Template‐Free Fabrication of Mesoporous Alumina Nanospheres Using Post‐Synthesis Water‐Ethanol Treatment of Monodispersed Aluminium Glycerate Nanospheres for Molybdenum Adsorption

This work reports the template‐free fabrication of mesoporous Al₂O₃ nanospheres with greatly enhanced textural characteristics through a newly developed post‐synthesis “water‐ethanol” treatment of aluminium glycerate nanospheres followed by high temperature calcination. The proposed “water‐ethanol” treatment is highly advantageous as the resulting mesoporous Al₂O₃ nanospheres exhibit 2–4 times higher surface area (up to 251 m² g^?1), narrower pore size distribution, and significantly lower crystallization temperature than those obtained without any post‐synthesis treatment. To demonstrate the generality of the proposed strategy, a nearly identical post‐synthesis “water treatment” method is successfully used to prepare mesoporous monometallic (e.g., manganese oxide (MnO₂)) and bimetallic oxide (e.g., CuCo₂O₄ and MnCo₂O₄) nanospheres assembled of nanosheets or nanoplates with highly enhanced textural characteristics from the corresponding monometallic and bimetallic glycerate nanospheres, respectively. When evaluated as molybdenum (Mo) adsorbents for potential use in molybdenum‐99/technetium‐99m (⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc) generators, the treated mesoporous Al₂O₃ nanospheres display higher molybdenum adsorption performance than non‐treated Al₂O₃ nanospheres and commercial Al₂O₃, thereby suggesting the effectiveness of the proposed strategy for improving the functional performance of oxide materials. It is expected that the proposed method can be utilized to prepare other mesoporous metal oxides with enhanced textural characteristics and functional performance.     

Characteristics of surface roughening during plane strain compression of polycrystalline iron

Roughening behavior of the free surface of polycrystalline iron during plane strain compression is investigated experimentally. The changes in the shape of the free surface, which is roughened during plastic deformation, are observed in the three-dimensions. It is found that the mountains and the valleys of the roughened shape tend to elongate in the constrained direction for the specimen with isotropic grain shape. The shapes of the roughness curves in the loading direction and in the constrained direction are compared. The normalized height distribution of the roughness curve in the constrained direction is symmetric, while that of the roughness curve in the loading direction is asymmetric and positively skew during plane strain compression. Based on a simple simulation of the roughness curves by a random midpoint displacement method, this difference is supposed to be caused by the constraint of the material flow under plane strain condition.     

The pharmacokinetics of water-in-oil-in-water-type multiple emulsion of a new tacrolimus formulation

We developed a water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W)-type multiple emulsion of a new tacrolimus formulation. A potential approach to avoid the complications of systemic immunosuppression and simultaneously enhance immunosuppressive efficacy is to deliver immunosuppressive agents locally to the site of the target organs. The W/O/W emulsion is dispersed oil drops containing smaller water droplets that allow the delivery of drugs preferentially to the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Since the liver and the spleen are primary components of the RES, and the brain and the kidney have a poor RES, we hypothesized that a W/O/W emulsion of tacrolimus would prossess the pharmacokinetic benefits of local immunosuppression. We evaluated this hypothesis in a rat model. The tacrolimus levels of whole blood, the liver, spleen, brain, and kidney in rats given intravenous emulsions of tacrolimus (W/O/W group) were compared with a group administered tacrolimus alone (T group). There were no significant differences between the pharmacokinetic parameters of W/O/W group and T group based on whole blood data. However, the W/O/W group had significantly decreased tacrolimus levels in the brain and kidney, and significantly increased levels in the liver and spleen compared with the T group. These data suggest that the W/O/W emulsion is applicable as an intravenous drug carrier for local immunosuppression.     

Rheo-optical studies on the deformation mechanism of semicrystalline polymers. VIII. Dynamic x-ray diffraction of a high-density polyethylene film having row-structure of C-axis orientation

Dynamic x-ray diffraction is employed to scrutinize the structural origin of the α mechanical dispersion of a highdensity polyethylene having preferentially oriented rownucleated cylindritic texture around the machine direction (MD). Results indicate that the α₁ dispersion is associated with two kinds of orientation processes of crystallites: (1) the orientation process involving the rotation of crystallites around the crystal b-axis (lamellar axis) dominates in the MD specimen; (2) the other process accompanying the rotation of crystallites or lamellar segments around their crystal a-axis dominates in the TD (transverse direction) specimen. The complex apparent crystal lattice compliances show no frequency dependence in the real component and no appreciable value in the imaginary component, indicating that the α₁ process is definitely associated with the intercrystalline process, but not relavent to the intracrystal process. However, at elevated temperatures, the complex lattice compliances exhibit a remarkable frequency dependence, suggesting that the α₂ dispersion concomitant to intracrystalline nature takes place in this time scale. The α₂ dispersion was found to be more pronounced upon stretching along the lamellar axis (TD) than normal to it (MD).     

