Phase behavior of thermotropic liquid crystalline/conducting polymer blends

Summary Liquid crystalline/conducting polymer blends have been prepared. The conductingpolymer [poly(2,5-dimethoxyphenylene vinylene)] retards the liquid crystallinity of the liquid crystalline polymer (hydroxypropyl cellulose), while the liquid crystalline polymer reduces the conductivity of the conducting polymer. However, blends with 17% conducting polymer were both liquid crystalline and conductive. Dedicated to Prof. Dragutin Fleš on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Development of negotiation expert system for subtransmission system planning

Recently, the task of planning in power systems is becoming a very complicated process for utility planners. This kind of planning has many objectives to accomplish. This paper employs the negotiation algorithm, which was proposed by the Chen-Ching Liu group for subtransmission power system planning to create a plan having many objectives. First, the goal-decision network (GDN) is constructed to model this planning problem, and the negotiation algorithm is applied to utilize both subtransmission system planning GDN, which attempts to capture its knowledge, and negotiation operators, which search for the most feasible and promising decisions in this planning GDN. Finally, the negotiation expert system is demonstrated for the subtransmission system planning using a real system.     

Post-thinning technique for a lifted-out membrane

A novel technique for post-thinning of lifted-out membranes already mounted on a mesh was developed using a Ga(+) ion beam at an accelerating voltage of 5 kV. It was applied to the preparation of transmission electron microscopy specimens from a selected cell of a silicon dynamic random-access memory.     

Evaluation of an oleic acid water-in-oil-in-water-type multiple emulsion as potential drug carriervia the enteral route

A water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsion composed of oleic acid was used as a carrier of carboxyfluorescein (CF)via the enteral route, as a model for future drug transport. The absorption of CF in the small intestine of rats given the emulsion (W/O/W group) was compared with the absorption in a group administered CF alone (CF group), and a surface-active agent in CF solution (MM group). Higher amounts of CF were absorbed in the W/O/W and MM groups than in the CF group. At 120 min, the amount of CF remaining in the intestinal tract was smaller in the MM group than in the W/O/W group. In the early period, CF excretion into bile was higher in the MM group than in the W/O/W group was higher than in the MM group (non-specific). The blood CF level was significantly higher at 240 and 360 min in the W/O/W group than in the other two groups. The highest concentration in lymph was found in the W/O/W group. The W/O/W emulsion was considered superior to the micelles because it maintained a higher blood level of CF over long periods and transferred it to the lymph. This suggests that the W/O/W emulsion is applicable as a drug carriervia the enteral route.     

A system for MEA-based multisite stimulation

The capability for multisite stimulation is one of the biggest potential advantages of microelectrode arrays (MEAs). There remain, however, several technical problems which have hindered the development of a practical stimulation system. An important design goal is to allow programmable multisite stimulation, which produces minimal interference with simultaneous extracellular and patch or whole cell clamp recording. Here, we describe a multisite stimulation and recording system with novel interface circuit modules, in which preamplifiers and transistor transistor logic-driven solid-state switching devices are integrated. This integration permits PC-controlled remote switching of each substrate electrode. This allows not only flexible selection of stimulation sites, but also rapid switching of the selected sites between stimulation and recording, within 1.2 ms. This allowed almost continuous monitoring of extracellular signals at all the substrate-embedded electrodes, including those used for stimulation. In addition, the vibration-free solid-state switching made it possible to record whole-cell synaptic currents in one neuron, evoked from multiple sites in the network. We have used this system to visualize spatial propagation patterns of evoked responses in cultured networks of cortical neurons. This MEA-based stimulation system is a useful tool for studying neuronal signal processing in biological neuronal networks, as well as the process of synaptic integration within single neurons.     

Dehydrogenation of Propane Over a Silica-Supported Gallium Oxide Catalyst

The dehydrogenation of propane over a silica-supported gallium oxide catalyst was investigated at temperatures ranging from 793 to 853K under atmospheric pressure. The catalyst was found to be moderately active and highly selective to propene in the dehydrogenation of propane. The amount of carbonaceous deposits on the catalyst in the dehydrogenation was around 1/10th of that on a silica-supported chromium oxide catalyst. Lower reaction temperatures and lower concentrations of propane in the feed would be favorable for selective production of propene.     

Design of stabilized digital inverse systems

As is well known, due to the existence of unstable limiting zeros and/or the minimum phase property of continuous-time systems, there are many cases that the discretized systems are of non-minimum phase. In this case, it is impossible to construct a stable digital inverse by usual methods. However, in this paper, we will show that if the inter-sample output is used in the design, one can always construct a stable digital inverse system.     

Neutral and ionized alkaline metal bombardment type heavy negative-ion source (NIABNIS)

A new type of high current, heavy negative-ion source has been developed in which simultaneous bombardment of both neutral and ionized alkaline metal particles on a sputter cone is utilized for overcoming the disadvantages of the universal negative ion source and the Aarhus negative ion source. To supply a sufficient amount of neutral and ionized cesium particles onto the sputtering target surface, a plasma cesium ion source is used for the primary cesium ion source, and the distance between the extraction aperture of the cesium ion beam and the sputtering target is minimized. This results in a compact body and high yields of negative ion currents. Two experimental apparatus are used: a prototype source for mainly investigating the operating principle and a high current negative ion production source with a target cooling system. The neutral cesium particle bombardment was found to be effective in increasing the negative ion production efficiency. The target surface temperature also had a great influence on this efficiency. Negative ion production experiments of group III, IV and V elements were mainly made. 320 μA of the C^? ion current and 3 μA of the ¹¹B^? ion current were obtained. Negative ion currents obtained to-date are also given for various targets.     

Silent thyroiditis after excision of a thymoma

A 61-year-old man developed thyrotoxicosis after excision of a thymoma. His laboratory examination showed an increased level of thyroid hormone and a low thyroidal iodine uptake. No thyroidal autoantibody was detected. With the diagnosis of silent thyroiditis, he was treated with propranolol. He became euthyroid after 2 months. Thymoma often accompanies an autoimmune disease as a paraneoplastic syndrome, and an immunological mechanism is thought to be involved in the onset of silent thyroiditis. This case suggests the involvement of an immunological mechanism in the pathogenesis of silent thyroiditis.