Nucleation of solidification in liquid droplets

Analytical and numerical methods have been developed to analyze the solidification kinetics of a mass of liquid droplets dispersed in a fluid or solid matrix using classical nucleation theory. The resulting analytical expressions and numerical calculations can be compared directly with calorimetric measurements of the droplet solidification exotherms to obtain information about the nucleation mechanism. With increasing contact angle at the solid-liquid-matrix triple point, the solidification onset, peak, and end temperatures and exothermic peak height all decrease sharply and the droplet solidification exotherms become broader. Decreasing either the droplet radius or the number of potential catalytic nucleation sites produces a similar but smaller effect. Distributions in droplet radius, contact angle, and nucleation sites have no effect on the solidification peak temperature, but the droplet solidification exotherms become broader and more symmetric. The solidification onset temperature is independent of cooling rate in the calorimeter, but the solidification peak and end temperatures decrease and the exothermic peak height increases with increasing cooling rate. Predicted droplet solidification exotherms are in excellent agreement with detailed experimental measurements on 10-nm-radius Cd droplets embedded in a solid Al matrix. Analytical predictions give best-fit values of 43 deg and 430 for the contact angle and the number of potential catalytic nucleation sites per droplet, respectively; numerical predictions give best-fit values of 43 deg and 750 for the contact angle and the number of potential catalytic nucleation sites per droplet, respectively.     

Perceived risk and trust associated with purchasing at electronic marketplaces

Understanding consumer behaviour is of vital importance to consumer-oriented e-business models today. In this paper, we study the relationships between consumer perceptions of risk and trust and the attitude towards purchasing at a consumer-to-consumer electronic marketplace (EM). Typical for EM settings is that consumer behaviour is subject to perceptions of the selling party as well as of the institutional structures of the intermediary that is operating the EM. Building upon the well-established literature of trust, we consider the concepts of intermediary trust and seller trust. We extend this categorisation by introducing the concepts of intermediary risk and seller risk. We developed measurement instruments for intermediary risk and seller risk. All measurement scales have acceptable alphas and are unidimensional. An empirical study is conducted to explore the relationships between the risk and trust types and consumer purchase attitude. The results reveal significant, direct effects of seller trust and seller risk. Second-order effects of intermediary trust and intermediary risk are investigated and reported. The paper concludes with general observations and recommendations for research and practice.     

烧成及热处理工艺对钛酸锶铅基热敏材料性能及显微结构的影响

研究了烧成及热处理工艺对钛酸锶铅基热敏材料的阻温特性及显微结构的影响。通过扫描电镜（ＳＥＭ）和能量分散仪（ＥＤＡＸ）分析了材料的显微结构及不同形貌晶粒的成份。通过对组成、烧成及热处理工艺的控制，可得到具有Ｖ型ＰＴＣＲ特性的热敏材料。     

机械合金化过程中Fe70B30粉末晶粒尺寸和微观应变的研究

用Ｘ射线和电镜研究了Ｆｅ＿（７０）Ｂ＿（３０）粉末经不同时间高能球磨后晶粒尺寸和微观应力的变化。在机械合金化过程中，粉末的Ｘ射线衍射谱的宽度随球磨时间的增加逐渐加宽，这是晶粒细化和内部微观应力共同作用的结果。Ｘ射线衍射结果表明：随着机械合金化的进行，粉末的晶粒尺寸逐渐减小，球磨初期晶粒尺寸下降较快，经１５ｈ球磨，晶粒尺寸为２５ｎｍ，机械合金化进行到一定时间后晶粒尺寸下降缓慢，８０ｈ球磨后晶粒尺寸可达５ｎｍ。在机械合金化过程中球磨所造成的微观应变不大，球磨初期粉末的内应力随球磨时间增加而增加，当粉末粒子尺寸很小时，随球磨的进行粉末中的微观应变显著下降。     

Role of vagus nerves in resiniferatoxin-induced bronchoconstriction of guinea pigs

To study the role of vagal afferent C-fibers in resiniferatoxin (RTX)-induced bronchoconstriction in vivo, 30 guinea pigs weighing 347 +/- 28 g were evenly and randomly divided into five groups: Group 1, control; 2, chronic vagotomy; 3, local capsaicin (acute); 4, local capsaicin (chronic); and 5, systemic capsaicin. Each animal was anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, cannulated with a tracheal cannula and venous catheter, paralyzed with gallamine triethiodide, and artificially ventilated. All animals were pretreated with atropine and phenoxybenzamine. Immediately after RTX was intravenously injected, each animal in the control group exhibited profound decreases in maximal expiratory flow, dynamic respiratory compliance, and total lung capacity, as well as an increase in functional residual capacity, indicating severe airway constriction. Animals in Groups 2-4 exhibited partial abolishment, while those in Group 5 showed complete abolishment of the RTX-induced bronchoconstriction. In 12 additional animals (6 animals each in control and chronic vagotomy groups), chronic vagotomy caused also suppressive effects on capsaicin-induced airway constriction. At one min, our data demonstrate that 36-51% of noncholinergic bronchoconstriction is due to the vagal component while the remaining constriction is due to the nonvagal component. Thus, the nonvagal component plays a significant role in this type of tachykinin-mediated airway constriction.     

新型超微晶软磁合金FePCCuMoSi微观结构缺陷的正电子湮没研究

用正电子湮没方法研究了新型超微晶软磁合金的微观结构缺陷，样品选用的是在不同温度下退火的Ｆｅ８１Ｐ１２Ｃ３Ｃｕ１Ｍｏ０．５Ｓｉ２．５合金，结果表明，合金的微观结构构陷大小，密度随退火温度有规律地变化，这种现象可能与非晶的晶化过程有关。     

Cell death, axonal damage, and cell birth in the immature rat brain following induction of hydrocephalus

We hypothesized that hydrocephalus can cause death of brain cells and that generation of new brain cells might compensate for the cell loss. Hydrocephalus was induced in 3-week-old rats by injection of kaolin into the cisterna magna. The brains were studied 1 to 4 weeks later by histochemical, immunochemical, and ultrastructural methods. The ventricles enlarged progressively. Some axons in the corpus callosum were injured as early as 1 week, but axonal damage was not prevalent until 4 weeks when ventriculomegaly became severe. Dying cells detected by DNA end labeling and often identified as oligodendrocytes by electron microscopy were evident in white matter. Late-stage hydrocephalus was associated with a significant increase in the quantity of dying cells. Hydrocephalus was associated with increased Ki67 labeling and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in the subependymal zone. Reactive changes were identified among astrocytes, oligodendroglia, and microglia. We conclude that hydrocephalus causes, in addition to axonal injury, gradual cell death in the cerebrum, particularly the white matter. The brain response includes production of new glial cells, but whether the new cells play any beneficial role remains unknown.