In situ13C NMR study of tert-butanol interaction with moderately concentrated sulfuric acid

An in situ NMR study of tert-butanol dehydration in 95 and 85% sulfuric acid did not indicate the formation of tert-butyl cations as active reaction intermediates. Instead, only NMR lines from oxonium ions under the condition of fast exchange with water and the acid were observed. It is most likely that, in the concentrated acid, the active intermediates of this reaction are represented by tert-butyl sulfuric ester which probably is a precursor of invisible tert-butyl carbenium ions representing short-lived excited or transition states.     

Amore Address Mapping with Overlapped Rotating Entries

A memory management unit that supports demand paging is implemented with standard logic and fast-access RAM chips, resulting in much faster address translation that that provided by the standard Motorola MC68451 MMU.     

A multiple-switch high-voltage DC-DC converter

Series connection of power devices has evolved into a mature technique and is widely applied in HV DC power systems. Static and dynamic voltage balance is ensured by shunting individual devices with dissipative snubbers. The snubber losses become pronounced for increased operating frequencies and adversely affect power density. Capacitive snubbers do not exhibit these disadvantages, but they require a zero-voltage switching mode. Super-resonant power converters facilitate the principle of zero-voltage switching. A high-voltage DC-DC power converter with multiple series-connected devices is proposed. It allows the application of nondissipating snubbers to assist the voltage sharing between the multiple series-connected devices and lowers turnoff losses. Simulation results obtained with a circuit simulator are validated in an experimental power converter operating with two series-connected devices. The behavior of the series connection is examined for MOSFETs and IGBTs by both experimental work with a 2 kW prototype and computer simulation. Applications can be found in traction and heavy industry, where the soft-switching power converter is directly powered from a high-voltage source     

Nonparametric estimation from length-biased data under competing risks

A new model for cross-sectional lifetime data is presented. The model is based on the length-bias assumption, and it is adapted to situations in which several types of censoring may occur. The NPMLE of the survival function is derived. An EM-algorithm to approximate the NPMLE is devised. The performance of the introduced estimator is investigated through simulations. A real set of data collected as part of a study on unemployment duration in Spain is used for illustration purposes.     

Private practice: a choice, but what challenges!

Recent changes in the Canadian health care system are having an impact on the way health care services are delivered. As a result, opportunities are opening up for a whole new generation of autonomous and independent nurses who choose to work directly with clients in a private practice setting. In part one of this two-part article, the author describes the main responsibilities of the nurse entrepreneur. Stressed are the areas of competency and the entrepreneurial spirit required. Administrative, professional, legal and fiscal aspects of independent practice are also outlined. Part two of the article focuses on the ethical responsibilities of the nurse entrepreneur and the regulations concerning fees, publicity, insurance, and office and file management. The author recommends keeping current on new developments and establishing a process whereby clients can evaluate the quality of care they receive.