Post spinning modification of PAN fibres — a review

Post spinning modifications play an important role in improving the mechanical properties, density and structure of PAN fibres. Post spinning modifications affect the thermal and kinetic parameters during stabilization and alter the overall stabilization mechanism. The present paper presents a review of the different types of post spinning modifications previously attempted on PAN fibres and the effects of these modifications on the resulting carbon fibres.     

GPRS的服务质量及其测量

(GN Nettest)　　一、GPRS简介　　通用分组无线服务 ( GPRS)系统扩展了当前世界上最流行的第二代移动系统一基于语音的 GSM的应用 ,使其能够收发基于分组的数据 ;同时保留了无线接口的基本内容 ,如时分多路复用和频率分配方案 ,以使 GPRS和 GSM能够共存于同一网络上。　　 1 .特性　　传统的 GSM拨号数据接入为用户提供了最大960 0波特的速率。GPRS能够结合多个 GSM时隙 ,在上行链路和下行链路上 ,最多可以使用八个 GSM时隙 ,提供最高 1 70 kbit/sec的带宽。此外 ,GPRS采用全新的 IP网络“一直在线”接入模式 :移动用户开…     

Economics of producing hydrogen as transportation fuel using offshore wind energy systems

Over the past few years, hydrogen has been recognized as a suitable substitute for present vehicular fuels. This paper covers the economic analysis of one of the most promising hydrogen production methods—using wind energy for producing hydrogen through electrolysis of seawater—with a concentration on the Indian transport sector. The analysis provides insights about several questions such as the advantages of offshore plants over coastal installations, economics of large wind-machine clusters, and comparison of cost of producing hydrogen with competing gasoline. Robustness of results has been checked by developing several scenarios such as fast/slow learning rates for wind systems for determining future trends. Results of this analysis show that use of hydrogen for transportation is not likely to be attractive before 2012, and that too with considerable learning in wind, electrolyzer and hydrogen storage technology.     

Towards automation of colour/weave selection in Jacquard designs: model verification through visual assessment

A geometric model combined with a colour model to predict the colour contribution of each pre-coloured yarn in terms of colour attributes of each area of a Jacquard pattern was developed. To validate the predicted calculations (colorimetric data), a visual assessment experiment was conducted to evaluate the difference between predicted and the actual colour appearance of the woven pattern. The results from the psychophysical evaluation of the woven samples and their predicted colour values showed high correlation between the predicted and experimental data. Therefore, the model has potential to eliminate subjective evaluations and reduce prototype sample production by automating the process of weave/colour simulation.     

Differences in prevalence of tobacco use among Indian urban youth: the role of socioeconomic status

This study examined whether the distribution of tobacco use and related psychosocial risk factors among youth in urban India vary by socioeconomic status (SES). Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of students enrolled in the 6th and 8th grades in 32 schools in Delhi and Chennai (N = 11,642). The survey was conducted in 2004, before the implementation of a program designed to prevent and reduce tobacco use (MYTRI). Mixed-effect regression models were used (a) to determine the prevalence of tobacco use among private (higher SES) and government (lower SES) school students, (b) to investigate whether certain psychosocial factors were associated with increased tobacco use, and (c) to determine how these factors varied by school type. Ever-use of multiple forms of tobacco (e.g., gutkha, bidis, and cigarettes) was more prevalent among government school students than private school students. After adjusting for city, gender, grade, and age, we found the prevalence rate for ever-use of any tobacco product to be 18.9% for government school students, compared with 12.2% for private school students (p<.01). Students in government schools scored lower than private school students on most psychosocial risk factors for tobacco use studied here, indicating higher risk. Government school students scored the lowest for refusal skills, self-efficacy, and reasons not to use tobacco. Social susceptibility to chewing tobacco and social susceptibility to smoking were strong correlates of current tobacco use among government school students. Exposure to tobacco advertising was also a strong correlate of current tobacco use for government school students but not private school students. In two large cities of India, students attending government schools are using many forms of tobacco at higher rates than private school students. The psychosocial risk profile of government school students suggests they are more vulnerable to initiation and use and to outside influences that encourage use.     

