Economic Comparison of NdFeB and Hard Ferrites in Automotive Applications

With the increasing use of electric motors in automobiles—in some cases as many as 100 electric motors per vehicle—alternatives to ferrite magnetic materials are under consideration. If more powerful magnetic materials could be implemented, size reductions in these motors could result in curb weight reductions that lead to improved fuel economy. NdFeB magnets are attractive as potential replacement materials, due to their higher flux density and thus smaller required size; however, high material costs have limited their implementation. To investigate the economic competitiveness of alternative magnetic materials, technical cost models (TCMs) were developed and used to examine the manufacturing economics related to the production of both NdFeB and ferrite magnets. Results from the TCMs are used to identify the cost drivers and opportunities for cost reductions. Subsequent investigations will include effects on vehicle fuel efficiency, and the environmental impact of magnet manufacture and disposal.     

The survival and growth of ovine afferent lymph dendritic cells in culture depends on tumour necrosis factor-alpha and is enhanced by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor but inhibited by interferon-gamma

An in vitro culture system is described which allows an analysis of the signals responsible for the survival, growth and functional maturation of afferent lymph dendritic cells (ALDC), a subpopulation of migrating dermal dendritic cells involved in antigen carriage and presentation to T-cells. Purified ALDC survived and grew for up to 30 days in lymph node conditioned medium and survived 14 days in recombinant ovine (rov) TNF-alpha whereas none were detected after 24 h in rov GM-CSF, rov IFN-gamma or rh M-CSF. However, when rov GM-CSF was added to cultures along with rov TNF-alpha, increased numbers of ALDC compared with input numbers (growth) were recorded on Days 14 and 21. In contrast, when 50-200 units ml-1 of rov IFN-gamma were added to cultures of ALDC along with TNF-alpha or rov TNF-alpha plus rov GM-CSF, cell survival and growth was inhibited. Antibody blocking studies confirmed the cytokine specificity of these effects. ALDC cultured in rov TNF-alpha or rov TNF-alpha plus rov GM-CSF retained MHC Class-II and ov CD-1 antigen expression and accessory function for autologous ov CD-4 T-cell proliferation, although at reduced levels compared with freshly isolated cells. Neither fresh nor cultured ALDC expressed coagulation factor XIIIa.     

Invasion of hereditary ovalocytes by Plasmodium falciparum in vitro and its relation to intracellular ATP concentration

Hereditary ovalocytes (stomatocytic ovalocytes), when examined within 1-2 days from the time that the blood sample is drawn, are invaded by Plasmodium falciparum in culture to the extent of at least 55% of normal control cells. The ovalocytes have extremely rigid membranes, characterised by a shear elastic modulus some 3-4 times greater than that of normal cells. The extent of invasion falls off very much more rapidly than that into normal cells on storage, and we surmise that this is the reason for earlier reports of resistance of ovalocytes to malarial invasion in vitro. The initial loss of susceptibility to invasion with time is not accompanied by any change in membrane rigidity, but is primarily a consequence of a rapid decline in intracellular ATP concentration: this falls to below the threshold level required for invasion (approx. 0.1 mM) over a period in which the ATP in normal cells remains almost constant. Incubation in a metabolic regenerating medium leads to a rise in the intracellular ATP concentration and invasion by P. falciparum is recovered, though to a much lower extent than in normal cells. The resistance of ovalocytes to invasion becomes irreversible, due possibly to degradative processes in the membrane, on further storage. The developing parasites in ovalocytes have a reduced number of merozoites and show distinct morphological abnormalities.     

智能型激光控制器提高灵活性并节省空间

激光二极管是宽带调幅光纤发射系统的核心器件。光纤系统依赖于激光的稳定性,但未受调节控制的激光二极管特性却常因制造误差、温度和使用日久所造成的参数改变而变得不稳定。因此,光纤通信系统需要专用电路来控制重要的激光二极管参数,以确保它们稳定操作。虽然激光控制电路都     

Self-disclosure and coping styles in men with cardiovascular reactivity

The purpose of this study was to investigate self-disclosure, emotion-focused, and problem-focused coping styles among men with borderline hypertension and two groups of normotensive men differentiated by parental hypertension. Because blood pressure reactivity may discriminate between hypertensive and normotensive men, subjects in these three groups were categorized as high or low cardiovascular reactors based on their blood pressure response to a mental arithmetic task. Self-disclosure and coping styles were investigated in relation to status effects within the doctor-patient relationship. Men with exaggerated blood pressure reactivity were less self-disclosive and used fewer emotion-focused coping strategies than men with no blood pressure reactivity. Normotensives with a history of parental hypertension were less self-disclosive than normotensives without a history of parental hypertension.     

致密砂岩储集层裂缝综合录井识别技术研究

四川盆地油气勘探结果表明，盆地油气储集层普遍为致密砂岩非常规储集层，有效性主要取决于孔、洞、缝发育程度，因此在油气钻井中如何识别致密储集层的孔、洞、缝并确定其所在井段尤其重要。针对综合录井仪的0．1m钻时及相关参数的资料采集技术要求，通过对大量录井数据资料的统计和演算，建立起储集层裂缝发育程度及裂缝发育位置的3种储集层裂缝识别模型，即直接识别模型、地层可钻性（A值）识别模型、钻时回归（RWSR）值识别模型。系统阐述了致密砂岩储集层裂缝综合录井识别技术方法原理，详细介绍了致密砂岩储集层裂缝识别的3个模型在实际生产中的应用情况。该技术方法的研究在国内尚属首次，为油气勘探中储集层评价提供了一个新的方法和手段，可最大限度地发挥现代录井技术在油气勘探开发过程中的作用。