Characterization of the vibrational damping loss factor and viscoelastic properties of ethylene–propylene rubbers reinforced with micro‐scale fillers

The influence of microscale fillers on ethylene–propylene rubbers (EPR) was examined with respect to their vibrational damping capacity and viscoelastic properties. The vibrational damping and dynamic mechanical properties of reinforced EPR were studied in systematic and comparative ways that reinforced the evidence of a direct relation between the vibrational damping loss factor and its mechanical damping loss factor. In this study, the sensitivity of the vibrational damping loss factor of reinforced EPR was quantified with respect to the variation in thickness, filler type, and filler content. Dynamic mechanical relaxation behaviors were also analyzed. The viscoelastic properties in terms of the storage modulus, loss modulus, mechanical damping loss factor, and frequency dependence of molecular relaxation showed interesting results with the filler types and compositions that had good correspondence with the vibrational damping behaviors. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 3058–3066, 2001     

A matched filter approximation for SC/MMSE iterative equalizers

This letter proposes a new iterative ISI equalization algorithm that offers low computational complexity: order L² with channel memory length L. The proposed algorithm is an extension of Reynolds and Wang's SC/MMSE (soft canceler followed by MMSE filter) equalizer: approximations are used properly to reduce the computational complexity. It is shown that the approximations used in the proposed algorithm do not cause any serious performance degradations from the trellis-based iterative equalization algorithms     

Oxidative carbonylation of phenol to diphenyl carbonate catalyzed by Pd complex with diimine ligands

Pd complexes with diimine ligands were investigated as novel Pd catalysts for direct synthesis of diphenyl carbonate by oxidative carbonylation of phenol using carbon monoxide and air. Best efficiency was obtained by using a PdCl₂(ArN=CH–)₂ or PdCl₂(ArN=CMe–)₂/Mn(TMHD)₃/(Ph₃P=)₂NBr system where TOF reached 8.08 and 8.00 mol-DPC/mol-Pd h, respectively. The efficiency was increased with increases in the CO pressure.     

蜘蛛丝研究与应用概述

尽管研究人员欣赏蜘蛛丝经过4亿年进化而形成的卓越性能，但以蜘蛛的速度纺蜘蛛丝还未实现商业化运作。一些科学小组正在寻找提高纺丝速度的途径，包括快速去除蛋白液中水分和迫使蛋白分子更快排列的技术。科学家们还希望通过同时纺几百根丝来加工复丝。研究人员和生物学家们正在利用毛虫、酵母、细菌、母牛和仓鼠、苜蓿草和山羊等的转基因技术来进行各种蜘蛛丝品种的试验，最终目的是开发出模仿或超越天然丝所有性能的蜘蛛丝。这些丝将拥有更广泛的应用领域，从医用缝合线到防弹背心。     

Superconducting Magnetic Filter: Performance, Recovery, and Design

Due to the development of superconducting magnets, the magnetic filtration process is now undergoing its biggest evolution since its conception. In Japan, the first industrial superconducting magnetic filter has been successfully applied for factory wastewater treatment. Much effort in both theory and practice is needed to further contribute to the new developments of this high gradient magnetic filtration process. In this substantial review, we have collected the most important theoretical and practical data about magnetic filtration, its recovery and design to establish a good framework for further development of this amazing technology.     

Inhibition of rat platelet aggregation by mycalolide-B, a novel inhibitor of actin polymerization with a different mechanism of action from cytochalasin-D

In vitro effects of mycalolide-B (MB), isolated from marine sponge, were investigated with regard to the activation of rat platelets. Collagen-induced platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was slightly but significantly potentiated by lower concentrations of MB (0.3 and 1 microM) but was inhibited by higher concentrations (3 and 10 microM). ADP-induced platelet aggregation in PRP was also significantly prevented by MB (1-10 microM). Potentiation of ADP-induced aggregation by MB (0.3 microM) was hardly observed. G-actin contents, determined by DNase I inhibition assay, were increased in resting washed platelets incubated with MB (3 microM). In contrast, cytochalasin-D (CD) at 3 microM slightly reduced G-actin contents in resting platelets. After platelet aggregation with collagen (3 microg/ml) or ADP (10 microM), G-actin contents in platelets were reduced, indicating de novo actin polymerization. MB (3 microM) and CD (3 microM) abolished both ADP (10 microM)- and collagen (3 microg/ml)-induced platelet aggregation and actin polymerization in washed platelets. MB (1-10 microM) had no effects on intracellular Ca2+ concentrations in ADP (10 microM)-stimulated platelets. [125I]-fibrinogen binding to activated platelets with ADP (10 microM)(was inhibited by MB (0.3-3 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner. Thrombin-induced platelet-fibrin clot retraction was inhibited by MB (1 and 10 microM). These results suggest that MB inhibits platelet activation by interfering with actin polymerization through a different mechanism of action from CD. MB may be a useful tool for studying the role of actin polymerization in various cells.     

Growth characteristics of CdZnTe layers grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy using dimethylzinc, dimethylcadmium, diethyltelluride, and dimethyltelluride as precursors

Growth characteristics of (100)-oriented CdZnTe layers grown by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy have been studied using dimethylzinc (DMZn), dimethylcadmium (DMCd), diethyltelluride (DETe), and dimethyltelluride (DMTe) as precursors. Variations of Zn composition and layer growth rate were examined by changing the DMZn supply ratio, defined as DMZn/(DMCd+DMZn), where the precursors are expressed in appropriate units of flow rate, from 0 (no DMZn) to 1.0 (no DMCd), while keeping the total group II supply rate constant. The growth rate of CdZnTe layers was found to decrease monotonically with increase of the DMZn supply ratio. On the other hand, the Zn composition x of grown layers increased gradually up to x=0.04 with increase of the DMZn supply ratio from 0 to 0.8, beyond which the Zn composition increased abruptly to ZnTe. The abrupt transition of Zn composition was suppressed by increasing the VI/II ratio. The growth mechanism of CdZnTe layers was studied based on the observed growth characteristics of CdTe and ZnTe. A higher desorption rate from the growth surface for Zn species than for Cd species, and a higher rate of CdTe formation than ZnTe formation are believed to cause the observed growth characteristics. CdZnTe layers with high crystal quality were grown in a wide range of Zn compositions. The full-width at half-maximum values for x-ray double-crystal rocking-curve measurements were lower than 320 arc-sec for x<0.3 and x>0.75.