Design and analysis of a high bandwidth disk drive servo systemusing an instrumented suspension

Resonance modes in the suspension of hard disk drives limit the closed-loop bandwidth. The bandwidth of the servo can be increased by active vibration control of the resonance modes. This paper considers the optimal placement of strain gauge sensors on a suspension to observe the vibration states of the suspension. Using a finite-element simulation of an actual suspension, a state-space model is identified for the two normal strains and the shear strain at each finite element. The state-space model includes the dynamics of the three primary resonance modes. A numerical search algorithm is used to determine the sensor location and orientation which maximizes the minimum singular value of the observability grammian. With the strain gauge output signal, a multirate inner loop controller is designed to be used with the existing head-positioning system. Simulations and analysis results suggest that use of an instrumented suspension is a viable candidate method for improved disk drive servo performance     

12 nm tunable WDM source using an integrated laser array

A 12 nm tunable source with up to 15 mW fibre coupled power has been fabricated by integrating four DFB lasers and a booster amplifier to provide a single output. High-yield and low-cost techniques are used, such as quarter-wave-shifted phase-masks for wavelength definition and an integration technique with only two regrowths     

Towards automation of color/weave selection in Jacquard design: Model verification

Jacquard woven fabrics are made from colored yarns and different weaves for designing complex pictorial and other patterning effects. The final visualized color effect is the result of assigning weave designs to different areas of the pattern to be created. The current practice in creating Jacquard woven fabric designs is to produce many samples in a trial‐and‐error attempt to match artwork colors. An ability to simulate accurately the appearance of a design prior to manufacture is highly desirable to reduce trial‐and‐error sample production. No automated accurate digital color methodology is yet available to assist designers in matching the patterned woven fabric to the desired artwork. To achieve this, we developed a geometrical model to predict the color contribution of each yarn on the face of the fabric. The geometrical model combined with a Kubelka‐Munk based color mixing model allowed the prediction of the reflectance properties of the final color for a given design. We compared the predicted and experimental values of the reflectance properties for a range of fabrics using the same geometric model with three separate color mixing models. The geometrical model combined with a log‐based color mixing model produced reasonable agreement between predicted and measured ΔE_ab, with an average ΔE_ab of approximately five. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 34, 225–232, 2009     

Apoptosis in batch cultures of Chinese hamster ovary cells

One of the main problems in the culture of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells continues to be the inability to maintain the viability of the cultures over an extended period of time. The rapid decline in viability at the end of the culture is exacerbated by the absence of serum. In trying to reduce the extent of death in these cultures, we first tried to determine the mode of death. We found that more than 80% of the cells in a standard serum-free batch culture of CHO cells in suspension died via apoptosis--as evidenced by condensed chromatin and the appearance of a characteristic DNA ladder. Furthermore, when protein synthesis was inhibited using cycloheximide, the cells underwent rapid apoptosis indicating that death proteins were present in greater abundance than survival proteins in our CHO cells. Cell lysate from CHO cells showed evidence of cysteine protease (caspase) activity. Caspases of the Interleukin-1-beta-Converting Enzyme (ICE) family, e.g., CPP32, Mch-1, etc., have been implicated in the apoptotic process. Surprisingly, a caspase peptide inhibitor, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoro-methyl-ketone (z-VAD.fmk), was unable to substantially extend the life of a serum-free batch culture of CHO cells. In addition, z-VAD.fmk was only marginally able to extend viability in response to withdrawal of growth and survival factors, insulin and transferrin. In both these instances, z-VAD.fmk was able to prevent cleavage of caspase substrates, but not protect cells from death. However, we found that bcl-2 expression was able to significantly extend viabilities in CHO batch culture. Bcl-2 expression also substantially extended the viability of cultures in response to insulin and transferrin withdrawal. These results provide interesting insights into the pathways of death in a CHO cell.