Durability of radiation-sterilized polymers III. Oxidation layer determined by chemiluminescence

Chemiluminescence (CL) analysis was used for determining the oxidation layer formed by the irradiation of polypropylene for medical supplies. The depth of the oxidation layer from the surface depended on dose rate and increased with decreasing dose rate. The oxidation occurred remarkably at a region near the surface area of the film where the diffusion of oxygen is more sufficient. On the contrary, there was very little oxidation in the interior portion. The oxidation layers of polypropylene samples irradiated with electron beam showed U-shaped profiles in the cross-section of film as did as a sample irradiated with γ-rays. However, the degree of oxidation by irradiation with electron beam was very small; CL intensity at the surface area was only one-third that for the γ-irradiated samples.     

Sterol composition of 19 vegetable oils

The unsaponifiables from 19 vegetable oils were divided into a sterol and three other fractions by thin-layer chromatography. All except olive and palm kernel oils gave the sterol fraction in a large quantity. Compositions of the sterol fractions were determined by gas liquid chromatography. Identification of each sterol was carried out by gas liquid chromatography and combined gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry. Campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were present in all oils, and a minor amount of cholesterol in majority of the oils. Brassicasterol occurrence was widespread but its content was extremely small in oils other than rapeseed oil. Other sterols, presumably δ⁷-stigmastenol and δ⁵- and δ⁷-avenasterol were detected in most of the oils.     

Sterols,methylsterols, and triterpene alcohols in threeTheaceae and some other vegetable oils

The unsaponifiables from threeTheaceae (Camellia japonica L.,Camellia Sasanqua Thunb., andThea sinensis L.) oils and alfalfa, garden balsam, and spinach seed oils and shea fat were separated into four fractions: sterols, 4-methylsterols, triterpene alcohols, and less polar compounds by thin layer chromatography. While the sterol fraction was the major one for the unsaponifiables from alfalfa and spinach seed oils, the triterpene alcohol fraction was predominant for the unsaponifiables from all other oils. The sterol, 4-methylsterol, and triterpene alcohol fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography. All the sterol fractions were alike in their compositions, consisting exclusively of Δ⁷-sterols, such as α-spinasterol and Δ⁷-stigmastenol as predominant components together with Δ⁷-avenasterol and 24-methylcholest-7-enol. Obtusifoliol, gramisterol (occasionally accompanied with cycloeucalenol), and citrostadienol, together with several other unidentified components, were found in the 4-methylsterol fractions from all of the oils except shea fat. The 4-methylsterol fraction from shea fat showed a characteristic composition containing a large proportion of unidentified components which had relative retention time greater than that of citrostadienol, while no citrostadienol was detected. β-Amyrin, lupeol, and butyospermol were major components of the triterpene alcohol fractions from most of the oils, but the fraction from spinach seed oil contained cycloartenol and 24-methylene-cycloartanol as predominant components. There is a close similarity in the compositions of unsaponifiables (sterols, 4-methylsterols, and triterpene alcohols) of the threeTheaceae oils. Two sterols, α-spinasterol and Δ⁷-stigmastenol, and five triterpene alcohols were isolated from tea seed oil. Moreover, five unidentified components beside parkeol, butyrospermol, α-amyrin, and lupeol were isolated from the triterpene alcohol fraction of shea fat.     

Fabrication of Functionally Graded SiO2‐Mo Material by Centrifugation and Floc‐Casting of Highly Concentrated Slurry

To fabricate functionally graded materials, a highly concentrated slurry of SiO₂‐Mo system was prepared and centrifugal force was applied in an attempt to achieve a graded composition. Subsequently, we formed a homogeneous green body with compositional gradation by floc‐casting at 80°C, which was then fired at 1750°C for 10 min in Ar. The sintered body had compositional ratios of SiO₂ and Mo as well as electrical conductivities that changed gradually along the direction of centrifugal force. The results demonstrate that centrifugation and control of slurry characteristics such as flocculation are effective in fabricating functionally graded SiO₂‐Mo materials.     

A passive EMI filter with access to the ungrounded motor neutral line—Its effect on attenuating bearing current

This paper describes the effect of a passive EMI filter on preventing bearing current from flowing inside an inverter‐driven motor. Motor‐bearing damage is often caused by bearing currents resulting from the breakdown of grease films in the motor bearing. The high‐frequency common‐mode voltage generated by the PWM inverter induces a shaft voltage between the rotor and the frame. When the shaft voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage of the grease films, a destructive instantaneous discharge current with a peak value of about 1 A flows through the motor bearing. The passive EMI filter, which is unique in access to the motor neutral line, can reduce the shaft voltage as a result of eliminating the high‐frequency common‐mode voltage from the motor terminals. Hence, no breakdown occurs in the grease film, so that no bearing current flows. The viability and effectiveness of the passive EMI filter is verified by experimental results obtained from a 400‐V, 3.7‐kW laboratory system. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 166(2): 78– 87, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20489     

A hybrid model for a multiproduct pipeline planning and scheduling problem

Brazilian petrobras is one of the world largest oil companies. Recurrently, it faces a very difficult planning and scheduling problem: how to operate a large pipeline network in order to adequately transport oil derivatives and biofuels from refineries to local markets. In spite of being more economical and environmentally safer, the use of a complex pipeline network poses serious operational difficulties related to resource allocation and temporal constraints. The current approaches known from the literature only consider a few types of constraints and restricted topologies, hence they are far from being applicable to real instances from petrobras. We propose a hybrid framework based on a two-phase problem decomposition strategy. A novel Constraint Programming (CP) model plays a key role in modelling operational constraints that are usually overlooked in literature, but that are essential in order to guarantee viable solutions. The full strategy was implemented and produced very adequate results when tested over large real instances.     

