Preparation,structural elucidation,molecular weight determination,and molecular recognition of first‐ and second‐tier dendrimer molecules

1,3,5‐Triglyceratetriazine [first tier (G₁)] and tri(1,3,5‐triglycerate) triazine [second tier (G₂)] dendrimers were prepared with 1,3,5‐trichlorotriazine and sodium glycerate in a 1 : 3 mass ratio in an ethanolic medium.G₁ and G₂ were amorphous, white, solid substances. Their structures were elucidated with IR, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR, and their thermal stability was studied with thermogravimetric analysis. The activation energy was calculated with the Freeman–Carroll model. Densities, viscosities, and surface tensions for 0.01–0.08 mol/kg aqueous solutions increased at 0.01 mol/kg for sodium glycerate, 1,3,5‐trichlorotriazine, 1,3,5‐triazine triglycerate chloride, G₁, and G₂. These values were measured at 298.15 K. The apparent molal volume, reduced viscosity, and inherent viscosity were calculated from the densities and viscosities, respectively. The data were regressed for the limiting densities, limiting apparent molal volumes, intrinsic viscosities, limiting inherent viscosities, and limiting surface tensions for solute–solvent interactions. The positive limiting apparent molal volume values were noted in the order of G₂ > 1,3,5‐triazine triglycerate chloride > G₁ > 1,3,5‐trichlorotriazine > sodium glycerate, with weaker hydrophilic intermolecular interactions of G₂. The higher intrinsic viscosity and limiting inherent viscosity values for G₂ implied stronger G₂–H₂O hydrophilic interactions, and the higher limiting apparent molal volume of G₂ indicated slightly higher dynamic conformational changes in comparison with G₁, with stronger structural activities. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Lime-induced iron chlorosis in sugarcane

Lime-induced chlorosis is a potential problem on most calcareous soils particularly in arid and semi-arid climates affecting most of the plants grown on them. Bicarbonates, phosphates, calcium, iron inactivation in plant tissue and organic anions have been held responsible as the mechanism leading to the disorder which is still not fully understood, and there is a lack of agreement as to the primary factor responsible for lime-induced chlorosis. To date, no hypothesis has adequately explained why chlorosis occurs on some high lime soils and not on others. Likewise, the nutrient ratios, K/Ca, P/Fe and Fe/Mn considered as diagnostic criteria for lime-induced chlorosis, have shown inconsistency. The presence of calcium carbonate, bicarbonate, calcium and imbalance of nutrient cations in the growth medium, injudicious addition of phosphates, quality of irrigation water, and other soil and plant factors have been held responsible for the disorder. Amelioration of lime-induced chlorosis by (i) acidification of calcareous soils, (ii) use of iron salts, (iii) use of synthetic iron chelates, and (iv) by management practices including the selection and development of varieties resistant to lime-induced iron chlorosis, is discussed. Suggestions for future research work are made.     

A methodology to model the information structure of an organization

The Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing (ICAM) program of the U.S. Air Force identified a need to better communicate and analyze manufacturing for the people involved in improving productivity. To satisfy that need, the ICAM program developed the IDEF (ICAM Definition) method to address particular characteristics of manufacturing. This IDEF method is equally applicable in analyzing other types of organizations. IDEF comprises three modeling methodologies: function model methodology (IDEF₀), information model methodology (IDEF₁) and dynamics model methodology (IDEF₂). This paper reports on the Information model methodology only. This methodology is used to construct an information model that helps in understanding the structure of information needed to support the functions of an organization.     

Photoreceptor Cells Constitutively Express IL-35 and Promote Ocular Immune Privilege

Interleukin-27 is constitutively secreted by microglia in the retina or brain, and upregulation of IL-27 during neuroinflammation suppresses encephalomyelitis and autoimmune uveitis. However, while IL-35 is structurally and functionally similar to IL-27, the intrinsic roles of IL-35 in CNS tissues are unknown. Thus, we generated IL-35/YFP-knock-in reporter mice (p35-KI) and demonstrated that photoreceptor neurons constitutively secrete IL-35, which might protect the retina from persistent low-grade inflammation that can impair photoreceptor functions. Furthermore, the p35-KI mouse, which is hemizygous at the il12a locus, develops more severe uveitis because of reduced IL-35 expression. Interestingly, onset and exacerbation of uveitis in p35-KI mice caused by extravasation of proinflammatory Th1/Th17 lymphocytes into the retina were preceded by a dramatic decrease of IL-35, attributable to massive death of photoreceptor cells. Thus, while inflammation-induced death of photoreceptors and loss of protective effects of IL-35 exacerbated uveitis, our data also suggest that constitutive production of IL-35 in the retina might have housekeeping functions that promote sterilization immunity in the neuroretina and maintain ocular immune privilege.     

