CW high power single-lobed far-field operation of long-cavityAlGaAs-GaAs single-quantum-well laser diodes grown by MOCVD

Data on long-cavity 100-μm-wide broad-stripe laser diodes that lase with a barrow single-lobed far-field pattern in continuous room-temperature operation are presented. Diodes with a cavity length of 1250 μm emit a power of 200 mW per facet into a 2.5° lobe (full width at half maximum). Short-cavity devices (cavity length of 350 μm) lase with a continuously increasing number of lateral modes right from threshold, and exhibit a far-field divergence that is over three times greater than that of 1250-μm diodes. Explanations for the effect of increasing cavity length on the field patterns of these devices are proposed, based on the measured increase in injected carrier diffusion length in long-cavity diodes and the influence of thermal waveguiding and mirror losses on intermodel discrimination     

Probing acid sites in MAPO-36 by solid state NMR

An ordering of magnesium is observed in the as-synthesized MAPO-36 molecular sieve. Upon calcination, part of the magnesium is removed from the sample and part occupies extraframework positions thus rendering a random distribution of magnesium in the lattice. The shoulder observed in the³¹P spectrum of the calcined sample is assigned to P(3Al, 1Mg) sites in conflict with the earlier assignment to P-OH groups. The bridging hydroxyl groups located at these sites are detected in the¹H MAS spectrum at 3.6 ppm. Further, MAPO-36 catalyzed acetone conversion to mesityloxide that cracked at elevated temperature to yield acetic acid and aliphatics.     

The effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on acute rejection and cardiac allograft blood flow in rats

For six weeks, recipient (Lewis RT11) and donor rats (LBNF11/n) were fed three diets that varied only in their lipid content. Diet A (MO) contained 19.5% menhaden oil and 0.5% safflower oil and was rich in omega 3 PUFA; diet B (SO) was 20% safflower oil rich in omega 6 PUFA; and diet C (BT) was 20% beef tallow rich in omega 9 monounsaturated fatty acids and saturated fat. In the first set of graft survival studies a group fed laboratory chow was included (CHOW). Heterotopic cardiac transplantation from donor to recipient animals was performed after the six-week feeding period. The effect of these diets on cardiac allograft survival, mixed lymphocyte response, and blood flow in the rejecting grafts was investigated. The median graft survival in days was significantly prolonged in the rats maintained on either MO (12 days) or SO (14.5 days) compared with the BT (8 days)-or lab chow (7.5 days)-fed animals (P < 0.05). Cyclosporine (CsA) administered at subtherapeutic levels further increased the differences between the PUFA-fed animals and the BT-fed group. The myocardial blood flow of the rejecting allografts was measured using an 85Sr-labeled microsphere technique on the fifth posttransplant day. Flow was greatest in the MO-fed group, and both MO and SO groups had significantly higher myocardial blood flow than BT-fed rats (P < 0.05) or those bearing isografts. The allogenic mixed lymphocyte responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and splenic lymphocytes were suppressed in MO- and SO-fed groups compared with BT-fed animals. The immunosuppressive effect of dietary PUFA warrants further investigation, and their use as a possible adjunctive treatment in organ transplantation should be considered.     

The modeling and implementation of tri-rotor flying robot

The objective of this study is to develop a tri-rotor flying robot, which adopts the Y-shaped three-rotor structure. In order to balance the yaw torque produced by the three rotors, the RC servomotor and linkage is installed on the tail axis in order to improve the angle of the rolling axis of the tail motor. Moreover, through the torque generated by the horizontal component of the lift from the inclined motor on the tail axis, it balances the yaw torque of the three rotors. The dynamic equations of the tri-rotor flying robot are determined in this paper. The relationship between motor thrust, angular acceleration, and voltage input was also studied in this research. In order to study the effect of control parameters on the flight stability completely, this study develops a universal stability experimental platform to help tuning the control parameters safely. Based on this, the tri-rotor flying robot can rapidly change flying gesture and avoid oscillation. Finally, we conducted some indoor and outdoor flight tests. From the experimental results, the tri-rotor flying robot can fly and hover stably in the sky.     

