Synthesis and characterization of biocompatible hydroxyapatite coated ferrite

Ferrite particles coated with biocompatible phases can be used for hyperthermia treatment of cancer. We have synthesized substituted calcium hexaferrite, which is not stable on its own but is stabilized with small substitution of La. Hexaferrite of chemical composition (CaO)_0.75(La₂0₃)_0.20(Fe₂O₃)₆ was prepared using citrate gel method. Hydroxyapatite was prepared by precipitating it from aqueous solution of Ca(NO₃)₂ and (NH₄)₂HPO₄ maintaining pH above 11. Four different methods were used for coating of hydroxyapatite on ferrite particles. SEM with EDX and X-ray diffraction analysis shows clear evidence of coating of hydroxyapatite on ferrite particles. These coated ferrite particles exhibited coercive field up to 2 kOe, which could be made useful for hysteresis heating in hyperthermia. Studies by culturing BHK-21 cells and WBC over the samples show evidence of biocompatibility. SEM micrographs and cell counts give clear indication of cell growth on the surface of the sample. Finally coated ferrite particle was implanted in Kasaulli mouse to test its biocompatibility. The magnetic properties and biocompatibility studies show that these hydroxyapatite coated ferrites could be useful for hyperthermia.     

Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of chloride doped polyaniline

Chloride doped polyaniline conducting polymer films have been prepared in a protic acid medium (HCl) by potentiodynamic method in an electrochemical cell and studied by cyclic voltammetry and FTIR techniques. The FTIR spectra confirmed Cl^- ion doping in the polymers. The polymerization rate was found to increase with increasing concentration of aniline monomer. But the films obtained at high monomer concentration were rough having a nonuniform flaky polyaniline distribution. Results showed that the polymerization rate did not increase beyond a critical HCl concentration. Cyclic voltammetry suggested that, the oxidation-reduction current increased with an increase in scan rate and that the undoped polyaniline films were not hygroscopic whereas chloride doped polyaniline films were found to be highly hygroscopic.     

Effects of genotype and treatment on the antioxidant activity of sweet potato in Taiwan

Six genotypes of sweet potato commercially available in Taiwan, including TNG57, TNG66, TNG68, TYY1, RP and WP, were used as samples in this study of the effects of steaming and kneading with pre-steaming treatments on the antioxidant components and antioxidant properties of methanolic extracts. Steam treatment increased the total phenols contents of all genotypes (2–13 times), flavonoids content of RP (1.3 times) and anthocyanins contents of RP and WP (5–6 times). Steam treatment also increased the reducing power and scavenging DPPH radical effect of sweet potato flours. For the methanolic extracts of steamed and kneaded flours, reducing powers were 0.02–1.70 at 5.0 mg ml⁻¹ and the scavenging effects on DPPH radicals were 19–92% at 2.5 mg ml⁻¹. Both showed the order of RP > WP > TYY1 and TNG66 > TNG57 and TNG68. However, the chelating effect of the six genotypes at 1.0 mg ml⁻¹ ranged from 50% to 73%. Contents of total phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins of sweet potato flours were significantly positively correlated with the reducing power and scavenging DPPH radical effects. After steaming and kneading treatments, RP showed the highest increase in the contents of total phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins among the six genotypes studied.     

Thermomechanical finite-element model of shell behavior in continuous casting of steel

A coupled finite-element model, CON2D, has been developed to simulate temperature, stress, and shape development during the continuous casting of steel, both in and below the mold. The model simulates a transverse section of the strand in generalized plane strain as it moves down at the casting speed. It includes the effects of heat conduction, solidification, nonuniform superheat dissipation due to turbulent fluid flow, mutual dependence of the heat transfer and shrinkage on the size of the interfacial gap, the taper of the mold wall, and the thermal distortion of the mold. The stress model features an elastic-viscoplastic creep constitutive equation that accounts for the different responses of the liquid, semisolid, delta-ferrite, and austenite phases. Functions depending on temperature and composition are employed for properties such as thermal linear expansion. A contact algorithm is used to prevent penetration of the shell into the mold wall due to the internal liquid pressure. An efficient two-step algorithm is used to integrate these highly nonlinear equations. The model is validated with an analytical solution for both temperature and stress in a solidifying slab. It is applied to simulate continuous casting of a 120 mm billet and compares favorably with plant measurements of mold wall temperature, total heat removal, and shell thickness, including thinning of the corner. The model is ready to investigate issues in continuous casting such as mold taper optimization, minimum shell thickness to avoid breakouts, and maximum casting speed to avoid hot-tear crack formation due to submold bulging.     

垂直铺膜防渗技术在大堤防渗加固工程中的应用

在高水河大堤防渗加固工程中,根据堤身的实际情况,结合地质和施工条件,采用压力灌浆及砼地下连续墙相结合的方法来进行垂直铺膜防渗加固。通过对垂直铺膜前后测压管水头对比研究,分析了大堤外观干、湿土变化和大堤内干土质量密度、密实度的变化,说明了垂直铺膜防渗技术在大堤防渗应用造价低,防渗效果显著,有利于改善大堤的稳定性和安全性。垂直铺膜防渗技术应用于临时防渗及平原低水头水库和河道堤防等工程,实用性强,具有推广价值。     

Glycoconjugated polymer 6. Synthesis of poly[styrene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">block</Emphasis>-(styrene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">graft</Emphasis>-amylose)] via potato phosphorylase-catalyzed polymerization

Summary The potato phosphorylase-catalyzed polymerization of α-D-glucose-1-phosphate (G-1-P) onto poly[styrene-block-(4-vinylbenzyl maltohexaoside)] (1) was performed at the molar ratios of [G-l-P]₀ and [maltohexaose]₀ of 35, 80, and 250. The product was found to be soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide, which was a good solvent for amylose, and showed the complex-formation with iodine, indicating that the product was assignable to poly[styrene-block-(styrene-graft-amylose)] (2). The quantitative analysis of the liberated phosphoric acid gave the average degree of polymerization o f the glucose unit (n) as 27, 5 1, and 180 for 2-I, 2-II, and 2-III, respectively. Received: 29 November 2002/Accepted: 22 December 2002 Correspondence to Toyoji Kakuchi     

MULTICARRIER DS—CDMA WITH ADAPTIVE MODULATION AND POWER ALLOCATION

Adaptive modulation and power allocation is introduced into the multicarrier DSCDMA system to improve the system performance and bandwidth efficiency.First,the system design appropriate for adaptive modulation and power allocation is given,then the algorithm of adaptive modulation and power allocation is applied.Simulation results demonstrate great performance improvement compared with the fixed modulated one.     

Exchange-correlation errors at harmonic and anharmonic orders: the case of bulk Cu

As an aid towards improving the treatment of exchange and correlation effects in electronic structure calculations, it is desirable to have a clear picture of the errors introduced by currently popular approximate exchange-correlation functionals. We have performed ab initio density functional theory and density functional perturbation theory calculations to investigate the thermal properties of bulk Cu, using both the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Thermal effects are treated within the quasiharmonic approximation. We find that the LDA and GGA errors for anharmonic quantities are an order of magnitude smaller than for harmonic quantities; we argue that this might be a general feature. We also obtain much closer agreement with experiment than earlier, more approximate calculations.     

Electronic properties of magnetically doped nanotubes

Effect of doping of carbon nanotubes by magnetic transition metal atoms has been considered in this paper. In the case of semiconducting tubes, it was found that the system has zero magnetization, whereas in metallic tubes the valence electrons of the tube screen the magnetization of the dopants: the coupling to the tube is usually antiferromagnetic (except for Cr).