms experienced slow growth until there was government intervention in the 1980s. In Taiwan, small dynamic firms responded to large export orders in the early 1970s, and established a lasting lead which has been regenerated through technological upgrading. The paper argues that both countries’ bicycle industries have a vertically non-integrated structure, with extensive internal sub-contracting, and that the differences between the countries can be attributed to the timing and effcacy of industrial policy interventions.     

The significance of traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage in severe head injury

Since the advent of computed tomography (CT) traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) has been diagnosed more often. It has reportedly been associated with a poor prognosis, but pure or solitary IVH is rare, suggesting that other lesions occurring concurrently with it may contribute to the poor outcome. In a series of 65 patients with severe head injury (GCS < or = 8), 14 (22%) had IVH on initial CT. Death rate in these 14 was 21%, not significantly different from that in patients without IVH (14%), although a significantly higher proportion of patients without IVH had a good outcome. These results suggest that mortality is related to other lesions associated with IVH rather than to IVH alone and that the presence of IVH does not necessarily lead to a poor outcome.     

Endothelin-1 concentrations and optimisation of arterial oxygenation and venous admixture by selective pulmonary artery infusion of prostaglandin E1 during thoracotomy

PURPOSE: To demonstrate a superselective intraarterial chemotherapy as a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of previously treated recurrent lymph node metastases in breast cancer. METHODS: 14 patients with recurrent lymph node metastases in cases of breast cancer were presented to be treated by intraarterial chemotherapy of 25 mg mitoxantrone/m2 over a period of 24 hours. In two patients with superclavicular lymph node involvement an intraarterial therapy could not be carried out because of a vascular connection to the anterior spinal artery. Involved lymph stations could be reached in superselective technique by side branches of the subclavian artery. Heparin coverage was given intravenously. Every patient had had surgery, radiation, systemic chemo- and hormonal therapy before and was now graded as inoperable. Therapy indication was given by local tumour-induced symptoms. RESULTS: In the 12 treated cases complete remission was seen in three, partial remission in 4, a steady state in two and a progressive disease in three. There were no complications or severe side effects. CONCLUSION: Intraarterial chemotherapy is an effective and well tolerated treatment in recurrent lymph node metastases in cases of breast cancer even if conventional therapies can no longer be used.     

淀积条件对GDa—SiNx薄膜电学特性的影响

本文讨论了用辉光放电法制备氮化硅薄膜时衬底温度、射频功率和气体流量比对薄膜的电导率、介电常数和击穿强度的影响。通过优化生长条件，制备了优质非晶氮化硅薄膜，其介电常数为７．５、击穿强度为５．５ＭＶ／ｃｍ、电导率为１０－１３（Ωｃｍ）－１。     

极尖断面为折线的四极透镜磁性能研究

对传统双曲线极尖的四极透镜进行了磁性能分析。在此基础上，提出了极尖断面为折线的四极透镜结构。磁场的数值分析以及测量结果表明：该结构产生的场梯度均匀，且具有磁场集中、磁场梯度高、便于加工和安装的对称性控制等优点。该结构的四极透镜已用于ＣＹＣＩＡＥ－３０回旋加速器和ＨＩ－１３串列加速器束流输运线之中