Rheology in Processing of in Situ Composites of Polypropylene and Low Melting Poing Metals

The low melting point metallic tin powder or alloy of tin and lead was blended with polypropy-lene. A kind of in situ composite has been prepared. The variations of torque were studied when the composites were mixed in Haake torque rheogeniometer. By way of capillary extrusion, effects upon rheology of the in situ com-posites of the low melting point metals (LMPM) and coupling agent for their different variety and content, were investigated. From flow curves, the results indicate that in situ composites mixed with the LMPM are a kind of pseudoplastic fluid. If the LMPM were melted, the higher the content of the LMPM , the lower apparent viscosity of composites. Meanwhile, when the coupling agent is added into composites, the viscosity of composite will go up first and drop then. This shows that the LMPM have a promoter flow action on the polypropylene.     

Equivalent Conditions for Convergence of Splittings of Non-Hermitian Indefinite Matrices

We present some sufficient and necessary conditions for convergent splitting of a non-Hermitian indefinite matrix. Some sufficient conditions to determinate a matrix with a (strongly) dominant symmetric part for a class of boundary value problem are also obtained. These results are applicable to identify the convergence of iterative methods for solving large sparse systems of linear equations.     

The prospects of non-volatile phase-change RAM

Phase-change read-and-write memory (PRAM) is a promising memory that can solve the problems of conventional memory—scalability, read/write speed, and reliability. We will review the opportunities and technical challenges of PRAM. The most important challenge of PRAM is the reduction of the writing current. Various approaches to reduce the writing current will be reviewed and the prospects of PRAM are discussed.     

Feature-based classifiers for design optimization

We present a design optimization method for systems with high-dimensional parameter spaces using inductive decision trees. The essential idea is to map designs into a relatively low-dimensional feature space, and to derive a classifier to search for high-performing design alternatives within this space. Unlike learning classifier systems that were pioneered by Holland and Goldberg, classifiers defined by inductive decision trees were not originally developed for design optimization. In this paper, we explore modifications to such classifiers to make them more effective in the optimization problem. We expand the notions of feature space, generalize the tree construction heuristic beyond the original information-theoretic definitions, increase the reliance on domain expertise, and facilitate the transfer of design knowledge between related systems. There is a relatively small but rapidly growing body of work in the use of inductive trees for engineering design; the method presented herein is complementary to this research effort.     

Organizational determinants of IT adoption in the pharmaceutical distribution sector

The aim of this paper is to propose new organizational factors that might explain the differences in the extent and the speed of IT adoption. With this in mind, we carried out an analysis of 16 cases in the pharmaceutical distribution sector in Spain. The results indicate that there are certain intangible assets that favour the introduction and development of IT. Among these are a frank and fluid communication between departments and members of the organization, low levels of conflict, the explicit support of top management towards IT adoption and learning and creative skills of IT-staff. In addition to these factors, we found others that we propose as catalysts of IT adoption. Among these we might mention the special relationship between the member-clients and the company in the case of cooperative firms.     

Phytochemical and biological investigation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stevia rebaudiana</Emphasis> Bertoni; 1-labdane-type diterpene

Five labdane diterpenoids, austroinulin, iso-austroinulin, sterebin E, sterebin E acetate, and sterebin A acetate, along with hydrocarbons, aliphatic alcohols, β-amyrin, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol were isolated from the chloroform soluble fraction of the methanol extract of Stevia rebaudiana leaves. Chlorogenic and caffeic acids were isolated from the EtOAc fraction. All the isolated compounds were identified using spectral tools. The chloroform and methanol extracts proved significant anti-inflammatory effect and caused marked inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats.