Molecular weight effect on the obtainment of parallel and perpendicular orientation in thermotropic poly(diethylene glycol <Emphasis Type="Italic">p,p′</Emphasis>-bibenzoate)

Summary The effect of molecular weight on the uniaxial orientation process has been analyzed in two samples of thermotropic poly(diethylene glycol p,p′-bibenzoate), evaluating the influence of that parameter on the type of orientation obtained. Several strain rates and deformation temperatures have been tested in order to map out the conditions for obtaining the two different kinds of orientation. The results show that in the lower molecular weight PDEB sample (M_w=31200) it is rather easy to get exclusively perpendicular “anomalous” orientation, with the molecular axes aligned transversely to the stretching direction. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain 100% parallel “normal” orientation. On the contrary, either type of orientation or a mixture of them can be easily developed for the higher molecular weight PDEB sample (M_w=102900).     

Biosynthesis of fatty acids byTrypanosoma cruzi

The incorporation of [1-¹⁴C] acetate into fatty acids by cultured epimastigotes ofTrypanosoma cruzi was studied. After 8, 24, and 48 hr incubation with labeled precursor, up to 2.8% of the initial radioactivity added to the medium was found in theT. cruzi long chain fatty acids. Saturated (16∶0 and 18∶0), monounsaturated (18∶1ω9), and diunsaturated (18∶2ω6) fatty acids were synthesized. Both the pattern of incorporation of labeled acetate into the fatty acids and the decarboxylation ratios found suggest that de novo synthesis of fatty acids has taken place.     

Acute acid-base disorders. 2. Specific disturbances

Evaluation of the acid-base status of the body requires measurement of bicarbonate (total carbon dioxide) concentration, pH, and partial pressure of CO2 in arterial blood. Calculation of standard bicarbonate and base excess or deficit is not necessary. The normal concentration of free hydrogen ions (H+) is approximately 40 millimoles/liter, which is equivalent to a pH of 7.4. The normal load of fixed acids is 50 to 80 millimoles in 24 hours. A steady state is maintained by excretion of an equal amount of H+ by the kidneys, which at the same time regenerate bicarbonate to replenish buffer stores. Renal excretion of H+ is in the form of titratable acid and ammonium. Synthesis of ammonia can increase severalfold under the stimulus of acidosis. This is the chief mechanism of long-term compensation. Metabolic acidosis can be due to an excessive acid load (endogenous or exogenous), impaired renal excretion of H+, or bicarbonate loss. Determination of the "anion gap" (unmeasured anions) helps to establish the mechanism of acidosis. Acidosis with a normal anion gap is due to either bicarbonate loss or ingestion of certain chloride salts. A gap larger than normal indicates the presence in the body of acids other than acidfying chloride salts. Management of metabolic acidosis requires accurate diagnosis, clear understanding of the mechansim, and individualized treatment. Metabloic alkalosis is due to loss of H+ (usually from stomach or kidneys) or ingestion of alkali. Measurement of urinary chloride helps establish the mechanism of alkalosis. In saline-responsive alkalosis, the urinary chloride level is very low. This is usually due to gastric loss of H+, and the condition responds to administration of saline solution. When the urinary chloride level is only moderately low, the alkalosis is probably not due to gastric loss of H+. This form of alkalosis (saline-resistant) does not respond well to administration of saline solution and requires use of potassium in treatment. Apprpriate compensatory responses to acidosis or alkalosis are critical to survival. Compensation for metabloic acidosis consists of hyperventilation and enhanced renal excretion of H+, chiefly as ammonium. In metabolic alkalosis, compensation is mainly renal excretion of bicarbonate. Respiratory acidosis is due to alveolar hypoventilation. In chronic situations, a compensatory rise in serum bicarbonate concentration is expected. Management consists of treatment of the cause of hypoventilation. Respiratory alkalosis is due to hyperventilation. Treatment requires identification and correction of the cause of hyperventilation.     

Order vs. Disorder: Cholesterol and Omega-3 Phospholipids Determine Biomembrane Organization

Lipid structural diversity strongly affects biomembrane chemico-physical and structural properties in addition to membrane-associated events. At high concentrations, cholesterol increases membrane order and rigidity, while polyunsaturated lipids are reported to increase disorder and flexibility. How these different tendencies balance in composite bilayers is still controversial. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, small angle neutron scattering, and neutron reflectivity were used to investigate the structural properties of cholesterol-containing lipid bilayers in the fluid state with increasing amounts of polyunsaturated omega-3 lipids. Either the hybrid 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or the symmetric 1,2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were added to the mixture of the naturally abundant 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and cholesterol. Our results indicate that the hybrid and the symmetric omega-3 phospholipids affect the microscopic organization of lipid bilayers differently. Cholesterol does not segregate from polyunsaturated phospholipids and, through interactions with them, is able to suppress the formation of non-lamellar structures induced by the symmetric polyunsaturated lipid. However, this order/disorder balance leads to a bilayer whose structural organization cannot be ascribed to either a liquid ordered or to a canonical liquid disordered phase, in that it displays a very loose packing of the intermediate segments of lipid chains.     