Properties of modified polyacrylonitrile membranes prepared by copolymerization with hydrophilic monomers for water–ethanol mixture separation

A new kind of terpolymer membrane was employed to separate a permselective water–alcohol mixture. This membrane was prepared via the copolymerization of acrylonitrile, sodium salt styrene sulfonic acid (SStSA), and hydroxyethyl methacrylate in dimethylsulfoxide with azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The reaction mechanism, resultant structure, and polymer composition were confirmed by IR and elemental analysis. The effects of the feed composition on the polymer composition, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and degree of swelling were investigated. It was found that water permeated through the membrane preferentially in a water/alcohol system. The flux increased with the increase of SStSA, but the separation factor decreased drastically with higher SStSA. For a 50 wt % water–ethanol mixture, a flux of 0.65 kg/m² h and a separation factor of 212 were obtained at 30°C when the membrane containing the highest SStSA content was used. The capacities of the metal ions absorbed by the membranes were investigated in the study. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 244–250, 2003     

Pinwheel broadcast paradigm in supporting energy‐saving mobile devices

Because of the limited bandwidth and restricted number of channels in the wireless access environment, the broadcast paradigm has become an important technique for accessing messages. Energy saving is an important issue in the mobile computing environment. In this paper, we propose a multichannel broadcast paradigm that constructs the broadcast channels according to the access frequency of each type of message in order to save energy in mobile devices (MDs). The pinwheel scheduling algorithm (PSA) presented in this paper is used to organize all types of messages in the broadcast channels in the most symmetrical distribution in order to reduce both the tuning time and the access time. The performance of the proposed mechanism is analyzed, and the improvement over existing methods is demonstrated numerically. The results show that the proposed mechanism is capable of improving both the tuning time and the access time due to the presence of skewness in the access distribution among the disseminated messages. When the number of message types increases, both the tuning time and the access time can be further improved as long as a small number of broadcast channels are added. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methionine restriction up‐regulates the expression of the pi class of glutathione S‐transferase partially via the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase‐activator protein‐1 signaling pathway initiated by glutathione depletion

Understanding the molecular events underlying gene regulation by amino acids has attracted increasing attention. Here, we explored whether the mechanism by which methionine restriction affects the expression of the π class of glutathione S‐transferase (GSTP) is related to oxidative stress initiated by glutathione (GSH) depletion. Rat primary hepatocytes were cultured in an L‐15‐based medium in the absence or presence of 200 μM L ‐buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) or in a methionine‐restricted L‐15 medium supplemented with 20 μM L ‐methionine up to 72 h. BSO and methionine restriction time‐dependently induced GSTP mRNA and protein expression in a similar pattern accompanied by a decrease in the cellular GSH level. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), but not of c‐Jun NH₂‐terminal kinase and p38, was stimulated by methionine restriction and BSO. Electromobility gel shift assay showed that the DNA‐binding activity of nuclear activator protein‐1 (AP‐1) increased in cells exposed to methionine restriction or BSO. With the ERK inhibitor FR180204, AP‐1 activation and GSTP expression were abolished. Moreover, the induction of GSTP by methionine restriction and BSO was reversed by GSH monoethyl ester and N‐acetylcysteine. Our results suggest that methionine restriction up‐regulates GSTP gene expression, which appears to be initiated by the ERK‐AP‐1 signaling pathway through GSH depletion in rat hepatocytes.     

The effects of distraction on desensitization and reprocessing

The present analogue study of seventy-two students with mild spider anxiety assessed the role of distraction in the desensitization and reprocessing of aversive information. Accessing different components of Baddeley's model of short-term memory, three treatment groups involving distraction tasks and one control group maintaining focussed exposure were compared in a pre-test post-test experimental design. The results indicated that all groups experienced a similar reduction in both self-report and heart-rate measures of anxiety. However, at the follow up phase, the groups containing a distraction task showed an increase in anxiety levels significantly greater than that for the control condition. No differences were reported between any of the distraction groups.     

Technology learning for renewable energy: Implications for South Africa's long-term mitigation scenarios

Technology learning can make a significant difference to renewable energy as a mitigation option in South Africa's electricity sector. This article considers scenarios implemented in a Markal energy model used for mitigation analysis. It outlines the empirical evidence that unit costs of renewable energy technologies decline, considers the theoretical background and how this can be implemented in modeling. Two scenarios are modelled, assuming 27% and 50% of renewable electricity by 2050, respectively. The results show a dramatic shift in the mitigation costs. In the less ambitious scenario, instead of imposing a cost of Rand 52/t CO₂-eq (at 10% discount rate), reduced costs due to technology learning turn renewables into negative cost option. Our results show that technology learning flips the costs, saving R143. At higher penetration rate, the incremental costs added beyond the base case decline from R92 per ton to R3. Including assumptions about technology learning turns renewable from a higher-cost mitigation option to one close to zero. We conclude that a future world in which global investment in renewables drives down unit costs makes it a much more cost-effective and sustainable mitigation option in South Africa.