Determination of the flow stress of five AHSS sheet materials (DP 600, DP 780, DP 780-CR,DP 780-HY and TRIP 780) using the uniaxial tensile and the biaxial Viscous Pressure Bulge (VPB) tests

Room temperature uniaxial tensile and biaxial Viscous Pressure Bulge (VPB) tests were conducted for five Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) sheet materials, and the resulting flow stress curves were compared. Strain ratios (R-values) were also determined in the tensile test and used to correct the biaxial flow stress curves for anisotropy. The pressure vs. dome height raw data in the VPB test was extrapolated to the burst pressure to obtain the flow stress curve until fracture. Results of this work show that the flow stress data can be obtained to higher strain values under biaxial state of stress. Moreover, it was observed that some materials behave differently if subjected to different state of stress. These two conclusions, and the fact that the state of stress in actual stamping processes is almost always biaxial, suggest that the bulge test is a more suitable test for obtaining the flow stress of AHSS sheet materials for use as an input to Finite Element (FE) simulation models.     

High Frequency Electronically Tunable Floating Memristor Emulators employing VDGA and Grounded Capacitor

This paper introduces novel electronically tunable floating and grounded memristor emulator circuits using voltage differencing gain amplifier and one capacitor. The decremental and incremental memristor emulators have been suggested for both floating as well as grounded type configurations. Decremental to incremental and incremental to decremental configurations of memristor emulators can be easily obtained. The fingerprint of memristor is the pinched hysteresis loops that are maintained for the significant range of frequencies from 5 kHz to 1 MHz. The proposed memristor emulator sustains its range of frequency for both grounded and floating configurations. The simulations have been done in Eldo simulation tool of Mentor Graphics using TSMC 0.18 µm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology parameters. The proposed electronically tunable memristor emulators are used to realize analog filters in view of performance verification.

     

Intercycle switching (ICS)-based dynamic reconfiguration of p-cycle for dual-failure survivability of WDM networks

Today, the most promising technique used for the survivability of optical transport networks is p-cycle. However, it provides longer restoration path at failure state of the network. The intercycle switching (ICS) is one of the recent approaches that is based on idle p-cycles and is used for shortening the length of restoration path in single-fault model. Utilization of idle p-cycles degrades the inherent dual-failure restorability of single-failure design model of p-cycle, whereas ICS releases the maximum portion of conventional restoration path by utilizing a small segment of the idle p-cycle. Here, the authors proposed a new approach to reconfiguring the released portion of restoration path and unused segment of corresponding idle p-cycle as new cycle(s). In respect of idle p-cycles, the new reconfigured cycle(s) provides more dual-failure restorability in single-failure design of p-cycle. Therefore, the proposed approach mitigates the above-said drawback of ICS and minimizes additional spare capacity requirement for dual-failure survivability.     

U-slot Loaded Half Disk Patch Antenna for Mobile Communications

Theoretical investigations of a U-slot loaded half disk patch antenna are presented using equivalent circuit concept. It is found that the antenna shows dual band characteristics with resonant frequency at 4.76 and 6.79 GHz. The dual nature of the antenna is realized by loading shorting pin with U-slot loaded patch. The lower and upper frequency bands are achieved as 443 and 287 MHz respectively. It is noted that the antenna shows frequency ratio of 1.4.     

Multi slot-throughput tradeoff in an improved energy detector based faded cognitive radio network

In this paper, the impact of a multi slot based cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) on the performance of a cognitive radio (CR) network has been investigated. Each CR user, equipped with an improved energy detector (IED), uses a number of mini slots of the sensing time to perform the spectrum sensing. Each CR uses OR logic to combine the sub local decisions generated in each mini slot to obtain a local decision at CR level. Local decisions are sent to fusion centre (FC) over reporting channel. The FC obtains a final decision about the presence of primary user (PU) by combining the local decisions using a fusion rule: Majority or Maximal Ratio Combining. The performance of the CSS is assessed in terms of detection probability and false alarm probability considering both the sensing and reporting channels are Rayleigh faded. Furthermore, the impact of a number of sensing slots and IED parameter on throughput of CR network is also evaluated under the proposed spectrum sensing scenario. Impacts of several sensing parameters such as sensing channel SNR and reporting channel SNR on the performance of CR network are also evaluated. Performances of two fusion rules under study are compared. Effect of sensing error and synchronisation error is indicated. Further the study is extended for independent but non identically distributed (i.n.i.d.) Rayleigh faded channels as well as for a multiple PU scenario also.     

Resolving Deep Sub-Wavelength Scattering of Nanoscale Sidewalls Using Parametric Microscopy

The quantitative optical measurement of deep sub-wavelength features with sub-nanometer sensitivity addresses the measurement challenge in the semiconductor fabrication process. Optical scatterings from the sidewalls of patterned devices reveal abundant structural and material information. We demonstrated a parametric indirect microscopic imaging (PIMI) technique that enables recovery of the profile of wavelength-scale objects with deep sub-wavelength resolution, based on measuring and filtering the variations of far-field scattering intensities when the illumination was modulated. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical simulation was performed, and the experimental results were compared with atomic force microscopic (AFM) images to verify the resolution improvement achieved with PIMI. This work may provide a new approach to exploring the detailed structure and material properties of sidewalls and edges in semiconductor-patterned devices with enhanced contrast and resolution, compared with using the conventional optical microscopy, while retaining its advantage of a wide field of view and relatively low cost.