Retention models of capacity factor with different compositions of organic modifier in RP-HPLC

A Chromatographic retention behavior of five deoxyribonucleosides (dCyd, dUrd, dGuo, dThd, and dAdo) with respect to the mobile phase composition was studied under isocratic conditions of reversed phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC). The volume fraction (F) of organic modifier was changed from 0.05 to 0.30, and to 0.12 for methanol and acetonitrile, respectively. The experimental data of nitro and steroid compound were also considered for comparison of five retention models with various class of samples. The Langmuir-type retention model (k′= A+B/F) with two parameters shows excellect agreements between the experimental capacity factors and calculated values although the values by the log-scale quadratic model with three parameters (log k′= LF₂+MF+N) are closer. Unlike the other four retention models, the slope B of the Langmuir-type retention model can characterize the properties of solute and organic modifier simultaneously. For each solute, the intercepts A calculated for acetonitrile and methanol as organic modifiers are coincident closely.     

Effects of deposition temperature and pressure of the surface roughness and the grain size of polycrystalline Si1−xGex films

The effects of temperature and pressure on the surface roughness and the grain size of poly-Si_1–x Ge _x films, and the effect of the initial surface state on the final film surface roughness and grain size, have been investigated. The deposition temperature and pressure were varied from 450 to 600 °C and from 1 to 50 Torr, respectively. The transition temperature from amorphous to polycrystalline during the deposition was about 525 °C for the Si_0.46Ge_0.54 alloy film and the average grain size of the film deposited at 600 °C and 3 Torr was measured approximately as 180 nm. As the temperature increased, the grain size and the rms (root mean square) surface roughness increased at constant pressure, whereas both were decreased with increasing pressure at constant temperature. The initial surface state of Si_1–x Ge _x film influenced the final film structure such as the surface roughness and grain size. The smooth surface was obtained at higher pressure and lower temperature.     

Mast cell activation is not required for induction of airway hyperresponsiveness by ozone in mice

Exposure to ambient ozone (O3) is associated with increased exacerbations of asthma. We sought to determine whether mast cell degranulation is induced by in vivo exposure to O3 in mice and whether mast cells play an essential role in the development of pulmonary pathophysiological alterations induced by O3. For this we exposed mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-kitW/kitW-v (kitW/kitW-v) mice and the congenic normal WBB6F1 (+/+) mice to air or to 1 or 3 parts/million O3 for 4 h and studied them at different intervals from 4 to 72 h later. We found evidence of O3-induced cutaneous, as well as bronchial, mast cell degranulation. Polymorphonuclear cell influx into the pulmonary parenchyma was observed after exposure to 1 part/milllion O3 only in mice that possessed mast cells. Airway hyperresponsiveness to intravenous methacholine measured in vivo under pentobarbital anesthesia was observed in both kitW/kitW-v and +/+ mice after exposure to O3. Thus, although mast cells are activated in vivo by O3 and participate in O3-induced polymorphonuclear cell infiltration into the pulmonary parenchyma, they do not participate detectably in the development of O3-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in mice.     

A definition of partial derivative of random functions and its application to RBFNN sensitivity analysis

Considering the inputs of a feed-forward neural network as random variables, this paper proposes a definition of partial derivative of a function with respect to a random variable in the probability measure space. The mathematical expectation of the mean square or absolute value of the partial derivative is regarded as a type of measure of the network's sensitivity, which extends Zurada's sensitivity definition of networks in Zurada et al, [Perturbation method for deleting redundant inputs of perceptron networks, Neurocomputing 14 (1997) 177–193] from the certain environment to the stochastic environment. Furthermore, for the purpose of network's redundant feature deletion or feature selection, the new sensitivity measure is applied to the sensitivity analysis of Radial Basis Function Neural Networks (RBFNNs). The feasibility and the effectiveness of the sensitivity approach to redundant feature deletion are illustrated.     

Fuzzy QFD for supply chain management with reliability consideration

Although many products are made through several tiers of supply chains, a systematic way of handling reliability issues in a various product planning stage has drawn attention, only recently, in the context of supply chain management (SCM). The main objective of this paper is to develop a fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) model in order to convey fuzzy relationship between customers needs and design specification for reliability in the context of SCM. A fuzzy multi criteria decision-making procedure is proposed and is applied to find a set of optimal solution with respect to the performance of the reliability test needed in CRT design. It is expected that the proposed approach can make significant contributions on the following areas: effectively communicating with technical personnel and users; developing relatively error-free reliability review system; and creating consistent and complete documentation for design for reliability.     

Exercise training, postprandial hypertriglyceridemia, and LDL subfraction distribution

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in postprandial hypertriglyceridemia (PP-HTG) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) subfraction distribution among groups of men and women with different fitness levels. Fifty-four men and women (ages 30-53 yr) were recruited based on their previous two-year activity level: sedentary (S), recreational exercisers (R), and endurance trained (T). After a 24-h dietary preparation, blood was collected, and LDL subfractions were separated and analyzed for cholesterol (C) and apoprotein B100. Plasma triglyceride (TG) concentration was assessed before and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after fat meal. PP-HTG was significantly higher for the S group compared with the two activity groups. LDL3-C and LDL3-apoprotein B100 were significantly higher for the S group compared with the T group and for men compared with women. These findings suggest that both recreational and competitive aerobic training are associated with a lower TG response after a fatty meal. However, higher volume aerobic training may be necessary to reduce the number of dense LDL molecules and their cholesterol content.     

Organic polymer thick film light emitting diodes (PTF-OLED)

A guest–host approach was used to fabricate a one-layer organic light emitting diode (OLED). The thick film ink approach allows the two-dimensional OLED to be processed using traditional methods such as silk-screen printing. The I–V–L characteristics of the polymer thick film (PTF)-OLED were studied as a function of the device chemical compositions and physical configurations. Different polymers, hole and electron transporters, and emitters at different weight ratios were studied for its composition dependence. Device configuration also plays a significant role on its overall performance. Dependence on film thickness, electrode type, and the usage of additional charge injection layers were also investigated. The simplified one-layer device allows a straightforward interpretation for the charge-transport and recombination phenomena which shed light for its future improvement.