Spreading Codes Generator for Wireless CDMA Networks

The prime characteristic of spread spectrum modulated signals is that their bandwidth is greater than the information rate. In this way a redundancy is introduced that allows the severe levels of inteference inherent in the transmission of digital information over radio and satellite links to be overcome. Current spread spectrum applications are primarily in military communications; nevertheless, there is growing interest in this technique for third generation mobile radio networks (UMTS, FPLTS, etc.) with open discussion regarding the practicality of using a multiple access system based on spread spectrum techniques (CDMA). However, in order to support as many users in the same bandwidth as other multiple access techniques such as TDMA or FDMA, it is important how to generate large families of sequences that present low cross-correlation. The aim of this paper is to describe a spreading codes generator that can produce a large number of PN sequences with good properties of auto- and cross-correlation. Moreover, the codes generated shows high unpredictability and good statistical behaviour. This also allows the implementation of some features that are common on military networks such as message privacy (increasingly important in commercial networks) without additional cost. The structure presented shows itself to be advantageous for high speed generation of codes at a low cost, low power consumption (allowing longer life for batteries), small size and simplicity of implementation, essential ingredients for commercial equipment. Another attractive feature is its structural parallelism, useful in VLSI implementations. All of these features render it potentially suitable for the implementation of channel bandwidth sharing systems in future wireless personal communications networks.     

Deconvoluting Energy Transport Mechanisms in Metal Halide Perovskites Using CsPbBr3 Nanowires as a Model System

Understanding energy transport in metal halide perovskites is essential to effectively guide further optimization of materials and device designs. However, difficulties to disentangle charge carrier diffusion, photon recycling, and photon transport have led to contradicting reports and uncertainty regarding which mechanism dominates. In this study, monocrystalline CsPbBr₃ nanowires serve as 1D model systems to help unravel the respective contribution of energy transport processes in metal-halide perovskites. Spatially, temporally, and spectrally resolved photoluminescence (PL) microscopy reveals characteristic signatures of each transport mechanism from which a robust model describing the PL signal accounting for carrier diffusion, photon propagation, and photon recycling is developed. For the investigated CsPbBr₃ nanowires, an ambipolar carrier mobility of μ = 35 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ is determined, and is found that charge carrier diffusion dominates the energy transport process over photon recycling. Moreover, the general applicability of the developed model is demonstrated on different perovskite compounds by applying it to data provided in previous related reports, from which clarity is gained as to why conflicting reports exist. These findings, therefore, serve as a useful tool to assist future studies aimed at characterizing energy transport mechanisms in semiconductor nanowires using PL.     

A Switched Opamp-Based Bandpass Filter: Design and Implementation in a 0.35 μm CMOS Technology

A fully differential SC bandpass filter (central frequency, 58 kHz; Q = 15; and voltage gain, 8) based on the switched-opamp approach is designed and implemented in this work. The filter operates from a single 1 V supply voltage and is realized in a 0.35 m CMOS technology. It has been characterized with a sampling frequency of 1 MHz and its power consumption is about 230 W. As a main internal filter component, an appropiate switched opamp was also designed. Its common-mode feedback circuit was implemented by using an error amplifier and sampling of the output common-mode voltage is carried out by applying a DC offset to level shift the common-mode sample. It provides an accurate common-mode output for a wide temperature and supply voltage ranges.     

A Cross-Layer Approach to Enhance QoS for Multimedia Applications Over Satellite

The need for on-demand QoS support for communications over satellite is of primary importance for distributed multimedia applications. This is particularly true for the return link which is often a bottleneck due to the large set of end-users accessing a very limited uplink resource. Facing this need, Demand Assignment Multiple Access (DAMA) is a classical technique that allows satellite operators to offer various types of services, while managing the resources of the satellite system efficiently. Tackling the quality degradation and delay accumulation issues that can result from the use of these techniques, this paper proposes an instantiation of the Application Layer Framing (ALF) approach, using a cross-layer interpreter (xQoS-Interpreter). The information provided by this interpreter is used to manage the resource provided to a terminal by the satellite system in order to improve the quality of multimedia presentations from the end user’s point of view. Several experiments are carried out for different loads on the return link. Their impact on QoS is measured through different application as well as network level metrics.

Environmentally Friendly Graphene Inks for Touch Screen Sensors

Graphene-based materials have attracted significant attention in many technological fields, but scaling up graphene-based technologies still faces substantial challenges. High-throughput top-down methods generally require hazardous, toxic, and high-boiling-point solvents. Here, an efficient and inexpensive strategy is proposed to produce graphene dispersions by liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) through a combination of shear-mixing (SM) and tip sonication (TS) techniques, yielding highly concentrated graphene inks compatible with spray coating. The quality of graphene flakes (e.g., lateral size and thickness) and their concentration in the dispersions are compared using different spectroscopic and microscopy techniques. Several approaches (individual SM and TS, and their combination) are tested in three solvents (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, and cyrene). Interestingly, the combination of SM and TS in cyrene yields high-quality graphene dispersions, overcoming the environmental issues linked to the other two solvents. Starting from the cyrene dispersion, a graphene-based ink is prepared to spray-coat flexible electrodes and assemble a touch screen prototype. The electrodes feature a low sheet resistance (290 Ω □⁻¹) and high optical transmittance (78%), which provide the prototype with a high signal-to-noise ratio (14 dB) and multi-touch functionality (up to four simultaneous touches). These results illustrate a potential pathway toward the integration of LPE-graphene in commercial flexible electronics.