Computer simulation study on the shear-induced phase separation in semidilute polymer solutions in 3-dimensional space

We investigated the shear-induced phase separation and/or concentration fluctuation phenomena in semidilute polymer solution by using computer simulation in 3-dimensional space with Doi-Onuki theory. The enhancement of the concentration fluctuations occurs under shear flow and the scattering function in q_x-q_z plane exhibits the so-called butterfly pattern as observed experimentally, where q_x and q_z are the components of the scattering vector for flow direction and neutral direction, respectively. The time changes in the peak position and the intensity at peak position in the scattering function in q_x-q_z plane can be divided into two regions: the peak position becomes smaller and the peak intensity increases with t, and then the peak position and intensity become constant and the system reaches its steady state. These agree with the experimental results qualitatively. However, the computer simulation results indicate that the peak position at the steady state is almost independent of the shear rate, while the decrease in the peak position at steady state with shear rate has been observed experimentally. This disagreement originates from the use of the simplest constitutive equation in the computer simulation.     

Seismic response analysis of embedded structure at Hualien, Taiwan

Predictive and correlative analyses of the forces vibration tests (‘FVT’ for short, hereafter:) and seismic response of the large-scale embedded structure were performed as one of the analytical phases of an international large-scale seismic test (LSST) program (Tang et al., 1991) at Hualien, Taiwan. Consequently, the following was clarified; (1) FVT analysis using unified ground model (UMFVT2) predicted the fundamental system frequency (ƒ₀) about 20% higher than the test. (2) After careful investigation on several items cited as the presumed causes of (ƒ₀) discrepancy between the test and the prediction, it was attributed to the V_s of the backfill, and best correlated ground model (BCFVT2) was formed, based on it. (3) Seismic response analysis using BCFVT2 brought a bit better agreement with the observation than using UMFVT2, but from another viewpoint, both analysis results agreed fairly well with the observation, indicating that backfill V_s does not affect seismic response so much as during FVT.     

Induced radioactive nuclides of 10-MeV radiotherapy accelerators detected by using a portable HP-Ge survey meter

The radioactivation of linear accelerator components for radiation therapy is interest for radiation protection in general, and particularly, when decommissioning these structures. The energy spectra of gamma rays emitted from the heads of two accelerator models, EXL-15SP and Clinac iX, after 10-MeV X-ray irradiation, were measured using a high-purity germanium semiconductor survey meter. After spectrum analyses, activities of (24)Na, (28)Al, (54)Mn, (56)Mn, (57)Ni, (58)Co, (60)Co, (64)Cu, (65)Zn, (122)Sb, (124)Sb, (181)W, (187)W, (196)Au, and (198)Au were detected. One centimetre deep dose-equivalent rate of the heads of the linear accelerator was measured using the survey meter. The dose rate decreased to ～10 % of its initial rate after 1 week. Long-term activations were few, the radioactivity level was low, and a cooling time of several days was effective for reducing dose rate to an acceptable level for decommissioning.     

Nano-fabrication of double gyroid network structure via ozonolysis of matrix phase of polyisoprene in poly(2-vinylpyridine)-block-polyisoprene films

The film specimens having the double gyroid network structure with space group symmetry were prepared by solution casting of poly(2-vinylpyridine)-block-polyisoprene mixed with a small but varying amounts of polyisoprene with chloroform as a solvent. The network phase composed of poly(2-vinylpyridine) was first crosslinked with 1,4-diiodobutane and then the matrix phase composed of polyisoprene was degraded by ozonolysis to obtain “free-standing” double gyroid network texture in which the two sets of networks are interlaced without contacts with one another in vacant space via their grain boundary connections. The network structures before and after ozonolysis were investigated, respectively, by transmission electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy with the aid of numerically calculated three-dimensional computer graphics (3d CG) of the structure. The results clarified a success of the nano-fabrication on the free-standing double gyroid structure. We propose that the 3d CG-SEM, as discussed in the text, on the morphology of the freeze-fractured surface is particularly useful for the identification of the structure.     

Water Film in Liquefied Sand and Its Effect on Lateral Spread

A 1D saturated sand layer of 2 m in thickness, in which a silt seam is sandwiched, is liquefied by an instant shock. It is found that a water film is easily formed beneath the silt seam with a thickness as thin as a few millimeters just after liquefaction in loose sand and that the film lasts longer than the post-liquefaction settlement. The effect of the water film on pore-pressure distribution and sand settlement is intensively studied. 1g shake table tests are then carried out for 2D models with or without seams of silt within a saturated sand layer. In the former case, water films formed beneath silt seams just after liquefaction enable the soil mass above them to glide due to an unbalanced force along the water films, not only during but also after shaking. In the latter case, the soil deforms continuously, mostly during shaking, and stops afterward. Thus, a significant effect of water films formed beneath thin, low-permeability sublayers in a liquefied loose sand, on the failure mode and timing in lateral spread, is clearly demonstrated by these simple model tests.     

AC Drive System for Tension Reel Control

Recently, adjustable-speed ac drive systems have been employed successfully for blowers, pumps, table rollers, etc., in steel plants instead of the more conventional dc drives. In processing lines many drives require speed and tension control. To confirm the suitability of an ac drive for tension control, the tension reel of an existing pilot processing line has been equipped with an adjustable-speed ac drive. An ac drive system for tension reel control, its characteristics, and performance are described and compared with a dc tension control.