Cloning and characterization of a β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (BmFDL) from silkworm Bombyx mori

In insects, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase) participates in critical physiological processes such as fertilization, metamorphosis, and glycoconjugate degradation. Insects produce glycoproteins carrying paucimannosidic-type N-glycans, the terminal GlcNAc residue of which is cleaved by a GlcNAc-linkage specific GlcNAcase, also known as the fused lobes (FDL) protein. To obtain information on the structure of GlcNAcases and insight into their contribution to physiological processes, we cloned Bombyx mori FDL (BmFDL) from silkworm larvae. The full-length cDNA (1.9 kb) encoded a protein of 633 amino acids with 42% amino acid sequence identity to Drosophila melanogaster FDL (DmFDL). Recombinant BmFDL cleaved only β-1,2-linked GlcNAc residues from the α-1,3 branch of biantennary N-glycan. This substrate specificity was similar to that of DmFDL. Microsomal FDL activity was inhibited by anti-BmFDL antibodies. Taken together, our results suggest that BmFDL is a N-glycan-processing GlcNAcase in B. mori.     

Application of nonlinear fitting and selection of the most fitted equation by AIC in stability test of pharmaceutical ingredients

We proposed a method for objectively selecting the most fitted rate equation among candidate rate equations based on chemical kinetics by both nonlinear regression analysis and Akaike's information criterion (AIC), to express the decrease of pharmaceutical ingredient as an appropriate equation. Pseudo-zero, first, and second-order rate equations were prepared as candidates beforehand, and AIC was introduced for selecting the most fitted rate equation among the candidates. We compared the proposed method to the Weibull method that expressed any decrease patterns as a single equation.

We quantified the contents of thiamine nitrate (VB1) and taurine after storage for one, three, and six months under 40°C-75% relative humidity by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Decrease patterns of each sample were most fitted to one of the candidate rate equations, that is, pseudo-zero, first, and second-order rate equations, respectively, and the degree of fit in the most fitted equation was superior to that of the Weibull method, except for the pseudo-first-order rate equation.

Moreover, we confirmed that the proposed method was considerably precise for estimating the stability of pharmaceuticals by comparing estimated residual rates and confidence intervals to experimental data.     

Hierarchical semi-numeric method for pairwise fuzzy group decision making

Gradual improvements to a single-level semi-numeric method, i.e., linguistic labels preference representation by fuzzy sets computation for pairwise fuzzy group decision making are summarized. The method is extended to solve multiple criteria hierarchical structure pairwise fuzzy group decision-making problems. The problems are hierarchically structured into focus, criteria, and alternatives. Decision makers express their evaluations of criteria and alternatives based on each criterion by using linguistic labels. The labels are converted into and processed in triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs). Evaluations of criteria yield relative criteria weights. Evaluations of the alternatives, based on each criterion, yield a degree of preference for each alternative or a degree of satisfaction for each preference value. By using a neat ordered weighted average (OWA) or a fuzzy weighted average operator, solutions obtained based on each criterion are aggregated into final solutions. The hierarchical semi-numeric method is suitable for solving a larger and more complex pairwise fuzzy group decision-making problem. The proposed method has been verified and applied to solve some real cases and is compared to Saaty's (1996) analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method.     

Visualization of epileptogenic phenomena using cross-correlation analysis: localization of epileptic foci and propagation of epileptiform discharges

The main objectives of the preoperative evaluation of a patient with medically intractable epileptic seizures are localization of the foci and propagation of the epileptiform discharges. Electrocorticographic (ECoG) data of intractable focal epilepsy were analyzed using an AR model, wavelet analysis, and cross-correlation analysis. In order to derive the time-shifts, the cross correlations of the epileptiform discharges were calculated between electrodes for every unit of time. Further analyses were made by means of a set of contour maps of the time-shifts and sequential two- and three-dimensional visualizations of the time-shift maps in order to localize the epileptic foci and study their propagation process. Two types of foci and propagation were revealed in the results. In the first type, epileptiform discharges were generated at localized focal sites and spread quickly to other sites. In the second type, the foci of epileptiform discharges, which appeared soon after the former bursts, were localized at more than one site, and the discharges tended to spread more slowly. The findings suggest that epileptic phenomena can be caused by at least two kinds of mechanisms in one patient: in the former, the propagation might be mediated through synaptic projections, while in the latter, the extracellular diffusion of an excitatory factor might play an important role. In addition, our newly developed visualization technique for the localization of epileptic foci and the propagation of epileptiform discharges should prove useful in the study of epileptogenesis etiology.